Webb, with his wife Robin, is piped ashore for a final time.

Since 2005 Webb has been Pax River’s air operations officer – the ‘‘air boss” – responsible for the more than 165,000 flight operations that the air station logs every year.

The ceremony began when Webb, accompanied by his longtime friend Capt. Glen Ives, landed the Navy C-12 Huron he was piloting – his final flight as a Navy pilot – and then taxied the plane to a stop near where the event was being staged.

‘‘I’ve known this man for more than 20 years,” said Ives, Pax River’s commanding officer, ‘‘and it’s really special for me to be able to get in one more flight with Chuck Webb ... There’s no place I’d rather be today than celebrating my friend’s distinguished career.”

Webb, a native of South Carolina, graduated from The Citadel with a degree in civil engineering and was commissioned a Navy officer in 1983.

Ives explained that he first met Webb in 1985, when Webb, then an ensign, reported to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light-32 in Norfolk, Va., Webb’s first duty assignment earning his wings as a naval aviator. In Norfolk, Ives, then a lieutenant, was Webb’s instructor.

With the HSL-32 Invaders, Webb flew missions from the destroyer USS Briscoe, the guided missile cruiser USS Yorktown and the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea. In 1987 Webb was selected by his peers as squadron pilot of the year.

The following year Webb attended Naval Postgraduate School, where he studied aeronautical engineering. After earning his degree, Webb taught aeronautical engineering to midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

After four years in Annapolis, Webb returned to the HSL-32 Invaders and later flew with the HSL-48 Vipers squadron where, as maintenance officer, he was named the squadron’s officer of the year in 1996 and received the Rear. Adm. Allen G. Paulson Leadership Award. The following year Webb was named flag lieutenant to the president of the Naval War College, and later studied there as a non-engineering student. At the War College he was awarded the James Forrestal Award for Excellence in Strategy and Force Planning.

In 1998 Webb, now a commander, reported to his new duties as weapons officer on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and sailed on the Truman’s maiden voyage to the Arabian Gulf.

Webb came to Pax River in March 2002 as the squadron maintenance officer for Air Test and Evaluation Squadron One, the VX-1 Mighty Pioneers. There he was involved with several programs including the MH-60 Black Hawk platforms and worked there for three years before moving to air operations.

‘‘I can honestly say,” Ives told the audience, ‘‘I have never served with a finer naval officer, or had a better friend for the past 24 years, than Chuck Webb.” Reflecting on Webb’s work ethic and supervisory abilities, Ives said, ‘‘If Chuck Webb was there, you could be assured of three things: hard work, the mission would be a success, and you’d have a lot of fun along the way.”

Turning from the rostrum to look at his friend, Ives said, ‘‘You chose this Navy ... and we are all better for it. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to serve with you. You leave a legacy of young officers who have learned from your example. The [air traffic control] community will sorely miss you and your friendship.”

‘‘You’ve made me look perfect,” Webb said to Ives as he stood at the rostrum moments later. ‘‘Well, that’s not even close. A lot of people worked hard to get me here.” During his remarks, Webb joked that when he reported to his first sea duty assignment, he had to be told that ‘‘the pointy end” was the front of the ship.

‘‘To my troops,” Webb said, looking at the audience, where many of the service members from Pax River’s air operations office stood in formation, ‘‘you guys have been great. I’d never trade you for anyone.”

As Webb was finishing his remarks he turned to his wife, Robin, who sat in the front row with their children, Jackson and Madison. ‘‘Babe, I love you,” he told her. ‘‘It’s your time now. You guys have been the rock. It’s going to be fun.”

Webb then turned to Ives and said, ‘‘Skipper, I’m ready to become a slimy landlubber.”

Minutes later, following another military tradition, officers from Pax River’s air operations department opened a hose line for the ‘‘wet-down,” drenching Webb as a final farewell gesture. The ‘‘wet-down” would normally have been done as Webb exited the plane following his final flight, but it was delayed so he would have dry clothing during the ceremony.

(This article is reprinted with permission of The Enterprise newspaper.)