Photo by Elizabeth Goette Capt. John Slaughter (left) formally relieves Capt. Timothy Boothe of command of VX-1 during ceremonies Oct. 11.

The ceremony also saw Boothe receive the Legion of Merit from Rear Adm. Stephen Voetsch, and being piped ashore as he retired from active duty.

Voetsch was the guest speaker at the event. He noted that VX-1’s mission is ‘‘critical to ensuring that the fleet receives the best equipment and software available to support maritime operations,” and that under Boothe’s leadership ‘‘received the Golden Anchor Award for 2006.” VX-1 has, he continued, ‘‘consistently beaten fleet averages in advancement and retention.”

VX-1 has also won the Chief of Naval Operations Safety Award three consecutive times. Said Voetsch, ‘‘Things like this don’t just happen. They happen because of leadership and mentoring.” VX-1 has been ‘‘involved in future aircraft such as the P-8 Poseidon program, the follow-on to the P-3, culminating in a successful critical design review.”

He stated, ‘‘This demonstrated the value of early operational test involvement through integrated test teams.”

Looking to the future, Voetsch said Slaughter brings ‘‘a reputation for vision and leadership. . . I know they picked the right guy for this job.”

VX-1 Command Master Chief Cameron Bracewell thanked Boothe for ‘‘your leadership, guidance and unwavering support of the Chief’s Mess. Your complete trust and confidence in our deckplate leadership allowed us to do our job.”

He continued, ‘‘Your sincere dedication to the professional and personal development of each and every Sailor was an inspiration to us all and will always be remembered.” Bracewell concluded by presenting Boothe with honorary membership in the VX-1 Chief’s Mess.

In his remarks, Boothe told the members of VX-1 that ‘‘I will be forever grateful for the privilege of serving you. What a way to cap a career . . . It has been all fantastic.”

Capt. Timothy Boothe is piped ashore and into retirement, where wife Holly, son Ben and daughter Ellie (not shown) await.

He continued, ‘‘If there is a theme to my remarks today, it is the privilege of service — service to our great nation and great Navy.”

According to Boothe, ‘‘To really understand our Navy, we must appreciate the service, the tradition and the personal sacrifices of all those who have come before us — and the influence they had on our nation’s history.”

After listing several events in U.S. Navy history that occurred during the past week, Boothe said, ‘‘Right now, we’re at war. VX-1 has several members serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. They are making history and doing us all proud.”

He also credited the Chiefs’ Mess for ‘‘our award-winning retention and safety records, our outstanding advancement rates, and most significantly, our winning command climate and strong esprit de corps.”

Of the Sailors, Boothe said, ‘‘Our new generation of officers and Sailors are the best yet. They are smarter and more professional, and they expect more. Our job is to meet those high expectations, and I believe we are.”

Boothe did not join the Navy intending to make a career of it, but eventually did ‘‘because I love the Navy. It is the mission. It is the knowledge that we are truly making a difference and protecting our nation. But mostly, it’s our people.”

Slaughter then relieved Boothe of command of VX-1. In his address, Slaughter thanked Boothe for ‘‘his absolute willingness to take as much time as needed. He is an outstanding leader in every way. I can only hope to be half as good.”

He told the members of VX-1, ‘‘I expect that we are going to continue to take care of each other as well as we possibly can. It isn’t the aircraft or the buildings or the mission that make us VX-1; it’s you. Without all of you continuing your magnificent work, we will fail in our mission.”

Slaughter said that ‘‘above all, character counts. Each of us must be continually aware that loss of integrity is a slippery slope. Once you’ve compromised it, chances are you’ll never get it back.”

Noting the importance of trust, pride and teamwork, Slaughter said, ‘‘I expect that VX-1 will continue to strive to meet the highest of standards. Whether measures in sortie completion rates, success in aircraft testing or advancement rates, we will demand much of ourselves.”

He concluded, ‘‘It is an absolute honor to serve you as your commanding officer. There aren’t many people who will do what you are doing: The proportion of American society who will ever serve in the Armed Forces continues to get smaller. You are the exceptional ones and your deserve your nation’s thanks.”