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Houghton Naval Officer To Lead Strike Fighter Squadron, The Rampagers

From Kayla Good
Navy Office of Community Outreach
Media Outreach Department

Cmdr Marvin J. Scott became the new commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 83 at a change of command ceremony Thursday, May18 at NAS Oceana. Scott relieves Cmdr Jason B. Higgins who will become the Northern Command (NORTHCOM) Liaison Officer (LNO) to U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM).

Higgins, a Navy pilot from Huntsville, Tx., graduated from the Naval Academy in 1999 and entered flight training at Pensacola, Fl. He received his Wings of Gold in 2003 and was assigned to VFA-27 in Atsugi, Japan. He later returned to the west coast of the United States before being transferred to VFA-83 at NAS Oceana as executive officer in 2014 and became commanding officer in 2015.

During his career Higgins has logged 2,900 flight hours in the F/A-18 Hornet and has 650 arrested landings, or “traps” to his credit.

Scott, a native of Houghton, Mi., graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2000 and reported to flight school in Pensacola. After his initial training he was assigned to NAS Meridian, Ms for jet training and received his Wings of Gold in 2003. He then reported to the “Grim Reapers” of Fighter Squadron (VF) 101for training in the F-14 Tomcat.

In 2004, Cmdr Scott joined the “Jolly Rogers” of VF-103 and transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet as the squadron was redesignated VFA-103.

Scott was then selected to attend the Navy Fighter Weapons School and, upon his graduation in 2007, remained there as a TOPGUN Instructor at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, Nv.

In 2015 Scott arrived at the Gladiators of VFA-106 for refresher training in the F/A-18C Hornet and then moved to the VFA-83 as executive officer of the Rampagers .

Scott has 2,900 hours flight time in F-14 and F/A-18 aircaft along with 675 traps.

The 232 men and women assigned to the Rampagers are part of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72).

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