THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 13, 1996 TAG: 9609130565
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 71 lines
Rear Adm. Robert Cole turned over the keys to two kingdoms Thursday when he gave up command of the Navy's mid-Atlantic real estate: the world's largest naval base and the community that has come to be its partner.
Mayors, businessmen and educators, along with nearly two dozen admirals and other flag officers, joined a crowd of several hundred in bidding farewell to Cole and welcoming the new commander of Norfolk Naval Base, Rear Adm. Timothy Ziemer.
The ceremony brought an end to Cole's year-long stint as the head of a far-flung complex of naval properties that includes Norfolk Naval Station and Norfolk Naval Air Station - a tenure that saw him open the base's gates to the public and encourage bonds between the region's civilian and military communities.
He leaves to assume full-time duty as commander of Naval Shore Facilities Atlantic, a promotion that puts him in charge of naval stations throughout the Eastern United States, Panama, Iceland, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Cole's tenure was among the more visible to Hampton Roads civilians, particularly with the base's opening last Nov. 1.
The move pulled sentries from most base gates, affording civilians freedom to eyeball ships, visit parks and drive base streets during daytime hours.
``I've seen Bob Cole reach out to the community, and I can see improvements and a spirit of cooperation,'' said Adm. William Flanagan, commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet.
``We have a partnership out there waiting to be embraced,'' Flanagan said, amid a Norfolk Naval Air Station hangar draped in red, white and blue bunting and an enormous American flag.
``We need to take our Bob Coles and our Tim Ziemers and put them fully into that partnership. This is, after all, one country, and one community, indivisible.''
When Flanagan introduced Cole he shook his hand and patted Cole's face affectionately.
Cole called Flanagan ``a visionary, a leader, and a good guy to have on our corporate team. He knows business, and he means business.
``But,'' Cole said, ``I've decided that in my next life, I'd rather be the visionary than the implementer of those visions.''
He called Ziemer, the helicopter pilot who replaces him, ``a great naval officer, with fresh ideas and clear insight.''
And Flanagan said that Ziemer, in his last assignment as commanding officer of the Mayport Naval Station in Florida, had ``taken his wonderful military experience ashore to help the people of Mayport.
``He knows how important it is for our families to know that their economic futures are secure, that they want to feel a part of the community, and that we're not going to let them down.''
Ziemer said he and his family were happy to return to Norfolk after a six-year absence. He was previously stationed in the area for more than nine years.
He said he had come to Norfolk from Mayport ``via a stint with the Joint Chiefs of Staff,'' and that he was ``delighted to be able to escape Washington.'' ILLUSTRATION: HUY NGUYEN photos\The Virginian-Pilot
Rear Adm. Robert Ziemer, left, became the new commander of Norfolk
Naval Base during a change of command ceremony on Thursday. At right
is Adm. William Flanagan, commander in chief of the Atlantic
fleet.
Rear Adm. Robert Cole, the outgoing commander of Norfolk Naval
Base, greets well-wishers after relinquishing his command of the
base to become the commander of Naval Shore Facilities Atlantic.
KEYWORDS: CHANGE OF COMMAND COMMANDER by CNB