Blake Farenthold: “I am here today to recognize a great American patriot, Captain Steve Banta, call-sign ``Slash,'' who will be retiring…”

“I am here today to recognize a great American patriot, Captain Steve Banta, call-sign ``Slash,'' who will be retiring this week from his post as commanding officer of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. A 1991 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he earned a bachelor's degree in engineering, Captain Banta completed primary naval aviation training with the VT-27 Boomers at NAS Corpus Christi, and was designated a naval aviator on March 18, 1994. His sea duty included deployments on various cruisers, destroyers, frigates to the Mediterranean, Arabian Gulf, Caribbean, Southeast Pacific, and other areas. During his deployment as maintenance officer with HSL-44 Detachment Four, they were the first in the fleet to test the Hellfire missile. On September 11, 2001, he was deployed on the USS Carl Vinson with Carrier Group Three. During the first 4 months of Operation Enduring Freedom, he coordinated the daily schedule of more than 40 helicopters in 16 different aviation units. In 2009 and 2010, he served as commanding officer of the world famous HSL-48 Vipers. During his tenure, they earned multiple awards for tactical and retention excellence. Captain Banta's shore duties includes tours as a Seahawk helicopter flight instructor, as an analyst in the Pentagon for the Navy's role in Operation Enduring Freedom, and as the lead country program director for Afghanistan with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.…”