The U.S. Navy has removed Marine Corps Maj. Scott Laux from the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron, while reports indicate the team’s public affairs officer was also dismissed in a separate action. Laux, who flew the No. 6 opposing solo aircraft, was absent from the team’s final scheduled performances of the season at Naval Air Station Pensacola on Nov. 6-7.
Pilot Removed Before Season Finale
The Chief of Naval Air Training confirmed Laux’s removal to the Pensacola News Journal on Nov. 6. Officials said he failed to meet the squadron’s standards but did not specify what prompted the decision or when it was made.
Laux joined the demonstration team in September 2024 and served as its narrator during the 2025 season before becoming the opposing solo pilot this year. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he previously flew Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets and served as an F-35C instructor pilot. The Blue Angels concluded their season flying five aircraft during the Pensacola homecoming show, which also marked the team’s 80th anniversary.
Public Affairs Officer Also Reportedly Removed
Marine Capt. Danielle Cribb, who served as the squadron’s public affairs officer, was also reportedly removed from her position. A source familiar with the situation told the New York Post that Cribb’s departure occurred before Laux’s dismissal and that the two decisions were unrelated. The Navy has not publicly provided an explanation for her reported removal.
Both officers’ biographies have disappeared from the Blue Angels’ official website. The personnel changes occurred near the end of a season that also saw the squadron’s opening performances canceled amid heightened security measures at military installations in California. The Navy has not announced whether additional personnel actions are pending.
