Photo By Chief Petty Officer Amanda Kitchner | 190425-N-IY633-1212 GREAT LAKES, Ill., (April 25, 2019) -- Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi,...... read more read more
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GREAT LAKES, Ill. (April 25, 2019) – In a traditional naval ceremony held in the Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall at Recruit Training Command (RTC), Rear Adm. Milton J. Sands, III relieved Rear Adm. Mike Bernacchi as commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), April 25 on Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois.
Vice Adm. Robert P. Burke, Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP), served as the guest speaker at the ceremony and Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), officiated the event.
“It’s my privilege to be here celebrating an important occasion for Mike Bernacchi and Jamie Sands, and their families, and the entire NSTC team,” said Burke. “These ceremonies are really important as we get to witness, what I think, is one of the Navy’s finest traditions. It’s my honor to be part of it.”
Burke called Bernacchi’s tour the right match of leadership talent to the accessions training mission during a time of change in the Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education domain.
“It was the right person in the right place at the right time,” Burke said. “It takes committed leadership to change and it takes patience. NSTC and this team has been a shining example that has brought forth a lot of change in a very short period of time. I know how hard the work has been here but I also can see how rewarding it has been. I can see it when I talk with the staff and I can see it in the results it’s delivering in the Sailors that are graduating from Recruit Training Command, from OCS and from NROTC.”
Bernacchi, from Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, will report as Commander, Submarine Group Ten in Kings Bay, Georgia.
Bernacchi received the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as NSTC commander, presented by Rear Adm. Cozad. The award specifically recognized the fundamental shift in accessions training, focused on essential maritime warfighting skills.
Burke also presented NSTC with the Navy Unit Commendation for their combined efforts in employing dramatic and sweeping changes to the accessions programs they implement, with measurable, ongoing, and profound results. The award is an exceptionally rare recognition for a shore command to receive.
“I am incredibly grateful,” said Bernacchi, thanking Vice Adm. Burke for the surprise command award. “It is bittersweet and it will be hard to say goodbye.”
Bernacchi then spoke about his team, and what they did over his tour.
He discussed the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Command (NJROTC) program, which develops character and leadership in thousands of young people at hundreds of high schools across the country, benefitting the nation regardless, if they choose to serve in the military or pursue civilian endeavors.
He talked about working alongside some of the Naval ROTC host universities to bring exceptional young men and women with the potential to be excellent Navy officers, but who lack in standardized test scores, opportunities into the program.
He also described significant additions to NROTC training, with five additional weeks of standardized evaluated training to better prepare Navy and Marine Corps officers, as well as navigation simulators and opportunities for fleet qualifications.
Bernacchi thanked Officer Training Command (OTC) in Newport, Rhode Island, for the work they are do molding Naval officers. He described the significant improvements in navigation training, ensuring all graduating officers truly grasp the fundamentals in relative motion and Rules of the Road, as well as evaluations in ethical decision making.
Bernacchi then talked about the host of the ceremony, and stepping off point for every enlisted Sailor in the Navy, Recruit Training Command.
“This team (at RTC), they do build warfighters. They build Sailors who come out and they can stand watch, they can fight a fire, they can handle a line, they can do damage control and they can do force protection. We’ve given the freedom to the RDCs (Recruit Division Commanders) to make decisions. RTC is a standard-based organization and that is truly amazing,” Bernacchi said.
Finally, Bernacchi thanked his staff as he reflected on his next assignment.
“I’ll miss this place, it is truly magical,” he said. “But now I will be the recipient of all the work we have done here and, to me, that is so precious. And I now can leave so happy knowing that we, and I say we, have earned the NUC (Navy Unit Commendation).”
Rear Adm. Sands, a native of Farmington, Connecticut, reports to NSTC following assignment as the Vice-president, Joint Special Operations University at U. S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.
This is the first time a SEAL has taken the helm of the command responsible for 98% of the Navy’s accessions.
“In the SEAL teams we pride ourselves in arriving to the fight better led, better prepared and more determined than our enemy. We refer to the physical location of the fight, or the mission, simply as the ‘X’,” said Sands. “Mike, (Bernacchi) you and the incredible team here at NSTC have ensured our Sailors and Naval officers will arrive on the ‘X’ better led, better prepared and more determined than our enemy. That’s a sacred responsibility demanded of us by all the families that send their sons and daughters to become Sailors and defend our Constitution.”
Sands concluded by pledging; “To the men and women of Naval Service Training Command, thank you for what you’ve done and what you continue to do. I’ve been so impressed by your professionalism and your passion for your mission. Our priority here is to develop and deliver to the fleet warfighters who embody the core attributes of accountability, integrity, toughness and initiative. We’ll accomplish that and continue to accomplish that through good leadership and adherence to clear standards, hard training and strong support to you and your families.”
NSTC supports naval accessions training for 98 percent of the Navy’s new officers and enlisted Sailors. This training includes the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) at more than 160 colleges and universities across the country, Officer Training Command (OTC) in Newport, Rhode Island, Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy’s only boot camp, as well as the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development program at more than 600 high schools worldwide.
For more information about NSTC, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/nstc/ or visit the NSTC Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/NavalServiceTraining/.
For more news from Naval Service Training Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/greatlakes/.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2019 11:07 |
| Story ID: | 320046 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 2,062 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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