Photo By Dorie Heyer | 200224-N-FV109-0015 MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (Feb. 24, 2020) Official portrait of Capt....... read more read more
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. -- Capt. Eugene S. Cash relieved Capt. Douglas M. Bridges Jr., as commanding officer, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Business Systems Center (BSC), April 15, in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
“Your 26 years of experience as a Supply Corps and logistics officer, combined with your foundation of information systems management, has prepared you well to assume the helm of NAVSUP BSC,” said Rear Adm. Michelle Skubic, commander, NAVSUP, who presided over the change of command.
Cash most recently served as the deputy assistant commander for Supply Chain Integration and Systems Technology for NAVSUP Headquarters.
“I am humbled and grateful to take the helm of NAVSUP BSC in the wake of Capt. Bridges,” said Cash. “His leadership and contributions to the success of NAVSUP BSC provide a solid foundation for us to meet future challenges head-on.”
“For more than 59 years, the men and women of NAVSUP BSC have answered the call of our nation by accelerating digital solutions for the Navy’s logistics information technology (IT) and management systems. Today, during a critical time for our Navy and nation, we stand ready to successfully meet our mission, support our warfighters, and lead the Navy’s charge for innovation,” he said.
Bridges, an Atlanta, Georgia native, will retire following 29-years of honorable active-duty service to the Navy.
He assumed command of NAVSUP BSC in December 2016 and led more than 620 military and civilian personnel through multiple command accomplishments supporting Department of Defense and Department of the Navy missions.
“The people at NAVSUP BSC are amazing,” said Bridges. “From Mechanicsburg to Pearl Harbor, they drive lethality for the Navy. The entire enterprise depends on them to keep supply-chain IT systems running smoothly.”
During Bridges’ tenure, a funded Navy Reserve unit was established, and the civilian workforce increased by more than 11% to meet growing demands for support across the fleet.
“Over the years, NAVSUP BSC has evolved leaps and bounds. Millions of people across the globe rely on our small but incredibly talented and skilled workforce,” said Bridges.
Most recently, Bridges led NAVSUP BSC’s initial response to maintain mission readiness during the COVID-19 virus pandemic by ensuring Food Service Management and Retail Operations Management systems were ready for unscheduled deployments onboard hospital ships USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) and USNS Comfort (T-AH 20).
“These systems are essential to our fleet warfighters and keep them afloat by delivering the food and merchandise necessary to sustain daily operations while deployed,” said Bridges.
Cash also stated, “Protecting the health and well-being of our people is the top priority for NAVSUP BSC during the COVID-19 virus pandemic. The coronavirus poses increasing challenges to our force health protection and readiness, and we will continue to focus on mitigating its spread within our workforce and among our families while maintaining mission readiness, and supporting the whole-of-government effort.”
In August 2019, Bridges charted a course for NAVSUP BSC’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) team to take the Navy’s financial system of record to the cloud. The massive project migrated Navy ERP from an onsite-hosted service to a commercial-cloud service in record time while providing continuous support to 72,000 users across six Navy Budget Submitting Offices.
During his time as commanding officer, Bridges provided continuous mentorship to the Navy Supply Corps officers in his wardroom and emphasized the critical role of NAVSUP BSC’s Navy civilian employees.
“Capt. Bridges is one of the most people-centric leaders I’ve had the privilege to serve with,” said Brian Zirbel, executive director, NAVSUP BSC. “Always keeping the best interest of the Navy close at hand while also considering impacts on our workforce and the Sailors using our systems.”
Bridges provided recognition opportunities for employees by presenting length of service certificates, awards, and retirements, and directed the implementation of programs that significantly decreased onboarding time for newly hired civilian personnel.
“Your ‘people first’ philosophy is synonymous with your reputation,” said Skubic. “It has been a hallmark of your 29 years of faithful and distinctive service.”
Bridges matriculated through the Navy’s Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training program before commissioned as a Navy officer in 1992. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in computer information systems from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, graduated with a Master of Science degree from Naval Postgraduate School’s Information Technology Management program, and completed executive education at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.
His career as a Navy Supply Corps officer includes extensive time at sea where he served as the sales and disbursing officer aboard USS England (CG 22), supply officer for USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709), and stock control and aviation support division officer aboard the forward-deployed USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), in Yokosuka, Japan.
He served as the assistant material readiness officer for Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa, Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and was selected for the Legislative Fellowship program where he served full-time as a military legislative assistant to U.S. Representative Norm Dicks (WA-6th).
On short notice, he deployed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as the Navy liaison officer to Joint Logistics Command in support of earthquake relief efforts for Operation Unified Response.
Ashore, Bridges served as NAVSUP’s acting command information officer and chief enterprise logistics engineer, overseeing information IT support for Navy’s global supply chain.
Additional shore assignments included: integrated logistics support intern, Naval Sea Systems Command; project officer, Navy Supply Information Systems Activity; action officer, Logistics Innovation and Planning division, Chief of Naval Operations staff; Logistics Systems team lead, NAVSUP; deputy director, future operations and joint logistics and contingency planner for Future Plans, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution; and deputy assistant commander for Enterprise Logistics Engineering, NAVSUP.
In 2011, Bridges was honored as a Black Engineer of the Year’s Modern-Day Technology Leader and was most recently awarded the Legion of Merit from the President of the United States for his exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service as commanding officer for NAVSUP BSC.
NAVSUP BSC provides the Navy with information systems support through the design, development, and maintenance of systems in the functional areas of logistics, supply chain management, transportation, finance, and accounting.
NAVSUP BSC is one of 11 commands under Commander, Navy Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP). NAVSUP is headquartered in Mechanicsburg and employs a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel. NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter.
For more information about NAVSUP BSC visit, https://www.navsup.navy.mil/public/navsup/bsc/.
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2020 11:38 |
| Story ID: | 367430 |
| Location: | MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | ATLANTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Hometown: | MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 630 |
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