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NTAG Heartland holds change of command

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class John Suits | FT WAYNE, IN (Aug. 27, 2020) Commodore, Navy Recruiting Region East Capt. Katrina Hill...... read more read more

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, UNITED STATES

08.27.2020

Courtesy Story

Commander, Navy Recruiting Command

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Suits, Navy Talent Acquisition Group Heartland

Ft. Wayne, IN – Sailors assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Heartland gathered on August 27, 2020, in Ft. Wayne, Ind. for a change of command ceremony at Parkview Field.

Cmdr. Paolo Singh, who served as NTAG Heartland’s executive officer, relieved Cmdr. David Pavlik as commanding officer.

Singh conveyed his gratitude of learning all he could from Cmdr. Pavlik’s leadership.
“I do not have enough words to express how much Commander Pavlik has taught me from his wealth of experience and knowledge,” said Singh. “The lesson that has stuck with me the most is to give our team the freedom and tools to do what is best for Navy Recruiting.”

As NTAG Heartland moves forward despite the restrictive circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, Singh places his confidence in his Sailors’ ability to bring talented young men and women into the Navy.

“We are the finest Navy in the world because we adapt and overcome,” said Singh. “This challenge is no different. I am already impressed by the level of innovation demonstrated by our team.”

Capt. Katrina Hill, commodore of Navy Recruiting Command Region East, was present for the ceremony and praised Singh for leading the way in tough times.
“A lot of the leadership characteristics he will bring to this group will be well suited to the NTAG construct as we go through transformation,” Hill said. “It is a tough time to be in recruiting. We have to rethink the way we do things. This transformation is coming at the right time because it will cause Sailors to look for new ways of doing business. That’s how we’ll get through this together.”

Parkview Field was chosen both for NTAG Heartland’s central location and to use the open space needed for social distancing. Recruiters who could not attend were able to view the ceremony via livestreaming to the internet.

Before his departure, Pavlik expressed a few words of wisdom for the recruiters he led.
“Remember what we really do out there,” Pavlik said. “Educate and provide opportunity to those who want to make a better life for themselves and their families. Work hard and be the fine representative of the Navy that the country expects.”

Pavlik will transfer to Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC) at Naval Support Activity Millington in Tennessee where he will be the National Enlisted Programs Officer. He leaves an award-winning district that earned the CNRC District of the Year Award in 2019.

“I was very pleased the recruiting enterprise acknowledged the work we put in to not only right the ship, but to also be a leader in Navy recruiting,” Pavlik said. “I’m proud of the organization that we have become and it was the result of the leadership and hard work of a lot of people across the district. I’m honored to have played a part in it.”
Replacing Singh as executive officer is Cmdr. Jason Nelson who previously served as the executive officer of the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) in San Diego.
Nelson’s introduction into the recruiting world, he says, is a unique challenge, especially during a pandemic.

“I’ve been impressed with the professionalism, commitment, and knowledge of our Sailors and civilian staff,” Nelson said. “My focus is quickly learning the recruiting world while learning both how recruiting works and how our team is trying to accomplish that in a very challenging environment brought on by the pandemic. My concerns are keeping our Sailors and their families as safe as we possibly can, while still accomplishing the mission that the Navy has given us.”

NTAG Heartland is made up of approximately 50 Navy enlisted and officer recruiting stations in Michigan, Indiana and Northwest Ohio.

Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, two Navy Recruiting Regions, 10 Navy Recruiting Districts and 16 Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 815 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.