Rear Adm. Wayne Baze relieved Rear Adm. Alvin Holsey as Commander, Navy Personnel Command during a change of command ceremony here Dec. 15.
Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Rick Cheeseman, officiating the ceremony, praised Holsey’s leadership and mission focus for the MyNavy HR enterprise to be ready for greater challenges while delivering substantive and transformational changes for the fleet.
“You have embraced all that I have asked of you, focused our efforts on what mattered most, and reimagined what talent management looks like for our Navy’s future,” said Cheeseman. “You executed both deliberate planning and crisis action planning when it came to modernization of our pay and personnel systems with a clear-eyed understanding of where we are and where we need to be. We’re on a good path, and we have you to thank for it.”
Holsey, a Fort Valley, Georgia, native, assumed command of more than 2,000 Sailors, civilians and contractors in January 2021 during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, posing challenges to several critical functions such as operating selection boards, issuing orders, and processing personnel requests. Holsey safely navigated these vital events as well as pioneered the use of artificial intelligence in selection board preparation and execution.
He also drove MyNavy HR Perform-to-Plan efforts for efficiencies in processing non-deployable Sailors, including those on limited duty, during pregnancy/post-partum periods, and those Sailors undergoing the Disability Evaluation System.
To aggressively fill critical supervisory gaps as sea, Holsey implemented Senior Enlisted Optimization Summits as well as the inaugural Senior Enlisted Advance to Position Advancement Selection Boards. He also examined processes and implemented solutions for streamlining PCS travel claim reimbursement procedures, improving efficiencies, and ultimately transaction accuracy and timeliness.
Throughout it all, his “The Sailor Wins Today” campaign became foundational to channeling the team’s efforts to better serve Sailors and families, achieving more efficient HR service delivery and responsiveness to the Fleet.
For all this, Cheeseman presented Holsey with the Distinguished Service Medal.
Hosley said these accomplishments were less about him and more about the team.
“It’s been an absolute honor to lead a team of such dedicated professionals through some very challenging times,” Holsey said. “History will one day tell the story of our nation from this era. Although no book will be written about NPC, if it were, the chapter would be entitled ‘We changed lives and improved outcomes.’ Why? Because we [cared]. When I took command I asked for only one thing: your personal best, and you delivered time and time again. The Sailor Wins Today because you believe our Sailors deserve the best; we don’t do our jobs for thanks, we do it because we believe in our shipmates. Don’t stop believing you can make a difference.”
Holsey reports next as deputy commander of U.S. Southern Command.
Baze comes to NPC following his successful tour as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3. The San Antonio, Texas, native previously served as Director of Maritime Headquarters at U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and U.S. Sixth Fleet, in Naples, Italy. Previous tours included Director of Aviation Warfare Distribution (PERS-43) at NPC, as well as commanding the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light (HSL) 45.
In his remarks, Baze said supporting Sailors and their families is paramount.
“We always talk about the stuff we need to win in combat, but I think we often gloss over our true superpower, and it’s people,” said Baze. “The days our military enjoyed numerical and technological advantages are passing us. What’s going to make the difference in the future…is going to be our people. We at NPC are trusted with the careers and the lives of our nation’s finest. We won’t ever let the exigencies of the moment let us forget that our true strength comes from our people and our connectedness to one another.”
NPC’s mission is to leverage an inspirational culture to man the Fleet with ready Sailors to allow America’s Navy to assure mission success, and deliver an unprecedented quality of service for Sailors to thrive in a life-changing experience.
Date Taken: | 12.15.2022 |
Date Posted: | 12.15.2022 16:16 |
Story ID: | 435281 |
Location: | MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE, US |
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