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NEWS | May 4, 2017

Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command marks Navy’s 1st civilian corps establishment

By Larry Coffey Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command Public Affairs

Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command, or NMETLC, civilian employees participated in a ceremony May 1 at the NMETLC headquarters at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, establishing the U.S. Navy’s first civilian corps, the Navy Medicine Civilian Corps.

NMETLC military members joined their civilian counterparts to witness the ceremony conducted via video conferencing from the Washington, D.C., Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, or BUMED, headquarters and viewed by military and civilian personnel across Navy Medicine. Army Medical Department Civilian Corps members also viewed the ceremony from San Antonio.

“This marked the long overdue recognition of the civilians in Navy Medicine, a group of shipmates who are key to the success of Navy Medicine,” said Capt. Terri Kinsey, a Navy nurse and NMETLC academics director, who attended the ceremony in San Antonio. “Uniformed shipmates lean on the expertise of our civilian shipmates to provide the level of expertise and experience needed to not only ensure commands continue to operate but also are able to thrive and be viewed as a highly reliable source for healthcare. The establishment of the Civilian Corps speaks to how highly we view the importance and value of these shipmates.”

The mission of the Navy Medicine Civilian Corps is advancement of the Navy Medicine Civilian Workforce. Three overarching goals were established to help meet the mission: a robust and dynamic Civilian Talent Development Program to include career development and succession planning, civilian professional growth within the Federal Government, and retention of exemplary employees by offering them opportunities to learn and excel.

At the ceremony’s conclusion, NMETLC’s new civilian corps members participated locally in the civilian corps pledge, which is similar to the oath of enlistment given to military personnel upon enlistment or reenlistment. The civilian corps pledge is administered to every government service civilian employee upon entering federal service.

An NMETLC cake cutting ceremony that featured the oldest and youngest civilian corps members followed the civilian corps pledge.

"It was a very humbling and historic moment watching via VTC as Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, Navy surgeon general, commemorated this live in real time,” said Randy Rincones, NMETLC manpower and personnel officer. “We were really excited and appreciative of the genuine gesture solidifying the civilian work force into the one Navy team framework.”

Rear Adm. Rebecca McCormick-Boyle, NMETLC commander, was on official travel during the ceremony, but sent a written personal message to all hands.

“This is truly a historic and momentous occasion,” she wrote. “Our civilians provide critical technical expertise, continuity of knowledge, experience and diversity of perspective. When our active duty staff deploy or move on to their next duty station, it is the underlying thread of continuity provided by our civilians that keeps our commands running and exemplifies our organizational character.”

Rincones said the establishment of the Navy’s newest corps is a testament of civilian employees to represent their command, Navy Medicine and the Navy.

“We are in the business of good people taking care of good people,” he said. “We take pride in taking care of our own. It is truly an honor to be part of it. This day was revitalizing and put back in perspective that we really do make a difference."