JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
Cmdr. Michael Files assumed the role of commanding officer of Navy Talent Acquisition Group San Antonio during a change of command ceremony at the Warrior & Family Support Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston Nov. 12.
Files takes command of NTAG San Antonio from Cmdr. Nicholas Gamiz, who is taking over as commanding officer of Naval Technical Training Center at JBSA-Lackland.
In his remarks, Files said he will lead based on a culture of excellence in which command members strive to be the best they can every day and are constantly improving and developing in their jobs at NTAG San Antonio.
“We are in the business of not only changing people’s lives but their family trees,” Files said. “NTAG San Antonio has proven itself to be a passionate, charitable, mission-focused organization. I will do my best to be fair, firm, impartial and to lead with integrity.”
NTAG San Antonio includes more than 30 Navy recruiting stations and officer recruiting stations covering 144,000 square miles of Central and South Texas.
Before taking over as commanding officer, Files served as executive officer of NTAG San Antonio, formerly Navy Recruiting District San Antonio, beginning June 2019. He is from Austin, Texas, and started his naval career after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science.
During his 22 years in the service, Files has served on many duty assignments, including as the assistant protocol officer and Guam liaison officer to the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Marianas in Guam. Prior to coming to NTAG San Antonio, he was the section head for the Reserve Force Manpower Branch and Manpower and Accounting on the staff of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education).
In addition, Files has been on deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has completed two individual augmentation assignments, including as a United Nations Military Observer for a U.N. mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea and a military staff officer for a U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti.
Gamiz leaves after three years of service to NTAG San Antonio. He came to NTAG San Antonio in August 2017 to serve as the executive officer before taking over as the commanding officer in June 2019.
“Thank you for everything you did to make this tour so great for me,” said Gamiz, addressing members of NTAG San Antonio. “You are in the business of changing lives and you do it every single day. Please remember you also changed mine. Being part of this command has taught me so much and has made me a better person. You inspired me how to overcome any challenge and you reached unbelievable goals.”
Capt. Anthony Bayungan, commodore, Region West, Navy Recruiting Command, presented Gamiz with the Meritorious Service Medal for his service as executive officer and commanding officer of NTAG San Antonio.
During Gamiz’s tenure as commanding officer, NTAG San Antonio recruited and shipped over 6,000 Sailors to boot camp and Officer Candidate School, going from the most improved recruiting district in Region West in 2018 to the number two recruiting district in the region last year, to the top-ranked recruiting district in the nation this year. For being the best Navy recruiting district within Navy Recruiting Command, the Gold “R” Award was presented to NTAG San Antonio during the ceremony.