San Antonio, Texas –
Brooke Army Medical Center held a change of responsibility
ceremony Oct. 6 to bid farewell to Command Sgt. Maj. Tabitha Gavia and welcome
Command Sgt. Maj. Albert Crews.
After the colors were passed, BAMC commander Col. Evan Renz
spoke about Gavia’s achievements during her tenure as the BAMC command sergeant
major.
“Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark Milley recently
published his priorities and paramount among them was taking care of Soldiers.
To quote him, ‘Our collective strength depends on our people; their mental and
physical resilience is at our core, we must treat each and every person with
respect, and lead with integrity,’” Renz said.
“That is precisely what Command Sgt. Maj. Gavia has done
every day in an unparalleled fashion. She treats everyone with respect and
leads with integrity. We have been greatly blessed by her knowledge and
strength as a leader,” the commander said.
“No one here owes her a deeper debt of gratitude than I,”
Renz said, thanking Gavia for her dedication and commitment to the BAMC
organization and its people.
Renz then turned his attention to Crews, welcoming him and
his family to San Antonio.
“You bring an enormous wealth of experience, knowledge and
proven leadership to this organization,” Renz said. “I greatly look forward to
working with you on a daily basis.”
Gavia then said her farewells to the commander and the BAMC
team.
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve at BAMC. I will
miss the esprit de corps as well as the unselfish and tireless support of our
staff that sets BAMC apart from other organizations,” Gavia said.
“It has been a profound honor and a deeply humbled
experience serving this community. I’ve learned so much and I will treasure my
time here forever,” she said. “Thank you all for what you do every day for our
patients and each other.”
Gavia also welcomed Crews and his family.
“I am truly at ease entrusting our BAMC family to your care.
I know they will continue to thrive and excel under your leadership,” she told
him.
Crews then took the podium, thanking God for blessing him
with “another fantastic team” and his wife Erin for her love and support. He
also outlined what he thought were a few of his key responsibilities as the new
command sergeant major; among them were team building, leadership development
and resiliency.
“Sir, I am looking forward to serving with you. Rest assured
I will be relentless to ensure the NCO support channels are unparalleled and we
carry your message to every corner of this organization,” Crews told Renz.
“I want to build
strong relationships and I want to make sure that this fine organization
continues to be involved in the community. It is an honor to be joining this
fantastic team.”