Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Bridget M Saunders | 190628-N-FG941-036 MURFREESBORO (June 28, 2019) From right to left, Rear Adm....... read more read more
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By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Bridget Saunders
Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Nashville held a change of command ceremony at Middle Tennessee State University, June 28.
During the ceremony, Cmdr. Patrick Tanner Acker relieved Cmdr. Tonrey Ford as commanding officer.
While serving as commanding officer of NTAG Nashville, Ford led a team of more than 135 recruiters and civilians to successfully recruit at higher standards than any other district or NTAG its same size.
Keynote speaker Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, commander of Navy Recruiting Command, praised Ford for his leadership and dedication while in command of NTAG Nashville.
“Tonrey, you’ve been a tremendous team builder,” said McLane. “You developed leadership throughout the command, ensuring trust and vision were aligned at all levels of the team.”
Following McLane’s remarks, Ford was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his exceptional performance as commanding officer from Dec. 2017 to June 2019. He will report to Naval Sea Systems Command in July.
Ford then addressed the command for the last time and thanked all those who supported him throughout his career, and he commended Acker on achieving this level of trust and responsibility.
“As I look back and reflect, I am deeply appreciative of this opportunity to command,” said Ford. He then addressed Acker by his aviator call sign, “Tally, it has been a pleasure working with you. You have been invaluable as a XO [executive officer], now it is time for you to take charge and assume the mantel of CO [commanding officer]. I have the upmost confidence in you and the team to be successful.”
As Acker assumed command of NTAG Nashville, he acknowledged the great recruiting history of the team in Nashville.
“ All of NTAG Nashville owes a special thanks to skipper Ford,” said Acker. “A great leader, a great commanding officer who has done so much to set us on the right trajectory.”
Acker, who has served as the executive officer of Navy Recruiting District Nashville since May 2016 and NTAG Nashville since December 2017, said it is an honor to be assigned a naval command, and it is a duty that he holds in the highest regard.
A native of Bessemer, Alabama, Acker graduated from the United States Naval Academy with the class of 2001, earning a bachelor of science degree in political science. He was designated a naval aviator in December 2002, completing flight school with distinction on the Commodore’s List.
In his closing remarks, he addressed the command and encouraged each of them to consider the mission of naval service.
“I’d like to thank the men and women of Navy Talent Acquisition Group Nashville,” said Acker, “the ones who make the mission. They seek out America’s best and brightest to be the next generation of naval service.”
Acker continued, “We will see great things continue to happen. This is an exciting time to be a part of NTAG Nashville. I am excited to see just how great we can be as we work together to achieve our goals.”
NTAG Nashville is one of eight NTAGs nationwide. More than 100,000 square miles are assigned to NTAG Nashville including counties in Tennessee, Arkansas, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, northern Mississippi, southern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia. The command consists of two Talent Acquisition Onboarding Centers (TAOC) Music City and Blues City, and 36 Navy Talent Acquisition Sites.
NRC consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 18 Navy Recruiting Districts and eight Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,330 recruiting stations around the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to ensure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.
For more news from Commander, NRC, visit http://www.cnrc.navy.mil. Follow Navy Recruiting on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting), Twitter (@USNRecruiter) and Instagram (@USNRecruiter).
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2019 09:05 |
| Story ID: | 329895 |
| Location: | TN, US |
| Web Views: | 241 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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