Photo By Julius Evans | Cmdr. Matthew Marcinkiewicz, Commanding Officer, Naval Medical Readiness Logistics...... read more read more
Gathered in the ‘Warehouse of Life,’ surrounded by containers filled with deployable medical materiel staged for shipment and delivery to deployed forces or forces afloat, a time honored tradition of publicly promoting a naval officer was performed at Naval Medical Readiness Logistic Command (NMRLC), Williamsburg, Va., Nov. 29.
Capt. Matthew P. Marcinkiewicz had served as commanding officer of NMRLC since June 2022. In October, he was frocked and authorized to wear the insignia. “Per reference (a), in response to reference (b), you are authorized to assume the title and wear the uniform of a Captain, U.S. Navy, effectively immediately,” the order read.
A frocking grants officers selected for promotion and, if required, confirmed by the U.S. Senate but not yet promoted, has the right to wear the insignia and uniform and assume the title of the next higher grade. Naval officers are rarely frocked. This aligned with the many new organizational changes NMRLC had celebrated over the past 12 months.
“There are very few times where we establish a new command. The significance of this establishment can simply be summarized as a necessary change to the unique mission that our logistics commands have been tasked with and to ensure that our Sailors are consistently put first,” said Rear Adm. Darin K. Via, Deputy Surgeon General and former Commander, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic. His comments were made at the elevation ceremony earlier this year, making NMRLC an Echelon IV command. NMRLC is a vital part of ensuring those military forces do, in fact, receive that world-class medical care.
Rear Adm. Matthew Case, Commander, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, and the senior market manager of the Tidewater Military Health System, delivered the keynote address to a throng of family, friends, co-workers and well-wishers.
NMRLC manages the warehouse and production facilities that procures, produces, manages, prepositions, and deploys Deployable Medical Systems (DEPMEDS) and Expeditionary Medical Facilities in support of operational plans, exercise support, and real-world operations. These deployable systems provide Combatant Commanders’ desired capabilities regarding standardized, modular, scalable combat service support and medical/dental capabilities to an advanced-base environment across the entire range of joint military operations.
NMRLC was established in the wake of the Chief of Naval Operation’s Organizational Change Request, which realigned Navy Medicine logistics commands and disestablished Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity, Yorktown, Va., on May 13, 2022.
After personnel movements, Management Directed Reassignments, name changes of all the entities in the enterprise, and an echelon elevation, NMRLC is now the Enterprise leader in Navy Medicine Logistics and Operations.
The new organization is comprised of four entities: The NMRLC headquarters, Williamsburg, Va., NMRLC Naval Ophthalmic Readiness Activity (NORA), Yorktown, Va., NMRLC Detachment Fort Detrick, Md., and NMRLC Detachment Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Taking the helm of this new and dynamic organizational structure effectively integrates the extensive capabilities of four entities with rich histories and proven track records supporting the Navy Medicine enterprise. The combined capabilities embodied within this new organization ensures global warfighting forces are healthy and medically ready to achieve their assigned missions.
Under his leadership, Marcinkiewicz intends to make sure those capabilities are realized. He also reflected on a conversation he had with his wife about his prospects for continued service to his country.
“This is truly an exciting day. I remember telling my wife some years ago if I am promoted to the rank of commander, I will be happy and will have had a successful career,” Marcinkiewicz said. “And although I do not like pomp and circumstance, and I would much rather be up here recognizing all of you for your accomplishments, I am humbled, and I truly do appreciate everyone taking time out of your busy schedule to attend my ceremony.”
Marcinkiewicz thanked everyone for not losing focus on the mission of providing medical materiel for Marines and Sailors in the event they are called upon to go forward into harm’s way. He reminded the audience that at any time, he could receive the call to provide support for troops anywhere in the world, and his team responds, just like in Guam, or South Korea, or in Japan or even here in the United States.
“We are not a training command. Our war reserve material is essential to the rapid deployment of U.S. forces at any time the President or one of his duly appointed designates mandates a need to which we must answer the call,” Marcinkiewicz said. “Anywhere in the world, at any time, wherever our troops may be assigned, we have deployable assets available to support Combatant Commanders on short notice.”
After thanking the official party and acknowledging some audience members, the crowd was called to attention and wife, Tomomi Marcinkiewicz, was invited to remove his old collar devices and affix the silver eagle to her husband’s uniform.
In closing, Marcinkiewicz left the audience with his thoughts on the magnitude of his awesome responsibility as the commanding officer of Navy Medicine’s last remaining toolkit after the management and authority of all Military Treatment Facilities were transferred to the Defense Health Agency.
“Readiness is our watchword. You can’t BS your way through it. I see our dedicated team members working hard in the warehouse, through lengthy hours and taking extensive overseas travel to ensure our material is where it needs to be when it needs to be there. Wherever our troops are, we will be there too, with the modular, scalable capabilities that ensures they have the best, world-class medical care available," Marcinkiewicz said.
| Date Taken: | 11.29.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 12.15.2022 14:05 |
| Story ID: | 435273 |
| Location: | WILLIAMSBURG, VA, US |
| Hometown: | CHEATHAM ANNEX, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 250 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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