Photo By Randy Mitchell | Rear Adm. Cynthia Kuehner, commander of Naval Medical Forces Support Command, gives an...... read more read more
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Navy Celebrates Historic Ties to Fiesta
By Randy L. Mitchell
Naval Medical Forces Support Command
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Rear Adm. Cynthia A. Kuehner, commander of Naval Medical Forces Support Command (NMFSC), celebrated with other Sailors from throughout Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) in remembrance of the Navy’s strong ties to the San Antonio community during the 2023 Fiesta Navy Day at the Alamo on April 27, 2023.
The event was hosted by the Naval Technical Training Center-Lackland (NTTC) and showcased the various units and missions of Sailors across the JBSA community.
The Navy exhibitions were jampacked full of Navy traditions and showcased some of the special Master-at-Arms (Naval law enforcement specialists) training conducted by NTTC by their military working dog teams and non-lethal weapons demonstration team.
Kuehner, as the senior Sea Service leader in San Antonio, was honored to speak at the Navy Day event on behalf of all the Sailors working within JBSA and Military City USA, where she has a unique tie.
“It is a privilege for Sailors in our Navy to be a part of the San Antonio community, and I am honored to represent each of them by my presence here today,” said Kuehner. “Although it is not in my official biography, I graduated from Winston Churchill High School, just up the road, and I can tell you quite sincerely, I never imagined that just a few years later, I would be standing at the Alamo, speaking to you on a beautiful April morning, in the uniform of a Navy Admiral.”
The Navy has a heritage in Texas that stretches back to the battle for the state’s independence from Mexico. The admiral was happy to share that connection with the audience.
“Control of the seas was the objective of the first commissioned vessels in the fledgling Texas Republic. Its provisional government authorized a fleet consisting of four schooners – the Independence, the Brutus, the Liberty, and the Invincible,” she said. “This small fleet provided a crucial role in preserving Texas’ independence, disrupting Santa Anna’s supply lines and capturing materiel resources for use in Texas’ defense.”
The valor of the Texas Navy undoubtedly led to Texas’ annexation in 1845. There is little doubt that the bold actions and dominance of this independent and fierce navy shaped the foundational Maritime Strategy of the United States, according to Kuehner.
“The Navy has been present here ever since, and the relevance of our nation’s Navy in the Lone Star State persists,” Kuehner added. “Today, the Naval Forces, including our Marine Corps brothers and sisters, make up about 11% of the active-duty forces assigned aboard Joint-Base San Antonio, or JBSA.”
A large part of that presence was witnessed during Navy Day at the Alamo as Navy Reserve Center members also exhibited the traditions of folding the American Flag. Members of the Navy Medicine Training Support Center also defined the importance of Hospital Corpsmen, the largest enlisted Navy rating.
Additionally, the Navy Talent and Acquisition Group provided the oath of enlistment to six newly recruited Sailors from San Antonio so their families could witness and will never forget.
“The United States Navy is your Navy – our Navy,” said Kuehner. “It is strong because it reflects our America. Our Navy pursues talent relentlessly, recruiting from the eligible, qualified, and incredibly diverse pool of America’s sons and daughters who commit on day one to serving our Nation, in both peace and in conflict.”
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2023 14:38 |
| Story ID: | 443626 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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