Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Natalia Murillo | DAVIE, Fla. (April 18, 2025) Sideboys salute incoming Navy Talent Acquisition Group...... read more read more
U.S. Navy Cmdr. Amanda G Sciberras relieved U.S. Navy Cmdr. Johnny Lykins, Jr., as commanding officer of Navy Talent Acquisition Group Miami (NTAG Miami) during a Change of Command ceremony inside the Carl Desantis building at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla., April 18, 2024.
Lykins, a former enlisted Sailor himself, expressed his deep appreciation for the opportunity at NTAG Miami, highlighting how much he valued the chance to work closely with enlisted Sailors.
“I take this hard,” said Lykins. ”I took another command job just so I could work with Sailors. I came down to Miami just so I could work with Sailors. Now that part’s over and I have to take a staff job. I’m going to miss working with Sailors, and for Sailors. It’s hard to do this but I know I’m leaving you in good hands with a great team that is going to continue to push up to new heights.”
Lykins served as the command’s executive officer in May 2022 and fleeted up to commanding officer, relieving Cmdr. Nicole A. Serrano in January 2024.
Each commanding officer serves two years and customarily serves as the executive officer before assuming command.
The ceremony upheld time-honored traditions that are indicative of a Navy Change of Command – reading of orders, reporting command and presenting gifts and awards.
Sciberras, the former executive officer at the command, assumed her new role as NTAG Miami’s commanding officer during the ceremony. A swift transfer of authority passed from Lykins to Sciberras as both kept their remarks brief but personal.
“It certainly hits differently when the day comes to take command,” expressed Sciberras. “Over the course of the last few weeks I have been asked ‘are you ready to take over’ and of course I say yes, of course I’m ready, always ready, right? Well ,what I’ve learned from my time as an executive officer is that nothing will truly prepare you for command—the twists and turns will never stop. But what I do have is an amazing team of talented recruiting masterminds in my corner and I appreciate you all.”
Sciberras noted that seeing the high caliber of Sailors, civilians, and contractors at NTAG Miami has given her the confidence to say that she is ready to serve as their commanding officer.
Deputy Commodore of Navy Recruiting Region East, Capt. Richard Copeland, served as the presiding officer for the ceremony. In keeping with the event's tone of brevity, he did not speak but attended in support of the transition.
In his address, Lykins thanked Sciberras for her support as his executive officer.
“I have to thank Commander Sciberras,” said Lykins. “ When she showed up we were on the upswing. When I first got here (in 2022) we put 1,600 people into the Navy in one year, far below goal ,but that’s what we could do with the training we’d had. The next year, we put 2,000 people, we missed our goal but we were steadily improving. When I took over as commanding officer in 2024, with the help of Cmdr. Sciberras and our chief recruiter, we set records continuously.”
On October 1, 2024, Navy Recruiting Command announced the successful enlistment of 40,978 active-duty Sailors and 7,612 reserve Sailors for fiscal year 2024, surpassing their recruitment goals of 40,600 active and 7,419 reserve Sailors. NTAG Miami contributed to this success.
Lykins expressed further appreciation, noting that he embraced the drive instilled by NTAG Miami’s Chief Recruiter Senior Chief Navy Counselor Ronald Wilds, which was pivotal to the command's success and played a key role in its transformation into a high-performing team.
“You made me a better leader,” said Lykins. “We spent many hours over many days filled with you teaching me recruiting and ways we can be better. I will never forget those things.”
During Lykin’s tenure, his leadership resulted in the accession of over 5,000 Sailors, surpassing recruiting goals and driving a 60 percent increase in production since he assumed command. His success as NTAG Miami commanding officer also earned him two consecutive Chief of Naval Operations Excellence Awards and a second Meritorious Service Medal.
Lykins reflected on his first impressions of NTAG Miami as the command was emerging from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the progress made from that point to where it stands today.
“Most of the Sailors that we had came to the command during COVID and they had no idea about how to go into the schools and interact with people but with the drive to get people to do the job we figured out how to do it again,” said Lykins. “We’ve had some great training and leadership to get the Sailors back to doing what they need to do to bring people into the world’s greatest Navy.”
NTAG Miami has recruiting locations throughout Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with a combined mission to recruit the highest caliber Sailors to meet the needs of the Fleet.
As Lykins concluded his remarks, he shared an anecdote to highlight a key moment in the command’s journey, using it to acknowledge the Sailors' contributions and thank them for the progress they had made together.
“When I first started telling Sailors that all I want is for you to do your job, I used to get the weirdest looks but after a while everybody came to accept that all they needed to do was the job,” said Lykins. ”Thank you for doing your job; that's all I’ve ever asked of you. We have been—we are—successful because you do your job.”
Ready for your place in the world’s greatest Navy? Let’s get you there. Connect with us today–start by finding a recruiter near you, www.navy.com
| Date Taken: | 04.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.18.2025 23:27 |
| Story ID: | 495708 |
| Location: | DAVIE, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | MIAMI, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 100 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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