Photo By Michael Morris | Rear Adm. Jorge Cuadros, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command...... read more read more
Capt. Thomas B. McLemore, Civil Engineer Corps, U.S. Navy, was honored for 28 years of service during a retirement ceremony held July 25, 2025, at the Norfolk Yacht Club. He will officially retire from active duty on Nov. 1, 2025.
Rear Adm. Jorge Cuadros, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic, presided over the ceremony, with guest remarks delivered by Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, Chief of Civil Engineers. The event featured traditional Navy honors, including the parading of colors, presentation of awards and the symbolic reading of “The Watch.”
McLemore, a Suffolk, Virginia, native and 1997 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, was recognized for exceptional leadership, operational excellence and unwavering dedication across a career spanning multiple continents and critical Navy infrastructure initiatives.
In recognition of his service, McLemore was awarded the Legion of Merit (gold star in lieu of second award) for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services from July 2023 to July 2025, culminating in his role as deputy commander for operations at NAVFAC Atlantic.
McLemore began his Navy journey at Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO in Little Creek, where he served as planning officer and assistant Alfa Company commander. He later became Officer in Charge of Construction Battalion Unit FOUR ONE FIVE at Naval Air Station Oceana.
He earned a Master of Science in civil engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa before reporting to the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction Pearl Harbor, where he served as assistant indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts manager and outlying area team leader. He then joined NAVFAC Hawaii as assistant public works officer, supporting Ford Island, U.S. Pacific Fleet and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. During this tour, he deployed to Iraq as an individual augmentee, helping rebuild infrastructure for Iraqi Security Forces in the Anbar, Najaf, Babil and Karbala provinces. In 2005, he was named NAVFAC Pacific’s Military Engineer of the Year.
Following his Hawaii tour, McLemore served in Washington, D.C., as executive assistant to the assistant deputy chief of naval operations for fleet readiness and logistics. He later served at Commander, Navy Installations Command as future basing action officer. At NAVFAC Washington, he led the Facilities Engineering and Acquisition Division and later fleeted up to serve as public works officer for NSA Washington, supporting the Washington Navy Yard and six satellite sites across the National Capital Region.
His overseas assignments continued in Japan, where he served as public works officer for Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. He was later assigned as assistant regional engineer for Navy Region Japan, Navy Region Korea and the Singapore Area Coordinator.
McLemore returned to Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO as operations officer and later executive officer. He then assumed duties as public works officer for Naval Station Norfolk and subsequently served as operations officer for NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic, overseeing delivery of NAVFAC products and services across 13 Navy and five Marine Corps installations.
He later returned to Annapolis as public works officer for NSA Annapolis and the U.S. Naval Academy, where he led major projects including construction of a new academic building for cyber and weapons engineering and the replacement of the Naval Academy Chapel dome. His final assignment brought him back to Norfolk as deputy commander for operations at NAVFAC Atlantic.
McLemore is a registered professional engineer in Hawaii, a certified energy manager, and a member of the Acquisition Professional Community. He has earned the Seabee Combat Warfare Officer designation. His personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, six Meritorious Service Medals, three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals and four Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
The ceremony concluded with the traditional piping ashore and a reception honoring McLemore’s career and contributions to the Navy and the Civil Engineer Corps.
| Date Taken: | 08.08.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.08.2025 16:27 |
| Story ID: | 545234 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | SUFFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 230 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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