Photo By Andaman Gaines | Great Lakes, Ill. - Lt. Cmdr. Robert Johnson, Medical Officer Programs and...... read more read more
Great Lakes, Ill. - In a day marked by two milestones, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Johnson, Medical Officer Programs and Scholarships officer assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes, commissioned two newly selected officers into the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps.
Ensign Carina Alers and Ensign Itzel Gonzalez each began their Navy careers during separate commissioning ceremonies, joining the Navy as nurses ready to serve Sailors, Marines and their families. Both Alers and Gonzalez hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, bringing their professional nursing education and experience into their new roles as Navy officers.
The ceremonies also held special significance for Johnson, who has built his own Navy career around nursing and patient care. Johnson enlisted in the Navy in May 2001 and has served at Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command Guantanamo Bay, Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command Great Lakes, Naval Hospital Guam and Naval Hospital Pensacola. Throughout his career, Johnson has gained experience in medical-surgical nursing, emergency department care and intensive care.
Alers was commissioned as a Navy Medical-Surgical Nurse, while Gonzalez was commissioned as a Navy Critical Care Nurse. Their respective specialties will prepare them to care for patients ranging from routine medical and surgical cases to those with complex and life-threatening conditions.
With decades of combined nursing and Navy experience, Johnson's role in commissioning the two new officers represented more than a formal ceremony. It reflected the continuation of a tradition of Navy nurses serving their fellow Sailors and Marines while providing critical medical care around the world.
While their specialties differ, Alers and Gonzalez share a common mission: providing exceptional care to the Navy's warfighters and supporting the readiness of the force.
Following their commissioning, Alers and Gonzalez will soon report to Officer Development School, where they will receive military leadership and professional training as they transition into their roles as Navy officers.
For Johnson, commissioning two Navy nurses in a single day was an opportunity to welcome the next generation of Navy nursing professionals into the service he has dedicated more than two decades to.
The two commissioning ceremonies marked more than the beginning of new careers. They represented the transition from healthcare professionals to Navy officers and the start of their journey serving in America's Navy.
Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes proudly serves 50 recruiting stations across Northern Illinois, Northwest Indiana, Eastern Wisconsin, and the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Our mission is to recruit the best and brightest of the next generation of Sailors through our enlisted and officer programs to serve in the U.S. Navy.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2026 17:25 |
| Story ID: | 573402 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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