KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. — Lieutenant Commander Lazaro Cardenas relieved Commander Nicholas Bularzik as commanding officer of Navy Reserve Center (NRC) Albuquerque during a change of command ceremony at Kirtland Air Force Base, June 7, 2026.
Capt. Justin C. Collins, commanding officer of NRC San Diego, presided over the ceremony. During his remarks, Collins commended Bularzik for his leadership and tenure commanding NRC Albuquerque and welcomed Cardenas to the team.
Strategically located as a tenant command on Kirtland Air Force Base, NRC Albuquerque benefits from the installation's robust joint-service infrastructure and logistical capabilities.
This placement within a major Department of the Air Force hub allows the Navy to effectively sustain its presence in a landlocked state, leveraging Kirtland's air mobility, secure facilities, and joint training resources to maintain peak readiness.
As the sole Navy Reserve outpost in New Mexico, the mission of NRC Albuquerque is to generate, maintain, and deliver mobilization readiness for more than 175 Navy Reserve Sailors. The center ensures its personnel stand ready to support the Navy and Marine Corps team across a full spectrum of military operations worldwide.
Cardenas is a native of Taos, New Mexico. He graduated from the University of New Mexico with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 2011 and earned a master's degree in public administration from the University of Southern California in 2019.