Medicine Readiness Pax River Gets New Commander
Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Patuxent River held a change of command ceremony in September, during which CAPT Jeremy J. Hawker relieved CAPT David V. Thomas.
Hawker takes leadership of the command and its four clinics and pharmacies: Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River and Naval Branch Health Clinics Indian Head, Dahlgren and Joint Base Andrews.
The command has a staff of 302 active duty service members, civilians and contractors and provides medical care to 12,000 beneficiaries across 279 tenant commands at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Naval Support Activity South Potomac and Joint Base Andrews.
RADM Matthew Case, commander of Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, presided over the ceremony.
Case thanked the captains and their families, recognized the staff and remarked on the command’s important mission of supporting naval aviation. He also described the highlights of Thomas’ command, including his leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID pandemic has been probably the most challenging time in our history,” Case said. “But under David’s leadership, he was able to navigate through that, take the team and move forward.”
“Thank you for choosing to serve. Thank you for serving with distinction all these years,” Case added. “As you close this chapter of your military career and move on to the next, you should be so proud of your accomplishments, my friend, and your commitment to serve. As you transition, know your Navy family, your nation, is forever grateful, forever grateful to you and your family for your sacrifice. Fair winds and following seas.”
Thomas, a member of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, took command of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Patuxent River on Sept. 25, 2020, and lead through unprecedented challenges. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff conducted more than 1,300 COVID tests, gave more than 13,700 vaccinations and deployed to Queens, N.Y., to assist the Defense in Support of Civil Authority COVID vaccination efforts.
During Thomas’ tenure, the command completed a successful Joint Commission survey, earning full accreditation and certification as a Primary Care Medical Home. It transitioned to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) as part of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act and began preparations to implement the DHA’s electronic medical records system, Military Health System Genesis, which will go live in March 2023. It earned the Retention Excellence Award from the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in 2020 and 2021 and the 2020 Navy Surgeon General’s Health Promotion and Wellness Award.
Under Thomas’ leadership, NMRTC Patuxent River deployed sailors in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, Operation Allies Refuge and the fall 2022 USNS Comfort deployment, and developed its first Tactical Combat Casualty Care program, conducting 15 classes for 160 students.
Following this command tour, Thomas will retire from the U.S. Navy with 32 years of service.
During his remarks, Thomas thanked his family, Executive Officer CAPT Josephine Nguyen, Command Master Chief Elwin Familiar and each department for their work during the past two years.
“Thank you all,” said Thomas. “I recognize that there are simply too many people to thank, and it wouldn’t be TKN, which is my philosophy, it wouldn’t be true, kind or necessary, if I hopped off of this stage without thanking each and every one of you for the work that you’ve done and what you’ve meant to me over the last two years.”
Hawker is a member of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps and comes to NMRTC Patuxent River following his executive officer tour at NMRTC Great Lakes. He is a decorated, 27-year Navy veteran who has served from Yokosuka, Japan, to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
In taking command, Hawker thanked his family, mentors and the command’s military and civilian staff for their warm welcome.
“I truly look forward to our mission and commitment to providing a medically ready force in support of the naval aviation community while in parallel ensuring a ready medical force to do the mission of the Navy and fight tonight if need be. We will be ready,” said Hawker. “We’ll do this placing our people always first, ensuring we provide optimal and safe care to all our patients while safeguarding the physical and mental wellness of our team. People are our most valued asset to our military success and we must not forget, behind every sailor and marine, there is a family. In doing so we will strive for the utmost in professionalism, maintaining our Navy core values of honor, courage and commitment in all that we do.”
Click here to view the program, including biographies for Case, Thomas and Hawker.
Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Patuxent River includes Naval Health Clinic (NHC) Patuxent River, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit Dahlgren, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Detachment Indian Head and Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Detachment Joint Base Andrews. It is based at NHC Patuxent River, located at 47149 Buse Road, Building 1370, Patuxent River, Md.
For more information, visit paxriver.tricare.mil. Follow NMRTC Pax River on social media at facebook.com/NHCPaxRiver, facebook.com/BHCIndianHead and @NHCPaxRiver (Instagram).
