<em>Photo above: Salvador-Ochoa Eduardo</em>

<strong>Congratulations Private Salvador-Ochoa Eduardo</strong>

A Beaufort Native, now a United States Marine. 3rd Battalion Platoon 3054 — Company Lima Parris Island, SC

<strong>Local graduate promoted to Naval Service Training Command</strong>

[caption id="attachment_23976" align="alignright" width="150"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/WHOS-NEWS-EVANS.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-23976" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/WHOS-NEWS-EVANS-150x150.jpg" alt="Rear Adm. Stephen Evans" width="150" height="150" /></a> Rear Adm. Stephen Evans[/caption]

Rear Adm. Stephen C. Evans relieved Rear Adm. Richard A. Brown as Commander, Naval Service Training Command (NSTC), in a traditional change of command ceremony, July 21.

The ceremony was held in the USS White Hat at Training Support Center (TSC), on Naval Station Great Lakes. USS White Hat, known as the “ship in a bottle,” is a partial replica of a ship at Boatswain’s Mate “A” School used to train the Navy’s future boatswain’s mates.

Rear Adm. Michael S. White, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC), was the principle speaker at the ceremony.

“It’s a privilege to be here today as we gather to take part in a very time-honored Navy tradition to witness the transfer of command,” said White to the more than 100 family, friends, NSTC staff members and Sailors from area commands.

NSTC, headquartered at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, oversees 98 percent initial officer and enlisted accessions training for the Navy. This training includes the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) program at more than 160 colleges and universities. NSTC also oversees Officer Training Command (OTC), at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, Recruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy’s only boot camp, at Naval Station Great Lakes, as well as the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) and Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) citizenship development program at more than 600 high schools worldwide.

“The motto of Navy Education and Training Command is ‘Fleet Readiness Starts Here’ and that is literally the case for Naval Service Training Command,” said White. “NSTC is the ‘Source of the Force’ and under the guiding hand of Rear Adm. Brown the results have been nothing short of spectacular.”

Rear Adm. Evans reported to NSTC following assignment as the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy. After graduating from Battery Creek HS, Evans received his commission as a member of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps in 1986 from the Citadel while earning a Bachelor of Arts degree.

His sea tours include the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), destroyer USS Deyo (DD 989), destroyer USS Hewitt (DD 966) and as executive officer of the guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) before taking over as commanding officer of the guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57). He went on to serve as deputy commodore of Destroyer Squadron 24 and commodore of Destroyer Squadron 50 where he commanded Combined Task Force 55 (Middle East Force) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Combined Task Force 152. He made numerous deployments to the Arabian Gulf, Mediterranean, North Atlantic and Western Pacific areas of operation earning the Battle Excellence Award in every ship assigned.

His shore commands include Professional Development Division and Chairman of the Admissions Board, United States Naval Academy, and his most recent assignment as Senior Military Assistant to the 75th Secretary of the Navy.

He holds a Master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

“It is truly an honor to assume command of NSTC,” said Rear Adm. Evans. “I thank Rear Adm. Brown for his leadership of such a professional staff and their devotion to producing the highest quality Sailors for our fleet. I am excited to lead and I look forward to continuing in the tradition of excellence for our Naval accessions training.”