USA: NSTC Holds Change of Command

Naval Service Training Command (NSTC) held a change of command ceremony in the USS Midway Ceremonial Drill Hall aboard Recruit Training Command Dec. 4.

Capt. Dee L. Mewbourne relieved Rear Adm. David F. Steindl as commanding officer.

“Rear Adm. Steindl’s legacy from his tour as the NSTC Commander will be Sailors who are prepared and motivated to be the 21st Century Leaders our Navy and nation need, Sailors who are excelling in the Fleet and meeting the challenges of a dangerous and ever changing security environment,” said Rear Adm. Donald P. Quinn, commander, Naval Education and Training Command (NETC). “NSTC is ‘The Source of the Force’. They bring in civilian volunteers and, within a relatively short period of time, turn them into capable Sailors. Led by NSTC, the enlisted and officer accession training commands provide the strong foundation upon which our Sailors build successful careers.”

Steindl, a native of Stillwater, Okla., will report as commander, Carrier Strike Group 1, embarked on board USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), homeported in San Diego.

“After serving as the commander of Naval Service Training Command and seeing the great young men and women we are providing to the Fleet, I can’t wait to get back out to sea with them as my shipmates,” said Steindl.

During Steindl’s tenure, NSTC helped reinvigorate the NROTC program with the reintroduction of units at Harvard, Yale and Rutgers universities, as well as the continuation of a cyber-option NROTC scholarship program. The cyber-option scholarship program is a key part of a comprehensive Navy strategy to attract, recruit and develop elite cyber professionals needed to operate securely and effectively in cyber space. Steindl also oversaw the first female midshipmen to become submarine officers. The initiative began in May 2010, with two NROTC midshipmen being the first selected for submarine training.

NSTC, headquartered aboard Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill., 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 150 colleges and universities that either host NROTC units or have cross-town enrollment agreements with a host university.

NSTC also oversees Officer Training Command (OTC) in Newport, R.I., 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) citizenship development program at 583 high schools worldwide.

In NJROTC, NSTC has continued to emphasize citizenship and leadership development with more leadership academies at various Navy bases around the country and the holding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Seminars, or STEM Camps, at numerous universities across the nation.

Several NSTC programs or organizations were recognized for prestigious civilian awards during Steindl’s command. In May 2012, NSTC was part of recognition for Navy training at the annual American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) Award in Denver. NSTC training initiatives played a part in NETC being presented with a Training Magazine Best Practices and Outstanding Initiatives Award at the 2011 Training Conference & Expo in Atlanta. Just recently, RTC was presented with a 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility Aug. 7, in Chicago.

“This tour has been an honor and a privilege, and I thank all the NSTC staff for their dedication and commitment, ensuring we provide quality Sailors and officers to serve in the Navy,” said Steindl. “I cannot express how much I have enjoyed my time at Great Lakes because of the people I have been so fortunate to work with.”

“As is so often the case in our Navy, when one superstar departs, another is standing by to step up,” Quinn said. “Rear Adm. (Select) Dee Mewbourne brings more than 30 years of service with him, including the unique perspective of having been the commanding officer of three different nuclear powered aircraft carriers. I expect he will leverage his impressive leadership abilities and resume` of experiences to further enable the growth and development of our Sailors. He understands that Fleet readiness starts with quality training and we are extremely fortunate to have him on our team.”

Mewbourne most recently served as the commanding officer of USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). His other command tours include Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139 embarked in USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS Nashville (LPD 13), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and USS Enterprise (CVN 65).

“I am excited to continue the great work NSTC does to prepare Sailors and officers for Naval service,” said Mewbourne. The success of the Fleet is entirely dependent on people. The foundation built in the accession training pipelines is critical to our maritime missions as the Navy and Marine Corps team. I am honored to be part of the great team here.”

At sea, Mewbourne completed sea assignments flying the A-6E Intruder aircraft in Attack Squadron (VA) 34 embarked in USS America (CV 66); VA-75 embarked in USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67); Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Three embarked in Eisenhower; and as the executive officer of VA-196 embarked in USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). After transitioning to the EA-6B Prowler aircraft, he served as the executive officer of VAQ 139 embarked in Lincoln. He also served as the executive officer in USS George Washington (CVN 73).

Ashore, Mewbourne served as a flight instructor in VA-42, the East Coast A-6E Fleet Replacement Squadron, and project officer at the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate. Later, he served as military assistant and trip coordinator for the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense; chief of staff for Navy Cyber Forces; and on the staff of Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic.

Mewbourne was raised in Ormond Beach, Fla. He graduated in 1982 from the United States Naval Academy and was designated a naval flight officer in December 1983. He later earned his master’s degree in Business Administration from Colorado State University. He is an honor graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School and completed the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program, Air Command and Staff College, and Joint Forces Staff College.

Mewbourne has deployed supporting Operations El Dorado Canyon, Provide Comfort, Deny Flight, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn, Enduring Freedom, and the 2006 Lebanon War. He has accumulated over 3,500 total flight hours in 47 various type aircraft and over 1,000 arrested landings on 13 carrier decks.

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Naval Today Staff, December 7, 2012