On March 29, 2024, Cmdr. Christopher Barnes, MSC, USN, NMRLC's executive officer, was frocked to the rank of captain. Surrounded by family, friends and former shipmates, Rear Adm. (Ret). Michael Mittelman was the presiding officer who also shared stories of his service with Capt. Barnes when he was a junior officer. Mittelman was the Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy and Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.

Barnes, who will become NMRLC's commanding officer in May 2024, is a native of Western Maryland and entered the Navy through the Delayed Entry Program in 1993. He reported to Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill, as a seaman recruit in 1994.

He served aboard the USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62), home ported in Yokosuka, Japan as part of the ship’s deck department. Shortly after reporting, Seaman Barnes was assigned to the Post Office where he struck into the Postal Clerk rating. PC2 (SW/AW) Barnes reported to the USS VELLA GULF (CG -72), home ported in Norfolk, VA. His ashore assignments include Naval Medical Center Portsmouth as the Leading Petty Officer for Postal Operations, and as the Supply Petty Officer for the Director of Administration; U.S. Naval Hospital, Okinawa, for his first assignment as a Naval Officer serving in a variety of roles and eventually as the Fiscal Officer; National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda as the Department Head and Budget Officer.

NMRLC manages the warehouse and production facility that procures, produces, manages, sustains, prepositions, and deploys rapidly deployable Expeditionary Medical (EXMED) Platforms in support of real-world, Distributed Maritime Operations. The EXMEDs provide Combatant Commanders’ desired capabilities regarding standardized, modular, scalable combat service support and medical/dental capabilities to an advanced-base environments at the heart of Navy Medicine’s enterprise-wide foundational change, designing and delivering agile and integrated capabilities to the Fleet and Fleet Marine Forces.

These unique capabilities will provide medical assets to Combatant Commanders in theatres around the world. Barnes will lead the effort in accomplishing the goals and mission requirements established through Navy doctrine and Navy Medicine Campaign Orders.

Story originally posted on DVIDS: Barnes frocked to captain, slated to lead NMRLC