Navy Reserve Region Readiness and Mobilization Command Fort Worth (REDCOM FW) Commander Capt. Mark Hofmann recently announced his region’s selections for the 2021 Large, Medium, and Small Navy Reserve Centers (NRC) of the Year.
 
NRCs are considered large, medium, or small based upon the number of Reserve Sailors assigned to them. NRCs with up to 200 Reservists assigned to them are categorized as a small NRC. Medium NRCs are those with between 201 and 499 Reserve personnel, and large NRCs are responsible for 500 or more Reserve Sailors. Of REDCOM FW’s 19 NRCs, four are categorized as large, seven as medium, and eight as small.
 
To deliver the news of their selection results, Capt. Hofmann and Command Master Chief Darrin Lowe visited each category’s winning NRC to present trophies and congratulate the commanding officers and their staffs.
 
“There was solid competition in all three categories, but each had a clear winner” said Hofmann. “I would like to congratulate the 2021 REDCOM Fort Worth NRCs of the Year.”
 
NRC St. Louis, Missouri emerged victorious with REDCOM FW’s selection as the region’s “Large NRC of the Year.” NRC Austin, Texas received the award for “Medium NRC of the Year.” And, NRC Springfield, Missouri won as the region’s “Small NRC of the Year.”
 
REDCOM FW’s front office leadership team evaluated multiple categories of annual performance data for each NRC during the selection process. These areas included but were not limited to: operational execution; command climate; command assessment performance scores; funeral honors execution; and contingency response.
 
“None of our NRCs of the Year won simply by earning high grades on a scorecard,” said Hofmann. “Yes, they are all top performers, but the difference is that these commands have achieved top performance through their culture.”
 
“They have a culture of deeply engaged leaders,” Hofmann continued. “They have a culture of tapping into the technical expertise of every member of the team, regardless of paygrade or seniority; everyone pulls hard on the rope. And, they have a culture of welcoming challenge because these Sailors recognize challenge as an opportunity to show the world how well they’ve mastered their craft.”
 
NRC St. Louis Commanding Officer Cmdr. Ryan Carmichael echoed the REDCOM FW commander’s sentiments in his remarks regarding his NRC’s selection for the award.
 
“Excellence is a culture that requires constant effort by all hands,” said Carmichael. “Our selection provides both validation and motivation as we continue our journey towards excellence. Words cannot express how proud I am of our NRC St. Louis team and their accomplishments.”
 
NRC Austin Commanding Officer Cmdr. Jonathan Thompson expressed gratitude for his NRC’s selection and attributed much of his command’s success to his team’s hard work and dedication.
 
“I am absolutely thrilled and honored to have my command recognized this way,” said Thompson. “It’s a testament to my great staff, our triad, and Reserve team. We will display the trophy proudly and continue to strive for higher levels of achievement.”
 
NRC Springfield Commanding Officer Cmdr. Jason Moody spoke about the importance of resisting complacency through a continuous cycle of honest self-assessment.
 
“My team is incredibly talented and diligent in their pursuit of mission excellence,” said Moody. “I am completely humbled and honored that our command was selected as the 2021 Small NRC of the Year. I have always told my staff we are the best because they’ve proven that time and again. The challenge now is to maintain that success. We do that by not resting on our past success. We have to continually ask ourselves ‘how can best be better?’”
 
Assistant Chief of Staff Mr. Christopher Bownds also congratulated each of the three NRCs on their accomplishments and encouraged all of REDCOM FW’s NRCs as they continue to raise the standard of excellence across the region.
 
“You don’t get the NRC of the Year award by winning a sprint,” said Bownds. “You do it by winning a marathon, excelling every day and representing the best of REDCOM FW to the entire Reserve Force.”

Navy Reserve Centers ensure Reserve Sailors are administratively, medically and operationally ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. NRC’s provide training, equipment, career management and family resources to help Reserve Sailors and their families meet the challenges and obligations of military service.