Cmdr. Douglas Williams relieved Cmdr. Andrew Potts as the commanding officer of Navy Reserve Center (NRC) Omaha. The ceremony was held at the Chief Deyvonndra Jones Drill Hall in Omaha, Neb., Nov. 22.

NRC Sioux Falls staff, family and friends were in attendance along with presiding officer Capt. Christopher Peppel, commander, Navy Reserve Region Readiness and Mobilization Command Everett, and guest speaker Capt. Ruth Lane.

The ceremony commenced with a welcoming of guests by the Master of Ceremonies, Chief Yeoman Nicholas Emanuel, the presentation of colors, National Anthem and an invocation by Cmdr. Davy Lee.

Potts passionately spoke about his tour and the work of the Navy Reserve Sailors assigned to the NRC and his Staff.

“Serving in Omaha has been very rewarding. It’s been a privilege to be part of the tight-knit Navy community during my three years here, and it’s been an honor to work with such a group of motivated Sailors serving at the furthest Navy Reserve Center from sea water,” said Potts. “It hasn’t been an easy tour, but I couldn’t be prouder of my staff and their strong performance. They persisted in keeping Omaha Sailors ready despite challenging conditions including substantial building damage from flooding and a subsequent renovation.”

Guest speakers Lane and Peppel continued to speak about the importance of readiness in our current global climate and how important the Navy Reserve mission is to our country.

The ceremony continued with the presentation of Potts’s end of tour award, remarks and the reading of orders.

Potts reflected on his tour and welcomed Williams as the new commanding officer.

“It’s tough to be leaving a group of Sailors that I’ve experienced so much with, but I’m confident that Cmdr. Williams will be a great commanding officer and continue the tradition of strong performance in Omaha.”

Williams responded emphasizing how thankful he was for the outstanding work of Potts and his staff. He also addressed the staff preparing them for the future as the Navy Reserve mission is more important than ever.

“I appreciate everything Cmdr. Potts and his staff have done to prepare our Navy Reserve Sailors to be effective reservists but we cannot rest on our achievements,” said Williams. “Instead, we need to continue to strive for more and elevate our standards. Our enemies are not compliant, and we shall not be either.”

Williams continued his comments on the importance of readiness.

“What we do in the Navy Reserves helps safeguard the security of our family, friends and Country,” said Williams. “It all starts here with us. We lay the foundation that our Sailors stand on when they hit the Fleet. They cannot do their jobs and be effective without us doing ours and doing it well.”

NRC Omaha currently has 11 Staff and 259 Navy Reserve Sailors assigned to the command. The mission of the Navy Reserve is to provide the Navy, Marine Corps, and Joint Forces with operational capabilities and strategic depth during times of peace or war. The Navy Reserve's top priority is warfighting readiness.