In May 2021, Navy Reserve Center (NRC) Lemoore opened a new facility with state-of-the-art meeting rooms and equipment capable of hosting small and large groups. With the new facility came a renewed interest in tours, and an increase in requests to use the facility. It also provided the NRC with an opportunity to improve warfighter readiness while strengthening relationships among active duty, Training & Administration of the Reserve (TAR) and Selected Reserve (SELRES) Sailors.
“On base, there is really no facility that has classrooms and meeting spaces to hold large groups,” said Lt. Elizabeth Merino, NRC Lemoore’s executive officer. “We've helped almost every tenant command on base with reserving spaces for classroom instruction, retirement ceremonies and holiday parties.”
Merino said both Navy and Army commands have used the spaces.
When a water pipe ruptured on July 22 at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Lemoore, the facility was forced to close, impacting Reserve mobilization by delaying the completion of medical requirements. The medical staff at NMRTC reached out to NRC Lemoore to see if there were spaces to convert to a clinic. NRC staff was ready and able support NMRTC, ensuring medical mobilization readiness and helping Reserve Sailors continue to meet the mission.
“The NRC has been supportive of us to come over and use its facility,” said Cmdr. Anna Choe, a pediatrician at Medical Homeport at NMRTC Lemoore. “It was like setting up a remote site compared to where we normally work. It has been great to have the space, the IT support, and even the landline phones. Even the offices were converted to exam rooms.”
One of the biggest challenges to using the NRC spaces is that all naval hospitals run on their own network. When NRC Lemoore staff first found out that it would become a hospital clinic, NMRTC IT specialists came over and worked with the NRC’s IT specialists. They were able to plug in and move NMRTC’s network. Now NMRTC is operating on its own network at the NRC using NMRTC medical laptops.
“Right now, NRC Lemoore is meeting the needs of our Reserve Sailors while also utilizing part of our spaces as a pediatric hospital where expectant mothers and new born infants can be treated by their doctors,” Merino said.
NAS Lemoore is home to Commander Strike Fighter Wing Pacific and Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing. More than half of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft reside here. It is the only Navy installation to house the F-35C Lightning II. NAS Lemoore hosts 16 operational Strike Fighter squadrons, two Fleet Replacement squadrons and one Search and Rescue squadron and four west coast Carrier Air Wing Commands and staff.
Rear Adm. Richard S. Lofgren serves as the Acting Chief of Navy Reserve and Acting Commander, Navy Reserve Force. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and oversight for Navy Reserve personnel and operations worldwide, supporting the readiness and integration of Reserve forces across the fleet. A Surface Warfare Officer, Rear Adm. Lofgren brings extensive operational and command experience across maritime expeditionary, coastal riverine, and surface warfare missions, including service in senior leadership roles supporting U.S. naval operations in multiple geographic combatant commands. His career reflects a sustained commitment to operational excellence, leadership development, and the effective employment of Navy Reserve forces in support of national security objectives.
Rear Adm. Luke Frost is a Surface Warfare Officer with extensive operational, command, and strategic leadership experience across the fleet. He has served in senior command roles at sea and ashore, including command of major surface combatants and amphibious forces operating throughout the Central Command and Indo-Pacific areas of responsibility. As a Flag Officer, Rear Adm. Frost served as Director, Reserve Warfare (OPNAV N0959) on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations, where he provided oversight and strategic guidance for Reserve force integration and readiness. His career reflects a deep commitment to warfighting excellence, joint operations, and the effective employment of naval forces in support of U.S. national security objectives.
Rear Admiral John Saccomando is a Naval Aviator with extensive operational, command, and strategic leadership experience across both active and reserve components. He has served in multiple senior command and flag assignments supporting naval aviation, expeditionary operations, and installation readiness, including leadership roles within U.S. Fleet Forces and Naval Air Forces Atlantic. A combat-experienced aviator, Rear Adm. Saccomando brings deep expertise in joint operations, force integration, and operational readiness, reflecting a sustained commitment to advancing naval capabilities and supporting U.S. national security objectives worldwide.
Rear Adm. Greg Emery is a Navy Reserve flag officer with extensive leadership experience across naval oceanography, intelligence, and information warfare. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he has served in a wide range of operational, command, and staff assignments supporting global naval and joint operations, including senior leadership roles within Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Rear Adm. Emery brings deep expertise in intelligence integration, operational support, and information warfare, reflecting a sustained commitment to advancing decision advantage and mission readiness across the fleet.
Force Master Chief Nicole C. Rios serves as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of Navy Reserve, advising on the readiness, welfare, and professional development of approximately 59,000 Reserve Component Sailors supporting Navy, Marine Corps, and joint operations worldwide. A seasoned Command Master Chief, she brings extensive experience across aviation, expeditionary, and information warfare communities, with senior enlisted leadership assignments at the unit, regional, and force levels. Her career reflects a sustained commitment to Sailor advocacy, operational readiness, and the effective integration of Navy Reserve forces in support of national defense objectives.
Command Master Chief Lyons brings extensive operational and shore-based leadership experience across aviation, logistics, manpower, and readiness organizations within the Navy Reserve enterprise. Selected as a Command Master Chief in 2016, he has served in senior enlisted leadership roles at Navy Operational Support Center Pearl Harbor, Navy Personnel Command, Maritime Support Wing, Fleet Readiness Center Mid-West, and currently serves as the Command Master Chief for Commander, Navy Reserve Forces Command. An Aviation Warfare Specialist, he is recognized for sustained excellence in leadership and readiness, earning multiple personal, joint, and unit awards throughout his career.
Command Master Chief Louvier enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1997 and brings extensive aviation maintenance and readiness leadership experience across multiple Fleet Logistics, Strike Fighter, Helicopter, and Reserve aviation commands. Selected as a Command Master Chief in 2015, he has served in senior enlisted leadership roles at VR-56, Commander, Tactical Support Wing, Fleet Readiness Center Reserve Mid-West, and currently serves as the Command Master Chief for Commander, Naval Air Force Reserve. An Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist, he is a graduate of the Senior Enlisted Academy and multiple executive leadership programs and has earned numerous personal and unit awards for sustained excellence in leadership and mission readiness.
Master Chief Jerry E. Dotson was born in Garden Grove, California, and raised in Sacramento. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on July 29, 2002, and completed recruit training and Electrician’s Mate “A” School in Great Lakes, Illinois. His career spans operational, reserve, aviation, and senior enlisted leadership assignments, and he currently serves as the Command Master Chief for Commander, Naval Information Force Reserve.