NAVFAC Pacific Holds Change of Command Ceremony

By Don Rochon, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific held a change of command ceremony July 9 at the command's headquarters in Pearl Harbor.

Rear Adm. Kate Gregory relieved Rear Adm. Michael Giorgione as commander of NAVFAC Pacific.

Gregory was promoted to rear admiral June 1, becoming the first female Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) officer in the history of the Navy to attain the rank.

"Surely the Pacific theater is our Navy and nation's most important theater, and I appreciate the challenges we all face as we carry out our mission, and as we take care of our fleet, our families and our shore establishments," said Gregory, in her remarks to more than 200 command employees and guests. "We have a lot to do, and I'm ready to get started."

A St. Louis native, Gregory was commissioned as a CEC officer after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1982. She arrives in Hawaii from Little Creek, Va., where she served as the chief of staff for the 1st Naval Construction Division. She is no stranger to Hawaii, as she previously served as executive officer during the transformation of Public Works Center Pearl Harbor to NAVFAC Hawaii.

Gregory's Seabee tours include assignments as company commander and detachment officer-in-charge, deploying to Honduras with Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, as the Seabee action officer at NAVFAC headquarters in Washington, D.C., and as the executive officer of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1.

Gregory's first command tour was as commanding officer of NMCB 133, with deployments to the European and Western Pacific theaters. She subsequently served as commander, 30th Naval Construction Regiment, during which she deployed to the Al Anbar Province, Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Gregory holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the U.S. Naval Academy, the University of Southern California and George Washington University; has completed the Senior Executive Program at the London School of Business; is a registered professional engineer in the Virginia; and is a qualified military parachutist and Seabee combat warfare officer. Her personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Gregory assumed command of approximately 4,000 military and civilian men and women who work for NAVFAC Pacific and its three NAVFAC commands in Hawaii, Guam and Japan.

Giorgione will retire from the Navy July 16 in a ceremony at Annapolis, Md., the place where he was commissioned a naval officer 29 years ago.