By Charlene D. Pugh

TEAM Public Affairs, Jacksonville

"I relieve you, Sir!" At 10 a.m. on June 22, Capt. Christopher John Roum took the helm as commanding officer of the Naval Aviation Depot Jacksonville (NADEP JAX) during a ceremony held in hangar 140.

"I stand relieved!" With these simple words, Capt. Gary Sean O'Neill passed authority and responsibilities he assumed as commanding officer of NADEP JAX on Jan. 29, 1999 to Roum.

The guest speaker for the change of command was Mr. James T. Eccleston, assistant deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics). He is responsible for the full-scale implementation of supply chain business practices across the military services and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), as well as integration between the supply chain process and acquisition. Eccleston shared thoughts on where the Department of Defense is headed in the 21st century and how the successes achieved at NADEP JAX supports that vision.

"Throughout your history," Eccleston began, "NADEPs were structured and managed to support the needs of the Cold War. The conflict with the potential adversary, the Soviet Union and its allies, was expected to be a long drawn out war of attrition. Because of this, our nation built and infrastructure to support the conflict with large volumes of material and support. The main objectives have been to make the services more responsive and agile," continued Eccleston, "and to make the supporting infrastructure more responsive and tailorable. Some refer to this as faster, cheaper, better ... you clearly have risen to the faster, cheaper, better challenge in an outstanding manner."

In his closing remarks, Eccleston urged the Jacksonville Team to "learn the latest business thoughts and practices, and implement where it best fits to our CORE business, the business of warfighting."

Witnessing the change of command was Rear Adm. Stephen C. Heilman, assistant commander for aviation depots. Heilman echoed Eccleston's message of support and praise to the Jacksonville Depot and seized the opportunity to officially recognize a couple of its accomplishments.

"The first extraordinary accomplishment to be acknowledged today is one of critical importance to the entire NAVAIR depot community," Heilman said. Heilman then asked Cmdr. Ronald Bethmann, the command's assessment and quality competency officer and newly appointed director of operations to invite Jag Sisodia, president and CEO of Intertek Testing Services and Lisa Hartley, vice president of ISO Registration Services, to join him on the stage. Once the group was in place, the admiral, Sisodia and Hartley presented the command with Certificates of Registration signifying NADEP JAX's attainment of ISO 9000 Standards of Quality for its Avionics Business Unit and their Materials Engineering Laboratory. An achievement, which in the words of Heilman, "demonstrates, once again, NADEP Jacksonville's commitment to continuous improvement. This seal of approval is truly the mark of an organization dedicated to excellence."

The final award was presented to recognize the efforts of the individual who has been the team leader for the Jacksonville Depot over the past 18 months, Capt. O'Neill. During his remarks, Heilman praised O'Neill saying he "quickly captured the rhythm of this vibrant organization, and guided its destiny with unprecedented skill and dexterity. His (O'Neill) performance was truly a wonderful thing to behold. And, as Capt. Karl E. Yeakel, the depot's prospective executive officer read the citation, Heilman presented O'Neill with his first Legion of Merit.

O'Neill, during his final remarks as commanding officer of NADEP JA, reflected on the challenges faced and the battles won.

"When I assumed command, I asked for our common focus on serving the fleet, be shaped by three core values of the Navy: honor, courage and commitment. In typical Jacksonville fashion, you took the challenge and performed superbly.

You honored the Fleet by working diligently to provide the best possible products for their use. Your commitment has shone through each and everyday as you have worked to produce products for the Fleet while at the same time exerting a massive effort to re-invent our basic business processes along lines proven by industry. You also explored new ground by successfully extending those techniques in ways not proven anywhere else. Each and every time you were asked to work smarter, not harder or do more with less, you attacked it with focus and a desire to succeeded. You showed courage by accepting the challenges in spite of the daunting changes of success." Prior to reading the orders, which transferred authority of command to Roum, O’Neill expressed words of apprciation to his family for their untiring support.

"I relieve you, Sir!" said Capt. Christopher John Roum. I stand relieved" replied Capt. O’Neill. And, with these simple words Roum became the 32nd commanding officer of NADEP JAX and the first to assume command in the 21st Century.

Roum began his remarks by reciting the Mission Statement for NADEPT JAX, which is to provide a full range of high quality maintenance, engineering, logistic, and support services to the Fleet at a competitive price. "I believe the operative word in that statement is the Fleet," continued Roum, "the warfighter. Everything we do is for them. That’s why we exist." Roum then shared with the assembly his observations of the past and his vision for the future.

"Over the pastfew years we have undertaken the important and necessary work of reengineering our business processes, perfecting our process controls, fine tuning our material management and tightening our financial controls. We’re exploring ways to team more closely with our customers and to establish partnerships with the community and commercial industry. All the while, we are maintaining our focus on the quality of our products. These objectives are important because the Fleet requires our products faster and cheaper; necessary, because the Fleet demands that our products be better and last longer. We know we are on the right path of continuous improvement and are making great progress toward our goals. We cant’ rest. We must continue to advance our knowledge of best practices so that at the end of the day the NADEP can continue to be the provider of choice by supplying the highest quality product demanded by the fleet, whatever that product might be. It is my pleasure and honor to be a part of your future."