By Ashley Craig, Navy Office of Community Outreach
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – A graduate of Duke University recently took command of U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Sigonella, Italy.
Vernon enlisted in the Navy in 1992 and was selected for the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) program, which allowed Vernon to earn a bachelor’s degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University and commission as a naval officer. Vernon’s naval career began in the supply field but later shifted to medicine.
Vernon, a native of Asheville, North Carolina, also earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Norfolk State University in 2003 and a master’s degree in adult critical care from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2010.
“The selection to be a commanding officer is one that is a culmination of years of hard work and dedication of serving and leading,” said Vernon. “The amount of trust placed in a commanding officer is immense and it is a duty that I do not take lightly.”
Vernon has served in nursing and leadership roles over the course of his 28-year Navy career. Most recently, Vernon served as executive officer at NMRTC Charleston, South Carolina, leading the completion of a $25 million facility project, implementation of the MHS GENESIS patient portal and the initiation of a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs to offer clinical sustainment.
“It is a profound honor to lead the sailors and civilians of NMRTC/NH Sigonella, and Branch Clinics Bahrain and Souda Bay,” said Vernon. “I feel blessed to serve in this capacity and hope to serve as a role model to junior sailors and maybe even inspire someone from my hometown to join the world’s finest navy. Each day I wake up in sunny Sicily and get to serve alongside Navy Medicine’s best. Every day is a great day for me.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Vernon serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“We will earn and reinforce the trust and confidence of the American people every day,” said Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations. “Together we will deliver the Navy the nation needs.”
NMRTC Sigonella is a community hospital located in the heart of the Mediterranean in Sicily, Italy. Comprised of a local satellite clinic and two branch health clinics located in Bahrain and Souda Bay, Greece, NMRTC Sigonella’s staff of 387 serves approximately 8,500 active duty, family members, NATO members, retirees and other beneficiaries based on international collaborations and status of forces agreements.