Cmdr. James A. LeCounte relieved Cmdr. J. Steve Correia as commanding officer of Naval Communications Security Material System (NCMS) during a change of command ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Aug. 21.

Correia commented that his greatest accomplishment was "forging a culture of teamwork between the military and civilian personnel at NCMS while accomplishing the mission." He will now transfer to the Pentagon to serve as Cyber Division action officer for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

LeCounte had served as assistant chief of staff and chief information officer at U.S. Naval Forces Japan in Yokosuka, Japan, since January 2014. His previous tours include USS Osprey (MHC 51), USS Saipan (LHA 2), Navy Personnel Command, Joint Command Information Systems Activity Korea, Destroyer Squadron 28 in Norfolk, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Guam, and C4I in Strike Group 5 in Yokosuka, Japan.

"Being in command you can make great changes in an organization and its people's lives and careers," said LeCounte. "It's a rare opportunity and I relish the experience I will gain along the way working in a command so representative of the diversity in our Navy."

LeCounte graduated from Savannah State University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He received his commission through the Savannah State Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps program. In 2003, he received his Master of Science in information systems technology management at the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.

NCMS administers the Department of the Navy Communications Security (COMSEC) program and serves as the central office of records for accounts and COMSEC material throughout Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command and the national COMSEC community. The command provides leadership, guidance and support to the Navy's information assurance program as the Navy's leading authority on public key infrastructure for unclassified and classified networks.

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