Rear Adm. John F. Meier, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (COMNAVAIRLANT), recognized military and civilian personnel during a brief visit to their workspaces aboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads, June 26, to recognize their support to the fleet.

Meier, who took command of COMNAVAIRLANT on May 1, has made a point of visiting, while maintaining proper social distance, the Sailors, Marines, and civilians who support the Type Command’s (TYCOM) manning, training, and equipping responsibilities.

During the brief visit to the Supply department’s spaces, Meier recognized several Sailors and Marines for their meaningful impact to support the warfighter.

“I’ve been enormously impressed with our Supply department’s ability to expedite parts to ships,” said Meier. “Keeping ships and aircraft operationally ready is enormously important.”

Meier reflected on the support of the Supply department that feeds into the larger mission of the Type Command added “these little things matter.”

“We are the supporting commander to the fleet by supplying the parts to make their job easier,” said Meier, adding that “the Supply team, as a whole, is making an impact in supporting the efforts to man, train and equip to support the fleet.”

Capt. J. B. Theriault, AIRLANT Force Supply Officer, expressed his appreciation for his entire team to accomplish the mission day-in and day-out.

“I am extremely proud of the incredible efforts by the N41 team in direct support of fleet readiness. Our Sailors and Marines downrange depend on the hard work, initiative, and resiliency of the entire N41 team to expedite the parts they need to the right place at the right time,” said Theriault. “This is especially true during this unprecedented coronavirus pandemic, and the entire team has rallied to support our deployers without skipping a beat.”

Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Amber Hinton, who is the assistant leading petty officer for CVN readiness, and a supervisor of 12 personnel, handles the expediting of more than 2,000 mission critical aviation requirements for embarked air wings. Hinton was surprised by the admiral’s visit to recognize her and her fellow Sailors and Marines.

“I was taken aback by his visit,” said Hinton. “It was a great surprise, and I was prideful.”

Additionally, Meier recognized Marine Staff Sergeant John Riggs for his dedication to fleet sustainment and support concerning V22 readiness, as well as Marine Staff Sergeant Mark Piccirelli for his support spearheading the continuous effort to ensure our ships and deployed units experience minimal logistical delays in receiving critical aviation items.

COMNAVAIRLANT is responsible for six nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, 54 aircraft squadrons, 1,200 aircraft and 43,000 officers, enlisted and civilian personnel based on the East Coast of the United States.  It provides combat ready, sustainable naval air forces with the right personnel, properly trained and equipped, with a focus on readiness, operational excellence, interoperability, safety, and efficient resourcing.