Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP) promoted 44 Sailors through the Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP) and held a promotion ceremony after observing morning colors outside of NMCP’s historic Building 1 on Oct. 3.

Capt. Lisa Mulligan, NMCP’s commanding officer, presided over the ceremony and voiced how proud she was that among a large populous of capable Sailors, there are still those who shine bright.

“It’s a big deal,” Mulligan said during the ceremony. “Think about how big of a command this is, how many talented people we have, and yet there are some people who just rise to the top because of sustained superior performance. We are really fortunate to have these Sailors at our command, it’s what makes our command great.”

MAP authorizes commanding officers (COs) to advance eligible personnel in paygrades E5 and below to the next higher paygrade. The program is intended to give COs the opportunity to recognize their best Sailors by advancing them when they are ready for the next level of responsibility. The program gives greater authority to commands to better shape their workforce and the Navy by developing and rewarding our most talented Sailors.

NMCP, along with the outlying Branch Health Clinics (BHC), promoted 25 Sailors to 3rd class petty officer, 16 Sailors to 2nd class petty officers and three to 1st class petty officers. Mulligan looked to the ranks of Sailors who attended the ceremony and implored them to follow the example of the newly promoted Sailors.

“This is a message to everyone at this command that if you work hard, you do a good job, if you’re dedicated and you stay at it, your efforts will be noticed, recognized and rewarded,” Mulligan continued. “Now that you have these new ranks, please take on that responsibility and continue to do the great work you have been doing. We will look to you for your leadership.”

As the U. S. Navy's oldest, continuously-operating hospital since 1830, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth proudly serves past and present military members and their families. The nationally acclaimed, state of the art medical center, including its ten branch and TRICARE Prime clinics, serves the Hampton Roads area and additionally offers premier research and teaching programs designed to prepare new doctors, nurses and hospital corpsmen for future roles in healing and wellness.

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