Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) New Orleans held a change of command ceremony Aug. 5, the first change of command since the official transformation from Navy Recruiting District (NRD) to NTAG.

Cmdr. Roger Phelps took command of NTAG New Orleans from Cmdr. Michael Beaty during the ceremony at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans’ Navy Operational Support Center.

Beaty served as commanding officer from July 2017 until August 2019. Under his leadership, NTAG New Orleans accessed more than 1,800 new Sailors to include 169 Prior Service Sailors, 112 Navy Accession Training/Full-time Support program enlistments, 124 Nuclear Field enlistments and 122 Navy Special Warfare/Operations enlistments. Talent Acquisition Onboarding Center (TAOC) New Orleans has been recognized as Region Three TAOC of the month twice in fiscal year 2019. Additionally, he directly oversaw and maintained a Delayed Entry (DEP) pool that averaged over 600 young men and women throughout his tenure.

“The Sailors and Civilians of NTAG New Orleans have consistently proven that they have earned the nickname “Powerhouse” by meeting and exceeding their goals nearly every month the past two years,” Beaty said. “NTAG New Orleans has a shot at earning Navy Recruiting Command’s Recruiting R this year. The recruiters have accomplished so much, and I feel privileged to have witness such feats.”

In addition, NTAG New Orleans processed more than 235 Officers leading to the attainment of 73 Active Duty General Program Officers, 44 Active Medical Officers, 8 Reserve Component General Officers and 12 Reserve Component Medical Officers.

“My time as CO of NTAG New Orleans seems to have flown by,” said Beaty. “We overcame numerous obstacles, and lead the recruiting enterprise through the National Manpower Optimization and Recruiting Command Transformation plan of 2017. We also hosted four Navy and Fleet weeks and several air shows, bringing Navy awareness to our communities.

Phelps believes Beaty’s leadership of NTAG New Orleans helped the command to shine throughout the transition from NRD to NTAG.

“Cmdr. Beaty has done a fantastic job of leading New Orleans through a tough transformation from a legacy Navy Recruiting District to now a Navy Talent Acquisition Group,” said Phelps. “The Sailors and civilians of this command have done well under the CDR Beaty’s leadership, and the command is currently meeting and exceeding its goals.  I will do my best to be a servant leader and provide the leadership, guidance and support needed for NTAG New Orleans to continue on its path to continued success.”

Phelps relishes the opportunity to lead the command into the future.

“I look forward to the opportunity to work with a great group of Sailors and Civilians who care about the task at hand, Phelps said. “We have an important job to find qualified people to man the fleet, and it is not an easy task with the current state of affairs we live in. I am most excited about working with my team and seeing how far we can go. This team is doing a great job, but there is always room for improvement and there are some things we can tweak to find some efficiencies to take us to the next level. I am truly looking forward to watching this team continue do some great things over the next couple years.”

Experience in the Navy and in life has helped Phelps become a better Sailor and an efficient leader.

“I would like to think I have been working toward this for the past 27 years,” said Phelps. “My experience as an Enlisted Sailor and Officer with a diverse background, my awesome marriage of 25 years and 3 great kids and the professional growth through studies has prepared me for this. It has been a long journey and I am blessed and humbled that I have been given this opportunity.”

Navy Talent Acquisition Group New Orleans’ role in national defense is to continue to man the Navy’s active and reserve components. This is accomplished through a command composition covering 91,940 square miles. The district’s boundaries cover predominately Louisiana and also include areas of Mississippi, lower Alabama and portions of the Florida panhandle.

Navy Recruiting Command consists of a command headquarters, three Navy Recruiting Regions, 18 Navy Recruiting Districts and eight Navy Talent Acquisition Groups that serve more than 1,330 recruiting stations across the world. Their combined goal is to attract the highest quality candidates to assure the ongoing success of America’s Navy.

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For more news from Navy Talent Acquisition Group New Orleans, visit www.navy.mil/.