Cmdr. Christi Montgomery relieved Cmdr. Shane Stoughton as commanding officer of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Professional Development Center (NMOPDC) during a ceremony held Aug. 26.

"It is very appropriate that today's ceremony takes place on Women's Equality Day," said Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, Oceanographer of the Navy and commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. "As of today, six of my eight commander-level commanding officers are women -- a record for our command."

He added he is focused on retaining the best talent in the naval oceanography community and does not want to re-create "talent gaps" of past decades caused as women left the Navy early taking their knowledge, training and experience with them. He cited the example of his wife, a former Navy diver.

"I want my three daughters to be able to compete equally if they were to join the Navy," Gallaudet said.

Montgomery, a graduate of Indiana State University and the Naval Postgraduate School, attended Officer Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida, and was commissioned as an ensign in 2000. She previously served as the oceanography community manager at the Bureau of Naval Personnel.

Stoughton, a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and the Naval Postgraduate School, had headed the center since September 2014. He was commissioned in the Navy in December 1999.

NMOPDC is the full-spectrum source for professional training in meteorology, oceanography, hydrography, and geospatial information. Personnel are responsible for more than 150 courses of instruction delivered via several means, including computer-based-training as well as instructor-led courses. The center is planned to transition to the Naval Information Force's Warfighting Development Center (WDC) and is considered the most mature element in performing information warfare WDC functions across all Naval Information Forces.

Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC), part of the information warfare community, directs and oversees the collection, processing and exploitation of accurate, relevant and timely oceanographic, meteorological, hydrographic, precise time and astrometric information to help naval and joint forces operate more safely and effectively, and make better decisions faster than the adversary. CNMOC is assigned as Commander, Task Group 80.7 under U.S. Fleet Forces Command.

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