PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Navy’s top training officer and a man with Mount Airy, N.C., ties, Rear Adm. Gary R. Jones, relinquished his command and bid farewell to the Navy on Aug. 13 during a change of command ceremony at the National Museum of Naval Aviation on board Pensacola Naval Air Station.

(NAS).

Jones, who is a North Carolina native, is the son of Tallmadge and Charlotte Jones of Mount Airy.

More than 450 guests attended the ceremony at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, as Jones passed his command to Rear Adm. Joseph F. Kilkenny. Vice Adm. Mark E. Ferguson III, the chief of Naval personnel, was a guest speaker at the event.

“The impact of NETC on the Navy is tremendous," said Vice Adm. Mark Ferguson, Chief of Naval Personnel, in remarks centered around the The Naval Education and Training Command, which is headquarted at NAS.

The Command is the largest shore command in the U.S. Navy and provides training for all aailors, as well as personnel from the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and international students from allied nations.

“Rear Adm. Jones has touched the lives of every Sailor in the Navy today,” Ferguson said. “His dedication to their development has been the driving force behind all NETC has accomplished and his contributions will endure for years to come.”

Jones said his tour of duty at NETC was one of the most dynamic assignments of his Navy career.

“I was extremely honored to work with the outstanding professionals at NETC,” he said. “The stellar work of these people positively impacts the successful mission of every other command in the Navy. I take great pride knowing that every single sailor in the Navy is a NETC graduate.

“In addition to our sailors, in fiscal year 2008 we provided the same exemplary learning and development opportunities to more than 33,700 Marines, 2,200 Soldiers, 2,200 Airmen and 2,200 Coast Guardsmen,” he said. “Reaching out to our allies, more than 12,000 international students from more than 150 nations attend NETC courses annually. Last year we logged more than 615,000 graduations from our courses. Am I proud of our training professionals? You can bet on it.”

Jones also is retiring from the Navy and guest speaker Vice Adm. Dirk Debunk, chief of Navy Reserve, lauded Jones for his career of service to the nation.

“Sailor, aviator, strategist, scholar, statesman, mentor and most of all, leader — Rear Admiral Gary Jones has lived a life of service that has defended our nation, strengthened our alliances and educated a generation of sailors,” said Debunk.

“With a career of service spanning four decades, Rear Admiral Jones has touched the lives of tens of thousands of sailors in a very personal way, and he now leaves the Navy in the capable hands of those he led and trained. Gary and his family have our deepest appreciation and gratitude for all the sacrifices they've made during their years of service.”

There have been major changes to Navy training since Jones took command in February 2007. As the Navy’s mission evolved, its training evolved too. A few of the changes include:

• With the Navy’s increased emphasis on maritime interdiction, NETC’s Center for Security Forces developed the Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) course that provides sailors skills on boarding ships, and tactics designed to combat terrorism, piracy and smuggling.

• In support of the newly established Navy Expeditionary Combat Command, NETC training commands developed and provided specialty training in weapons, security, boat operations and ordnance disposal.

• Success in achieving the nation’s maritime strategy depends in large part on Navy’s ability to communicate with and comprehend potential adversaries, enduring allies, and emerging partner nations. The center for Information Dominance (CID) was tasked with developing training to support deploying personnel with language skills, regional expertise and cultural awareness.

Rear Adm. Joe Kilkenny will be taking over leadership of the training mission and was previously commander of Navy Recruiting Command.

“Rear Adm. Kilkenny is perfect for this job,” Jones said. “He is passionate about what we do and where we are going. He has been a staunch advocate for education and training throughout his career. He did a fantastic job at Navy Recruiting Command and I’m sure he will do an equally superb job as NETC commander.”

The Naval Education and Training Command is the Navy’s premier learning organization whose mission is to educate and train soliders and sailers.

The NETC enterprise is comprised of 230 activities and commands and provides training for an average of 35,000 personnel on any given day. The NETC staff consists of more than 19,000 military and civilian personnel around the world with an annual budget of $1.3 billion.

For more information about the Naval Education and Training Command, visit https://www.netc.navy.mil/ .