Navy leadership visits Las Vegas Navy Reserves Published April 16, 2014 By Mass Communication Petty Officer 1st Class Richard V. Rizzo, Personnel Specialist Petty Officer 3rd Class Judy G. Razon U.S. Navy Las Vegas Public Affairs Office NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- The Las Vegas Navy Operational Support Center was honored to have Rear Adm. Bryan P. Cutchen, commander of the U.S. Naval Reserve Forces Command, as its special guest speaker during a recently conducted drill weekend. The distinguished guest was a beacon of inspiration for the 250 plus Navy reservists who drilled during the weekend and attended the "All Hands Call" by the Rear Admiral at the Las Vegas Navy Reserve Center. Cutchen's background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Nautical Science from the Maine Maritime Academy and a Master's degree from the Air War College. In his operational assignments, he has commanded both Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 77 (VAW-77), a special mission squadron supporting SOUTHCOM, and also Carrier Air Wing Reserve 20. With his extensive experience from tours with E-2C Hawkeye and VAW squadrons, for example, he has accumulated 5,000 hours in various aircraft such as the C-2A Greyhound, E-2C Hawkeye and the F-18A+ Hornet. The distinguished commander has also been a flight instructor at Miramar Naval Air Station a tactical air requirements officer, a joint capabilities integration and development system coordinator, and a deputy commander of both the Naval Air Force Reserve and the Office of the Chief of Navy Reserve. Cutchen spoke of the importance of national security within our Navy, and of the various programs underway to implement cohesion of the sea and air units in order to strengthen the naval forces. He encouraged reservists to look into these and other programs being developed as channels for expanding opportunities to further their careers. The Navy Reserves are an important element in the security and defense networks of our nation and the Admiral emphasized that these programs will facilitate reservists' entry into special schools and into active duty work situations on ships and stations. He also stressed the importance of the cooperation and working together of the reserve component with other branches of our military here and around the world. He cited the cooperation and coordination between the Las Vegas NOSC and the U.S. Air Force at Nellis AFB. Cutchen stated that we are all part of a team, and that by working together we can make the team stronger. He also discussed the changes within the reserve community as a result of the drawdown and withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan. He assured sailors his staff is working hard to help sailors affected by the realignment of the Naval Construction Battalions, and that the goal is to get sailors into new restructured positions or new career paths. Additionally, he addressed looming changes in personnel security programs as a result of the unfortunate incident at Washington Navy Yard involving a Navy reservist, and how his staff is working with higher headquarters to resolve and implement sound personnel security program changes. In the interactive question and answer session that followed, Cutchen replied to questions about the new Military Cloud program being developed by Microsoft, where sailors at sea or land can work on projects within the cloud. He also mentioned how the reserve air component is changing and developing within the Fleet Logistics Support (VR) and Carrier Tactical Electronic Warfare (VAQ) communities and how they are becoming very important in logistics for full time Navy air programs and the active duty fleet. The Rear Admiral spoke highly of the new Navy Operational Support Center Commanding Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Jessie Sanchez, and about how he is on board to make our Las Vegas sailors and reservists as motivated, inspired and as ready as they can be to accomplish the mission and answer the nation's call. The Rear Admiral's speech was inspiring, motivating, and energizing- a fitting culmination to a drill weekend for our hard-working reservists.