Navy Commander
Commander Hardegen expertly lead and oversaw the 3,670 member nuclear officer community, enhancing the Navy's ability to execute its mission to maintain, train and equip combat-ready Naval forces capable of winning wars, deterring aggression, and maintaining freedom of the seas. He personally spearheaded revisions to policies and programmatic changes to officer community management that ensured the accession and retention of the Navy's best leaders to sustain the Navy into the future. Possessing exceptional strategic vision, Commander Hardegen served as the Naval Reactors lead for the seamless integration of women into the Submarine force and revised the medical standard of care which now allows Sailors to return to Fleet service when practical. His unswerving dedication and standard of excellence left an indelible mark on the nuclear Navy and directly contributed to the safety and operational readiness of the Navy's nuclear reactors.
Served as Staff Officer with NMCB 22. Lieutenant Jergens demonstrated exceptional leadership, ingenuity, and commitment during her 3 year tenure in support of Battalion training and mobilization activities. In her role as OIC and Company Commander, Lt Jergens led the effort to gain access to Texas National Guard training facilities at Camps Bullis and Swift, resulting in an effective venue for significant Seabee skills development. Her expert leadership and adherence to standards as Company Commander resulted in the fielding of a highly successful 60-man CSE team whose performance exceeded expectations and yielded unparalleled performance during the Operation Sea Hornet FEX, resulting in recognition as "Best Performing Company" by the Battalion Skipper. Leveraging her experience in high-performance team building, Lt Jergens assumed control of a struggling Administration Department where she provided direction and guidance resulting in improved morale and pride and a responsive and cohesive team that recorded a 100% on-time delivery of all administration reports and awards and reduced late Evals and FITREP submissions by 50 percent.
As Commanding Officer of Expeditionary Combat Camera. Lieutenant Commander Mallory provided invaluable leadership to the Officers and Sailors serving in 18 Naval Operational Support Centers across the United States. While leading the Sailors of the largest combat documentation unit in the Navy Reserve, Lieutenant Commander Mallory mentored his sailors on a daily basis resulting in over 20 promotions, including six promoted to Chief Petty Officer, one commissioned officer, and one Mass Communication Specialist Sailor-of-the-Year. Contributing more than 1,000 hours during his off-duty time, he worked tirelessly to make sure his Sailors were trained and equipped to fight alongside the active component wherever and whenever needed and lead Combat Camera to contribute over 20,000 training hours each year. During his tenure in command, he oversaw the deployment and safe return of 29 Sailors who provided bulletproof documentation, over 10,000 man days, of the ongoing War on Terror. In addition, on several occasions he served as relief for the active-duty commanding officer in his absence.
He Distinguished himself as a highly respected and effective liaison officer through his keen understanding of Navy intelligence systems and programs. Commander Doe's professional acumen and ability to communicate effectively across widely varying communities and committees helped secure Congressional approval for key Navy initiatives across a broad spectrum of General Defense Intelligence Programs.
His singular focus and attention to detail enabled the staff to rapidly stand up a Humanitarian Assistance Response Force and ultimately led to the Command's certification as a Joint Task Force Headquarters. Additionally, his ability to translate Commander's Guidance into a detailed Concept of Operations brief was the culmination of over three months of preparation and the central feature that led to USNAVSO's successful completion of IA.