Command Leadership

Captain Burkett was raised in Roanoke, Va., and entered the Navy in May 1997 from Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Virginia, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. She completed a Master of Business Administration from Touro University International.  She is a graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she received her Master of Science degree in Emergency, Trauma, and Critical Care Nursing in May 2005.
 
Her operational assignments include deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in support of 1^st Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward), from July 2012 to February 2013. During this deployment, she served as shock trauma platoon/forward resuscitative surgical nurse for Combat Outpost Shukvani, as well as senior nurse for Charlie Company, First Medical Battalion.  She earned her Fleet Marine Force (FMF) Officer Warfare device while in Afghanistan. 
 
Burkett’s previous assignments include staff nurse positions on Inpatient Internal Medicine and Intensive Care Unit, Naval Medical Center, San Diego, California; staff nurse, Special Care Unit, US Naval Hospital, Okinawa, Japan;  staff nurse and division officer, Intensive Care Unit, and Nurse Corps Officer, Medical Evaluation and Treatment Unit, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland; division officer, Surgery Clinic and department head, Multi-Service Unit, US Naval Hospital Naples, Italy; critical care clinical nurse specialist (CNS), division officer, and department head, Critical Care, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia; and CNS medical surgical/intensive care units and associate director, Nursing Services, Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
 
Executive assignments include interim director for Quality Management, Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and director for Nursing Services/chief nursing officer, US Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan.  As executive officer, US Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command/US Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan, she directly supported forward deployed Naval forces for the 7^th Fleet area of operations within INDOPACOM.  CAPT Burkett assumed the duties of Commander, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Center Camp Pendleton, and Director, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, on August 4, 2023.
 
She maintains active RN licensure with the State of Virginia and board certification as an Advanced Nurse Executive (NEA-BC) with the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She has held national certification as a Critical Care Registered Nurse and licensure as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.
 
CAPT Burkett’s personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (one gold star), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three gold stars), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (one gold star), and various unit and service awards.

Torrin W. Velazquez
Captain, Medical Corps,
United States Navy

Captain Torrin Velazquez is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana and a graduate from Xavier University of Louisiana. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in 2005 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He completed Family Medicine Internship and Residency at Naval Hospital Pensacola and certified as a Diplomat of the American Board of Family Medicine in July 2008.  

Operationally, Captain Velazquez served from 2009-2010 as Surgeon Naval Surface Group Mid-Pacific; in 2011 he deployed as OIC, Tonga Medical Clinic during Pacific Partnership 2011; in 2013 as Senior MEF Officer for the USSOUTHCOM Brazil Bilateral Exchange Mission in Formosa Brazil; and in 2014 as Medical Director, Camp Bastion/Leatherneck/Shorebak Complex Regional Command Southwest, and Afghanistan. His staff assignments include Group Surgeon for Commander Naval Surface Group Mid-Pacific; Regimental Surgeon, Combat Logistics Regiment 1, Brigade Surgeon 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade; Deputy/Acting Group Surgeon 1st Marine Logistics Group; and Group Surgeon, Marine Aircraft Group 16.   

In garrison, Captain Velazquez was assigned in July 2008 to Naval Branch Health Clinic Bahrain where he served as Emergency Management Officer, Public Health Emergency Officer and was the DoD Medical Liaison to the Kingdom of Bahrain Ministries of Health and Interior. In November 2009, he served as Department Head of Primary and Specialty Services, Makalapa Clinic, Naval Health Clinic Hawaii, Naval Base Pearl Harbor, HI.  In December 2014, he reported to Naval Medical Center San Diego as Senior Medical Officer, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (MCRD) where he oversaw the care of over 30k recruits. Additionally, he also served as a member of the Medical Executive Committee. In December 2016, he reported to Marine Aircraft Group 16 as Group Surgeon and Chair of the Marine Expeditionary Force’s Medical Executive Committee overseeing privileging for over 200 providers assigned or deployed worldwide. 

In November 2019, he reported to Naval Medical Center San Diego as Department Head of the MCRD Clinic and in February 2020, he was appointed as the Director of Branch Clinics overseeing 15 Medical and Dental Clinics throughout the Southern California Region.  In February 2021, he was selected as the Director of Medical Affairs for the San Diego Market Office. 

Captain Velazquez, is currently assigned as the Executive Officer for Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton as of June 2022.

Captain Velazquez is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, a Distinguished Graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and an Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine from the Uniformed Services University. His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Gold Star, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the US Army Achievement Medal and various personal, unit, service, and campaign awards.  
 

Wayne M. George
Command Master Chief (FMF / AW)
United States Navy

Ask the CMC

Master Chief George is a native of Bloomfield, New Mexico. He enlisted in 1994 and attended Recruit Training at Great Lakes, Illinois, before reporting to the Navy’s Religious Program Specialist School in Meridian, Mississippi. After completing the school, he reported to Marine Combat Training Battalion, School of Infantry - East, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for combat training and earned the prestigious title of Honor Graduate.

He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Colorado Technical University. He is a Graduate of the Senior Enlisted Academy Class 224 (Khaki)
and Command Master Chief / Chief of the Boat Course Class 20070.

Master Chief George’s sea duty assignments include: 1st Marine Division Detachment, Twentynine Palms, California, with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment; 1st Tank Battalion; and 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. Additional sea duty assignments include: 1st Force Service Support Group; 1st Marine Logistics Group; 1st Marine Division Headquarters; and I Marine Expeditionary Force, all aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California; and Strike Fighter Squadron TWO aboard Naval Air Station, Lemoore, California.

Master Chief George’s shore assignments include: Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California; Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California; Commander, Navy Region Southwest, San Diego, California; and Marine Corps Installations - West / Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, California.

He assumed his current position as Command Master Chief aboard Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command / Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in October 2022.

His awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terror Expeditionary & Service Medals, and various other decorations. He has earned the Enlisted Fleet Marine Force Warfare and Aviation Warfare Specialist insignias.