CAMP PENDLETON, CALIFORNIA  –   A corpsman with Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton has been commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corps.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Grace Joan Reveles, the former department leading petty officer for the Camp Pendleton Intrepid Spirit Center commissioned to the rank of Ensign via the Direct Accession Program during a ceremony held in the hospital's Medal of Honor Promenade on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.

Reveles was already a licensed vocational nurse in 2012 when she enlisted in the Navy.

“I completed my LVN and wasn’t sure what to do, so I joined the Navy as a corpsman. I knew as a corpsman I would gain unique experiences that I wouldn’t see as a civilian LVN” said Reveles. “My family has a history of military service and I’m proud to follow in those footsteps.”

Her duty stations prior to arriving at NHCP were Naval Medical Center San Diego, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Naval Branch Health Clinic, Mayport, Fla., and a tour with the Marine Corps in 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion.

While serving on active duty in very demanding roles, Reveles was able to graduate with an associate degree in nursing, earn her R.N. license, and complete her bachelor’s degree in nursing.

“The way to obtain your goal is to simply not quit,” she said during her commissioning speech. “Balancing the demands from an active-duty job and the rigors of nursing school was no easy feat, but I kept telling myself it will be worth it.”

Navy Capt. Jenny Burkett, commander of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Camp Pendleton, presented Reveles with the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal in recognition of her performance at the Intrepid Spirit Center.

Reveles’ husband, Chief Petty Officer Richard Reveles, rendered the first salute and then gifted her a Navy Cutlass as a commissioning present.

“The Navy Cutlass signifies leadership, and I wanted her to have this sword in recognition of the leadership she displays each and every day,” said Chief Reveles during the presentation.

One unique aspect of this commissioning ceremony was when Reveles moved to the podium and sang the National Anthem. Although she is a well-known vocalist in the area and performs routinely at command functions and other military events in the San Diego area, her vocal performance at the event provided a personal touch that added significantly to the overall milestone event in her life and career.

“I am so happy my parents are here today, and I work hard every day to make them proud of me,” Reveles added.

“My advice to everyone here is to remain humble, find a mentor, set goals, and then work as hard as possible to attain them,” she concluded.

Story originally posted on DVIDS: Camp Pendleton Corpsman commissioned into Navy Nurse Corps