JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM (NNS) -- Rear Adm. John J. Adametz relieved Rear Adm. John W. Korka as commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific during a change of command ceremony held Sept. 13 at NAVFAC Pacific headquarters.

NAVFAC Commander and Chief of Civil Engineers Rear Adm. Bret Muilenburg delivered the keynote address, welcoming Adametz to his new command and praising Korka and his family for the leadership and sacrifices they have made to serve in the Pacific. He also noted the importance of the National Defense Strategy, the Chief of Naval Operations guidance and Commandant Marine Corps guidance remain our primary marching orders.

“NAVFAC Pacific provides such a heavy lift and amazing work to keep existing Navy and Marine Corps bases operating every day through never-ending maintenance and repairs and utilities services; work on facility-related control systems and providing cybersecurity to those systems are crucial in this new environment; planning real estate actions and construction of new locations is essential; performing environmental clean-ups and assessments of resource management to keep public confidence; providing theater engineering support and base operating support contracts at existing bases, along with disaster response in expeditionary places,” said Muilenburg. “It suffices to say that all these essential products and services are provided by the administrative and technical professionals at NAVFAC Pacific.”

Adametz was nominated in March for appointment to the rank of rear admiral, and assumes command of approximately 4,000 military and civilian men and women who work for NAVFAC Pacific and its three Facilities Engineering commands in Hawaii, Guam and Japan and will also serve as the U.S. Pacific Fleet civil engineer.

Adametz, a familiar face within the NAVFAC community, most recently served as commanding officer for Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center and as commanding officer for NAVFAC Southwest.

“I am truly honored to stand before you today,” said Adametz. “Our mission is clear, we are the Naval Shore and Expeditionary Systems Command that executes life cycle technical and acquisition solutions aligned to fleet and Marine Corps priorities in the Pacific Theater.”

A native of Bell Vernon, Pennsylvania, Adametz is a 1989 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, an Executive Master of Business Administration from Naval Postgraduate School, and completed the Executive Management Program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.

He is a qualified Seabee combat warfare officer, surface warfare officer and Fleet Marine Force officer and his operational tours of duty include assignments with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 7, NATO Kosovo Force J4 Engineers, along with the Naval Construction Group 2, the Atlantic Fleet Seabees.

His shore duty assignments include assistant resident officer in charge of Construction, Naval Air Station, Oceana; flag housing officer, Public Works Center, Norfolk; assistant Public Works officer, Naval Station Rota, Spain; executive officer, The Presidential Retreat, Camp David; facility support and joint basing program director, Commander, Navy Installation Command; and expeditionary readiness program director, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Adametz is a registered professional engineer in Virginia, a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps and he holds professional credentials as a project management professional, certified facility manager and certified energy manager, and is a member of the Society of American Military Engineers.

“The course ahead remains turbulent and filled with strong winds and heavy seas, however as we press ahead focusing on our lines of efforts, we are very fortunate to have a talented and gifted naval officer ready to assume the rank of NAVFAC Pacific,” said Korka. “Admiral Adametz is a good friend and I can tell you first hand that he is a strategic leader who fully understands the intricacies of our business. His experience in leading Seabees and having commanded two NAVFAC commands have prepared him perfectly. This command is in very strong and capable hands and I look forward to seeing him take this command to the next level.”

Korka served as NAVFAC Pacific commander from October 2015 to September 2018 and will relieve Muilenburg in a NAVFAC Headquarters change of command scheduled for Oct. 19 in Washington, D.C.

“John Korka, thank you for your exceptional leadership to this team,” said Muilenburg. “The long list of accomplishments of this command are a testimony to your leadership, thank you and well done.”