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PHOTO: Auburn native Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Lewis retires from the Navy June 30 in San Antonio. (Edward Jones, Navy Talent Acquisition Group San Antonio photo).
By Edward Jones
Commander, Navy Recruiting Command
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Lt. Cmdr. Tracy Lewis, a native of Auburn, Maine, retired from the U.S. Navy June 30 during a ceremony held in her honor at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Air Force Base.
Lewis’ most recent role was medical officer recruiter officer for Navy Talent Acquisition Group San Antonio.
One common theme throughout the ceremony was Lewis’ love for her family and military family alike. Guests included her parents, Richard and Patricia Lewis, husband, Jules Cumberbatch, daughters, Leila and Zoe, and NTAG members.
Navy Counselor Chief Petty Officer Ryan Evans was master of ceremonies, and NTAG Commanding Officer Cmdr. Stephanie Simoni was presiding officer.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve alongside so many incredibly talented people throughout my career and would not be here today without the hard work and dedication of countless others working together to get the job done,” Lewis said at the ceremony. “I have always been surrounded by great people, who challenged me to learn and grow to be the very best version of myself. I want to thank those who have mentored me over the years and provided numerous opportunities for growth and development and shaped me into the leader I am today. My experience in the Navy has given me all that I could have ever imagined and more, a career of service, education, travel, and adventure.”
Before her most recent command, Lewis’ career included being deployed on the USNS Comfort to the Baltic region and Persian Gulf; the USS Carl Vinson (twice); the U.S. Naval Hospital in Naples, Italy; the USS Essex in San Diego; and Navy Medical Research Center – Asia, in Singapore.
Lewis graduated from Edward Little High School, in Auburn, and joined the Navy in 2000. She attended Hospital Corpsman “A” School after basic training and completed studies at the Surgical Technologist “C” School in Portsmouth, Virginia, in 2001, then reported to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where she was a surgical technologist, and later medevac coordinator in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. She attended Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, Rhode Island, in 2007. She earned a bachelor of science in Healthcare Management from Southern Illinois University, and an MHA and MBA from Baylor University in San Antonio, and completed a graduate residency at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. She also earned Surface Warfare Medical Department Officer warfare qualification.
Lewis’ personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy Achievement Medal (four awards), Navy Good Conduct Medal (two awards), and many other unit and campaign awards.
Lewis thanked her parents, and told them, “You have always been so supportive of my career choice to serve our nation, and I would have never made it this far without your guidance and encouragement. You both continued the legacy of service in our family, following in the footsteps of your fathers, and it only made sense for me to join the Navy and follow in your footsteps as well.”
She also thanked her husband for the sacrifices he made for her career. “You willingly gave up the life you created in sunny San Diego to follow me and my job halfway around the world and start a new life together in Singapore. You have been my travel companion and best friend.”
She also addressed her daughters, “These first few years of your lives have been quite a whirlwind. You both have been so resilient through all the changes, leaving your first home and moving to another country, starting a new school, and leveraging technology to spend time with family and friends from afar. I am looking forward to being more present with these two most of all.”
In closing, Lewis said, “As leaders, how do we change the world, you ask? With the acronym PIE. The letter ‘P’ is for people. Always take care of your people. If their needs are met, and they feel valued, they will move mountains to ensure mission success. They are your most valuable resource. Period.
“The letter ‘I’ is for inspiration. What is your why? For me, it’s always been a desire to be an agent of change, it started out with a desire to help people, to leave things a little better than I found them, and now that has become more refined into wanting to create a better world for my children to grow up in and to raise them to be global citizens. Being inspired does not necessarily remove any of the barriers or challenges you will face, but it gives you direction.
“Lastly, the letter ‘E’ is for excellence, just like in the last line of the Sailors Creed, ‘I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.’ Be excellent in all you do. I cannot tell you how many times I was given the advice to bloom where I was planted. Regardless of the task or role you are assigned, strive to be the best you can be. So how do we change the world? The answer is with PIE. If we all focus on making incremental positive change, within our own sphere of influence, we can change the world for the better.”
