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Andrew C. Gerla

Commanding Officer - NTAG Rocky Mountain

10 May 2022

 Commander Gerla is a native of Washington State and joined the Navy’s Delayed Entry Program (DEP) in 1999. Following recruit training in Great Lakes, IL, and nuclear “A” school in Charleston, SC, he earned a NROTC scholarship to Washington State University. He graduated and received his commission in 2006. 

Commander Gerla’s Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) assignments include a tour aboard the USS Chafee (DDG 90), homeported in Pearl Harbor, HI, and as a Mission Commander for Maritime Expeditionary Security Squadron Four (MSRON 4), homeported in Portsmouth, VA. He has operationally deployed three times in the Western Pacific as well as conducted numerous waterborne security missions throughout North and Central America.

Commander Gerla’s shore tours include Executive Officer (XO) for Transient Personnel Unit (TPU) Puget Sound; Flag Aide to Rear Admiral Annie B. Andrews, Commander, Navy Recruiting Command (CNRC); Commanding Officer (CO) of the Honolulu Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) where he was responsible for all Department of Defense military accessions in the state of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau; Deputy Director of Manpower and Personnel (Deputy N1) for Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet (SUBPAC); Director of Naval Manpower and Personnel and the Naval Element Executive Officer (XO) at the 4-star Combatant Command, US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in Tampa, FL. Commander Gerla most recently served as the Senior Naval Advisor at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, where he was awarded the Philip D. Caine award as an instructor of the year for academic year 2022-2023.

Commander Gerla redesignated into the Human Resources community in 2013. He is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the City University of Seattle in Seattle, WA, and a Master’s Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College in Newport, RI. He has also earned the designation of Joint-Qualified Officer (JQO).

Commander Gerla has received numerous personal awards but is most proud of the unit and team awards he has had the privilege of contributing to.