A sit-down with Rear Adm. Brown

A: I feel good about it. That's not to say that there haven't been bumps along the road, but overall we have moved the region up the road both strategically and tactically.

I am going to miss the wonderful folks who have made coming in to work every day a true pleasure.

Q:Looking back at your time here, what do you think were your top accomplishment(s) and your biggest disappointment(s)?

A: To name a few of the accomplishments that stand out in my mind, I feel this region had a well-established strategic focus when I arrived. I am proud to have been part of the team that took that strategic planning and execution to even higher levels of strategic effort that involved metrics and accountability.

Another focus this region has is the employees - when we can assist them with the furtherance of their career, we will. I am proud of our success in maintaining a focus on the ''Train the Trainer'' in the Covey's Seven Habits course. This region-wide training created a common, positive language and mindset throughout commands that continues to foster open and creative communications.

We brought several installations into our region ''family'' that previously belonged to other claimants. We did so in an open, welcoming manner so it's hard to tell today who is ''new'' and who is legacy. That's critical to ensuring mission effectiveness across all of our programs - every installation needs to know their program issues will be addressed in the same mission-focused manner.

On the other hand, we lost members of the region family when we closed Vieques and Naval Station Puerto Rico. However, we did so quickly, peacefully and without negative impact on the mission. That took a lot of detailed planning and careful, coordinated execution. Our folks did an outstanding job as they set the benchmark for how installations will be turned over in BRAC.

I am also very proud of everyone involved in hurricane preparation and recovery operations? From the installation commanding officers who led the preparation for, evacuation of and recovery from two record setting hurricane seasons to the members of the headquarters staff who stood the 24/7 watch and coordinated the many efforts to assist in recovery - they all worked long, hard hours for months and we're still at it in some places

My biggest disappointments revolve around failures in leadership - mine and that of others that I had the potential to influence.

Q: What would you do differently if given a second chance?

A: I would definitely get out more frequently and wander around my own headquarters to visit staff and go into the region, down in the trenches to see, better understand and therefore better represent and prioritize the issues our installations struggle with in their daily support of the warfighter.

Q: You often talk and are known throughout the region as a champion of the prevention of domestic violence. Why domestic violence?

A: My previous job involved being assigned in a collateral duty to the Defense Task Force on Domestic Violence (DTFDV) for approximately three years. I learned, as did the other members of the task force that there are a few key reasons as to why domestic violence continues in the Department of Defense.

First, the act of domestic violence had not, previous to the DTFDV been declared as inappropriate behavior. Second, leaders up and down the chain of command lack formal training on domestic violence and third, abusers are not consistently held accountable.

I realize that as a regional commander with Fleet Family Support Centers and Family Advocacy Programs under my auspices, I had a great opportunity to work on all three of these gaps in an effort to move closer to the ultimate elimination of this scourge on society and in a front to our Navy's core values.

So, when the occasion is appropriate, I speak out against this inappropriate behavior - there is no excuse for domestic violence. We have sponsored annual training sessions for COs, XOs and CMCs and we recently partnered with the local community on a domestic violence pilot project called the Coordinated Community Response.

Q: How did you come to be the regional commander?

A: I was just plain lucky. Although, I must say, by happenstance, I have had tours of duty, which were perfect, ''pre-requisite'' tours for being a regional commander - commanding officer of an installation, OPNAV (N-46) Shore Installation Management and Navy Personnel Command (PERS-6) Quality of Life.

Q: What advice do you have for junior officers charting a career roadmap?

A: Based on the lessons I have learned growing in the Navy:

Ensigns and junior lieutenants are lieutenants in training. Take advantage of that position. Observe leadership styles that work and don't work, style one that fits the best of your personality and refine it because once you are a lieutenant, you will be expected to use it.

''Ask the chief'' - they have a strong role to play in your training - give them an opportunity to teach you what they know - listen to them. You may not always agree with them but listen and if you disagree, engage and discuss it with them. They may have an angle you have no way of knowing.

Beware of the fact that you will be the same age with similar education as the Sailors and chiefs for whom you are responsible as a division officer or department head. The difference is reponsbility and accountability. It will be tempting to pal around with them - you can be friendly but you can't be their friend and still be the boss.

Go to sea/overseas while you are young and before you have a family. One has a lot more career choices as a junior officer. The career pyramid narrows the more senior you get. Joint and Washington DC tours are a great opportunity to see the ''big picture' deliberately work them into your rotation ashore no earlier than 04 timeframe just after you complete your master's degree.

Q: Has Jacksonville been a good community to work and forge friendships in?

A: Yes, of course. You've heard many say it - Jacksonville continues to be the number one choice for duty for Sailors. It is a place where the local citizenry does not take the presence of the military for granted - quite the opposite - folks routinely make the point of coming up to our folks in uniform and thanking them for serving. So on behalf of all the military in Jacksonville, I say 'Thank you, Jacksonville!'

Q: What are your plans after retirement? I heard you and your husband, Pete, just bought a new sailboat. Any big adventures on the front burner?

A: In the immediate future, Pete and I will live aboard and go sailing on our sailboat ''Two Loose.'' She is a 38-foot Hans Christian sailboat designed for open ocean cruising. Pete will be the captain and of course, I will be the admiral. Initially we will head for Venezuela - we hope to avoid the hurricanes and then decide if we want to go through the Panama Canal to points further west - like Australia.

We may be gone for a year, we may be gone for much longer than that - we will just have to wait and see. I like to say we will be ''Footloose on TwoLoose.''

Whatever we do and wherever we go, Pete and I will remember our time in Jacksonville as the best Navy town in which we served and Navy Region South-east as the best tour that I've had, because of the people we've met here.