OICC Florence welcomes new commander during change of command ceremony

Capt. David Jayne received command of Officer in Charge of Construction Florence (OICC Florence) from Capt. James Brown in a change of command ceremony aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C on July 13. Rear Adm. Lore Aguayo, commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Atlantic, and U.S. Fleet Forces Civil Engineer, presided over the ceremony.

In her opening remarks, Aguayo lauded Brown for his work as a trailblazer within NAVFAC.

“He developed multiple first-of-a-kind post-award design and construction programs for risk management, commissioning, and acceptance,” said Aguayo. “These programs have proven successful in prioritizing and quantifying project risks to inform budgetary decisions, contract schedules, and overall programmatic health. The tools he developed [during his time as commanding officer] were highly sought after for replication across the entire NAVFAC enterprise.”

Brown was then presented with the Legion of Merit for leadership and professionalism while serving as the OICC Florence commanding officer. Under his charge, the 166 military, civilian, and contractor personnel executed a $3.1 billion dollar repair and reconstruction program for Marine Corps Installations East. Brown assumed command of OICC Florence as the first commander in July 2020 and has since delivered $600 million in upgrades and facilities to MCB Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River, and MCAS Cherry Point.

In his comments, Brown reflected on his time at OICC Florence and what the mission means for the future of NAVFAC.

“Early on, we recognized the opportunity the Hurricane Florence recovery program represented,” said Brown. “Rather than turn to the standard, traditional project delivery methods, we chose to be an innovation incubator for many new and more agile ways of delivering world-class design, construction, and project management services that can be exported to the hundreds of other field offices across NAVFAC.”

“As a command, we are rightfully focused on outcomes and delivery of our portfolio that will surely make our nation’s Marine Corps an even stronger and effective deterrent by assuring its infamous speed, ferocity, and lethality,” added Brown.

Jayne then addressed the audience, reiterating the significance of the mission and recognizing the people who push the mission forward on a daily basis.

“I’m deeply honored to lead such a fine command of dedicated professionals," said Jayne. “I look forward to all that we accomplish together.”

Jayne earned his Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Kansas State University in 1998 and went on to commission as an ensign in the Civil Engineer Corps through the Officer Candidate School in Pensacola that same year. He holds a Master of Science in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Colorado, an M.S. in Personal Financial Planning from the College for Financial Planning, and a Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University.

Brown will now serve as assistant chief of staff, facilities and environment (GF) for MCIEAST, moving from the provider side to the customer side.

OICC Florence was commissioned July 28, 2020 with the primary mission to provide world-class engineering, construction, and acquisition services supporting the Marine Corps’ recovery from Hurricane Florence, and the deployment of the Joint Strike Fighter, re-establishing the readiness of expeditionary forces for MCIEAST and II Marine Expeditionary Force. Restoration and recovery work is scheduled to be complete by spring 2026.