Leadership
Commanding Officer
TaRail A. Vernon Captain, Nurse Corps, U.S. Navy
CAPT TaRail A. Vernon, a native of Asheville, NC, enlisted in the United States Navy in 1992 and was promptly selected for the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (BOOST) at Naval Training Command in San Diego, CA. After completion, he graduated from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, GA with a bachelor’s degree and was commissioned in the United States Navy.
CAPT Vernon began his naval career attending Supply Corps School (1998) in Athens, GA and then shifted his interest to the medical field to care for those in need. He attended the accelerated nursing program at Norfolk State University (NSU) in Norfolk, VA on nights and weekends and received a Bachelor of Science in nursing in 2003. CAPT Vernon continued his studies and was selected for Duty Under Instruction (DUINS) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he graduated in 2010 with a Master of Science in adult critical care. In 2015, he earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Duke University.
CAPT Vernon is a self-directed and unparalleled leader and clinician demonstrating sustained superior performance. Operationally, he served as the Disbursing Officer/Sales Officer, USS Kauffman (FFG 59), 1998-2001; Critical Care Nurse, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), 2013-2015; and Director of Nursing Services at NATO Role 3 MMU in Afghanistan in 2019 to lead 21 nurses in trauma care.
His shore duty assignments include Material Processing Center Officer, Defense Distribution Depot Norfolk Virginia (DDNV), 2001-2004; Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff nurse and Assistant Department Head, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (NMCP), 2004-2008; Clinical Nurse Specialist and Department Head of 5 Center, a multi-disease unit at one of the nation’s largest and most renowned military medical center, National Naval Medical Center, currently known as Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda (WRNMMC), 2010-2013; Assistant Nurse Manager of the Critical Care Unit, Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in 2015-2017, where he was assigned to various leadership capacities and became a trained Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Coordinator responsible for policy, procedures, training new PICC nurses, and the maintenance and management of all PICC lines seven days a week; serving in dual capacities as the Department Head of the Multi-Service Ward supervising the delivery of care on a 29-bed unit and the Associate Director for Nursing Services (ADNS) covering five in-patient units, Business Manager, Department Head for Internal Medicine Department and six Specialty Clinics managing access to care, U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa (USNHO), 2017-2020; and Associate Director of Primary Care and Branch Clinics (ADPC), hand selected as the interim Director of Public Health Services (DPHS) and Director Warfighter Optimization (DWO), Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, 2020-2022. As DPHS, he successfully led the critical inspections from MEDIG, Joint Commission, and OSHA. Additionally, he was essential to the active-duty mandatory vaccination implementation within the Hampton Roads area. From 2022-2024, CAPT Vernon served as Executive Officer, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Charleston, South Carolina leading the completion of a 25-million-dollar facility project, implementation of MHS GENESIS, initiation of a partnership with the Veteran Affairs (VA) to offer clinical sustainment, and numerous varying command accomplishments. Currently, CAPT Vernon is serving as the Commanding Officer of U.S. Naval Hospital/NMRTC Sigonella to include the Flight Line Clinic located on NAS II, Branch Medical Clinic Bahrain, and Branch Clinic Souda Bay, Greece.
His decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Joint Commendation Service Award (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), National Defense (two awards), Surface Warfare Supply Corps Officer (SWSCO) pin, and various unit and service awards.
Interim Executive Officer
Christopher R. Weiss CDR, Nurse Corps, U.S. Navy
Commander Christopher Weiss is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in December of 2005. After graduation, he commissioned into the Navy Nurse Corps through the Nurse Candidacy Program and attended Officer Indoctrination School in Newport, Rhode Island.
He reported to National Naval Medical Center Bethesda for his first tour where he served as a staff nurse on the Medical/Surgical ward caring for Wounded Warriors before moving to the outpatient specialty clinics. His next set of orders led him to Naval Hospital Sigonella, Italy from 2009 to 2012. He served as the Clinic Manager for one of the first Patient Centered Medical Homes among European Military Treatment Facilities. While in Sigonella, he was selected for enrollment into Duty Under Instruction. He attended the University of Florida from 2012 to 2015 where he graduated with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, specializing as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
In July 2015, he reported to Naval Health Clinic Hawaii for his utilization tour. While in Hawaii, he was selected as Department Head for the Deployment Health Clinic and transitioned the clinic into a Medical Readiness Clinic as part of a successful BUMED program. In July of 2018, he checked into U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Rota, Spain. While there, he was selected as the Department Head for the Patient Centered Medical Home and served as the Command Fitness Leader. In June of 2021, he left Spain for U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guantanamo Bay. There he served as the Director of Medical Services and then as the Interim Chief Nursing Officer leading a diverse staff of nurses, corpsmen and civilians in the delivery of inpatient multi-service care and nursing care at the Department of Defense’s sole Home Health facility.
In August of 2024, he reported to U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Sigonella as the Chief Nursing Officer and the Director of Nursing Services. He is currently the Interim Executive Officer.
His personal awards include the Meritorious Service Medical, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals (three awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, and various unit, service, and campaign awards.
Jason L. Marnne'
HMCM (FMF), U.S. Navy
Master Chief Petty Officer, Jason Marnné, a native of Kingman, Arizona, reported toRecruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois, in October 2000.
He graduatedHospital Corpsman A School 2001 and began his career as a Hospital Corpsman.
He has served in several sea duty assignments, including 1st Marine Division, 3rdAmphibious Assault Battalion and 1st Battalion 4th Marines; 3rd Marine Division,Combat Assault Battalion, HQ Regiment, and 1st Battalion 12th Marines; and 1stMarine Logistics Group, Combat Logistics Regiment-17; and his current assignment asthe DFA SEL for 3d Dental Battalion/US Naval Dental Center Okinawa, Japan.
His previous shore tours include Naval Hospital Lemoore California, Naval MedicalCenter San Diego California, service as a Hospital Corpsman Enlisted Detailer at NavyPersonnel Command Millington Tennessee and assignment as a Hospital CorpsmanEnlisted Community Manager at BUPERS Three Millington Tennessee.
He completed three combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Master Chief Marnné is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Senior Enlisted Academy (Class212/Gold) and has been awarded the Navy Commendation Medal (three awards), NavyAchievement Medal (two awards), and various other personal and unit awards.