The Navy's Newest Lieutenant Commander!

Things in Rota have been rolling! With a few months left in-country before we PCS back to the states, I am going to brag on my husband for a quick minute.

As most of you know, B has been accepted into the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency (OMFS) at Naval Hospital Portsmouth in Virginia. He will begin this program on July 1, but I'm not the only person shouting his praises and congratulating him: the entire Rota dental clinic is celebrating with us! It did my heart good to see the whiteboard on his office door sharing the happy news with anyone who walks by!

I also have to note how good he looks in those dress blues! Whew!

January 2026

Then, on January 1, 2026, Bryan was promoted to the rank of O-4: Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy.

To recognize his accomplishment, on the afternoon of January 9, the Dental Corps held a beachfront ceremony honoring him and his officemate, Dean Lutrell, who had been promoted a few months back!

Commander (O-5) Brooke Ahlstrom, the Director of the Dental Department, spoke such kind words about both men. She spoke of Bryan's future in OMFS and how appreciative the entire clinic has been for him stepping up and covering some basic oral surgery procedures for the clinic since the OMFS position has been vacant for over 6 months. She also congratulated both of us on our news of growing our family, so even Nugget was recognized on Bryan's big day!

I was honored to change Bryan's uniform patch from the two silver bars to the single gold oak leaf that recognizes him as a new Lieutenant Commander!

You know I wasn't letting a single photo moment pass us by! Below are photos with Brooke and the framed recognition of his promotion, and a group photo of the entire dental clinic that attended the ceremony.

The final two photos above include our great friends Aidan Stubbs, the optometrist who has cruised with us twice across the Baltic and the Mediterranean, and Jamie Parker, our nurse-friend who is a fellow NCSU graduate and has also accompanied us on a few day trips around Spain!

The final photo includes Dean, his wife Beth, and their three kiddos, Micah, Abigail, and Caleb. Bryan and I are beyond blessed to have such good friends here in Rota, and I know we were beyond lucky to be stationed here with the Lutrell family. I love that Bryan shares an office with such a good guy- and Bryan loves it when their youngest, Caleb, visits him at work, screaming, "Doctor Bryan, I'm here!"

It's moments like these that make this Navy journey worth the sacrifices and trials we face. I am beyond proud of Bryan and, dang it, if he does't look good in a uniform!

Congrats Leutenant Commander Johnson! Nugget and I are beyond proud to call you ours!

xoxo-

-Katie