Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms welcomes new chief nursing officer back to where her nursing career began

Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms welcomed Cmdr. Cheryl Q. Castro as its new chief nursing officer in August 2026, marking her return to the command nearly 20 years after she first served there as a newly commissioned ensign. Castro discussed her Navy journey, leadership philosophy, commitment to developing nurses and hospital corpsmen, and the role high-quality patient care plays in supporting military readiness.