Highly decorated West Coast Navy commanding officer is stripped of his role after just one year

A highly decorated Navy officer has been stripped of his command at a major California military medical facility just over a year after taking the job — with officials offering little explanation beyond a “loss of confidence” in his leadership.

Capt. Mathew Loe was relieved as commanding officer of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Lemoore on Aug. 7 by Rear Adm. Kevin Brown, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific, according to an announcement from the Navy.

The service explained the shakeup would not affect operations at the command, which oversees Naval Health Clinic Lemoore at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California’s Central Valley.

“The relief of the CO does not impact the command’s operational readiness,” the Navy said.

Capt. Robin Bennett, the command’s executive officer, has stepped in as interim commanding officer, while Loe has been temporarily reassigned to Naval Medical Forces Pacific in San Diego, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The Lemoore command serves more than 32,000 active-duty personnel, retirees, family members and civilian beneficiaries from shore-based and operational commands, according to Military Times.

In addition to providing everyday health care through Naval Health Clinic Lemoore, the command is responsible for preparing and training Navy medical personnel for operational deployments.

Loe arrived at the command in 2025 with a lengthy military and medical resume.

The Texas native earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1995 and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston in 2001, according to his Navy biography cited by Military Times.

He later earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Texas Tech University Health Science Center in 2012.

Loe worked as a civilian nurse before joining the Navy and deployed to Afghanistan in 2008, where he served as a training team leader overseeing forward operating base departments supporting more than 3,000 Afghan Army personnel and 400 NATO troops, according to the Military Times.

Before taking command at Lemoore, he served as officer-in-charge of the Branch Health Clinic at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina.

His decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Loe was also named the Association of the United States Navy’s Bea Ratner Nurse Corps Junior Officer of the Year in 2009.

The Navy has so far provided no further details about what led to the officer’s sudden removal.