Promotion by paddleboard Published Sept. 9, 2014 By Kathleen Canfield 779th Medical Support Squadron JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- On Memorial Day, passersby on the Potomac River got an unusual view -- 1st Lt. Rebecca Rasweiler-Richter, 779th Medical Group Chief of Occupational and Environmental Protection, was promoted to captain, while on a paddleboard. A passion for paddleboarding inspired the unique promotion ceremony held at the lagoon in front of the Pentagon, on Columbia Island Marina in Washington, D.C. Her flight commander and supervisor, Maj. Elisa Hammer, 779th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Bioenvironmental Engineering Flight commander, officiated the ceremony. Hammer, an avid paddle boarder, introduced Rasweiler-Richter to the sport. Rasweiler-Richter was instantly hooked and purchased her own board. As her skill with the sport increased, she envisioned a promotion ceremony on the water and thought it would be the perfect way to mark her advancement to captain. It was important for her to include the person who had introduced her to the sport, Hammer. Rasweiler-Richter and Hammer positioned their paddleboards facing each other. They secured their boards with their left hands, keeping their right hands free for the Oath of Office. Rasweiler-Richter's parents and fiancé proudly witnessed the ceremony from kayaks and then pinned on her new rank. "No one got wet, but because of the winds we started floating away from the flagpoles. Fortunately, Capt. Rasweiler-Richter taped a flag to her paddle and held it to her side during the Oath. It went very smoothly," said Hammer. Hammer selected the location for the ceremony with placed the Pentagon, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop. Capt. Christian Apsey, a Bioenvironmental Engineer at the 113th Wing of the Air National Guard, witnessed the event from the flagpoles on Boundary Channel Drive, and took pictures. "We had a few curious bystanders on boats and a lot of 'thank-you!' from patriotic onlookers," Hammer said. The promotion ceremony by paddleboard was certainly a memorable event for the Rasweiler-Richter family and a unique adventure on the Potomac River.