Pacific Fleet Sailor Of the Year

Aloha Shipmates,

We recently finished our PACFLT Sailor Of the Year (SOY) competition and just like previous years, this years 8 finalists were great examples of “Deck-Plate Leadership.”

Our candidates go through a rigorous selection process having to go through competition from the Department level, to the Command level, to the ISIC level and then the TYCOM level. Our eight finalists consisted of four that would compete for the Sea Duty selection and four who would compete for the Shore Duty selection. The SOY chosen for Sea duty is eligible to be meritoriously promoted to Chief Petty Officer during the CNO program in July and the Shore SOY chosen will compete at one more level, that being the VCNO Sailor of the Year competition later in May, held in Washington, D.C.

Our Sea SOY’s and the reporting command they represented:
Representing Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific, Shipmate - Air Traffic Controller First Class Alea Creighton;
Representing Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific, Shipmate - Aviation Structural Mechanic First Class Christopher Green.
Representing Commander, Marine Forces Pacific, Shipmate - Religious Programs Specialist First Class Patrick McCormick.
Representing Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, Shipmate - Special Warfare Operator First Class Marcos Ybarra.

Our Shore SOY’s:
Representing Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Shipmate - Operations Specialist First Class Terrish Bilbrey.
Representing Commander, Naval Air Forces Pacific, Shipmate - Aviation Electronics Technician First Class Ethan Clark.
Representing Commander, Marine Forces Pacific, Shipmate - Religious Program Specialist First Class Patricia Hernandez.
And representing Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific, Shipmate – Hospital Corpsman First Class James Nicholson.

Trying to select just one from each stellar group was much like trying to select which Sailor looks the best from a group consisting of members from the U.S. Navy’s Ceremonial Guard!

In the end the board (consisting of the Force Master Chiefs from AIRPAC, SURFPAC, SUBPAC, and CMC’s from 3rd Fleet and MARFORPAC selected Aviation Structural Mechanic First Class Christopher Green as the Sea SOY and Hospital Corpsman First Class James Nicholson as the Shore SOY.

These eight candidates are the representatives of 100,000 E6 and below Sailors throughout the Pacific Fleet and the way they carried and handled themselves were as true professional Sailors. Congratulations to all our Sailors who wear the uniform in this all-volunteer Navy! I couldn’t be prouder of each of you. –Fleet sends.