Navy Medicine Announces 2019 Active Duty and Reserve Sailors of the Year

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class John Kotara | The U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) announced Navy Medicine's fiscal year 2019 active and reserve duty Sailors of the Year (SOY) during a ceremony held here Jan. 10.  

FALLS CHURCH, VA, UNITED STATES

01.13.2020

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class John Kotara 

U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) announced Navy Medicine's fiscal year 2019 active and reserve duty Sailors of the Year (SOY) during a ceremony held here Jan. 10.

BUMED's board of senior enlisted leaders selected Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Robert Park, U.S Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, as Navy Medicine's active duty 2019 SOY, and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jeff Bruderer, Operational Health Support Unit Bremerton, reserve SOY.

“You are all incredible and remarkable,” said Rear Adm. Terry Moulton, deputy surgeon general for Navy medicine. “We have an extremely talented family, and today we are here to recognize you all for your contributions to Navy Medicine.”

Force Master Chief Hosea Smith, director of the Hospital Corps, expressed his appreciation for the Sailors and nominees across the Navy Medicine enterprise.

“It has been a very long and tough week and we are here to recognize the 2019 Navy Medicine of the Year,” said Smith. “Regardless of what happens, remember, you are all winners. Every one of you is the embodiment of what it means to be a leader amongst our Navy Medicine corpsman.”

The remaining active duty nominees included Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Miguel Alarcon, Naval Hospital Naples, Italy; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Raymond Pomida, Naval Medical Center San Diego, California and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Wendy Cajas, Navy Medical Education and Training Command, San Antonio.

The reserve nominees included Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Marcus Johnson, Operational Health Support Unit Jacksonville, Florida and Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Brian Mojica, Expeditionary Medical Force Bethesda, Maryland.

Each nominee will be awarded a Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal signed by Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy, for their participation.

Park will now move on to represent Navy Medicine in the Navy-wide 2019 Shore Sailor of the Year competition and the Bruderer will represent Navy Medicine in the Commander, Navy Reserve Force Sailor of the Year competition later this year.

“I never imagined being where I am at in this moment of my life,” Park said. “I would not be here without my leadership and shipmates. I couldn’t have done this without them. It is an honor and privilege to be where I am today.”

The Navy's Hospital Corps consists of more than 30,000 active duty and reserve hospital corpsmen that deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, in both wartime and peacetime. The rating is the largest, most professionally diverse and highly decorated enlisted corps in the Navy.

Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provide health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families and veterans, in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.

• Date Taken: 01.13.2020
• Date Posted: 01.13.2020 15:50
• Story ID: 359018
• Location: FALLS CHURCH, VA, US