CNATRA Names Sailor of the Year

Photo By Anne Owens | CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Official photo of Yeoman 1st Class (EXW) Cedric Foster. (U.S. Navy photo by Anne Owens/Released)  

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, UNITED STATES

04.07.2021

Story by Anne Owens 

Chief of Naval Air Training

Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) named Yeoman 1st Class (EXW) Cedric Foster the command Sailor of the Year (SOY) for 2020.

SOY selection is a prestigious honor and recognizes Sailors who embody sustained superior performance, command impact, proven leadership and the Navy’s core values.

CNATRA selected Foster as the top performer among 12 first class petty officers across the Naval Air Training Command, which spans five training air wings and 17 squadrons in Florida, Mississippi, and Texas.

Foster is a native of Oklahoma City and graduated from Westmoore High School in 2001. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2007 and deployed in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Foster earned his associate’s degree in 2017 and is on track to graduate with honors from American Military University.

“I take a lot of pride in what I do, in serving my country and helping others out along the way,” Foster said. “Being selected as CNATRA Sailor of the Year means a lot to me, but this is a group accomplishment. Great leaders and mentors have molded me into who I am and this honor is the culmination of that work.”

Foster managed administrative duties at Training Air Wing (TRAWING) 4 for 483 active duty Sailors and 78 Navy Reserve officers. He handled more than 15,000 Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) transactions, processed more than 3,500 days of Reserve orders, and managed almost $4 million in transactions for the Defense Travel System.

“TRAWING 4 gave me the opportunity to be productive and effective in my position,” Foster said. “I’ve been exposed to the operational, aviation side of the Navy. Working with pilots has been a highlight of my time here and seeing young students accomplish their goals has been rewarding.”

Foster attributes his success to his mentors, leadership and interactions with his fellow Sailors.

“Having a strong backing and the right people in your corner makes all the difference,” Foster said. “This command has supported me in anything I’ve wanted to accomplish. TRAWING 4 and its leadership will always stay with me. They’ve taken the SOY process seriously and taken care of me.

“I have mentors I lean on and if I have issues, I pick up the phone and call those master chiefs and senior chiefs. You always need that support to be successful; no one can make it by themselves. It’s a team concept.”

Senior Chief Naval Aircrewman Tactical Helicopter Matt Jirrels serves as CNATRA’s senior enlisted advisor for Navy aircrew and commended Foster for his achievement.

“YN1 Foster represents TRAWING 4 and CNATRA extremely well,” Jirrels said. “His personal dedication, commitment and passion brought him this recognition. I’m extremely thankful for the efforts of our leadership to recognizing hard-charging junior Sailors such as YN1 Foster.”

Foster understands he serves as an example to younger Sailors and wants to pass along the support he has been given through his career.

“I have to help bring people up with me,” Foster said. “I want to keep growing so my focus can turn to being a mentor to others and help bring them up. This recognition means I’m doing my job the right way, the command is succeeding and I’m contributing to that impact. I hope I’m setting the bar for future Sailors to know they can do this, too.”

Foster detached from TRAWING 4 and reported to Navy Expeditionary Combat Command in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in March.

CNATRA trains the world's finest combat-quality aviation professionals, delivering them at the right time, in the right numbers, and at the right cost to a naval force that is where it matters, when it matters.

• Date Taken: 04.07.2021
• Date Posted: 04.08.2021 12:19
• Story ID: 393341
• Location: CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, US
• Hometown: OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, US