Photo By Ensign Sydney Budd | Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Shane Moniz is evaluated during a live fire...... read more read more
MILTON, Fla. – Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) Rear Adm. Gary Mayes, and Naval Air Station Whiting Field recently congratulated the winners of the 2020 Fire and Emergency Services award competition.
Navy Region Southeast Military Fire Officer of the Year is Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (ABH) 1st Class Joshua Clark and Navy Region Southeast Military Firefighter of the Year is ABH 2nd Class Shane Moniz, both stationed at NAS Whiting Field.
“This year’s recipients exceeded the requirements and have set the bar for excellence and the highest standard of first-responder performance. These superstars epitomize our core values and demonstrate a sincere commitment in protecting those who defend America. Congratulations,” Mayes said in an email announcement.
Clark, NRSE Military Fire Officer of the Year hails from Chester, Virginia and has been stationed at NAS Whiting Field since July 2018. He is the Fire and Emergency Services Departmental lead petty officer (LPO). He has also previously served aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73), NAS Oceana, and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). His responsibilities were extensive, to include Flight Deck Aircraft Director and an NEC D13A Shore Base Airport and Aircraft Firefighter.
As a fire officer, Clark is directly responsible for firefighter teams, stations, and equipment. It is his duty to ensure his peers and subordinates have the necessary training to complete their jobs. He also oversees counseling as a liaison for his chain of command. He analyzes any issues his Sailors may have and recommends necessary improvements.
Clark does not take his job position lightly, stating that the title of fire officer means, “Being a professional who has the uncompromising responsibility to train my reliefs and ensure they possess the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent loss of life and to save property.”
Clark’s experiences, leadership, and career efforts made him a prime candidate for this award. He states, “It was an honor just to be nominated and an even greater experience to have been selected. It is something that I will not forget, and I am quite proud of this achievement and the opportunity to represent NAS Whiting Field, Fire and Emergency Services.”
He has previously been recognized as NAS Whiting Field’s Senior Sailor of the Year for FY 20 and “AB” of the Year for the command.
Moniz earned NRSE Military Firefighter of the Year. He is from San Diego, California, and was the fire captain at Navy Outlying Landing Field (NOLF) Santa Rosa and Harold for almost 2 years. He now serves as fire captain at NOLF Choctaw, near Navarre, Fla.
As a fire captain, Moniz is tasked with administration, supervision, and management of the Fire and Emergency Services at NOLF Choctaw. Fire captains are responsible for fire suppression, hazardous material response, and emergency medical services.
Moniz stresses the importance of creating a firefighting community of cohesiveness, effectiveness, and efficiency. When asked to define a firefighter, Moniz responded, “A firefighter is a person who never quits, a person who never stops learning, a person who gives all, and a person I always want to be.”
Moniz attributes his success to a wide range of mentors and leaders, but specifically he said, “Justin Heinen especially took the time out on weekends to answer all my questions and give me in depth training on firefighting equipment… [Heinen] supported me and played a huge part in my success.”
Moniz recognizes that his leaders created an environment in which his abilities as firefighter thrived and drove him to be “committed to meet and exceed [his] chain of command’s expectations through hard work, attention to detail, and clear communications within the NASWF firefighting community.”
Clark and Moniz are both critical assets to the NAS Whiting Field team and the aviation training mission. The award and recognition highlight their hard work and dedication in their careers and to the Navy.
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2021 12:38 |
| Story ID: | 397050 |
| Location: | MILTON, FL, US |
| Hometown: | CHESTER, VA, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 133 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Commander Navy Region Southeast names 2020 Firefighter and Fire Officer of the Year, by ENS Sydney Budd, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT