SAN DIEGO — Petty Officer First Class Martin J. Stacy of Tyler, Texas, was selected as the 2009 Sailor of the Year for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Feb. 15.
"I feel extremely privileged to represent SPAWAR as Sailor of the Year," Stacy said after his selection. "I am proud to be part of an organization that is at the 'Tip of the Spear' when it comes to Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation of systems that have already and will continue to enhance our military capabilities and aid in the safety of our troops."
The competition for Sailor of the Year is always tough, but a panel of distinguished and experienced Master Chief Petty Officers came together to make the selection. Deciding the Sailor who will represent SPAWAR at the next level of competition is all the more difficult since there are such a great number of talented, dedicated Sailors in the Fleet, but the command could send just one.
"One of our greatest duties as Master Chiefs is to assist in the professional development of Sailors," said SPAWAR Claimancy Command Master Chief Mark W. Flemon. The role of being a board member selecting the SPAWAR Sailor of the Year is one that he and the five other SPAWAR Master Chiefs took seriously.
"We selected Petty Officer Stacy because he represents the essence of what is expected of a First Class Petty Officer - first line leadership, rating expertise, professionalism, communication, loyalty, and heritage," Flemon added.
As a First Class Diver and Diving Supervisor, Stacy leads a team of eight military and 30 civilian divers in support of a host of SPAWAR projects. Among his accomplishments was leading a team in the recovery of an $80 million Large Diameter Sea Horse Unmanned Underwater Vehicle that was thought to have been lost to the sea.
Rear Admiral Michael C. Bachmann, SPAWAR Commander, said, "Petty Officer Stacy is an outstanding Sailor. I am always confident in our Navy and knowing that Sailors like Petty Officer Stacy and the other nominees are here to lead us into the future is testament to the character of our military."
Stacy is a leader both on and off duty. His subordinates and superiors count on him to take the initiative to get the job done. When he saw a need to capture the history of Navy diving, Stacy worked to develop the heritage library for the local dive locker. And, like so many Sailors, he works during non-duty hours to help the community with causes like assisting homeless veterans and coaching a YMCA soccer team.
Stacy will represent SPAWAR at the Vice Chief of Naval Operations Shore Sailor of the Year competition in April 2010.
Date Taken: | 02.15.2010 |
Date Posted: | 02.21.2010 16:55 |
Story ID: | 45650 |
Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
Web Views: | 165 |
Downloads: | 115 |
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