Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis Decker | 231006-N-KC192-2023 PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Oct. 6, 2023) Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Mary...... read more read more
Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Mary Sigler, a native of Delphos, Ohio, was named the 2023 Sailor of the Year for Naval Medical Forces Atlantic (NMFL) during a ceremony in Portsmouth, Virginia, on Oct. 3, 2023.
Sigler, the action officer for the Expeditionary Medical Facility and Marine Forces (MARFOR) platform and the Unit Deployment Cell (UDC) leading petty officer, joined NMFL two years ago in April of 2021 and is being recognized as the senior Sailor at the command. Sigler will go on to compete at a regional level against her peers next year.
“I’m just one person and there is very little that I accomplished alone,” said Sigler. “Being selected for this award is a validation of the collaborative efforts of all who have worked with me through stressful tasks, short suspense dates and seemingly impossible asks to meet and exceed the task at hand.”
Sigler, who graduated from St. John’s High School in 2010, joined the U.S. Navy 13 years ago through her eldest brother, Chief Engineman John Keith Bemis, who was in recruiting at the time. He also had a hand in their sister Christine’s enlistment as well.
“Keith had a lot of influence on my consideration of college, but my resolve to enlist solidified when I saw my parents’ hardship supporting college tuition for my second and third eldest siblings,” explained Sigler. "I wanted to be independent. I wanted to make my parents proud of who I became."
From the start of Sigler’s Navy career to her motivation to continue it, family has always been a part of the ‘why.’
“My husband is a full-time dad,” described Sigler. “He understands my positivity is frequently linked to my productivity and he provides an open ear when I need to vent frustrations. My children are wildcards for different stressors but truly funny and my reminder not to put too much stock in possessions; family matters more.”
Patience and understanding are but two of the multitude of skills Sigler has developed throughout her career in the Navy.
“I don’t think I would be as decisive and meticulous as I am if I didn’t join the Navy,” admitted Sigler. “People, politics and tact are two key skills I’ve gotten from my time in. All of these have helped me avoid a lopsided work-life balance as a hard lesson.”
Sigler finds fulfilment in getting to know the Sailors she manages as the UDC leading petty officer (LPO). As the UDC LPO, Sigler arranges support for missions across the world with appropriately trained medical personnel in response to planned and real-world events.
“Being able to put a face to the name of a Sailor I sent on deployment is awesome,” said Sigler. “It’s a fact that I normally would not get to meet as many people staying in a single department.”
As Sigler and other Sailors continue to train and support the medical force, they take pride in serving their country in the U.S. Navy.
“From my start in the Navy through the journey of the last 13 years, I feel that I have grown,” concluded Sigler. “Now I am a veteran enlisted member within my department and across the echelons that I can safely question higher leadership with valid concerns and sometimes be the one to present viable solutions.”
NMFL, headquartered in Portsmouth, Virginia, delivers operationally focused medical expertise and capabilities to meet Fleet, Marine and Joint Force requirements by providing equipment, sustainment and maintenance of medical forces during combat operations and public health crises. NMFL provides oversight for 21 NMRTCs, logistics, and public health and dental services throughout the U.S. East Coast, U.S. Gulf Coast, Cuba, Europe, and the Middle East.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
| Date Taken: | 10.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.27.2023 13:22 |
| Story ID: | 456682 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VA, US |
| Hometown: | DELPHOS, OH, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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