Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Tristan Labuguen | Rear Adm. Steve Barnett, commander, Navy Region Hawaii, presents Mass Communication...... read more read more
Although Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Krystal Diaz, 37, enlisted in the U.S. Navy only two years ago, she has made significant strides in her nascent naval career. She said having an optimistic outlook has helped her find success at work and overcome personal challenges.
“My commitment to having a positive mindset allowed me to grow and be more capable,” Diaz explained.
Diaz was selected as the 2024 Staff Blue Jacket of the Year by Commander, Navy Region Hawaii (CNRH) and on Dec. 13, 2024, she earned a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. In early April, she received a paygrade promotion.
“Seaman Diaz’s superior work and professionalism embodies the spirit of Navy Region Hawaii,” said Rear Adm. Stephen Barnett, commander of CNRH and Navy Closure Task Force - Red Hill (NCTF-RH). “I’m exceptionally proud to have her on our team, and she is richly deserving of having been selected as our Staff Blue Jacket of the Year for 2024.”
Each year, commands across the Navy nominate their highest-performing Sailors for Blue Jacket of the Year (BJOY).
A Miami native, Diaz serves as a mass communication specialist for NCTF-RH. Before joining the Navy, she was studying medicine in the Caribbean.
“My command’s mission is important and allows for me to do my best to communicate with the public in a way that most Sailors may not get the chance to do.” Diaz said. “I create products that help the public understand what my command is doing to ensure the safety of Hawaii’s water supply.”
Master Chief Machinist’s Mate (Non-Nuclear, Submarine Auxiliary) Donovan Hatch, an N3 operations department Master Chief who sat on Diaz’s BJOY board noted that Diaz’s record spoke to her roles, responsibilities, and professionalism which helped her stand out from other candidates.
“The tone and tenure of her answers were respectful and given without any signs of nervousness,” said Hatch. “She gave extremely well thought out answers to the questions asked.”
Most mass communications specialists are initially assigned to sea duty to document day-to-day ship operations as part of their first duty assignment, but Diaz proved to be an exception. Having earned the Bobby McRill Excellence Award after completion of the Mass Communication Foundations Course in 2023 for demonstrating leadership and displaying the highest technical ability in her class, Diaz was able to choose Navy Region Hawaii as her first duty station.
“I chose Hawaii as my first duty station so that my son would get to experience a whole new culture,” she said. “And I joined the Navy to do something different; to prove to myself that I can be self-sufficient and know that I am accomplished by my own merit.”
As the mother of a growing boy, Diaz learned to balance a naval career with the responsibilities of parenthood. But her caregiving role expanded when Diaz and her husband separated prior to her arrival in Hawaii. Soon after, Jayden, Diaz’s son, was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and faced daily challenges at the Childcare Development Center.
“There were a lot more students and less one-on-one care,” Diaz said. “The environment was overstimulating, and Jayden had a very hard time adjusting to the life changes that came with moving, especially with his mother working full-time and raising him as single parent.”
Diaz said she was at a point where she felt overwhelmed because she was exhausting her options for childcare.
“Eventually, we found the right combination and dosage of medication to help Jayden endure full days at school but navigating the special needs world is complicated and I can't be grateful enough to the benefits afforded to my family through the Navy that ensured my son get therapy and treatment,” said Diaz. “I’m also thankful for the patience and understanding of my command through it all.”
Despite her challenges as a full-time parent, Diaz found solace in her work with NCTF-RH.
“I always wanted to do my best at work because I wanted to make sure that they never doubted my ability to perform well despite whatever else was going on in my life,” said Diaz. “Work has become a bit of a mental playground and I found myself really enjoying the whole process after my leading petty officer taught me so much about camera work and video production.”
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Glenn Slaughter, Diaz’s leading petty officer, witnessed her growth firsthand during her time at CNRH.
“Diaz’s independence and dependability set her apart, as she consistently takes initiative without needing constant guidance,” Slaughter said. “She has proven herself as a valuable asset by consistently delivering high quality work while maintaining professionalism.”
Slaughter said that Diaz’s role requires her to quickly adapt to different environments and capture high quality photo and video under unpredictable conditions.
He recalls when NCTF-RH’s video team filmed a Let’s Talk Red Hill podcast with no prior setup time, and Diaz quickly set up the equipment to ensure film production was kept on schedule.
“I’m most proud of her ability to step into a new role with little prior experience and excel through determination and hard work,” said Slaughter. “She easily balances technical skills with storytelling while ensuring the mission’s success remains the top priority.”
Diaz has embraced her role and developed a greater appreciation for the creative responsibilities it requires.
“I’ve grown to really enjoy the creative process,” said Diaz. “Now I get excited about new projects because I see it as an opportunity for me to develop new skills, even if it comes with plenty of trial and error along the way.”
Diaz’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed by her command.
She was meritoriously promoted one paygrade to E-4 on April 7, 2025, through the Meritorious Advancement Program, a Navy program that allows commanding officers to advance their top-performing Sailors to the next higher paygrade outside of the regular advancement cycle.
“It was such an honor that I was selected for promotion,” said Diaz. “Chief Yeoman Silvia Newkirk had routed a package for me to be meritoriously promoted but I didn’t know when that would be determined because there was only one quota issued for all of Hawaii, Japan, Korea, and Guam.”
Newkirk served as Diaz’s mentor, guiding her through a difficult period.
“I am incredibly thankful for the mentorship I have received from Silvia Newkirk,” said Diaz. “She helped me with everything that I needed to complete as a new Sailor including childcare issues, and she even helped guide me into getting counseling services.”
Looking back on her journey from civilian to Sailor, Diaz emphasized the importance of optimism.
“For anyone who is trying to achieve their goals, I would say to always keep a spirit of gratitude because progress is not linear, and there will always be peaks and valleys,” said Diaz.
| Date Taken: | 04.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2025 13:56 |
| Story ID: | 496599 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 83 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Optimism Helps Sailor Excel at Work and in Life, by PO2 Tristan Labuguen, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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