Photo By Corwin Colbert | Civilian Engineer of the Year – Wayne Hanaoka Hanaoka serves as Design Manager...... read more read more
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM — Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific honors Wayne Hanaoka and Capt. Nicholas Leinweber as the top 2026 Engineers of the Year.
Civilian Engineer of the Year – Wayne Hanaoka
Hanaoka serves as Design Manager and Engineer-In-Responsible Charge for three of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command’s largest military construction efforts, overseeing architect-engineer teams that delivered design and construction contracts totaling approximately $1.5 billion over the past year. Following Super Typhoon Mawar, Hanaoka led a major power resiliency initiative in Guam focused on strengthening electrical infrastructure to improve continuity during extreme weather events. His expertise in regional utility systems and coordination with local agencies played a key role in advancing long-term grid resilience. Hanaoka also guided the development of modernized communications infrastructure designed to support secure, resilient command-and-control capabilities in support of joint forces. His work addressed evolving mission requirements while overcoming significant logistical and environmental challenges.
“Wayne has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams through some of the most complex infrastructure challenges in the Pacific,” said NAVFAC Pacific Chief Engineer Marc Wong. “His leadership directly strengthens the reliability, resilience, and long-term readiness of our most critical defense systems. Wayne’s ability to translate strategic requirements into executable engineering solutions is unmatched and his work ensures our facilities are prepared to support the mission today and well into the future.”
Military Engineer of the Year – Capt. Nicholas Leinweber
As Expeditionary Director at NAVFAC Pacific, Leinweber led high-priority infrastructure execution supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, overseeing project delivery valued at approximately $940 million under the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. Leinweber introduced a highly integrated execution model that unified planners, designers, constructors, contracting professionals, and interagency partners, resulting in a significant increase in delivery speed and effectiveness across multiple regions. He also played a central role in strengthening wartime readiness by integrating NAVFAC Pacific engineering capabilities into operational exercises and expanding collaboration with industry partners—positioning the command as a model for others across the enterprise.
“Nick fundamentally changed how we execute engineering in support of the warfighter in contingency,” said NAVFAC Pacific Deputy Commander for Operations Capt. Stephen Padhi. “Through innovation, disciplined coordination, and decisive leadership, he expanded our readiness and response posture well beyond previous norms. Nick’s leadership directly enhanced joint readiness and allied integration throughout the Indo-Pacific, and his work will have long-lasting impact on how the Navy brings engineer forces to bear in a joint operational theater.”
The pair was selected from among the top engineering talent within the NAVFAC Pacific area of operations based on a rigorous evaluation of their professional achievements and technical expertise.
NAVFAC continues to support the NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year Award program, which highlights the contributions of federal engineers on a global scale.
| Date Taken: | 01.30.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.30.2026 14:47 |
| Story ID: | 557210 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 33 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NAVFAC Pacific Honors Top Civilian and Military Engineers of the Year, by Corwin Colbert, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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