2018 Junior Bluejacket winner supports VX-31, Health Clinic at NAWCWD

Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division
Story by Stacie Lawrence

Date: 03.17.2018
Posted: 04.18.2018 12:28
News ID: 273528
HNSN Jace Borowiak

Hospital Corpsman Seaman Jace Borowiak was named the Indian Wells Valley Navy League’s Junior Bluejacket of the Year during the 46th annual Bluejacket Awards on March 23 in Ridgecrest, California.

Borowiak is stationed at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division supporting Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 31 as a member of the Search and Rescue Team as well as the China Lake Branch Health Clinic. Cmdr. Elizabeth Summerville, commanding officer of VX-31, noted that Borowiak “hit the ground running,” “has maturity, professionalism and the knowledgebase” and “is an expert in his field.”

“For me, it’s the little things that matter,” Borowiak said. “It’s easy to do the big things, but the things that people don’t see behind doors is the stuff that I make sure I try to do to perfection. I just felt lucky to be at the ceremony and have an opportunity to even be recognized as a finalist. The Bluejacket Awards are a great, great program. It was awesome to get more insight on what they do, meet other winners and hear their backgrounds.”

Borowiak is a native of Albion, Illinois where he grew up the second oldest of 10 kids and began helping out in his family’s grocery store at a young age. Coming from a military family, he joined the Navy in 2015 completing aerospace medical technician training as well as training through the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School in Kittery, Maine. He went on to become one of just two graduates to complete the Navy’s first Flight Medic Course at the Navy Medicine Operational Training Center in Pensacola, Florida.

“It was very academically challenging and physically demanding,” he said. “It was really awesome being part of the first flight medic class for the Navy. That was a big deal.”

After completing helicopter training in Norfolk, Virginia, Borowiak received ordered orders to China Lake in April 2017, where he has worked at the Branch Health Clinic providing patient care, learning how to gather patient information for a doctor as well as expanding his overall knowledge of the human body. At VX-31, Borowiak spends most days studying along with performing intensive training with his teammates for potential day or night search and rescue missions. That training paid off as Borowiak experienced his first live rescue in March.

“It was a great feeling and a great experience,” he said. “Being in my field, you get to help a lot of people and connect with a lot of people, too. I was stoked to have the opportunity to do my job and have the support of my family and my team.”

Borowiak, who recently achieved full qualification as a SAR medical technician, has another two years at China Lake. His future plans include studying emergency medicine or a similar field and, ultimately, becoming a lead SMT for either the east or west coast.

“My parents taught my siblings and I about responsibility and being accountable for our actions, so I think that played a huge role in being a candidate for this award,” he said. “I think my parents deserve a lot of recognition. They taught me a lot and a lot of it goes back to them.”