PENSACOLA, Fla. - Damage Controlman 2nd Class Crystal Avila, a Waukegan, IL native, accepted the 2025 Junior Enlisted Military Instructor of the Year award on Feb. 19 for her work as a U.S. Navy instructor assigned to Recruit Training Command, the Navy’s only boot camp, in Great Lakes, IL.
Avila was selected by Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) as a top instructor among nearly 7,500 other accomplished individuals serving across the domain, from Navy Boot Camp through the Navy’s advanced training centers and schoolhouses. Avila received the award at the instructor of the year ceremony Feb. 19, where Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander of NETC, spoke on her achievements as a military instructor.
“Our Junior Enlisted Instructor of the Year, DC2 Crystal Avila, sets a gold standard at Recruit Training Command with the skill and professionalism of a seasoned leading petty officer,” said Huffman. “She believes that ‘the only way to do great work is to love what you do,’ and she brings that passion to her work every day, excelling as an instructor while raising her family and pursuing higher education.”
Avila expressed she is very proud of the job she has in training the future of the fleet. She spoke with conviction saying “My proudest accomplishment would be being named Instructor of the year. Being at Recruit Training Command and trying to teach Navy knowledge to recruits made me realize that the way the information is delivered to them is what matters.”
NETC, headquartered at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, is the largest shore command in the U.S. Navy. NETC leads the Navy’s “Street to Fleet” process – recruiting America’s sons and daughters and transforming them through world-class training into highly skilled, battle-ready warfighters. More than 87 percent of new Sailors flow through NETC’s schoolhouses and learning centers once they graduate boot camp – and on any given day, NETC is training 33,000 Sailors at its 251 training sites.