MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Master Chief Petty Officer Kevin Burg, II Marine Expeditionary Force command master chief, and Master Chief Petty Officer Reginald Dean, II Marine Logistics Group command master chief, recognized three station sailors for their hard work and dedication to the Naval service and the Marine Corps during a ceremony at the Building 1 auditorium here May 20.
Petty Officer 1st Class Lawrence Comdeco, Marine Aircraft Group 12 aeromedical safety corpsman, was recognized as the Marine Forces Pacific Sea Sailor of the Year.
Petty Officer 1st Class Kemp Dreher, station fuels staff noncommissioned officer-incharge, was recognized as the MARFORPAC Shore Sailor of the Year.
Petty Officer 1st Class Sean Vannoy, a Strike Fighter Squadron 94 aviation electrician, was recognized as the Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Sailor of the Year. “What all these gentlemen represent is the best among thousands and thousands of sailors out there that could be considered for those awards,” said Burg. “That they are able to win that honor is significant. (They) are a direct reflection of the Navy Marine Corps team, and the great sailors and Marines that are out there that make our operational forces as strong as they are.”
During the ceremony, the sailors received a plaque to commemorate their achievement and a certificate of commendation from Lt. Gen. Keith J. Stalder, MARFORPAC commander.
Comdeco and Dreher were both competing for separate awards.
Sea Sailor of the Year is an honor given to sailors with sea duty while Shore Sailor of the Year is an honor given to sailors with shore duty.
Each sailor had to compete at various boards in which they were rigorously tested and screened on their military knowledge, bearing and potential as leaders.
The final board for MARFORPAC Sea and Shore Sailor of the Year was held in Hawaii, where they competed against sailors stationed all over the Pacific theater.
“I have never heard of, and a lot of the master chiefs have never heard of, people from the same base getting the award,” said Comdeco. “When we both ended up making it to Hawaii, which is the highest level that we could reach, they were looking at it like ‘wow both of you guys are from Iwakuni; that’s amazing’, because that’s out of 106,000 sailors. We were the top finalists out of 106,000 sailors.”
Comdeco said he considered it a great honor to receive the award and he hopes his success will provide a path his junior enlisted personnel can follow and motivate them into giving their best.
Vannoy is here on station through the Unit Deployment Program with VFA-94, and although he did not reach the level Comdeco and Dreher reached, his success is not without significance.
In receiving Strike Fighter Wing Pacific Sailor of the Year, Vannoy was only one step behind Comdeco and Dreher.
“(Receiving this recognition) was awesome,” said Vannoy. “I can’t even explain it. It just took a lot of work and a lot of overtime.”
Vannoy said all the good experiences and challenges he’s had during his Navy career got him to this present point.