JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas –
A Navy Cardiovascular Technician Program instructor at the Medical Education and Training Campus at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston was selected as the Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command Sailor of the Year Dec. 6.
Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Guillen, Navy Medicine Training Support Center, or NMTSC, hospital corpsman, was selected from among four Sailors assigned to NMETLC subordinate commands.
Rear Adm. Tina Davidson, NMETLC commander, announced this year’s winner during a Dec. 6 ceremony held at Hero’s Hall at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, where she praised all nominees for their hard work.
"This award represents all of your hard work and the work of leadership and your junior Sailors," Davidson said. "Although there is only one winner here, every one of you possess the strong leadership and dedication that represents the Navy, their Sailors and families."
Guillen recognized that his selection as NMETLC’s SOY was a reflection of all of the Sailors that have helped him get to this point.
“I feel honor to be selected as Sailor of the Year for NMETLC,” Guillen said. “The awards represents the hard work of my mentors, my junior Sailors and my family that have always help me. I am also excited to move on and represent NMETLC at the next level and I will represent all of the Sailors to the best of my ability.”
Guillen competed against Petty Officer 1st Class Kristy Medina, Navy Medicine Operational Training Center, Pensacola, Florida; Petty Officer 1st Class Dallas Skinner, Navy Medicine Professional Development Center, Bethesda, Maryland; and Petty Officer 1st Class Joshua Scherrer, Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland.
Guillen will move on to compete for the title of Navy Medicine Sailor of the Year, competing with Sailors from Navy Medicine East, Navy Medicine West and the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Headquarters.
As part of the NMETLC SOY selection process, the four nominees appeared individually before a selection board of command master chiefs. The board process included responding to questions about topics ranging from nNval history and heritage to current events. The nominees took advantage of their time in San Antonio, touring the historic Alamo and the Navy Hospital Corpsman “A” school facilities located at METC.
When former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet established the Sailor of the Year program, it only recognized Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Sailors; however, in 1973, the program was expanded to recognize one outstanding Sailor to represent the many superior petty officers serving in shore establishments Navy-wide.