Naval Education and Training Command’s (NETC) Military Instructors of the Year (MIOY) were presented awards at the National Naval Aviation Museum aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola on Feb. 10, 2023.
 
As part of a two-day event, culminating in an awards ceremony, awardees met with Rear Adm. Pete Garvin, commander, NETC, and Force Master Chief Matt Harris, toured the museum and explored the greater Pensacola area. 
 
Instructors serving throughout the MyNavy HR Force Development domain competed against nearly 11,000 instructors for this prestigious distinction. The five awardees demonstrated superior sustained performance in their instructor roles, excelling as leaders and mentors at their respective commands while actively engaging with their commands and local communities.
 
During the ceremony, Garvin presented Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals to the all of the NETC 2022 MIOY awardees.
 
“Instructor duty is an outstanding opportunity for our Sailors and Marines to pass on their knowledge and share their expertise with those, who like themselves, have made a choice to proudly serve their country,” said Garvin.
 


The winners in each category include:
 
JUNIOR ENLISTED - Electronics Technician Second Class Petty Officer Sean Paulson, Surface Combat Systems Training Command, San Diego, California
 
Poulson, a subject matter expert in radio sets and antenna couplers, dedicated 120 off-duty hours to students that needed extra study hours. He ensured that each student received high quality and personalized training. His efforts as an instructor helped to produce highly skilled Sailors.
 
MIDGRADE ENLISTED - Quartermaster First Class Petty Officer Heather Vautard, Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois
 
As battle stations leading petty officer, Vautard managed the Navy’s $62.5 million “war-at-sea” simulator and conducted over 150 hours in the evaluation of 34,000 recruits in firefighting, basic seamanship and shipboard fundamentals. She helped to deliver combat ready warfighters to the fleet.
 
SENIOR ENLISTED – Chief Electronics Technician Troy Sumaya, Surface Combat Systems Training Command, Detachment Southwest
 
Sumaya developed a limited training event to expand the technical knowledge for bridge and combat watch standers on the waterfront. He provided actionable insights about the training that was in place and implemented a solution to optimize current operations.
 
OFFICER - Chief Warrant Officer 5 Paul Adams, Officer Training Command, Newport, Rhode Island
 
Adams provided annual instruction to over 1,100 students as deputy director for the Limited Duty Officer/Warrant Officer/Chief Warrant Officer Academy. He encouraged his students to connect with the community and organized a lecture series with the Naval War College and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post. His efforts reinforce involvement in the community and stress the importance of becoming a lifelong learner.
 
NROTC INSTRUCTOR - Capt. Joseph Butterfield, Jacksonville University Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, Jacksonville, Florida
 
Butterfield utilized innovative educational methods and fostered an environment that encouraged midshipmen to actively participate in class. He was the sole instructor to be named for his outstanding teaching and leadership abilities in the unit’s command climate survey. These creative teaching techniques ensure that the students stay engaged and retain the information in order to better prepare them for the fleet.
 
Garvin congratulated all of the finalists and their loved ones for their role in shaping the future of the Navy and Marine Corps. “Each of you plays a critical role in training our next generation of Naval personnel to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said Garvin. “You help instill purpose with your students and forge them into combat-ready Sailors and Marines.”
 
NETC recruits, trains and delivers those who serve our nation, taking them from “street to fleet,” by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational, and combat-ready warfighters.
 
For more information about NETC, visit the command’s website at https://www.netc.navy.mil/ and follow the command’s social media: Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NETCHQ, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/netc_hq, and LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/netchq/.