NAVIFOR Announces IW Domain Sailor of the Year
29 May 2024
SUFFOLK, Va. -- Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) Commander Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach announced the Shore and Sea Sailors of the Year for the Navy Information Warfare (IW) domain and the overall type command (TYCOM) Sailor of the Year (SOY) during a ceremony held at the Naval Information Forces May 17. The award recognizes the outstanding performance, leadership, and dedication of Sailors from global commands across Navy IW.
Leading up to the awards ceremony May 17, the NAVIFOR Sailors of the Year gathered in Suffolk for three days of learning, networking, and professional development, as well as exploring Navy heritage sites in the Hampton Roads area. The week culminated with the selection of the top Sailor from both Sea and Shore commands and the overall TYCOM Sailor of the Year for the Information Warfare domain.
IW Sailors of the Year (Sea) include:
CTM1(IW/SW/AW) Ryan Davidson from Fleet Electronics Support San Diego
AG1(IW/AW/SW) Brandon Banks from Strike Group Oceanography Team Norfolk
CTT1(IW/AW/SW) James Palmer from Naval Information Warfare Training Group, San Diego
STS1(SS) Marco Estrada from Farragut Technical Analysis Center
IW Sailors of the Year (Shore) include:
CTI1(IW) Amanda Luna from Navy Information Operations Command Texas
AG1(IW/AW) Janalle Brown from Fleet Weather Center ASW Det Jacksonville
CE1(IW/SCW/EXW) Elliot McFeely from Naval Information Forces
CTR1(IW/SW/AW) Kayla Jorge from Naval Information Warfare Training Group, San Diego
CTT1(SW) Nichole Garofalo from Kennedy Maritime Analysis Center
“Congrats to all the nominees -- and it doesn’t matter who wins Sea or Shore [Sailor of the Year]; you all are amazing and all of you are heading towards greatness,” said NAVIFOR Force Master Chief Laura Nunley at the award ceremony May 17. “I have been blessed to be able to spend the week with these exceptional Sailors. The Navy is in good hands and all these Sailors blew me away with their expertise and accomplishments.”
NAVIFOR Commander Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach also highlighted the importance of recognizing the Sailors of the Year and their importance to information warfare.
“I take great, great pride in what you represent, because the commands you come from, and most of you, are in the fight 24/7, whether that's afloat or ashore – or you are responsible for ensuring that the folks who are in the fight are ready to go,” said Aeschbach.
“I tell audiences all the time, information warfare is foundational to every warfighting mission, and we're our own warfighting capability. And the role that each of you play in that, and the chance this week to recognize those accomplishments, I think is significant.”
Cryptologic Technician Maintenance First Class (IW/SW/AW) Ryan Davidson, Fleet Electronics Support San Diego, was named the Sea SOY. Cryptologic Technicians Collection First Class (IW/SW/AW) Kayla Jorge, Naval Information Warfare Training Group San Diego was named the Shore Sailor of the Year.
The finalists for the 2023 NAVIFOR Sailor of the Year were all exceptional, noted Nunley, but there can only be one TYCOM winner. The announcement was met with a standing ovation as CTR1 Jorge was named the FY23 NAVIFOR TYCOM Sailor of the Year.
“I want to give a special thanks to my family, including my husband Henry, my daughters, and my parents, and to my chain of command and my Sailors. I also want to thank all my mentors – there are too many to name,” said Jorge.
Jorge also had some words of advice to share with Sailors aspiring to be recognized as their command’s SOY.
“Keep challenging yourself to do more, stay in your publications and technical knowledge, and stay hungry,” said Jorge.
The Navy’s Sailor of the Year program is a time-honored tradition introduced in 1972 by then-Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet. This annual competition is held to recognize superior performance of individual Sailors who exceed in personifying the ideals of the Navy Core Values.
NAVIFOR’s mission is to generate, directly and through our leadership of the IW Enterprise, agile and technically superior manned, trained, equipped, and certified combat-ready IW forces to ensure our Navy will decisively DETER, COMPETE, and WIN.
For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/NavalInformationForces/ or the public web page at
https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil.
-USN-