DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. (Nov. 14, 2017) – A Portsmouth, Virginia, native who serves as the leading petty officer of the reserve services department at Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Atlanta, has been named for the second time as the reserve center’s full-time support Sailor of the Year.
Personnel Specialist 1st Class Petty Officer Ebony Peele was recognized for her superior performance throughout 2017, just as she was in 2016.
Peele described the award as a confidence-booster – but she gets the most satisfaction from developing others, she said.
“I think that great mentors have prepared me for the success that I have had, and it is key for me to pass those lessons on to my fellow Sailors, so that they can achieve the most out of their Navy careers,” Peele said. “When a task needs to be done, I don’t think about my job as a personnel specialist, I think about being a Sailor first and how can I best lead.”
“She’s a critical element to NOSC Atlanta,” said Chief Personnel Specialist Jon Paul Burkhalter, the leading chief petty officer of the reserve services department.
"She’s a hard worker and takes great care of our junior Sailors," he added.
Peele, who also is the educational services officer for NOSC Atlanta, is responsible for the oversight of advancement eligibility for more than 1,000 enlisted Sailors in 2016. She said her favorite part of serving in the Navy is having the opportunity to encourage her fellow Sailors’ success and lead them by example.
“I also enjoy being involved in Navy-centric events, such as the Atlanta Navy Birthday Ball, for which I have planned NOSC Atlanta’s participation for the past four years,” she said.
Peele, who said she had not considered the military a career when she was younger, joined the Navy in 2000.
By dedicating herself to service not only at work but at home, she hopes to set an example for her 18-year-old son, Kieonte, a freshman engineering student at Morgan State University in Baltimore, and her 12-year-old daughter, Kieara, a competition cheerleader.
“Momma’s doing something that’s for their betterment and the betterment of their country,” Peele said.
The example has had an effect: Kieonte said he wants to become a naval officer.
Although Peele’s time at NOSC Atlanta is nearing a close, her passion for service remains evident.
“I want to go wherever the Navy leads me,” she said.
-- Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Adam C. Stapleton