by Rick
Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach Public Affairs
PENSACOLA, Fla. – A Glen Rose High School graduate and Glen Rose, Texas, native was selected as the 2017 senior enlisted Military Instructor of the Year (IOY)
for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) at a ceremony onboard Naval Air
Station Pensacola at the National Naval Aviation Museum Dec. 14.
Chief Petty Officer Aviation Electronics Mate Aaron Sly
is a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) and a RDC “C” school instructor at
Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, Illinois.
Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, NETC commander, congratulated
all the finalists in each category for their roles in shaping the Navy's future
force and for their contributions to the training and education mission.
"You represent the best of the very best
throughout the domain," said Cozad. "Each one of you here today has a
common theme: a hard work ethic, a drive to be a better leader, and teamwork.
Each and every one of you is a competitor, and that competitive edge is the
thing that makes our Navy better than the other navies today."
Sly is qualified as a Master Training Specialist
(MTS), which is a designation for
demonstrating highly effective teaching skills and a comprehensive
understanding of schoolhouse management, as well as for taking a leadership
role in mentoring, instructing and evaluating instructors and curriculum.
In his third year of instructing at RTC, Sly stressed
the importance of inspiring Sailors and building their confidence.
“Every day is an opportunity to teach someone and to
learn from someone,” said Sly. “Hands down, human interaction is the best part
of this job.”
Out of approximately 8,000 instructors within NETC, Sly
was one of two finalists who competed for the NETC senior enlisted IOY. He
received a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his achievements.
The IOY recognition ceremony concluded a week of
activities in Pensacola honoring the nominated candidates.
“Seeing the professionalism and dedication of
all these outstanding Instructor of the Year finalists only validates the
phrase ‘Fleet Readiness Starts Here,’” said NETC Force Master Chief Karim Cole
during the ceremony. “I am confident
that we have the right people in place to train, guide and get our Sailors
ready to man the fleet.”
Sly plans to continue serving in the Navy.
“I hope to be a Command Master Chief prior to my
departure from active duty and a grade-school teacher afterward,” said Sly.
The NETC IOY program recognizes Sailors throughout
the NETC domain who exhibit sustained superior performance, leadership,
mentorship, knowledge and teaching of military history and heritage,
self-improvement, command and community involvement, and exemplary military
bearing.
NETC is the largest shore command in the Navy and is
comprised of more than 12,000 military and staff personnel at more than 230
subordinate activities and detachments in the United States and at remote sites
overseas. NETC provides training and education to more than 31,000 students on any
given day.
- - Naval Education and Training Command Public
Affairs
For additional information on the Naval Education and
Training Command, visit the NETC website: https://www.netc.navy.mil or
http://www.navy.mil/local/cnet/. Follow
us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/netcpao and Twitter @netcpao.
-USN-