PENSACOLA, Fla. – A 2009 Mother of Mercy High School graduate and Cincinnati native was announced as the 2018 Military Instructor of the Year finalist, officer category, for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) in Pensacola at a ceremony onboard Naval Air Station Pensacola at the National Naval Aviation Museum Dec. 5.
Lt. Melissa A. Chilman serves as a Basic Division Officer Course instructor, Surface Warfare Officers School Learning Site San Diego. As a Conning Officer Virtual Environment simulator instructor, she taught 535 students in a wide range of topics including navigation, seamanship, shiphandling and division officer fundamentals and leadership. Chilman rapidly qualified as a COVE instructor on fixed pitch and variable pitch platforms and personally provided over 750 hours of COVE shiphandling training to new surface warfare officers. “Being an instructor to newly commissioned officers has been an extremely rewarding experience,” said Chilman. “Every day I learn from my peers, civilian and enlisted instructors, and the students themselves. The surface Navy is gaining some of the brightest officers, and I am so lucky to have been a part of the process.”
As Navigation Seamanship and Shiphandling module lead, she led a team of seven instructors to provide students the tools necessary to become highly effective leaders and confident watchstanders. She also serves as the assistant officer in charge of the learning site’s quartermaster schoolhouse which awards the Navy Enlisted Classification by providing robust navigation training to Sailors in the quartermaster rating.
“My biggest hope as an instructor is that students walk away from the classroom with a thirst for continued professional development and curiosity,” said Chilman. “My charge as an instructor is to instill the fleet standard of knowledge in the students and an understanding that as professional mariners, they should always be looking for an opportunity to expand their knowledge. I strive to instill a sense of excitement and fervor for the SWO community and Navy at large.”
Representing the top achievers from a pool of more than 8,000 military members, Chilman received a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for her accomplishments.
Chilman is part of the team that takes sailors and Marines from “street to fleet” by transforming civilians into highly skilled, operational, and combat-ready warfighters, as well as providing the tools and opportunities for continuous learning and development.
NETC Commander Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad congratulated the finalists for their roles in developing the Navy’s future force and for their contributions to the training and education mission.
“Each of you here today represent the best of the very best in our Navy, making the force development mission a success," said Cozad. “We serve in a great Navy - and that greatness is centered on the initiative, leadership and competitive nature of our people. These sailors and officers illustrate everything that is right about our Navy and continue to represent our greatest advantage over any competitor and our most important means to achieving our desired ends. Everything that each of you does on a daily basis sets the highest bar when it comes to building a talented fleet for the Navy the nation needs, and it manifests through your recruiting and training accomplishments.”
Chilman is also qualified as a Master Training Specialist, 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.
“I am so impressed by the caliber of all of our finalists," said NETC Force Master Chief Karim Cole. "We brought them together at NETC to recognize their tremendous talent and to show them how much we appreciate what they do to train, guide and get our Sailors ready to man the fleet. They all represent a great deal of hard work and sweat that goes into creating a combat credible and lethal Navy and Marine Corps Team."
Chilman has a bachelor’s degree in computer information technology from Purdue University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration with a focus in Finance at San Diego State University.
Chilman is the daughter of Nancy and Brian Hutchinson of Cincinnati.
The NETC IOY program recognize sailors throughout the NETC domain who exhibit attributes, such as sustained superior performance, leadership, mentorship, knowledge and teaching of military history and heritage, self-improvement, command and community involvement, and exemplary military bearing.
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.