PENSACOLA, Fla. – A 2005 Allentown High School graduate and Millstone, New Jersey, native was announced as the 2018 Military Instructor of the Year, 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.
U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Michael T. Asprocolas serves as an instructor, course supervisor, and intelligence division principal assistant at Information Warfare Training Command San Diego. He personally taught 474 hours of instruction for 10 Amphibious Readiness Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit Intelligence Operations Courses convenes to 83 students across four training sites. He took the lead in increasing the command’s outreach through mobile training teams to overseas and fleet concentration areas in Virginia Beach, Virginia; aboard afloat units; Camp Pendleton; and Japan. In February, he led the first-ever mobile training team to Camp Hansen, Okinawa, fulfilling a critical fleet requirement prior to the first ARG/MEU deployment with the F-35 joint strike fighter.Representing the top achievers from a pool of more than 8,000 military members, Asprocolas received a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his accomplishments.
“As the only Marine officer in a Navy training command, it has been an adjustment, but it has been a very rewarding tour,” said Asprocolas. “Many of my students have never been afloat with Marines onboard, so I set to land that ‘first impression’ for the Navy amphibious community. Being involved in the International Maritime Intelligence Course has also let me teach and interact with our international allies in an incredibly rewarding way.”
Asprocolas 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.”
Asprocolas 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."
Asprocolas has a bachelor’s degree from Monmouth University.
He is the son of George and Sue Asprocolas of Millstone, New Jersey.
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.