PENSACOLA, Fla. – A 2006 Rosalia High School graduate and Rosalia, Washington, native was announced as the 2018 Military Instructor of the Year, midgrade enlisted 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.
Air Traffic Controller 1st Class Cody J. Dale serves as an instructor for the Air Traffic Controller Course A1 “A” School for new accession Sailors and the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center Operations course at Naval Air Technical Training Center, Pensacola, Florida. His efforts led to 556 new students completing initial training, 42 CATCC students achieving their Navy Enlisted Classification qualification, and 27 air operations officer graduates. As the CATCC laboratory supervisor, he led 15 CATCC instructors delivering 7,340 hours of instruction to 42 students and 13 fleet CATCC teams, while ensuring full availability of simulator equipment valued at $18 million. Representing the top achievers from a pool of more than 8,000 military members, Dale received a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his accomplishments.
“As a naval instructor and master training specialist, I find that the most rewarding part of my job is providing qualified and competent sailors to the fleet, and watching them achieve their goals,” said Dale. “The Navy continues to challenge me every day and I am proud to serve in the greatest Navy the world has ever known.”
Dale is part of the team that takes sailors 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.”
Dale 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."
Dale is working towards a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Maryland University College.
Dale is the son of Mike and Theresa Dale from St. John, Washington.
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.