MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Navy Counselor Senior Chief Petty Officer William Currie IV, from of Osceola, Arkansas, was awarded the Navy Recruiting Command (NRC) Division Leading Chief Petty Officer/ Leading Petty Officer of the Year for 2017 during a ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C., May 17.
Selection for this award is a testament to Currie’s talent acquisition expertise and his positive impact in the local community.Attendees of the event included Adm. Bill Moran, vice chief of naval operations, Vice Adm. Robert Burke, chief of naval personnel, Rear Adm. John Nowell, director, military personnel plans and policy, Rear Adm. Peter Garvin, commander, NRC, Rear Adm. Andrew Mueller, deputy commander, NRC, and Command Master Chief of NRC, Donald Charbonneau.
"The Navy is growing in readiness, capability and capacity in order to be a more lethal, resilient and agile force to deter and defeat aggression by great power competitors and adversaries.... in other words, the Navy the nation needs," said Burke at the awards ceremony. "Some may think that our ships, aircraft and submarines are the Navy's most important assets, but really it's our Sailors."
Currie is currently assigned to Navy Recruiting District Phoenix. For him, the Navy has been a life-changing experience.
“I have grown up in the Navy,” said Currie. “The Navy has made me the person I am today. I don’t know where I would be without it.”
Currie was selected for this award from more than 6,100 Navy recruiters across the nation and around the world.
"We are here tonight to recognize the superb work of these outstanding Sailors," said Garvin. "They are the best recruiters in the United States Navy, and they represent the finest recruiting has to offer."
The ceremony was just one event during a three-day occasion held in our nation's capital city. The 18 awardees had the opportunity to visit the Pentagon and meet with senior Navy leadership including Robert Woods, assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs, and Patrick Barrett, deputy chief Navy Reserve.
For more news from Commander, Navy Recruiting Command, visit us on the web at www.navy.mil/local/cnrc/; on our YouTube Channel, U.S. Navy Recruiter; on Facebook, www.facebook.com/NavyRecruiting; and on Twitter, @usnavyrecruiter.