MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Tanner, a native of Macon, Georgia, was recently named Senior Sailor of the Quarter for the fourth quarter of 2025 for Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Camp Pendleton, California.
Senior Sailor of the Quarter is an award given to an enlisted sailor in the Navy who is in the pay grade of E-6, or petty officer first class. The award recognizes sailors who demonstrate sustained superior performance, leadership and professionalism.
Tanner is a 2010 graduate of Central High School. He is also a graduate of the American Military University, with an associate degree in general studies.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are like those found in Macon.
“My hometown instilled in me the importance of respect and understanding consequences,” Tanner said. “It showed me the value of hard work, provided me with perspective and taught me how to be resilient.”
Tanner has served in the Navy for 14 years.
“I joined the Navy because I didn’t have a plan after graduating high school,” Tanner said. “It wasn’t intentional. I went to the recruiting office with my brother, then all of a sudden I was signing papers.”
Today, Taner serves as a hospital corpsman at NMRTC Camp Pendleton, which carries out its mission to maximize warfighter performance and enhance the readiness of the medical force.
NMRTC Camp Pendleton is comprised predominantly of military members who support Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton. The command supports overall Navy and Marine Corps readiness by training military command members to ensure they are ready to deploy and provide medical support to various operational Navy and Marine units deployed, ashore or at sea.
Navy Medicine – represented by more than 44,000 highly-trained military and civilian health care professionals – provides enduring expeditionary medical support to the warfighter on, below, and above the sea, and ashore.
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
With 90% of global commerce traveling by sea and access to the internet relying on the security of undersea fiber optic cables, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity of the United States is directly linked to recruiting and retaining talented people from across the rich fabric of America.
Tanner is grateful for the opportunity to be able to lead.
“I am proudest of having achieved a rank and position that allows me the opportunity to lead and mentor junior sailors,” Tanner said. “Mentorship has been a big part of my success and being able to pay it forward is my biggest accomplishment.”
Tanner serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“The Navy means a lot to me,” Tanner said. “It’s given me a life that I couldn’t even imagine having and honestly, never knew that I wanted. The connections I’ve made and the knowledge I’ve gained through my experience in the Navy are priceless.”
“I am proudest of having achieved a rank and position that allows me the opportunity to lead and mentor junior sailors,” Tanner said. “Mentorship has been a big part of my success and being able to pay it forward is my biggest accomplishment.”
Tanner serves a Navy that operates far forward, around the world and around the clock, promoting the nation’s prosperity and security.
“The Navy means a lot to me,” Tanner said. “It’s given me a life that I couldn’t even imagine having and honestly, never knew that I wanted. The connections I’ve made and the knowledge I’ve gained through my experience in the Navy are priceless.”