The awards recognize the most outstanding Command Language Program, military and civilian language professional and non-career linguists contributing to mission success through the use of foreign language. This year, the NAVADMIN also announced the renaming of the individual award category for Language Professional of the Year in honor of Senior Cryptologic Technician Interpretive Shannon M. Kent, killed in action on 16 January 2019 in Manbij, Syria. Awarded the 2010 Navy Language Professional of the Year as a Petty Officer First Class, Senior Chief Kent was recognized as an outstanding language analyst whose unparalleled language proficiency, cultural knowledge, technical acumen and leadership proved paramount to the success of critical warfare missions in support of overseas contingency operations. Later that year, she competed for and won the DoD Language Professional of the Year award.
The top Navy Command Language Program and the winner of the Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence will go on to compete at the DoD level. The DoD program is managed by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) and recognizes the most outstanding military language professionals (E-6 and below) and Command Language Programs across the military services.
The nine award categories include: Command Language Program of the Year, the Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence (CTI rating only, E-6 and below), the Senior Language Professional of the Year (CTI rating only, E-7 to E-9), Officer Language Professional of the Year (Foreign Area Officers only), Civilian Language Professional of the Year, Linguist of the Year (open to all communities except CTI, E-6 and below), Senior Linguist of the Year (open to all communities except CTI, E-7 and above), Officer Linguist of the Year (non-FAO Officers and CWOs) and Civilian Linguist of the Year.
All candidates must be nominated by their commanding officer (CO) or officer-in-charge (OIC) and must receive an endorsement from the nominating command’s immediate superior in command. Type commanders (and equivalent commands) can only endorse and forward one nomination for each category.
Nomination criteria and package requirements can be found in OPNAVINST 5400.46A and this year’s essay topics for LPOY and LOY nominees will be announced in December at: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Language-Culture/Announcements/
Please submit nominations via encrypted email to ALTN_N13F1@navy.mil. Mailed nomination packages are discouraged. The deadline for submitting nominations is 31 March 2022.
Award selections will be communicated to appropriate COs or OICs no later than 1 June 2022 and awardees will be announced fleet-wide via NAVADMIN.
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