NMRTC Pearl Harbor Sailor Named Naval Medical Forces Pacific 2021 Senior Sailor of the Year

Naval Medical Forces Pacific announced the 2022 NMFP Senior Sailor of the Year during a ceremony at Naval Base San Diego, April 13.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class David Lay, with Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Pearl Harbor, was chosen as this year’s winner from amongst 13 finalists who represented NMFP commands that are located from Maryland to Okinawa, Japan.

“The margin between the winner and the twelve other candidates was razor thin,” explained Commander of NMFP, Rear Adm. Tim Weber to the finalists. “Truly all of you are the best of the best, not for just what you do, but how you do it.”

There are 548 first class petty officer billets across the 13 different NMFP commands competing for the coveted honor, but the spirit of comradery was palatable as Command Master Chiefs from each command looked on from the audience, waiting to learn whose Sailor would be named.

NMFP Command Master Chief Sean Howe announced the winner, “It is so tough to make this decision, but there can be only one. This year’s winner, NMFP’s 2021 Sailor of the Year, who will represent the entire region and go on to compete for all of Navy Medicine is Hospital Corpsman 1st Class David Lay.”

Lay, of Chico, Calif., will head to U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Headquarters at Falls Church, Va. where he will compete against other 2021 SOY winners from Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, Naval Medical Forces Support Command and Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Headquarters to compete for BUMED’s meritorious CPO advancement quota.

“It’s my team of Sailors that got me here, I believe in them and I still believe we have the best team in the fleet” relayed Lay. He continued by highlighting that, “Navy Medicine across the board has been doing amazing work, and getting to spend time with the other [SOY nominated] Sailors who were up here on the stage, I am humbly honored to be selected.” When asked what he would do now, “I’m going to call my daughters because they have been blowing my phone up wanting to know! I’m a single dad, and while I’m married to the Navy, my two beautiful girls are the pinnacle of my life.”

According to Lay’s nomination package, as the leading petty officer for NMRTC Pearl Harbor and Naval Health Clinic Hawaii, he led nine other first class petty officers and 173 clinical staff in serving more than 49,000 healthcare beneficiaries. His leadership bolstered a combined mission readiness to 95 percent for 60 commands, ensuring the readiness and war-fighting capabilities across the U.S. Indo Pacific area of operations.

Naval Medical Forces Pacific provides oversight for 10 NMRTCs on the West Coast and Pacific Rim that train, man, and equip medical forces, primarily in military treatment facilities. Globally, NMFP oversees eight research laboratories that deliver research expertise in support of warfighter health and readiness.