Recruit Training Command announces Junior

Sailor of the Year

ByPettyOfficer1stClass

StephaneBelcher

U.S. Navy Recruit Training Command Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class JacobA.DeLaPena,fromTampa,Florida,is arecruitdivisioncommanderandtheJunior

SailoroftheYear(JSOY)atU.S.NavyRecruit Training Command (RTC), the Navy’s only boot camp RTC’sCommandingOfficer,Capt Kertrek Brooks named De La Pena as the JSOY. He competed against three other nominees for the JSOY award. Master Chief Fire Controlman Mark Gilling, his leading chief petty officer nominated him for the award.

“He called me one day and said, ‘Hey I think you would be a good candidate for Junior Sailor of the Year,’ and I was like, say less,” De La Pena said. “Sounds good to me!

Let’s do it.”

De La Pena has several key collateral duties and qualifications at RTC. He is on the master training specialist (MTS) team, the advanced warrior toughness team, the ships training team, and teaches warrior toughness and MTS “I’m always pushing to do more, and just striving to do whatever I can to stay ahead,” he said. “I think that’s a big part of it, and I always stay motivated.

He also spends his off-time volunteering at the USO, Illinois Great Lakes Center, and with a local high school Junior ROTC “Itmakesmefeelprettygood,”saidDeLa Pena about working with the students “It’s cooltoseethemstrivingtopossiblyjointhe Navy or just the military one day. You feel like it’s a way to give back.”

De La Pena thanked his mentors and teammates for helping him achieve the JSOYaward,andhiswifeforhersupport.He spoke about continuing to grow as a Sailor.

“There’salwaysroomformore,”headded

“There are some things I can get better at, that’s for sure. Those are the main things that I think about, the things that I need to get better at.” De La Pena joined the Navy in 2015 He served with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7, in Norfolk, and Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, in San Diego before reporting to RTC. He earned the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist qualifications Bootcampisapproximately10weeksand all enlistees into the U.S. Navy begin their careers at the command. Training includes physical fitness seamanship firearms firefighting and shipboard damage control alongwithlessonsinNavyheritageandcore values,teamworkanddiscipline Morethan 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy’s only boot camp