Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Mark Mahmod | 231120-N-OC333-2014 NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY THURMONT (Nov. 11, 2023) Hospital Corpsman...... read more read more
NAVAL SUPPORT FACILITY THURMONT -- Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Austin Chaffee-Poor, from Honolulu, Hawaii, was announced as Naval Support Facility Thurmont’s Senior Sailor of the Year (SSOY) at the Presidential Retreat Camp David, Nov. 17.
Chaffee-Poor leads a team of Sailors in providing medical services to those who are stationed on board Camp David. His performance, technical expertise, professional development, and leadership led to his selection as SSOY from a pool of highly-competitive candidates.
“I love what I do,” said Chaffee-Poor. “My job has been good to me so far, and I’m thankful for the recognition I received for putting my all in to it.”
He said his drive to be a successful enlisted Sailor was something that was instilled in him early on, even before attending boot camp in 2015. He wanted to follow his family’s tradition of serving others. His mother is a civilian nurse and his grandfather was a mortarman in the U.S. Army.
“I’ve always wanted to serve in the military, and I was inspired by my family to pursue a job in the medical field,” said Chaffee-Poor. “Having a versatile medical job and being able to work with Marines was what led me to become a Navy corpsman.”
He said being a hospital corpsman has given him the opportunity to positively affect people’s lives and meet a lot of great people along the way, including at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton where he most recently served with the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. Working with Marines is something Chaffee-Poor also does at Camp David. He and his team provide medical care and readiness services to the Marines who guard the mountain retreat.
“The amount of trust and responsibility put on us to accomplish our mission here is greater than anywhere else I’ve seen,” said Chaffee-Poor. “This environment of empowerment allows all of us to exercise our leadership abilities at all levels.”
Technical expertise and professional development are important in the medical field, and Chaffee-Poor said one of the most important factors to success in his career is his initiative and willingness to learn at every opportunity, including from the Sailors he leads.
“Our team here recruits some of the most technically proficient and professional corpsmen in the Navy,” said Chaffee-Poor. “Being chosen as the SSOY is an honor, and I immediately felt the utmost appreciation for the team I serve with and my mentors from throughout my career. It was a win for all of us.”
| Date Taken: | 11.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 01.12.2024 16:05 |
| Story ID: | 461793 |
| Location: | CATOCTIN PARK, MARYLAND, US |
| Hometown: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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