NAMRU EURAFCENT Corpsman Named 2024 NMR&D Sailor of the Year

Story by Greta Ruffino

Naval Medical Research Command

SIGONELLA, Italy – Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Kirk Ashley Young from Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) EURAFCENT was announced as the Navy Medicine Research and Development (NMR&D) 2024 Sailor of the Year (SOY), in October.

Young, the command’s leading petty officer was selected amongst the eight NMR&D commands.

“This is a big accomplishment for the command,” said Young. “It is very rewarding and motivating that all our hard work is recognized by our leaders.”

“NAMRU EURAFCENT is one of the best commands I have ever worked at. Military and civilians, they are the most dedicated, hardworking, and most approachable people. I am very grateful for my command for giving me the opportunity to learn, to fail, and to be better,” he added.

Young, who is stationed at NAMRU EURAFCENT’s Sigonella, Italy-based headquarters is a biomedical equipment technician and a command equipment manager. He is responsible for managing medical equipment and ensuring operational readiness at NAMRU EURAFCENT and its remote lab sites, which support missions across 22 countries in Africa Command (AFRICOM), Central Command (CENTCOM), and European Command (EUCOM) areas of responsibility.

“This is a fantastic recognition of both his character and competence, as well as the achievements that he has been able to accomplish as part of this team,” said Capt. Virginia Blackman, commanding officer, NAMRU EURAFCENT.

“Thanks not only to HM1 [Young] for his consistent excellence in performance, but also to Chief [Gene] Nuevo for mentoring and guiding him, to Ms. Marian Mikhail for her partnership and collaboration on equipment maintenance and management, to Lt. Cmdr. [Robert] Hontz for facilitating his participation in the board from Ghana, and to all who have helped him achieve,” added Blackman.

As part of other recognitions, Young was also named Sailor of the Quarter (2nd Quarter) in 2021 while stationed at U.S. Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Guam, formerly known as the U.S. Naval Hospital Guam.

The “Sailor of the Year” is a time-honored tradition introduced by Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet in 1972. This annual competition is held to recognize the superior performance of individual Sailors, who excel in personifying the ideals of the Navy Core Values.

NAMRU EURAFCENT conducts infectious disease research and surveillance to study, monitor and detect emerging and re-emerging disease threats of military and public health importance, and to develop mitigation strategies against these threats in partnership with host nations and international and U.S. agencies in U.S. AFRICOM, CENTCOM, and EUCOM areas of responsibility with staff located in Italy, Ghana and in Egypt.