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Each year the Navy recognizes the most outstanding Command Language Program, military and civilian language professionals, and non-career linguists contributing to mission success through the use of foreign language.  Award categories are:
  • Command Language Program of the Year
  • Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence
  • Senior Language Professional of the Year
  • Officer Language Professional of the Year
  • Civilian Language Professional of the Year
  • Linguist of the Year
  • Senior Linguist of the Year
  • Officer Linguist of the Year
  • Civilian Linguist of the Year
 

FY2025 Navy Foreign Language Awards

Time to submit!  Award packages are due to OPNAV N13F no later than 20 April 2026.  See NAVADMIN 047/26 for more details.

Essays and type commander endorsements are only required for the Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence and Senior Language Professional of the Year categories.  Extra points will not be awarded for essays submitted for other categories. Candidate essays are not to exceed five double-spaced, typewritten pages (12 point, Arial font). 

This year’s essay topic is:  What strategies can linguists use to balance operational requirements and life demands with maintaining or improving language proficiency?


 

Navy Foreign Language Awards Winners

FY2024
Congratulations to the FY24 Navy foreign language award winners, announced in NAVADMIN 140/25!  FY24 winners are:
  • Command Language Program of the Year:  Navy Information Operations Command Pacific (NIOC PAC), Hawaii
  • Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence:  CTI1 Samanta Alvarenga, Navy Information Operations Command Georgia, Georgia
  • Senior Language Professional of the Year:  CTIC(IW/SW) Neal Knudsvig, Information Warfare Training Command, California
  • Officer Language Professional of the Year:  LCDR Warren Brookes, Defense Attache Office, Paraguay
  • Civilian Language Professional of the Year:  Mr. Stephen Ramirez, Navy Information Operations Command, Georgia
  • Linguist of the Year:  EO2(EXW/SW) Hung Ho, Naval Construction Group ONE, California
  • Officer Linguist of the Year:  LT LaDonna Sales, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. Fourth Fleet, Florida
  • Civilian Linguist of the Year:  Mr. Matthew Jennings, Office of Naval Intelligence, Maryland
As winners of the Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence and Command Language Program of the Year, CTI1 Alvarenga and NIOC PAC will go on to compete at the Department of Defense level in September 2025.
 
FY2023
Congratulations to the winners of the FY23 Navy Foreign Language Award winners, announced in NAVADMIN 136/24!  FY23 winners are:
  • Command Language Program of the Year:  Navy Information Operations Command Pacific (NIOC PAC)
  • Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence:  CTI1(IW/SW/AW/NAC) Deborah Bowers, Information Warfare Training Command, Monterey, Detachment Goodfellow Air Force Base
  • Senior Language Professional of the Year:  CTIC(IW/SW) Robert Gilbert, Information Warfare Training Command, Monterey
  • Officer Language Professional of the Year:  LCDR Bieu Tran, Navy Reserve Center Newport

FY2022
Congratulations to the winners of the FY22 Navy Foreign Language Award winners, announced in NAVADMIN 174/23!  We apologize for a misprint that incorrectly identified the command affiliation of our Senior Language Professional of the Year winner, CTIC(IW/SW/AW) Jamie Biro.  Chief Biro is assigned to Navy Information Operations Command Georgia.  FY22 winners are:
  • Command Language Program of the Year:  Navy Information Operations Command Georgia (NIOC GA)
  • Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence:  CTI1(IW/EXW) Mason Lunsford, Cryptologic Warfare Activity SIXTY SEVEN
  • Senior Language Professional of the Year:  CTIC(IW/SW/AW) Jamie Biro, Navy Information Operations Command Georgia (NIOC GA)
  • Civilian Language Professional of the Year:  Mr. Sepehr Sepahrom, Brooks Center for Maritime Engagement
  • Linguist of the Year:  HM2 Arshad Khan, Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command, Quantico, VA
  • Senior Linguist of the Year:  BMC(SW/AW) Serhiy Dubenko, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)   

FY2021
Congratulations to the winners of the FY21 Navy Foreign Language Awards, announced in NAVADMIN 148/22!
  • Command Language Program of the Year:  Navy Information Operations Command Georgia (NIOC GA) 
  • Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence:  CTI1(IW) Theamichaela Coyle, Information Warfare Training Command, Monterey CA
  • Senior Language Professional of the Year:  CTIC(IW) Krystina Marshall, Cyber Strike Activity SIXTY THREE
  • Officer Language Professional of the Year:  CDR Arthur Fong, NR INDOPACOM J3 PHH
  • Linguist of the Year:  AM1(AW) Constantin Cazac, Defense Threat Reduction Agency
  
 
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