Center for Security Forces Announces its Top Instructors for 2012

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The Center for Security Forces (CENSECFOR) announced its selections for the 2012 Military Instructor of the Year, Feb. 5.

Those selected in the categories of senior, mid-grade, and junior instructors were Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) (EXW) Bryson Menke of CENSECFOR Detachment North Island; Sonar Technician (Surface) 1st Class (SW) Jeremy Sosh of CENSECFOR Detachment Pearl Harbor; and Ship's Serviceman 2nd Class (SW) Kristen Chambers of CENSECFOR Detachment North Island.

Capt. James R. Boorujy, CENSECFOR commanding officer, cited each awardee as being an exemplary instructor who epitomizes the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment.

"I am incredibly grateful for the award and hope that it can be used to show others that hard work, attention to detail, and dedication to your craft can pay off," said Menke. "I consider it to be a huge honor to be selected as Instructor of the Year."

Menke, who serves as the Academics Department leading chief, oversees the successful delivery of one of the Navy's survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) training.

Existing since the late 1950s, SERE training is a 12-day Code of Conduct course designed to give students the skills necessary to survive and evade capture, and if captured, resist interrogation and escape. The course is required for personnel who are designated as high risk of capture due to the nature of their military duties.

Menke holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and his career goal is to join the ranks of the Navy's Medical Corps. He also volunteers his off-duty time to mentoring youth as a coach for little league baseball and a local Bonita Valley Softball Association.

"It is a pleasure to work with a Sailor of Chief Menke's caliber," said Cmdr. Gerald Macenas II, CENSECFOR Detachment North Island officer-in-charge. "He truly understands what it means to serve with honor and consistently exceeds my highest expectations."

"I am frankly humbled that I was selected for this honor," said Sosh. "I am positive the caliber of instructors I competed against was second to none and this award is validation of the hard work and effort I put into my job as an instructor."

Sosh serves at CENSECFOR Detachment Pearl Harbor as an instructor for the Non- Compliant Boarding - Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (NCB-VBSS) course of instruction.

NCB-VBSS is a 3-week course of instruction that focuses on both compliant and non-compliant boardings and imparts vital skills such as tactical team movements, defensive tactics, repelling, and more.

Sosh possesses an associate of arts degree and several certifications in Homeland Security. He also dedicates a great deal of off-duty time to various community services such as Boy Scouts, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), Sea Cadets, etc.

Sosh was cited by command leadership as an exceptional NCB-VBSS instructor who flawlessly provides training that enables units of the U.S. Pacific Fleet to fulfill their mission.

Chambers, who was selected as Junior Instructor of the Year, was unavailable for comment. She too, serves as an instructor for Navy SERE training at CENSECFOR Detachment North Island.

"Her selfless dedication, exemplary personal conduct, and pride in professionalism make her a model ambassador for our Navy," said Macenas.

As a field lead instructor, she oversaw the safe and effective delivery of Level "C" Code of Conduct training to more than 1,360 high-risk of isolation students. All of which was in direct support of U.S. overseas contingency operations.

Whether it is taking time to deliver meals to those in need through the Meals on Wheels program or rehabilitating homes for low income elderly families, Chambers holds a steadfast devotion to giving back to the local community.

In addition to her impressive community service, Chambers also earned an associate degree in business marketing this past year.

Each of these selectees will now go on to compete against selectees from other learning centers within the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) to be named NETC Instructor of the Year.

The Center for Security Forces provides specialized training to more than 28-thousand students each year and has 14 training locations across the U.S. and around the world.

For more news from and information about the Center for Security Forces, visit us at http://www.navy.mil/local/csf, www.netc.navy.mil/centers/csf/ or www.facebook.com/CENSECFORHQ#

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