The Navy is accepting nominations for the fiscal year 2022 Language Professional of the Year (LPOY), Command Language Program of the Year (CLPOY) and Linguist of the Year (LOY) awards, as announced Sept. 19, 2022, in NAVADMIN 212/22.

The awards recognize the most outstanding Command Language Program, military and civilian language professional and non-career linguists contributing to mission success through the use of foreign language.

The nine award categories include: Command Language Program of the Year, the Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence (Cryptologic Technician – Interpretive (CTI) rating only, E-6 and below), the Senior Language Professional of the Year (CTI rating only, E-7 to E-9), Officer Language Professional of the Year (Foreign Area Officers only), Civilian Language Professional of the Year, Linguist of the Year (open to all communities except CTI, E-6 and below), Senior Linguist of the Year (open to all communities except CTI, E-7 and above), Officer Linguist of the Year (non-FAO Officers and Chief Warrant Officers), and Civilian Linguist of the Year. 

The top Navy Command Language Program and the winner of the Shannon M. Kent Award for Language Professional Excellence will go on to compete at the DoD level. The DoD program is managed by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) and recognizes the most outstanding military language professionals (E-6 and below) and Command Language Programs across the military services.

All candidates must be nominated by their commanding officer (CO) or officer-in-charge (OIC) and must receive an endorsement from the nominating command’s immediate superior in command (ISIC).  Type commanders (and equivalent commands) can only endorse and forward one nomination for each category.

Nomination criteria and package requirements can be found in OPNAVINST 5400.46A “Command Language Programs and Awards,” May 18, 2021.  Templates can be found on the My Navy HR Language and Culture page, while this year’s essay topics for LPOY and LOY nominees will be announced there in December.  For more information, visit: https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Language-Culture/Announcements/

Submit nominations via encrypted email to ALTN_N13F1@navy.mil.  Mailed nomination packages are discouraged.  The deadline for submitting nominations is March 31, 2023.

Award selections will be communicated to appropriate COs or OICs no later than June 15, 2023, and awardees will be announced fleetwide via NAVADMIN. 

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