Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class Renemar Astorga, a Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP) counselor stationed at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam was awarded the 2017 GEICO Military Service Award at a multi-service ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, April 30.

He was accompanied by his wife Auvie and three children who proudly witnessed his receipt of a commemorative plaque and cash honorarium of $2,500 from the GEICO Philanthropic Foundation.

The GEICO Military Service Awards program annually recognizes enlisted members of the military for the many contributions they make to their local community and the nation in their dual role as "citizen and soldier". The program in its 30th year honors one active duty enlisted member from each of the services and one drilling reserve enlisted member from all of the services for their special achievements and contributions to the public good of the civilian and military community.

Astorga has been a SARP counselor for six years and the leading SARP counselor on the island of Guam, coordinating all assessments and treatment plans for service members with substance misuse at the outpatient and intensive outpatient levels. Astorga supports 52 tenant commands throughout Joint Region Marianas, ensuring the unit's maintain mission readiness which saves the unit's operational costs by not having to fly service members off-island for assessments.

When asked what drives and motivates his work with the SARP program Astorga says, "Realizing that I found my niche and counseling is something I enjoy. Being there for clients in the moment, having good listening skills and being empathetic is natural to me and this helps the process. I love seeing patients make lifestyle changes, in efforts to their recovery process, and feeling empowered by their choice."

During his tour, Astorga's administration of Level One and Level Two in-house treatment programs provided care for 25,000 beneficiaries and saved the Navy over $385,000.00 annually. Additionally, he has earned 53 continuing education credits in Instructor Training supporting Occupational Stress Control and Psychological First Aid, was nominated for the Nationally acclaimed Peabody Caregiver Award, and selected as the Command Senior Sailor of the Quarter, for the Third Quarter. An aircraft mechanic by job designation, he has fully committed himself to utilize his calm cool demeanor to make a difference saving lives.

"Safety is the key to success of any organization, more so for a healthcare organization. AM1 Astorga has been vital to the success of U.S. Naval Hospital Guam, his work in our substance abuse prevention program has been indispensable," Said Capt. Dan Cornwell, MSC, Commanding Officer of U.S. Naval Hospital Guam. "He's knowledgeable, trustworthy, and has a work ethic that's second to none. His responsibilities are to treat and educate all service members across all branches island wide."

Astorga feels it's important for supervisors and leaders in the service are engaged and concerned with the overall well-being of their shipmates, which ultimately plays into the effectiveness of a work center. "It can be difficult, and even detrimental to rely on someone in the work space who is not physically and/or mentally ready for the mission," said Astorga. He states, "Productivity and command climate are affected with how everyone's well-being is taken care of or neglected."

Astorga was personally congratulated by the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy(MCPON), Steven S. Giordano who congratulated all the awardees across the services for their incredible achievements and accomplishments. The MCPON and all the services leadership recognizes the importance of leaders like Astorga.

"AM1 Astorga is a 'force multiplier, his skill-set is saving thousands of dollars on lost man-hours and ensuring our service members are "fit to fight" keeping our operational forces ready. Having leaders like Renemar as a mentor and role model for junior sailors ensures seniors leadership that our Navy has a very bright future," MCPON said.

Those commands interested in nominating one of their members for the GEICO award should look for the ALSAFE message sent annually by the Naval Safety Center in July.

For more news from Naval Safety Center, visit www.navy.mil/.

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