The Navy announced the fiscal year 2017 Language Professional and Linguist of the Year award recipients, and the Command Language Program of the Year, May 31.

The recipients distinguished themselves through the use of critical foreign language skills in order to achieve mission success.

The fiscal year 2017 award recipients are:

Senior Language Professional of the Year: Chief Cryptologic Technician Brian Burrows, representing Navy Information Operation Command Colorado.

Language Professional of the Year: Cryptologic Technician 1st Class Jamie Biro, representing Navy Information Operations Command Georgia.

Senior Non-Career Linguist of the Year: Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Muhammed Morad, representing Naval Special Warfare Cultural Engagement Unit.

Non-Career Linguist of the Year: Builder 1st Class Christian Kim, representing Naval Special Warfare Cultural Engagement Unit.

Command Language Program of the Year: Navy Information Operation Command Georgia.

Biro will compete for the Department of Defense fiscal year 2017 Language Professional of the Year award, the DoD's top language award, which recognizes outstanding military language professionals and their accomplishments. This award highlights the critical role that military linguists play in supporting missions around the world.

Navy Information Operation Command Georgia will compete for the DoD fiscal year 2017 Command Language Program award, in which top performing Command Language Programs throughout the DoD compete to earn honors as the premier language program within the DoD.

For more information on the awards or the Navy's language programs visit http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/career/language_culture/Pages/default2.aspx.



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