U.S. 5th Fleet announced the selection of Logistic Specialist 1st Class Karime Rivera, a native of Cali, Colombia, assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), as the 2016 Shore Sailor of the Year during a ceremony held onboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

Competing against Rivera was Logistic Specialist 1st Class Jill Monaghan, a native of Cape May, New Jersey, assigned to Commander, Logistics Forces as part of Commander, Task Force (CTF) 53; and Operation Specialist 1st Class Joshua Spence, a native of Bellbrook, Ohio, assigned to Destroyer Squadron 50.

U.S. 5th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan recognized the finalists for their individual accomplishments, awarding Navy Commendation Medals to Rivera and Monaghan, as well as a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal to Spence.

"Sailors here execute our Navy's core tasks every day: protecting our country, advancing our interests, supporting allies and partner nations, delivering aid to people in crisis, and vigilantly guarding the sea lanes that are so necessary to our economic stability," said Donegan. "All of you being honored here today exhibit these traits and convey them to your Sailors in many ways."

During her time at NAVCENT, Rivera is the leading petty officer for an entire division and manages $14 million annually, in addition to procurement and accountability of assets, electronic hardware, logistics contracts, and general service administration consumables for NAVCENT, U.S. 5th Fleet, and Combined Maritime Forces Command (CMFC) mission requirements. These accomplishments led to being named NAVCENT/5th Fleet Sailor of the Year, December 2016.

"Never let the success of actions be your motivation and never cease to work," said Rivera. "Be not affected by success or failure."

Monaghan was selected as CTF-53 Sailor of the Year for her achievements including leading seven Sailors in the execution of over 800 flights, 6 million pounds of cargo, and over 2,000 passengers in more than 12 countries and logistics operations.

"I am very humbled to have been selected," said Monaghan. "I would not have gotten this far without my amazing leadership and all the stellar work of my shipmates. I try to practice working hard in silence and let success make the noise."

Spence was recognized as the CTF-55 Sailor of the Year by managing 26 surface assets' employment between multiple task forces and nations, operating and managing with his team of seven Sailors, a command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence architecture, interfacing 12 communication systems and 10 tactical displays. He is the operations department leading petty officer, as well as the command equal opportunity manager.

"I feel honored, humbled, and blessed to have been selected to represent CTF 55," said Spence.

"I am in awe by the tremendous skill and talent of our forward-deployed Sailors all over our area of operations, and you exemplify that skill and bring it to the next level," said Donegan.

Representing U.S. 5th Fleet, Rivera will continue to compete further at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Staff level, which is the second to last stop to being named Vice Chief of Naval Operations' Sailor of the Year.

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For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet, visit www.cusnc.navy.mil/.