Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic (SURFLANT) will kick of its Sailor of the Year 2016 (SOY) Week with a meet and greet at the Sheraton Waterside Lobby in Norfolk, Virginia; the events will go from Feb. 28-Mar. 4.

Throughout the week, the Sailors will participate in boards, leadership events and luncheons and a winner for each sea and shore command will be selected and sent on to participate in the U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) SOY competition.

"I am beyond words when it comes to the leadership, dedication and hard work our Sailor provides on a daily basis out on the deckplates," said SURFLANT's Force Master Chief Jack Callison. "These Sailors are the best of the best. This competition is a way for us to recognize and highlight the achievements of our dedicated Sailors from sea and shore commands within SURFLANT and to select the 'top' Sailors in our fleet."

"Force Master Chief Jack Callison conducted a package review board Feb. 4 to select the top candidates to compete for this year's SOY," said Senior Chief Logistics Specialist Brian Garfield, the SOY assistant coordinator for SURFLANT. "The finalists then go on to compete in the SOY week events and final board evaluations."

Once the sea-command winner is selected, he or she will compete for the USFF SOY and the winner of that competition will be meritoriously promoted to the rank of chief petty officer. The USFF shore-command winner will continue on to Washington, D.C., to compete at Chief of Naval Operations SOY level.

"I hope these Sailors see it as a culmination of their hard work and leadership that they've provided to their junior Sailors as well as their command," said Callison. "They will continue to carry this with them through their career and to the next platform, so that when they mentor junior Sailors they can show them hard labor is recognized by both peers and superiors and that rewards are reaped."

The Sailor of the Year program was established in 1972 by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet to recognize an individual Sailor who best represented the ever-growing group of dedicated professional Sailors at each command and ultimately the Navy. When the program began, only the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Sailors were recognized. Within 10 years, the Sailor of the Year program was expanded to include the shore establishment and Navy Reserve Sailors.

This year's participants are; Culinary Specialist 1st Class (SW) Christopher B. Roth, from USS Nitze (DDG 94), Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Electrical) 1st Class (SW/AW) Cassandra Joy Davis, from (ACU 4), Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SW/FMF) Roy A. Teague Jr., from USS Laboon (DDG 58), Information Systems Technician 1st Class (SW/IDW/EXW) Bradford O. Brown, from (LCSRON 2), Legalman 1st Class (SW/AW/IDW) Shallon M. Davis, from (CNSS 14), Ship's Serviceman 1st Class (SW/AW) Jamye M. Graham, from USS Wasp (LHD 1), Ship's Serviceman 1st Class (SW) Maria A. TorresGuevara, from USS Hue City (CG 66), and Yeoman 1st Class (SW/IDW) Victoria N. Scott, from (PCRON 1).

SURFLANT is one of six type commanders and was established in 1975 as a consolidation of the Cruiser-Destroyer, Amphibious, and Service Forces, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. SURFLANT has more than 70 ships and more than 29 commands that make up the SURFLANT Force.

For more news from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/ or www.facebook.com/surflant.

For more news from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/.