Navy announced the 2015 fiscal year language professional award winners, April 21.

The annual awards are given to recognize the top military and civilian language professionals and the top Command Language Program that have achieved mission success through the use of foreign language.

The 2015 award recipients are:

- Senior Language Professional of the Year: Chief Cryptologic Technician Interpretive Tyler Kirby, attached to Navy Information Operations Detachment Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii;

- Language Professional of the Year: Cryptologic Technician Interpretive 1st Class Patrick Finneran, attached to Navy Information Operations Command, Hawaii, who will compete in the Defense Department's 2015 Language Professional of the Year -- the Department of Defense's top award that recognizes outstanding military language professionals and their accomplishments;

- Civilian Language Professional of the Year: Kristen Hamm, who works at the Office of Naval Intelligence; and

- Command Language Program of the Year: Navy Information Operation Command, Bahrain, which will compete in Defense Department's 2015 Command Language Program.

For more information on language awards please see OPNAVINST 1650.31 and OPNAVINST 1650.32.

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

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/.