A Preventive Medicine Technician from the Navy Environmental and Preventive Medicine Unit (NEPMU) 5 was recognized for his selection as the 2016 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Excellence in Service Award, July 14.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Javier MorenoMartinez, a native of Lindsay, California, was presented the award during the 87th LULAC National Convention and Exposition, held in Washington, D.C.

The LULAC Excellence in Service Award honors military members and Department of Defense civilian employees, who have supported the LULAC priorities as well as the DoD mission, overseas contingency operations, or whose attributes best epitomized the qualities and core values of their respective military service or other DoD component.

Cmdr. Shelton Lyons II, NEPMU-5 officer-in-charge, congratulated MorenoMartinez on his achievement.

"It is quite an honor having someone at our command such as Petty Officer MorenoMartinez," said Lyons. "Not only does he strive to set the example at our command, he does the same throughout the civilian public. He is the type of character-driven leader that is required in our Navy and in our communities."

MorenoMartinez was extremely grateful for his selection as the 2016 award recipient.

"I'd like to thank my chain of command for nominating me for the 2016 LULAC Award, my family for their unwavering support and my fellow Sailors; being Latino is much more than speaking Spanish," he said. "It is belonging to an entire culture rich in history, diversity and strong family values, which drives us to succeed. I've been granted the opportunity to pursue my American dream and have been blessed to be able to serve my community in return."

Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Leonardo Carbonel, NEPMU-5's senior enlisted leader, also spoke about MorenoMartinez's achievement.

"When I heard the news that Petty Officer MorenoMartinez was the recipient of the 2016 LULAC Excellence in Military Service Award, it made me very proud of his accomplishments, because it's no small task to be recognized for this award," said Carbonel. "This award further solidifies his continued hard work and dedication to his fellow shipmates, our command, and the United States Navy. He is truly deserving of this award.

The mission of NEMPU-5 is to provide specialized consultation, advice, and recommendations in matters of occupational health, health promotion, preventive medicine, environmental health, and deployment medical surveillance.

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For more news from Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center, visit http://www.navy.mil/.