The U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) announced Navy Medicine's Sailor of the Year (SOY) at Defense Health Headquarters, Jan. 15.

BUMED's panel of senior enlisted leaders selected Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (IDW) Jessica L. Wentlent, from Naval Medical Center San Diego as Navy Medicine's 2015 SOY.

Vice Adm. C. Forrest Faison III, Navy surgeon general and chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, delivered the opening remarks and Force Master Chief Terry J. Prince, director of the Hospital Corps, announced Wentlent as this year's selectee.

"Thank you, not only for the difference that you've made, but the differences you will make in the future as you progress in your careers," said Faison. "I have no worries about where Navy Medicine is going because it's in great hands. You Sailors are the best of the best."

A native of Buffalo, New York, Wentlent joined the Navy in 2005 and served at several duty stations including Naval Medical Center San Diego and National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Wentlent also supported Operation Enduring Freedom at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, Africa.

Wentlent is a physical therapy technician and most recently served as the leading petty officer (LPO) for three divisions encompassing physical and occupational therapy, chiropractic services, and sports therapy across 12 separate branch clinics in Navy Medicine West, while leading and supporting 147 Sailors and civilians along the way.

"Being selected as Navy Medicine's Sailor of the Year means showing the Navy that Navy Medicine is there to support its Sailors and Marines" said Wentlent. "It's about doing the hardest work, giving it 100 percent and showing those junior Sailors that anything is achievable by being a positive reinforcement for them."

Force Master Chief Prince said he was in awe of the hard work and dedication the four Sailors nominated for BUMED SOY had demonstrated and that he couldn't be more proud to say they represent the Navy's up-and-coming leaders.

"You four Sailors represent the finest of Navy Medicine and I'm very proud to serve alongside you," said Prince.

Wentlent was joined on stage by three other nominees including Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Asterik C. Knotts, assigned to Naval Medical Center Portsmouth; Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jorge V. Castilleja, assigned to Navy Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit Seven (NEPMU 7) Rota, Spain' and Naval Air Crewman (Operator) 1st Class Christopher J. Popovic, assigned to Navy Medicine Operational Training Support Center Patuxent River, Maryland. Faison awarded each of the candidates a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal during the ceremony.

In December 2015 each Navy Medicine command selected a SOY, who then competed for regional SOY. Those winners moved forward to Navy Medicine's SOY competition. Wentlent will now compete for the Navywide shore SOY competition in March.

The Navy's Hospital Corps consists of more than 30,000 active duty and reserve Navy hospital corpsmen who deploy with Sailors and Marines worldwide, in both wartime and peacetime. The rating is the largest, most professionally diverse and highly decorated enlisted corps in the Navy.

Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provides health care support to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, and their families and veterans, in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships and research units around the world.

For more news from Navy Medicine, visit http://www.navy.mil/.