WASHINGTON (May 8, 2026) — Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) proudly announces the Calendar Year 2025 Navy Fire and Emergency Services (F&ES) Award winners, recognizing the elite responders who secure the foundation of fleet readiness.

By executing life-saving medical responses, structural fire suppression, aircraft rescue, and hazardous material containment, F&ES teams ensure continuous operational readiness across the Navy Shore Enterprise. They secure the shore so the fleet can safely train, deploy, and fight.

“Our personnel are the cornerstone of base resilience,” said CAPT Bill Lane, deputy director of CNIC operations. “Protecting our people and our tactical assets is essential for projecting power from the Shore Enterprise. These winners represent the best of the best in ensuring our mission remains uninterrupted.”

From this talent pool, three standout Navy representatives advanced to win premier honors in the broader military competition at the Department of War (DoW) level: Naval Support Activity Annapolis;  Katsuhiro Watanabe with Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka; and Metro San Diego, which regionalized department that encompasses Naval Base San Diego, Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base Point Loma, Naval Air Station North Island. 

Below is the complete list of CY2025 top performers recognized across the Navy Shore Enterprise:

• Small Fire Department of the Year: Naval Support Activity Annapolis (DoW Winner). Runner-Up: Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
• Medium Fire Department of the Year: Naval Station Mayport. Runner-Up: Joint Region Marianas.
• Large Fire Department of the Year: Metro San Diego FES (DoW Winner). Runner-Up: Navy Region Northwest.
• Fire Prevention Program of the Year: Joint Region Marianas. Runner-Up: Navy Region Mid-Atlantic District 3, Naval Air Station Oceana, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.
• Military Firefighter of the Year: ABH2(AW) Kiara Robin, Naval Station Rota. Runner-Up: ABH2(AW/SW) Joshua Acuna, Metro San Diego, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island.
• Civilian Firefighter of the Year: Katsuhiro Watanabe, Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (DoW Winner). Runner-Up: Ahmed Dakail, Naval Support Activity Bahrain.
• Military Fire Officer of the Year: ABH1(AW/SW) Leaundre Johnson, Naval Support Activity Naples. Runner-Up: ABH1(AW/SW) Ivan Reyna, Naval Air Station Whiting Field.
• Civilian Fire Officer of the Year: Eric Boggess, Naval Station Mayport. Runner-Up: Daniel Rawson (deceased), Naval Air Station Rota.
• Fire Service Instructor of the Year: Hartsel Stewart, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Runner-Up: Laura Arrington, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic District 1, Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads.
• EMS Provider of the Year (Navy Only): Benny Castro, Joint Region Marianas. Runner-Up: Jonathan Zink, Naval Support Activity Bethesda.
• Fire Inspector of the Year (Navy Only): Victor Kirton, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Runner-Up: John Cruz, Naval Station Rota.
• Fire Chief of the Year (Navy Only): Jose Cardenas, Naval Station Mayport. Runner-Up: Jason Kinlaw, Naval Support Activity Naples.

Beyond the achievements of the past year, the Navy honors the legacy builders of the F&ES community who have dedicated their lives to the Shore Enterprise mission. Navy F&ES Hall of Fame Inductees:

• Ruben Perez, Fire Chief (retired), Naval Air Station Corpus Christi
• Edward Stillwell, Region Fire Chief (retired), Naval District Washington
• David Inman, Fire Chief, Navy Region Southwest
• William Casey, Region Fire Chief (retired), Navy Region Southeast FES
• Kenneth Snyder, Fire Chief (retired), Navy Region Mid-Atlantic District 3
• Jack Woodard, Region Fire Chief (deceased), Navy Region Northwest FES.

Navy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients:

• Rodolfo Gonzales, Region Fire Chief (retired), Navy Region Southeast
• William Killen, Director Navy Fire and Emergency Services (retired), Naval Facilities Engineering Command
• Christopher Connelly, Region Fire Chief, Navy Region Southwest
• Daniel Gaumont, Senior Fire Protection Specialist (retired), Commander. Navy Installations Command.

Commander, Navy Installations Command is responsible for worldwide U.S. Navy Shore installation management, designing and developing integrated solutions for sustainment and development of Navy shore infrastructure as well as quality of life programs. CNIC oversees 10 Navy regions, 70 installations, and more than 48,600 employees who are focused on warfighting and manning, training, and equipping the Shore to fight and win. Navy installations are warfighting platforms essential to every fleet operation.