It’s often said that “cream rises to the top.” That’s how the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) could describe its 2025 Military Instructors of the Year. Five service men and women were honored at a ceremony on February 19, 2026 in Pensacola, Florida.
“Our instructors deliver the foundation of our Navy by shaping every battle-ready Sailor that we deliver to the Fleet,” said Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, in a statement obtained by Military.com. The NETC MIOY embody the Navy’s standard of excellence.”
The Military Instructors of the Year award recognizes Navy and Marine Corps instructors who have displayed outstanding instructional and leadership performance and consistently exhibit strong managerial and leadership skills. Instructors competed against nearly 6,500 top achievers for the prestigious honor, serving in every arm of the U.S. military by land, sea, air and now space. The winners were formally announced in December 2025.
“We all know that our business is a team effort,” Capt. Gregory Tiner, NETC chief of staff, in a statement released to Military.com. “The accomplishments of our instructors of the year are a direct reflection of the teamwork and dedication to the mission at each of our commands – a critical investment in shaping and delivering the naval power America needs, from seabed to space.”
2025 MIOY awardees are:
• Damage Controlman 2nd Class Crystal Avila, Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois.
• Damage Controlman 1st Class Anna C. Dickin, Surface Warfare Schools Command, Engineering Learning Site, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
• Chief Hull Technician Librado Najera III, Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois.
• Lt. Augusta L. Garies, Mariner Skills Training Center Pacific, San Diego, California.
• Capt. Phillip S. Haly (USMC), NROTC Unit Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia.
Previous MIOY awardee for 2024, Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Johnelle Jones, described her experience as a Navy instructor in training future warfighters for service at the Recruit Training Command (RTC) in Great Lakes, Illinois.
“The greatest reward of being a leading petty officer is having a direct impact on the lives of the Sailors that you work with,” said Jones, in a statement obtained by Military.com. “They trust me to listen to them, and if they have a question, they trust me to go and find them an answer. It is one thing to be responsible for your own career, but the real prize is when you mentor another Sailor.”
NETC is the largest shore command in the U.S. Navy, responsible for recruiting and world-class training of highly skilled, operational and battle-ready service men and women. NETC's team includes more than 24,000 military and staff personnel around the world, training more than 33,000 sailors at its 251 training sites on any given day.
“The role of a military instructor demands far more than technical expertise. It requires patience, leadership and an unwavering commitment to developing others,” said Rear Adm. Huffman in his statement to Military.com.
“These instructors and their teammates set the standard for training excellence and play a critical role in strengthening the Fleet, ensuring our Navy remains ready to meet current and future challenges.”
