PENSACOLA, Fla. –
PENSACOLA, Fla. – During an awards ceremony, Cryptologic Technician Collection (CTR) 1st Class Emily L. Hooper was recognized by Cmdr. Peter B. Manzoli, commanding officer, Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Corry Station, as the 2023 IWTC Corry Station Instructor of the Year at the Corry Station Chapel, Feb. 20, 2024.
What makes this a special accomplishment, Manzoli explained is that Hooper was chosen for the Instructor of the Year award, over all the other instructors teaching at IWTC Corry Station, as a Reservist on active-duty orders.
However, this may not be as unusual as one might think. Cryptologic Technician Collection Chief Chandra Broner, Hooper’s Division Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), emphasized that the current and former LCPO of the schoolhouse, the current LPO of the schoolhouse, and the command’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Assistant Uniformed Victim Advocate (A-UVA), and the Petty Officer Association (POA) treasurer are all held by Selected Reservists (SELRES) on active-duty orders, identifying a notable trend.
“People tend to think of Reservists in a particular negative light,” said Hooper, the Leading Petty Officer (LPO) for Communication Signals Collection Course. “I get a certain sense of satisfaction when others find out I am a part of the Reserves and act so surprised like, ‘Wow, I never would have known.’ And that is the point. Most of us have been on multiple deployments and know our jobs in and out. The only difference is we don’t get paid in between mobilizations”
The U.S. Navy’s Reserve Component operates on the concept of keeping SELRES Sailors persistently plugged in to roles on active duty, as opposed to solely being called-up to fill gapped billets, said Cryptologic Technician Collection Chief Christopher Hunnicutt, Communication Signals Collection Course LCPO. This bolsters our ability to remain “in the fight” as an organization and enables us to be more effective in a shorter amount of time, if and when called up, for a national defense or disaster situation.
“Petty Officer Hooper’s actions phenomenally display the U.S. Navy Reserve’s ability to masterfully take on the same challenging and demanding roles as the active component Sailors in the Fleet, in that, we strive to not only survive, but thrive in our environment,” said Hunnicutt.
Hunnicutt said that Hooper’s accomplishment further proves the success of the model, demonstrates the strategic readiness of the Navy, and hopes that the Recall to Active Duty program for instructors not only remains in place, but expands to other ratings and sites.
“CTR1 Emily Hooper imbues the highest ideals of what we want in an instructor at Corry Station and throughout the Navy--- professionalism, dedication, and a willingness to affect the long-term readiness of our fighting Navy team by training her relief—and, in doing so, setting the conditions for a stronger, more capable Joint force,” said Manzoli. “She represents the very best of a dedicated and capable Naval Reserve; the Navy is fortunate to have her influencing so many junior Sailors at Corry Station.”