Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Paige Gordon was recently selected as Navy Personnel Command’s 2022 Junior Sailor of the Year, Jan. 11, 2023

“I am still in disbelief,” said Gordon. “I went up against some outstanding Sailors.”

Gordon, an active-duty Sailor from Dublin, Georgia, has been assigned to NPC for the past 11 months and credits her sense of humor and observation skills for her success.

“It really helps the day go by,” said Gordon. “Being the ‘mom’ of the office lets me use my compassion in a constructive and purposeful way.”

As a case manager for PERS 952, Line of Duty department, Gordon is responsible for reviewing medical records for Navy Reservists to determine eligibility for TRICARE benefits.

“Use the Navy as a tool,” she added. “If you don’t plan to make a career out of it that’s ok, but use the benefits and the access to reach the next step in your goals.”

Gordon was accepted into the Nursing Program at Southwest Tennessee Community College and she looks forward to applying to the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program this fall.

“In five years, I see myself in a position where I can implement change Navy-wide for my peers and shipmates. That is my ultimate goal.”

Gordon likes to incorporate her beliefs and values and merge them with the Navy’s core values.

“It is a beneficial collaboration,” said Gordon. “It helps me to have an open mind on how we can make the Navy better.”

In 1972, former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and former Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittlet established the Sailor of the Year Program recognizing one Sailor who demonstrates both professional and personal dedication and represents the Navy’s best of the best. 10 years following the programs establishment, the Sailor-of-the-Year was expanded to include the Navy Reservists.