Petty Officer 1st Class John Thompson was named Sailor of the Year for fiscal year 2024, the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) announced.
Thompson, a Nashville native who graduated from Whites Creek High School in 2002, was awarded for his “sustained superior performance, leadership and professionalism” while serving at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Beaufort.
Since joining the Navy 20 years ago, Thompson now serves as a hospital corpsman responsible for providing medical care to Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families.
Thompson (pictured above) said he was drawn to the Navy for the benefits of serving in the U.S. military.
“I was drawn to the obvious benefits since I wanted to take care of my family one day. I’ve been married for 18 years now and we have three beautiful girls. It feels good knowing that they are taken care of,” Thompson said in a statement to NAVCO.
Thompson attributed his upbringing in the ‘Bible Belt’ region and his faith in Christ for his acclimation in the Navy, saying, “Most of the disciplinary requirements of the U.S. Navy align with what I had been taught growing up in the scripture.”
When it comes to serving in the Navy, Thompson described his service as a “privilege.”
“I speak to many who wish to serve but weren’t able to. It’s an opportunity to fight evil and aid the weak and it’s a blessing because of the wide range of resources for military families,” Thompson said.
For those who may be interested in pursuing a career in the Navy, Thompson said serving in the branch is “as simple as breathing A.I.R. (Accountability, Integrity and Respect).”
“We shouldn’t tolerate things that are wrong, and we should hold ourselves and others accountable for their actions,” Thompson added. “We also must have the integrity to do right at all times as ambassadors of the U.S. Navy. Lastly, we give everyone around respect. ‘And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them’- Luke 6:31.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
