A Coast Guard Station Mayport member has been awarded the title of Sector Jacksonville, Fla., Enlisted Person of the Year.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Bobby Hitchcock, a maritime enforcement specialist, was awarded the EPOY title Thursday during a dinner presented by the Navy League of Mayport and the Port of Jacksonville Propellor Club at the Jacksonville Golf and Country Club.
Hitchcock, a native of Tulsa, Okla., joined the Coast Guard in 2006 at the age of 18. He began his career aboard an Island Class patrol boat, the Coast Guard Cutter Monhegan and the Cutter Pea Island, both homeported in Key West, Fla.
From there he went to Training Center Yorktown, Va., where he attended machinery technician “A” school. During his next tour, at Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Galveston, Tx., Hitchcock changed his specialty to the newly-established maritime enforcement specialist rate.
The EPOY program recognizes exceptional men and women in the Coast Guard’s enlisted workforce who are top performers. Considered as the “best and brightest” from the field, these individuals are selected by a panel of senior enlisted members who evaluate each nominee against a set of established criteria that includes performance, work ethics, military bearing, standards of conduct and a strong community service commitment.
Also attending the dinner was speaker Rear Adm. Joseph A. Servidio, assistant commandant for prevention policy, who spoke to guests about several Coast Guard missions and answered guest questions.
uscgnews.com