MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY -- A meritorious promotion with an increase in responsibility has been bestowed upon Petty Officer 2nd Class Luis E. AmayaSanchez, corpsman, Laboratory Department, Naval Branch Health Clinic-Albany, Georgia.
AmayaSanchez was promoted to his current rank during a ceremony held at NBHC-Albany, Aug. 7, after setting himself apart from the other Sailors on a recent Meritorious Advancement Program board.
As the only laboratory technician aboard NBHC-Albany, AmayaSanchez coordinates with multiple testing facilities in Albany; Jacksonville, Florida; and the Centers of Disease Control, providing care for service members and their families.
In addition, he assists the leading petty officer of the Ancillary Services ensuring junior Sailors from dental, pharmacy and laboratory departments in making sure their personal and professional needs are met as well as gives back to the community by volunteering with the Young Marines.
“It’s an honor being meritoriously promoted,” AmayaSanchez said. “I am extremely proud to represent my command.”
Despite being one of the smallest commands under Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Florida, AmayaSanchez said this makes it an even bigger achievement.
“We are a small unit (but) we have a strong presence in the enterprise,” he added.
According to the laboratory technician, the command had to choose between many Sailors that would best represent them to be promoted to the next rank.
“I was selected as one of them,” he said. “Also, there is an extreme amount of responsibility knowing (your) leadership considers you as one of the best they have. It’s an extremely (high) honor.”
AmayaSanchez was among six Sailors within Naval Hospital Jacksonville, and one of 1,354 Navy-wide to receive the meritorious promotion.
He is a native of Ibague, Colombia, and began his career in the Navy May 1, 2012.
Chief Petty Officer Louis D. Simpson, senior enlisted leader, NBHC-Albany, spoke highly of AmayaSanchez’s professionalism and leadership.
“(Petty Officer 2nd Class) AmayaSanchez is possibly one of the hardest (working) and most squared away Sailors that I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” Simpson said. “As the sole laboratory technician in the clinic, he runs his department with the enthusiasm and professionalism of 10 Sailors.
“His willingness to take on such dynamic tasks provides the clinic leadership the flexibility to meet the mission throughout many manning shortfalls,” he added.
Simpson explained AmayaSanchez was promoted under the Navy's Meritorious Advancement Program.
“This is a new program that is only two years old, replacing the old Command Advancement Program that allowed only certain operational commanders the ability to recognize and advance Sailors,” he continued. “This new program is in alignment with the Chief of Naval Operations goal to recognize more Sailors that are performing, regardless of the duty station.
“This year, MAP will account for approximately 10 percent of all E4-E6 advancements with 4,199 MAP quotas, an increase of more than 1,100 from 2016,” Simpson concluded. “The MAP is designed to give commanding officers greater authority to recognize superior performance and advance their very best Sailors.”