SWSC hosts CNSF Shiphandler of the Year award ceremony
22 July 2025
NAVAL STATION NEWPORT, R.I. --
Surface Warfare Schools Command hosted the Junior Officer Shiphandler of the Year award ceremony on July 15, 2025, a prestigious event sponsored by the Surface Navy Association. The award recognizes exceptional shiphandling skills and leadership among junior officers in the surface fleet. This year's ceremony was presided over by Vice Adm. Brendan McLane, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, who gave opening remarks and presented the awards to the nominees.
The Junior Shiphandler of the Year award is a highly competitive process, designed to identify the most proficient shiphandlers across the entire Surface Force. Junior officers are nominated from within their Immediate Superior in Command and then compete against their peers. The winners from each ISIC then advance to a competition at the Type Commander level, representing either Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic or Commander, Naval Surface Force Pacific.
This year's finalists, Lt. Potter Seibels and Lt j.g. Jake Chalenko, distinguished themselves by achieving the highest overall scores among all competitors within their respective TYCOMs. Their exceptional performance earned them the opportunity to represent CNSL and CNSP in the final competition held in Newport, RI, to determine the best shiphandler in Commander, Naval Surface Forces.
Ultimately, Lt. Potter Seibels, a Navigator aboard USS Bulkeley (DDG 84), emerged as the 2025 CNSF Junior Shiphandler of the Year. A 2021 graduate of the United States Naval Academy and hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, Lt. Seibels has demonstrated exceptional shiphandling prowess and leadership as a Fleet-up Division Officer. Lt j.g. Jake Chalenko from Portage, Michigan, Training Officer on board USS Somerset (LPD 25) and a 2022 NROTC graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder, was named the runner-up. He will be transferring to the USS Comstock (LSD 45) as a Navigator later this year.
The Surface Navy Association will formally recognize Lt. Seibels as the Junior Officer Shiphandler of the Year at the SNA National Symposium in January 2026. This recognition highlights the importance of shiphandling skills in the Surface Navy and serves as an inspiration for other junior officers to strive for excellence in this critical area. The Junior Officer Shiphandler of the Year award underscores the Navy's commitment to developing and recognizing the next generation of skilled mariners.