By Stephanie Fox, Navy Office of Community Outreach
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Mr. Willard Thompson, a native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was recently named U.S. Fleet Forces Command’s Civilian of the Year and received a Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.
The Meritorious Civilian Service Award is the third-highest award in the Department of the Navy. Civilians who receive this award make a lasting impact throughout the Navy based on their extensive contributions and transformative leadership.
Prior to working as a civilian, Thompson served in the Navy.
“I enlisted in the Navy in 1981 and served on USS Los Angeles from 1984-1987,” said Thompson. “I graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and received my Commission in 1993 through the Enlisted Commissioning Program. I served on USS James K. Polk from 1994-1998 and USS Jacksonville from 200-2004. Both were homeported here in Norfolk.
Thompson became a civilian employee after retiring from the Navy in 2008.
“I joined the U.S. Fleet Forces Command Future Operations team in 2020,” said Thompson. “I have been able to leverage the training and experiences gained while in the Navy to support the Navy as a civilian.”
According to Navy officials, the mission of U.S. Fleet Forces Command is to train combat-ready forces, plan and execute joint missions and provide operational planning and coordination support.
“Since starting here, a large portion of my responsibility is coordinating the Navy response to the COVID pandemic through Defense Support of Civil Authorities and being able to assist pandemic response effort with vaccination clinics or assisting medical facilities,” said Thompson. “This gives me a great deal of satisfaction.”
According to Thompson, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Virginia Beach.
“Things that I have learned in Virginia Beach are focused on community,” said Thompson. “I have been able to coach baseball, basketball and soccer. My youngest son attends Kempsville High School, the same school that my wife Jennifer graduated from. Much of her family lives in Hampton Roads with several members in our immediate neighborhood. We also have a wonderful church family as well at First Lutheran Norfolk, where we have been involved in youth programs since 2004.”.”
As a Navy veteran and civilian, Thompson is part of a team that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“Having served in the submarine force for 28 years, I see the Navy’s role in national defense as fundamental in maintaining freedom on our shores and abroad,” said Thompson. “From my role as a civilian, I see the Navy contribute to support the needs here at home when asked by federal or state partners as needed in response to natural disasters such as hurricanes or the COVID pandemic.”
Thompson is grateful to be honored by U.S. Fleet Forces Command.
“I am proud of being named Civilian of the Year, but I am also very humbled when I look around at the staff here and see the breadth and depth of expertise supporting the Navy and our Navy mission,” said Thompson. “I am proud to be a part of this team.”
As a member of the U.S. Navy, Thompson, as well as other civilians and sailors, know they are a part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.
“Continued service to the Navy means I continue to contribute to something that is bigger than myself,” added Thompson. “I try to emphasize this to my youngest son so that he can see service to others that we talk about in church or being a good citizen as they discuss in school as something more than what we do occasionally or on weekends. Service can simply be a way of life.”
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist
1st Class Theodore Green