Master-At-Arms 1st Class Jimi Lee Bilon an island boy recognized as Region Sailor of the Year, and currently assigned to U.S. Naval Base Guam. The 26-year-old recently returned from a special ceremony held at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy, where he was one of four finalists vying for the 2021 Commander, Navy Installations Command Shore Enterprise Sailor of the Year Award.

"I got to represent not just myself, but my installation, Naval Base Guam, the region and who I am and where I'm from and be proud that I'm from Guam and talk about who I am and who we are," he shared.

Bilon, a husband and father to four boys, competed after being named Region Sailor of the Year. His reaction?

"I was happy, shocked, excited, and proud that I get to represent my island, my command, my sailors," he recalled.

But for Lt. Eliot Fiaschi, security officer for Naval Base Guam, the recognition didn't surprise him one bit. "I anticipate him going very far in his career," he said of Bilon. "He's got the drive, the motivation, and the smarts to be able to do anything he wants. I'm just happy for him. This is good for him, good for his family, and it will help him get promoted, and that's my job - to get him where he needs to be in his career, and he's making it really easy. he's doing this all by himself. He's rocking and rolling!"

The 2004 graduate of Simon Sanchez High School has been in the navy for 17 years he recalls the reason why he decided signup. "Going back to my grandmother. She's an inspiration for me. Very strong woman, strong CHamoru woman. She was a young child when the Japanese invaded Guam and she often talked about the atrocities that happened here and the pride and the happiness of being liberated," he said.

"I know my uncle, her brother, kind of joined the Navy and made that decision because of that, so I'm trying to keep that tradition, it kind of skipped a generation with my mom and her siblings, so I'm kind of continuing it and...GO NAVY!"

Part of the guardians of the fleet, Bilon's job is a tall order. Fiaschi explained, "He's in charge of the entire watch section. All the military security forces that we have on Guam for the Navy side - he's managing for me. He makes sure that everything from the new Camp Blaz all the way down to Main Base is properly patrolled, all the gates are manned, people are getting their time off, their lunchbreaks, he makes sure that every call for service is answered in a timely manner, responding to burglary alarms...there is so much riding on his shoulders, he is one of those that just takes it in stride."

Bilon attributes his success thus far, to growing up on the island. "Guam - we are prideful people, we have strong family values and that was very easy for me to translate in the Navy - I get to share, again I always go back to who I am, where we come from, we are very prideful people from Guam," he said.