Current Brooks Awardees
2009 Afloat Awardee
The NIF RADM Thomas Brooks Award for the Junior Afloat Sailor of the Year-2009 was presented to LCDR Josie Rodriguez on 01 July 2010 in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, DC.
LT Josie J. Rodriquez, USN has been selected as the NIF Rear Admiral Thomas A. Brooks Award for the Afloat Junior Intelligence Officer of the Year. LT Rodriquez was selected for this award based on her outstanding performance while assigned to the Staff of the Commander US SEVENTH Fleet. She served as the Senior Watch Officer while at SEVENTHFLT and deployed to Bahrain as a Liaison Officer to COMFIFTHFLT where her efforts were particularly noteworthy. She has served at VQ-2 in Rota, Spain; the Joint Military Intelligence College where she received an MS in Strategic Intelligence; and the US Strategic Command. Originally from Spirit Lake, Iowa, LT Rodriquez graduated from Hamline University and was commissioned via Officer Candidate School in 2000. She has been assigned as a Legislative Fellow for FY10. Details of her award ceremony are still being arranged, but she will receive a Commemorative Wall Plaque and a five-year membership in Naval Intelligence Professionals by NIF.
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Sen Nelson (far left), for whom Josie works, and retired RADM Terry McKnight (far right), for whom she used to work. RADM Brooks (center).
All three of the distinguished officials spoke. As Admiral Brooks noted afterward, it was hard to track down Commander Rodriguez as she moved from afloat assignment to ashore. He said: “It was a very nice ceremony .... at long last!” (Left to right, Sen. Nelson, LCDR Rodriguez, RADM McNight, RADM Brooks)
2009 Ashore Awardee
On 26 January 2010, NIF Trustee CAPT Mark Greer, USN (Ret) presented the NIF Rear Admiral Thomas A. Brooks Award as the Shore Duty Junior Intelligence Officer of the Year at the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in Suitland, MD. The awardee was selected for this award based on his outstanding performance while assigned to the Nimitz Operational Intelligence Center at ONI. He deployed from September 2007 to September 2008 in support of Operation where he served as Naval Liaison Officer to the Iraqi head of the Baghdad Operations Center. He taught a version of NIOBC to increase the baseline level of intelligence understanding among the Iraqi officers. He deployed again in support of COMSEVENTHFLT for six months in 2009.
2009 Expeditionary
LT(jg) Taryne C. Williams, USN and NIF Trustee CAPT Dave Warshawsky USN (Ret)
On 21 December 2009, NIF Trustee CAPT Dave Warshawsky USN (Ret) presented LT(jg) Taryne C. Williams, USN with the NIF Rear Admiral Thomas A. Brooks Award as the Expeditionary Force Junior Intelligence Officer of the Year at NAB Little Creek, Virginia. LT(jg) Williams was selected for this award based on her outstanding performance as the Intelligence Officer for Navy SEAL Team Four. She deployed from September 2008 to March 2009 with NSW Team FOUR in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She provided detailed insight into strategic real-work mission sets; what emerged was outstanding and on several occasions was briefed to the highest levels of government. Her efforts led to the production of over 80 detailed target packages and led to the successful capture or kill of over 430 insurgents. LT(jg) Williams is from Grand Rapids, Ohio and entered the military service as an enlisted Marine in 1995. She earned her college degree from Hawaii Pacific University and was commissioned Ensign in the Navy in May 2006. After graduation from NMITC NIOBC she was assigned to COM 5th FLT and, in January 2008, reported to SEAL TEAM 4. LT(jg) Williams will report to FITC San Diego for duty in early 2010. LT(jg) Williams was presented a Commemorative Wall Plaque and a five-year membership in Naval Intelligence Professionals by NIF.