HM3 Matthew Casey, Naval Hospital Bremerton Pharmacy, hasn’t shied from any challenges in his Navy career--and his supervisor, HMC Novelito Arbas, felt this Sailor had the makings of a winner.

Arbas was proven right, when Casey was announced as the Navy’s Junior Pharmacy Technician of the year on Oct. 27, 2004. His selection was even more impressive, since this year’s competition included civilians. 

In spite of all the local and global Navy-wide recognition, Casey remains modest, points out the hard work of his peers, and touts the leadership attributes of his chief.

“My Chief-he’s awesome!” said Casey. “He sees the good in people. Even if somebody has a flaw, he finds that one good quality. He looks for potential. He is the best Chief that I’ve ever seen. I know if I have a problem, I can bring it to him, and he will help me out.”

Casey’s accomplishments during the year included volunteering nearly 500 hours to augment Naval Hospital Bremerton Security Department, where he elected to go through Brig Escort Training and become small-weapons qualified; filling more than 100,000 prescriptions during a temporary assignment duty in Great Lakes; volunteering numerous hours with local schools; and providing medical support coverage during several Marine Corps trainings. He also volunteered for a Highway 3 cleanup project in Bremerton, during the local Earth Day celebration.

According to Arbas, Casey was selected as the Navy-wide Junior Pharmacy Technician of the Year by a panel of senior Navy pharmacists and senior enlisted members, based upon his leadership, military bearing and devotion to duty.

“He is a very hard-working Sailor,” said Arbas. “He took the most demanding jobs in the pharmacy. He volunteers for everything! He told me if there was any chance to volunteer and make a difference and be a part of anything going on, like GITMO, Fleet Hospital 8, or Iraq, he wanted to go.”

Casey, now 22, with nearly four years of Navy service, turned his life around when he enlisted. He went from being a high school dropout, to nearing completion of his associate’s degree, as well as being one of the Navy’s top-performing hospital corpsmen. 

He uses his own experience to inspire and motivate other young Sailors.

“Dropping out of high school was the stupidest mistake I ever made,” Casey said. “I dropped out because I was lazy. There’s no excuse for it. It was embarrassing. I went back and got my high school diploma, and now I have seven months left until I get my associate’s degree,” he said with a smile. “I strongly believe in leading by example, and leading from the front, not the rear,” said Casey. “I am a member of the Junior Enlisted Association. I train junior Sailors and try to get them to do correspondence courses on the Navy Knowledge Online web site. Whenever volunteer opportunities come up, I pass them down to the junior Sailors. I try to teach them to keep a brag sheet and write down the things that they do.”

His leadership philosophy and work ethic have had an effect on his own department and others. According to Arbas, no matter where Casey goes or what he is doing, he puts forth his best effort.

“When he went to Security, even though they didn’t require him to get certain qualifications, he stepped up to the plate,” said Arbas. “A lot of the people in Security told me, ‘You got a good guy.’

“I nominated him for Junior Sailor of the Quarter for Naval Hospital Bremerton three times before he was finally selected,” said Arbas. “I just couldn’t give up on somebody that always works like that and always volunteers.”

When the Junior Sailor of the Quarter selection was announced, Casey was hard at work augmenting the Security Department.  But that didn’t stop the rest of the pharmacy from celebrating his accomplishment. 

“When they announced over the 1MC that he was selected as Junior Sailor of the Quarter,” said Arbas, “we all started laughing and clapping because we were so happy for him. We all felt a sense of pride because he comes from the Pharmacy Department.”

By the time Casey arrived at the DoD Combined Pharmacy Seminar banquet ceremony, he was aware he had been nominated, but he had no idea he had been selected.

“I told him he’d better prepare a speech just in case,” said Arbas, “but he didn’t think he would need to. At that point, I knew he was going to get selected, and I had my camera ready!” said Arbas.

“Then, when they started telling the accomplishments of the winner - he kind of blushed because he knew those were all of the things he’d done,” said Arbas.

Casey likes making a positive difference, and sees his accomplishments as part of a Navy team effort. 

“The whole Pharmacy Department, we really bust our butts,” he said. “Our department works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We not only serve people that come up to the window, but we also take care of all the patients in the hospital. I don’t know how we do it,” he said.

Even after being selected for such an honor, Casey hasn’t quite absorbed the magnitude of his accomplishments.

“I don’t see myself as unique,” he said, blushing. “I don’t see myself as doing anything ‘top dog.’ I just come to work everyday on time and do my job. In fact, I felt a little guilty because I am sure there are people out there just as good or better. Sailor of the Quarter at the Hospital, now that’s a little easier to take - but an award for the whole Navy? That’s like, “WOW!”