Navy Diver First Class (DSW/SS) Fredrick “Blake” Robinson has been selected as Naval Sea Systems Command’s Sailor of the Year. Robinson recently, was named NUWC Sailor of the year for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, representing both Keyport and Newport. He then moved on to the Naval Sea Systems Command level of competition. The announcement was made March 3, at the Washington D.C. Navy Yard.

Reached by phone, Robinson had high praise for his seven competitors, four on active duty and three in the Navy Reserve.

“I think the Sailors I competed with were top notch. I feel honored to represent Naval Sea Systems Command.”

A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., Robinson has been stationed at Keyport’s Dive Locker for three of his 13 years in the Navy. He is an integral part of Keyport’s Diving Division and serves as 3M Coordinator and Leading Petty Officer, managing 11 enlisted personnel at the locker. Keyport Commanding Officer, Capt. Stephen Iwanowicz says Robinson’s military professionalism and diving experience adds to Keyport’s mission. 

“The support provided by our Navy Dive Locker is vital to the successful completion of much of our complex undersea warfare research and development projects and ND1 Robinson’s professionalism as Leading Petty Officer directly resulted in the safe accomplishment of 25 complex dive team deployments. As diving supervisor, he personally supervised more than 20 diving operations that were safely and successfully executed in extremely aggressive and hazardous water conditions, logging over 300 hours of incident free dive time,” said Iwanowicz. “

Robinson says that learning a good work ethic during his career has been based on a couple of small but important factors.

“I have always tried to steal leadership from other people. I find what I like and take it. And, I see what I don’t like and I try not to replicate it. I don’t like to let myself get stagnate. I am always trying to advance myself. ”

He also works hard at motivating other Sailors to pursue higher educational opportunities, and he practices what he preaches as he earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Health from Columbia Southern University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a 3.84 grade point average.

Robinson likes to lend a hand to others in the community by participating in Touch-A-Truck Day in Poulsbo, Family Days, Naval Undersea Museum activities and food drives in addition to being a Gulf Coast Triathlon safety swimmer. He enjoys being with his family, playing disc golf and loves to surf, which probably came from being stationed twice in Hawaii, once, as a submariner aboard USS Louisville SSN-724, and later at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. At work, Robinson has high praise for his shipmates at the Keyport Dive Locker, where being on call 24/7 is a normal routine.

“These guys that are working for me are top notch. You can’t ask for better, especially in our business. We gotta be ready to go when its time.”

A resident of Poulsbo, Robinson is eligible for promotion to chief petty officer again this year and is in fact transferring from Keyport in November to teach diving skills to U.S. Air Force personnel at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Meanwhile, Robinson says he’s got to prepare for the next round of competition.

“I’ve got some work to do on my board presence. But I’ll be myself and I’ll do my best to proudly represent Naval Sea Systems Command at the next level,” said Robinson.