Eldorado High grad recognized for her achievements as a sailor

By Paul Takahashi

Monday, Dec. 20, 2010 | 5:45 p.m.

A Las Vegas woman who is a Navy officer stationed in Fallon has reached the halfway mark toward becoming the Navy’s Shore Sailor of the Year.

Intelligence Specialist Petty Officer 1st Class Leslie Crawford, 30, is a Las Vegas native who is currently stationed at the Naval Air Station in Fallon. Crawford is on shore duty after serving two sea deployments to the Middle East.

Crawford was nominated by her peers first as the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Shore Sailor of the Year, which launched her to a November 30 competition where she beat out two other officers to become the Shore Sailor of the Year in the U.S. Second Fleet, which has about 50,000 sailors.

“It’s a highly competitive group,” said Christopher Shimana, a spokesman for the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center. “They compete against the best of the best.”

Crawford received the two Sailor of the Year awards because of her leadership qualities, Shimana said. The Eldorado High School graduate has 40 sailors under her leadership and took on the presidency of the First Class Petty Officers Association, building camaraderie and unit cohesion.

“They looked at the cause of effect of each sailor,” Shimana said. “How much impact did this sailor have?”

“I can’t tell you how amazing it is to be recognized for my efforts,” said Crawford, whose father served in the Air Force. “To be chosen as No. 1, I’m honored.”

Crawford next advances to the Shore Sailor of the Year competition for the Fleet Forces in early April 2011. If she succeeds there, she will go to the final competition in July 2011 to try her hand at becoming the Shore Sailor of the Year for the entire Navy.

A win there would be “pretty significant for my career,” she said.