NOVEMBER 2, 2016, WASHINGTON (NNS) – Two Hospital Corps Sailors will be honored at the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) annual “Angels of the Battlefield” gala Nov. 4.
Each year the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, and Coast Guard select respective “angels” to represent their military branch. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Otazo of Lilburn, Georgia, and Seaman Elgie McCoy of East Brunswick, New Jersey, were selected for their unselfish bravery and devotion while performing their duties without regard to their own safety.
“I really appreciate this recognition and being able to represent a much larger team of Navy and Army medical professionals who all do a fantastic job,” Otazo said. “It’s a real honor.”
In his four years of service, Otazo has deployed with Marines to Afghanistan and Iraq, providing direct medical support to more than 177 Sailors and Marines. While deployed, Otazo was noted for performing admirably in at least four mass casualty events.
“I wouldn’t be able to accept this honor if it weren’t for my peers and the Navy Medicine team that supports the work that we do at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa,” said McCoy. “The opportunity to represent the hospital and Navy Medicine as a whole is truly humbling.”
McCoy joined the Navy as a member of the Hospital Corps two years ago. Today, he supports the health of more than 18,000 Sailors, Marines, and families stationed in Okinawa, Japan, as an emergency room technician.
The ASYMCA is a top-rated 501(c)(3) charity. ASYMCA provides services and support programs for junior enlisted service members and their families at 45 military installations across the U.S. They offer child care, wounded warrior support, spouse and deployment assistance, and other programs to help make military life easier.
Navy Medicine is a global health care network of 63,000 personnel that provides health care support to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, their families, and veterans in high operational tempo environments, at expeditionary medical facilities, medical treatment facilities, hospitals, clinics, hospital ships, and research units around the world.