Rotorua man navy's best of the year

A Rotorua man has received the Royal New Zealand Navy's 2014 Sailor of the Year award.

Leading Seaman Combat Specialist Leon Reilly received the award from Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Jack Steer at the Champion of the Navy event just before Christmas.

The citation named him as the epitome of what a sailor in the New Zealand Navy should be.

LSCS Reilly attended Rotorua Boys' High School and joined the navy in 2006, at the age of 17, hoping to have a "bright future".

"I've enjoyed making new friends and becoming a part of the navy family. I enjoy the vast array of work we do on a day-to-day basis, I am continuously learning and upskilling," he said.

Rear Admiral Steer called LSCS Reilly an outstanding role model for his conduct during his naval career.

"[LSCS Reilly has] the courage to do the right thing. Even if assigned tasks or days are boring, hard or difficult, he guides his shipmates to steer their own personal course, to help them learn how to get satisfaction from achieving and maintaining the highest standards they are capable of. He gives much of himself to others and of the value that is derived from his wider influence and contributions to the ship, his shipmates, the navy and the wider community," he said.

The award isn't the first in LSCS Reilly's career. He has twice received the Sailor of the Quarter Award, in 2010 and 2014, both while posted to HMNZS Endeavour.

LSCS Reilly said he was looking forward to Endeavour's major deployments this year.

LSCS Reilly lives in Devonport with his partner Stephanie Graham and often visits his extended family in Rotorua. He said he would definitely recommend a navy career to anyone considering joining up.

"The navy is a career opportunity and could provide people the same bright future as myself. I enjoy most things about my job, I work hard and enjoy my successes," he said.