The Challenge:

Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen are in risky and often dangerous jobs. How can the Sea Services reduce risk and improve safety without sacrificing mission effectiveness? For example, essays might consider:

  • Lessons from a mishap or “near miss”
  • Ways to improve training to lower risk to mission and improve safety
  • How to improve crew rest and sleep management
  • Leading complex and risky evolutions through process excellence (NATOPs and Navy nuclear power, for example)
  • Managing risk, safety, and financial readiness—both on and off duty.

Eligibility

Open to enlisted personnel—active duty, reserve and retired--from any of the nation's sea services.

Submission Guidelines

  • Essays must be no more than 1,500 words, excluding end notes and sources. Include word count on title page of the essay.
  • Essays are judged in the blind. Do not include author name(s) on title page or within the body of the essay.
  • Submit essay as a Word document at www.usni.org/enlistedessay no later than 31 March 2023.
  • Essay must be original and not previously published (online or in print) or being considered for publication elsewhere. 

First Prize: $3,000

Second Prize: $2,000

Third Prize: $1,000

Selection Process

The Proceedings staff members will evaluate every essay and screen the top essays to a special Essay Selection Committee of at least six members who will include two members of the Naval Institute’s Editorial Board and four subject experts. All essays will be judged in the blind—i.e., the Proceedings staff members and judges will not know the authors of the essays. Since we receive so many submissions (more than 100 per month!), notification of acceptance on one of our platforms can take 4-6 months. We will notify you via email if your essay is selected for a prize or for publication.

Announcement of the Winners

Winners will be published in a future issue of Proceedings and recognized at WEST 2024.

Selected Submissions

PRIZE
TITLE
NAME
First Prize
Petty Officer First Class Jonathon Hall, U.S. Navy
Second Prize
Seaman Julio C. Arredondo, U.S. Navy
Third Prize
Pettty Officer Third Class Alexandra Wirth, U.S. Coast Guard
Sponsored by
USAA

Previous Winners