The Challenge:
Operational demands on the Sea Services are growing because of the increased pace of adversary activity around the world. As a result, Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen must maintain and operate increasingly advanced technology for longer periods of time in challenging environments.
How can the Sea Services better recruit, retain, train, and educate enlisted personnel for the challenges they must face?
- Preparing to lead in combat
- Learning from recent combat operations
- Maximizing training to lower risk to mission
- Balancing leadership development with tactical acumen
- Ensuring readiness and safety
- Maintaining platforms and systems to reach higher readiness goals
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 2025.
- 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 2026.
Submit your Essay
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