YN1 Myron De Sa: First Coast Guard Junior NCO MMOY for MEPCOM Story by Lt. Heather Davis, Reserve Personnel Management In October, Petty Officer 1st Class Myron De Sa became the junior noncommissioned officer in the U.S. MEPCOM Military Member of the Year competition—the first Coast Guardsman to achieve the honor. De Sa, a 10-year veteran and reservist, is on extended active duty orders at Military Entrance Processing Command Miami, a Department of Defense Army joint unit. There, he conducts Air Force officer testing, language proficiency exams for all languages, cyber security, tailored adaptive personality assessments, coding speed tests, and flight simulation tests. He also proctors enlistment tests for prospective members and conducts ASVAB testing for high school students. De Sa comes to his commands with an infectious optimism, can-do attitude, unparalleled Cuban coffee making skills and a willingness to always help his shipmates. When he is focused on a task or goal, he follows through with professionalism and dedication. The reservist joined the Coast Guard in 2012, and he opted for a change in rating after four years as a boatswain’s mate. His first billet after yeoman A-school was at Base Miami Beach, but he has filled many sets of active duty orders at various units, like Reserve Personnel Management at Headquarters, as well as the Atlantic Area in Portsmouth, Virginia, providing support to cutters transiting to Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. He’s also been previously selected as his district’s Reserve Enlisted Person of the Year (REPOY). What was the selection process like for the Military Member of the Year for MEPCOM? First, there is an initial record review and oral board with five senior enlisted members to be nominated at the unit level. Once selected as a candidate for your battalion, you go on to compete with the six Eastern Battalion winners. The competition took place in Chicago, and it included a physical fitness assessment, a writing assignment, and another oral board. The final national round of selection was in Boston. This included completing a physical fitness test, creating leadership development plans, navigating challenging counseling scenarios, a handwritten writing assignment, and a final oral board. How has your experience working at the MEPS changed you as a leader? Here at MEPS, we work in a joint service world where military are outnumbered by civilians. It is roughly 80% civilian to 20% military split. So, not only do I have to command a presence being the sole Coastie in a DOD world, but I also have to navigate in the waters of managing civilians, which adds a new dynamic. Through trial and error, it taught me to use my HR background and more structured management. I think having to adapt to leading those not wearing a uniform has shaped me into a more agile and dynamic leader. Regardless of attire, we are still people who have basic needs that, if gone unnoticed or unchallenged, could pave the way for something disastrous. It’s all about adapting to each unique situation by following the policies and seeking help when things get out of hand. What is next in your career? My goal now is to simultaneously work on getting an anchor while also putting a package together for Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination. Whichever comes first is the route I want to take. All I know for certain is that I want to make an impact and continue to help those junior members who are often not mentored and get them to a place where I can help unlock their full potential. . From top: Petty Officer 1st Class Myron De Sa; De Sa during the formal board interview, De Sa and other finalists train with military reenactors aboard the USS Constitution, De Sa and his family. Issue 4 • 2023 . Reservist 21 Celebrating Celebrating 70 70 years of the Reservist years of the Reservist
