By MC2 Patrick Dionne

Yeoman 2nd Class Alice Flowers, left, and Yeoman 2nd Class Mario Ruiz, right, pins Second Class collar devices on Yeoman 3rd Class JohnMark Rivera during a promotion ceremony, July 31. Rivera was the third NPS Sailor to be promoted through the Navy’s Meritorious Advancement Program (MAP).

“I wasn’t really expecting this at all,” said Rivera. “When the Chief of Staff called my name at first it didn’t even register to me because everyone already thought that they were only going to MAP one person this year.

“I have just been doing my work and trying to help as many people as I can,” Rivera added. “For me to be recognized in such a significant way really makes it worth it.”

Rivera currently works as an Administrative Assistant at the NPS’ Command Admin office. Additionally, Rivera has played a significant role in the NPS community as a member of the NPS honor guard and the secretary of the Enlisted Recreation Committee.

“Right now, I am going to get back to working hard and support the command the best I can,” said Rivera on what lies ahead for him as a newly frocked second class. “I am also hard at work studying for classes that I am taking on my off time.”

The MAP program is intended to give commands greater authority to better shape their workforce and the Navy by developing and rewarding their best talent. This is the third year that Sailors assigned to shore commands have been able to receive promotions under the program. This year, MAP will account for approximately 15 percent of all E-4 through E-6 advancements, with 7,012 MAP quotas, an increase of 2,795 quotas from 2017.