Brandonville native named Sailor of the Year at NSA Mechanicsburg

BRANDONVILLE – A valley native initially had no plans of joining the military. Now, he’s sailor of the year at a Pennsylvania naval facility.

Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Horrox was recently named Sailor of the Year at Naval Support Activity Mechanicsburg, where he is Leading Petty Officer and Security Manager.

A 2009 Hazleton Area graduate, the Brandonville native joined the U.S. Navy after he moved to Texas with his brother.

“In my family, I was not the kid that was going to go into the military in any way, shape, or form. I didn’t like getting yelled at; I was a quiet, shy kid… I don’t think my family believed it until I was in boot camp,” Horrox said.

Horrox oversees leadership and personnel matters at NSA Mechanicsburg, a naval supply depot in Cumberland County. He’s been in the service for more than 12 years.

“He doesn’t act like he forgot what it’s like to be a lower rank. He knows it’s not all rainbows and sunshine,” Petty Officer 2nd Class Brittany Sopolosky, a sailor under his leadership, said.

His duties range from managing shift and gate operations to processing visit requests, onboarding personnel, and helping to lead the installation’s operations security program.

This year, he was named Sailor of the Year and awarded the Navy Achievement Medal.

Though, looking back, he says graduating boot camp remains one of his proudest milestones.

“It was the first thing I ever finished,” he said. “It gave me pride and confidence.”

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