Groton — Navy Diver 1st Class Ryan Foster is Naval Submarine School's Sailor of the Third Quarter 2016. Foster was selected July 11, in award ceremonies sponsored by the Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 20.

Foster is the leading petty officer of the Pressurized Submarine Escape Training Facility in the Engineering and High Risk Training Department.

Capt. Aaron M. Thieme, commanding officer of the Naval Submarine School, praised Foster's "outstanding leadership (as he) continually set the standard for 23 divers in his charge, resulting in zero discrepancies in the 2016 Naval Safety Survey, and an unprecedented perfect score."

Thieme added, "He qualified as control officer of the Submarine Escape Trainer, a qualification normally reserved for Chief Petty Officers and above. And showing exceptional technical knowledge and mentoring skills, he supervised 6 personnel during 3 Master Training Specialist (MTS) Qualification Boards and an Instructor of the Quarter (IOQ) Board that resulted in the qualification of 15 MTS candidates and 2 IOQs."

Foster received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and was presented with a commemorative plaque honoring his accomplishment by George Hyland of the Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 20.

Navy Diver 2nd Class Frank Phelan, a high-risk instructor with the Pressurized Submarine Escape Training Facility in the Engineering and High Risk Training Department, was the junior sailor of the quarter. Phelan was selected by the Naval Submarine School First Class Petty Officer Association.

Electronics Technician 1st Class Derek Warren was honored by the Naval Submarine School Master Training Board as instructor of the second quarter and Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Daniel Gilliam was selected as the junior instructor of the quarter.