NSW HMs Earn Prestigious IDCOY Awards for FY23

Three Hospital Corpsmen within the Naval Special Warfare community earned Independent Duty Corpsman of the Year (IDCOY) honors for fiscal year 2023.

An IDCOY award selection board of 32 senior enlisted HM panel members evaluated 72 nomination packages. The judging process, from receipt to final result, spans roughly two months. When the Chief of Naval Operations announced the IDCOY winners this past May, 10 winners emerged from across eight IDC platforms.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Joseph M. Malabanan, born in the Philippines and raised in San Diego, achieved the title of Special Operations Forces (Junior) IDC of the Year. Malabanan, previously of Naval Special Warfare Group One (NSWG-1), is currently assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5. He credits his leadership at NSWG-1 for his success. “From the time I checked in to NSWG-1 in 2020, I was inspired by my senior leaders, specifically IDCs at the clinic,” said Malabanan. “It has been a personal goal of mine to strive to be better. The leaders have shown me the road map and ladder to success. All I did was follow it and climb it.”

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Jonothan St. Clair, from Pearland, Texas, is the Special Operation Forces (Senior) IDC of the Year. Assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group Eight (NSWG-8) Logistics and Support Unit, St. Clair balances roles as both a diver and a corpsman. “I feel fortunate to be in the NSW community, providing direct, expeditionary medical support for high-risk operations,” said St. Clair. “Helping a teammate when they are having a rough day and problem-solving under pressure is the most rewarding part.”

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class David J. Brown, from Redlands, California, was named Shore Commands (Overall) IDC of the Year. A 12-year Navy veteran, Brown values his role in the NSWCEN medical department, which cares for Navy SEAL and SWCC candidates. “NSWCEN Medical works hard to ensure that students can perform at the high standard needed to complete Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL school,” said Brown. “We have the right players in the right positions to provide the best care possible to the students and staff training future operators.”

The U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine (BUMED) defines an IDC as a specially trained corpsman who serves aboard ships or stations without a medical officer. IDCs are pivotal to the health and welfare of Sailors and Marines, operating at sea, on shore, and with special operations forces. “My mentor, Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Spencer Grey, was a huge influence on me to become an IDC and to hold myself to a high standard,” added Brown. “He taught me organization, accountability, and humility.”

IDCs have been a key part of the Navy since the early 1900s. During that period, there were over 290 commissioned ships but only 124 Navy Physicians to cover them. IDCs independently served aboard approximately 100 ships in war zones during World War I, providing essential care. BUMED established the Pharmacist’s Mates School in Hampton Roads, Virginia in 1917 to ensure corpsmen received the necessary advanced training. Currently, IDCs consist of 1,400 men and women serving in four recognized Navy Enlisted Codes (NECs): Submarine Force, Fleet Marine Force Recon, Surface, and Deep Sea Dive Technician.

Naval Special Warfare remains the nation’s elite maritime special operations force, uniquely positioned to extend the Fleet’s reach in competition and conflict.