Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (Surface Warfare) Jeffry Priela, USN

HM2(SW) Jeff Priela was Born in the Philippines, HM2 Priela was raised in the United Kingdom and finally settling in the United States. He attended High School at Santa Barbara California and attained aBachelors of Fine Art Degree from the California Institute of the Art in 2005. 3 Months after graduating he enlisted in the Navy and was shipped off to Great lakes Naval Training Center where he successfully completed Boot Camp, Hospital Corpsman “A” School and Dental Technician “C” School. Upon graduation he received his first duty station in Naval Station Norfolk, VA onboard USS Ponce LPD-15 where he was the assistant Lead Petty Officer/senior Dental Technician. While onboard USS Ponce he became the top performing sailor attaining the following awards: Bluejacket of the Month x1, Junior Sailor of the Quarter x2, Junior Sailor of the Year 2008, Navy Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defence Medal, GWOT Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Navy Sea Service Ribbon and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Pin.

In 2009 HM2 Priela transferred out early from USS Ponce to accept an Individual Augmentee Tour in Kuwait. Following this tour he reported onboard Field Medical Training Battalion, Camp Pendelton tobe trained as a field corpsman with the Marines attaining the 8404 rating and reported onboard Naval Health Clinic Hawaii.

HM2 Priela has been with OutServe since 2010 whilst stationed onboard Tripler Army Medical Center working as the Aerovac Clerk in conjunction with the 15th Med Wing at Hickam AFB. He was the chapter leader for OutServe Hawaii from January 2011 to April 2012. He had successfully helped transition approx 200 LGBT OutServe members during the repeal of DADT.

While being the chapter leader for OSHi, he had adopted a highway named the CPL. Andrew Wilfahrt Memorial Highway on behalf of Andrew Wilfahrt. (The first confirmed LGBT servicemember to be KIA since the repeal of DADT on Sept 20th 2011) Since then HM2 Priela has engaged the local LGBT ‘Equality Hawaii,’ and provided a face for the active duty LGBT on island on the cover of ‘eXpression! ‘Magazine, Television interviews, the OutServe Magazine, ‘Our Time’ book edited by OutServe’s Co-Founder Lt. Josh Seefried, coordinated the colour guard for Pride Parade in 2011/2012, coordinated the ground effort for the Charlie Morgan Initiative, held social events and provided a direct link to international LGBT groups like Australia’s DEFGLIS (Defence Gay and Lesbian Information Service) and New Zealand’s OverWatch. For his efforts, OutServe Hawaii was named as ‘Chapter of the Year’ for OutServe’s first Annual Leadership Conference in Las Vegas in October 2011. OutServe Hawaii was able to secured a proclamation for DADT Repeal Day set to coincide with OutServe-SLDN's 1 Year Anniversary dinner for Repeal on the USS Intrepid on 18 Sept 2012.

HM2 Priela now serves as OSHi’s Ambassador to the local LGBT community helping to build dialogue and provide military LGBT support to events. He is the founding Vice President of the Gay men's Chorus of Honolulu and Board Member of Equality Hawaii.

He is engaged to his fiancé Chris Tam, a native of Kapahulu, Maui.

 

HM2(SW) Jeff Priela was Born in the Philippines, HM2 Priela was raised in the United Kingdom and finally settling in the United States. He attended High School at Santa Barbara California and attained a Bachelors of Fine Art Degree from the California Institute of the Art in 2005. 3 Months after graduating he enlisted in the Navy and was shipped off to Great lakes Naval Training Center where he successfully completed Boot Camp, Hospital Corpsman “A” School and Dental Technician “C” School. Upon graduation he received his first duty station in Naval Station Norfolk, VA onboard USS Ponce LPD-15 where he was the assistant Lead Petty Officer/senior Dental Technician. While onboard USS Ponce he became the top performing sailor attaining the following awards: Bluejacket of the Month x1, Junior Sailor of the Quarter x2, Junior Sailor of the Year 2008, Navy Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, National Defence Medal, GWOT Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Navy Sea Service Ribbon and Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist Pin.
In 2009 HM2 Priela transferred out early from USS Ponce to accept an Individual Augmentee Tour in Kuwait. Following this tour he reported onboard Field Medical Training Battalion, Camp Pendelton tobe trained as a field corpsman with the Marines attaining the 8404 rating and reported onboard Naval Health Clinic Hawaii.
HM2 Priela has been with OutServe since 2010 whilst stationed onboard Tripler Army Medical Center working as the Aerovac Clerk in conjunction with the 15th Med Wing at Hickam AFB. He was the chapter leader for OutServe Hawaii from January 2011 to April 2012. He had successfully helped transition approx 200 LGBT OutServe members during the repeal of DADT.
While being the chapter leader for OSHi, he had adopted a highway named the CPL. Andrew Wilfahrt Memorial Highway on behalf of Andrew Wilfahrt. (The first confirmed LGBT servicemember to be KIA since the repeal of DADT on Sept 20th 2011) Since then HM2 Priela has engaged the local LGBT ‘Equality Hawaii,’ and provided a face for the active duty LGBT on island on the cover of ‘eXpression! ‘Magazine, Television interviews, the OutServe Magazine, ‘Our Time’ book edited by OutServe’s Co-Founder Lt. Josh Seefried, coordinated the colour guard for Pride Parade in 2011/2012, coordinated the ground effort for the Charlie Morgan Initiative, held social events and provided a direct link to international LGBT groups like Australia’s DEFGLIS (Defence Gay and Lesbian Information Service) and New Zealand’s OverWatch. For his efforts, OutServe Hawaii was named as ‘Chapter of the Year’ for OutServe’s first Annual Leadership Conference in Las Vegas in October 2011. OutServe Hawaii was able to secured a proclamation for DADT Repeal Day set to coincide with OutServe-SLDN's 1 Year Anniversary dinner for Repeal on the USS Intrepid on 18 Sept 2012.
HM2 Priela now serves as OSHi’s Ambassador to the local LGBT community helping to build dialogue and provide military LGBT support to events. He is the founding Vice President of the Gay men's Chorus of Honolulu and Board Member of Equality Hawaii.
He is engaged to his fiancé Chris Tam, a native of Kapahulu, Maui

 

 


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