The votes are in and these are your winners of Military Times’ Service Member of the Year competition. Each year a service member is chosen from each branch of service based on recommendations by people like you. A person is picked for each service. So, allow me to introduce you to this year’s winners.

First Sgt. William C. Harlan remembers seeing the pothole but could not see the bomb hidden inside. As he stood in the squad leader hatch of a Stryker armored vehicle in Mosul, Iraq, the bomb erupted with massive force, and he was immediately ejected landing some 30 feet away.

While Medics administered first aid, he continued to direct the security and evacuation plan of his soldiers earning a Purple Heart for his service that day in Iraq.

However, it’s his leadership, demonstrated in helping other wounded troops cope with suffering and rehabilitation while recovering himself, that has landed 1SG Harlan here today.

News of the bombing frightened his family, especially his children, Katy and Andrew. He had returned safely from previous tours in Afghanistan and Iraq but this time, they feared he would not pull through. Despite going through 16 major surgeries and still having lingering pain from the injury, he elected to continue serving on active duty instead of taking a honorable medical discharge. He then volunteered to help establish the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington, a unit designed to help rehabilitate injured combat soldiers. And he served well as the Task Force Phoenix battalion operations sergeant leveraging his firsthand knowledge of being wounded and returning to duty, to better advise the battalion leadership in medical evaluation and physical evaluation board processes. Plus, he still volunteers today to spend time with children of fallen soldiers as part of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (known as TAPS).

A native of Walnut Creek, California, First Sgt. Harlan’s enthusiasm for his job is evident to all as he leads from the front. A true American hero who is essential to the continued success of our overall military operations stateside and overseas.

We are proud to recognize First Sergeant William C. Harlan, as the 2008 Army Times Soldier of the Year.

During time of war there will be great sorrow from the loss of loved ones. And, I’m sure no one wants to experience that sorrow more than a few times, if at all—but Gunny Sergeant William Dixon faces it up-close-and-personal almost every day.

As the Funeral Director at Marine Barracks Washington, GySgt Dixon conducts anywhere from 15-20 funerals a week, laying his fallen brethren to rest at Arlington National Cemetery without ever slowing down or showing fatigue. His professionalism, dedication, attention to detail and esprit de corps makes him worthy to do this honorable job, and the way he does so reflects the ideal of a warm and compassion Marine honoring the value of a life.

Whether he is aiding the families of an admiral or a private, he treats everyone with the utmost respect, honor and pride. He always goes the ‘extra mile’ as if each and every one of the fallen were his own relative, and his sincerity is beyond reproach. When he hands the loved one the US flag, it is hard not to cry. He literally opens his heart and soul to the family, always exceeding their expectations.

When GySgt Dixon is not conducting funerals, he volunteers at every opportunity to support Marines, their families and the community. Following the summer parades, he is never at a loss for words regardless of the situation, size or dynamics of a group as he endears anyone he meets within seconds. In his spare time, he spends countless hours volunteering at various shelters, soup kitchens, as well as mentoring kids at local DC area schools. He recently organized a group of 20 volunteers to spend time with TAPS children who have lost a parent in combat.

A native of Evansville, Indiana, Gunny Sergeant Dixon is the first member of his family to serve in the military. He proudly represents his family, and his Marine family during these trying times, epitomizing the ideal of the “everyday hero”, and contributing in unsung ways to make this a better world.

We are proud to honor Gunny Sergeant William J. Dixon, as the 2008 Marine Corps Times Marine of the Year.

Command Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Page has the human touch and can pick out the ones who need it. A staff sergeant lay unconscious on a gurney in the belly of a C-17, his arm amputated and his face shattered and lacerated from a roadside bomb attack in Iraq. Chief Page arrived when the plane landed. He had never met this staff sergeant or his wife before, but greeted them like old friends, saying, “You’re in Air Force country now. I got you. Everything’s going to be OK.” And he has been there for them every since.

There are many similar stories about Chief Page’s selflessness and compassion, as he has earned a sterling reputation for consistently helping wounded troops and ordinary folks alike at Randolph Air Force Base and nearby Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. He especially calls upon those who have few visitors. He believes in giving the injured hope and assisting them in their transition– anything to let them know they are not forgotten. He does none of this for the limelight—instead, he does it for “the people.”

For example, Chief Page moved several injured troops into base housing right across from his own so he could assist them at all hours. He helped with the set-up of a home for a wounded service member who had fled Iraq to join the US Army to serve her new country. He coordinated a private donation of $10,000 to assist wounded service members with housing expenses, and assisted another in receiving $25,000 to make their home handicapped accessible. And best of all, he masterminded the design and implementation of the Randolph Air Force Base $1.4 million Airmen’s Heritage Park for everyone to enjoy.

Chief Page has the uncanny ability to connect with airmen of all stripes. Although he mentors many, he knows each of them and knows what they need at the right time. His leadership sets the example for all. He influences everyone he meets, leaving them more patriotic and humbled. And his most inspiring award received to date is seeing the smiles on the faces of those troops and family members he serves—that’s priceless.

Command Chief Master Sgt. Stephen Page, we salute you as the 2008 Air Force Times Airman of the Year.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Tremaine L. Luster has been a busy man since arriving at the Navy Reserve Forces Command in New Orleans. As the enlisted detailer for more than 5,000 enlisted Navy Reserve medical personnel, he leads weekly remedial physical fitness sessions, runs in local road races, coaches his son’s little league basketball team, and visits local elementary schools to encourage students to stay away from drugs as part of Campaign Drug Free.

According to his chain of command, Petty Officer Luster takes his taxing schedule in stride — yet, he is always prepared to do more when another opportunity comes along. In prior tours, he focused more on work, school (as he has earned 2 bachelors degrees) and family, but seeing the after-effect of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans led him to redouble his efforts — to see what he could do to help.

That desire led him to team with five other petty officers first class to start a community outreach program that utilizes sailors stationed in New Orleans as a volunteer labor pool to assist at a local hospital and support a local high school. Petty Officer Luster has never worked in construction, yet he wanted to fix homes, especially those still in pretty bad shape from the storm of three years ago. That led him to devise a plan where he drives a group of shipmates on Saturdays to sites around New Orleans, for the sailors to pitch in on construction and renovation efforts in the many devastated neighborhoods. This idea evolved when he saw that van-pooling raised volunteer attendance of the sailors within the communities and alleviated any excuses from assisting. And this volunteer outreach program is still expanding.

Overall, Petty Officer Luster serves as an inspiration to others about being involved in your command, your family and your community, and he does it all with a humble attitude. He credits his childhood days in Dayton Ohio and the experiences of growing up in a large family with learning how to give back and help others survive.

He truly leads by example, on- and off-duty, and that is why Petty Officer Tremaine L. Luster is being honored as the 2008 Navy Times Sailor of the Year.

Marine Science Technician 1st Class Anthony Clark’s story is a tale of extremes. In 2007, his assignments took him from Alaska to the deserts of Iraq, from familiar shipmates to the military branch perhaps least like his own: the Army. He not only survived this assignment, he thrived.

In Alaska, Petty Officer Clark patrolled the Juneau harbor helping train Coast Guard Auxiliarists, civilians who volunteer their time and their own boats to work with the Coast Guard. He spent many off-duty hours training and qualifying them as harbor safety officers, a feat that led Coast Guardsmen around District 17 to copy his training program.

While scheduling his move to Coast Guard Sector Charles¬ton, in S.C., he heard that volunteers were needed in Iraq. So, he signed up for a billet that involved training Army units on how to pack and ship hazardous materials back to the U.S. This “Army” job involved a lot of travel — on land — and he found the experience to be rewarding. Long days, seven days a week were common; rocket and mortar attacks were a constant hazard. Yet he and his team earned the reputation as the top group of their kind in Iraq, and were the most sought-after HAZMAT authority in Iraq.

Upon returning stateside, he’s back to training junior maritime inspectors and working with the shipping industry, plus volunteering his time at a local animal rescue agency. But that might not last much longer since he has volunteered to go back to Iraq.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Petty Officer Clarks wants to continue ascending the Coast Guard ladder and just maybe becoming the service’s top enlisted leader. So if the Coast Guard is the only job he could say he actually loves, he may as well ‘be the best he can be’ and Semper Paratus, Always Ready.

First Class Anthony R. Clark, we congratulate you as the 2008 Navy Times Coast Guardsman of the Year.

Congratulations to this year’s winners!