The Sylvia Trent-Adams Award was established by the Black Commissioned Officers Advisory Group (BCOAG) in 2020. This award recognizes a senior officer (O-5 or O-6 rank) who consistently serves as a mentor to BCOAG junior officers and revered as a leader within BCOAG. The officer selected will have displayed a career of leadership and mentoring throughout their entire career as well as active and past engagement within BCOAG.

RADM Sylvia Trent-Adams became the first Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Health (PDASH) in January 2019, within this position she shares responsibility with the Assistant Secretary for Health, for planning, coordinating, and directing substantive program matters; policy and program development, and determining and setting legislatives and program priorities. RADM Trent-Adams previously served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the United States from October 2015 – January 2019, she has been an advocate for BCOAG throughout her PHS career.

Public Health Service (PHS) officers (Grades O-5, O-6) with a minimum of seven (7) years of service in the Corps are eligible for this award. Self-nominations are not accepted. Nominations should be from a junior officer or a group of junior officers. Current BCOAG voting members are ineligible for this award as per the BCOAG Bylaws.

Past Award Recipients