NAVY LEAGUE NEWS

NLUS Announces Winners of 2001 Sea Service Awards

Ballard, Hartwell, Finnerty, Simmons Rank Among Top National Selectees

Navy League National President John R. Fisher has announced the names of the winners of the Navy League's 2001 Sea Service Awards, which this year include a new award in the field of naval intelligence.

Following is a list of the awards and the names of the 2001 winners, with excerpts from the citations that will be presented to the award recipients at the 22 June Awards Luncheon during this year's NLUS National Convention at the Nugget Hotel in Reno, Nevada.

The John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational Leadership: Capt. Daniel N. Hartwell, USN, "for inspirational leadership and exceptional professional expertise as commanding officer of the mine countermeasures support ship USS Inchon. He masterfully steered Inchon through a greatly compressed ... interdeployment training cycle, dramatically improving its operational readiness and material condition. His personal involvement in all aspects of crew discipline and morale directly led to unprecedented gains in both first- and second-term retention and transformed an inexperienced crew into a highly capable team. His personal efforts to improve his ship's material condition and readiness were clearly instrumental in making Inchon the Navy's most valuable mine warfare asset."

The Naval Intelligence Foundation Award: Cdr. Samuel Joseph Cox, USN, "for meritorious leadership in providing direct operational intelligence support to U.S. naval forces engaged in combat and crisis operations in the Balkans and the Middle East. ... As intelligence officer for the USS Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group, he provided intelligence crucial to the success of sustained high-intensity combat strike operations in two separate theaters. ... His seasoned leadership of the Battle Group Intelligence Team resulted in highly effective intelligence support for over 3,000 combat strike missions in Yugoslavia during Operation Allied Force and in Iraq as part of Operation Southern Watch."

The Admiral Claude V. Ricketts Award for Inspirational Leadership, E-7 and above: Master Chief Missile Technician Sean P. McGurk, USN, "for professional achievement as command master chief of Electronic Attack Squadron 136 and Carrier Air Wing Five ... while deployed to the Western Pacific. ... His efforts lit a fire that has made the chief petty officers of the air facility, the Kitty Hawk, and the air wing an effective management team that led the Carrier Group team to greater heights. ... [He] brought the Navy's core values back to the forefront of the entire battle group, making it a more effective fighting force because of his presence."

The Admiral Claude V. Ricketts Award for Inspirational Leadership, E-6 and below: Aviation Electronics Technician First Class Daniel Lynn Gray, USN, "for inspirational leadership and superior performance of duty while serving as the leading petty officer of the Helicopter Support Squadron Two Fleet Replacement Department. ... [He] was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for Heroism for his lifesaving actions during Hurricane Floyd. ... A proven leader who consistently achieves unmatched results, he was recognized as the Secretary of Defense's 'Navy Contemporary Hero of the Year.'"

The Captain Winifred Quick Collins Award for Inspirational Leadership, Officer: Lt. Kendra M. Bowers, USN, "for the superior performance of her duties ... as air-to-ground weapons training officer, air wing watch officer, and air wing mining officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 105. ... Her ... constant pursuit of excellence consistently set the standard for leadership as the command completed an arduous interdeployment training cycle and prepared for deployment. ... Her consistently outstanding performance earned her wide recognition as the air wing expert on the employment of all air-to-ground ordnance ... [and] led VFA-105 to ... the flawless accomplishment of all operational tasking."

The Captain Winifred Quick Collins Award for Inspirational Leadership, Enlisted: Aviation Machinist's Mate First Class Renee Lynn Behm-Leblanc, USN, "for ... the outstanding performance of her duties ... as leading petty officer of the Phase Corrosion Division, Patrol Squadron Nine. ... Her professional expertise and constant pursuit of excellence set the standard for leadership and teamwork among first class petty officers. Coordinating the workload of seven different rating specialties, she optimized the successful completion of two aircraft transfers, four depot-level repairs, and over 80 inspection cycles on 10 P-3C patrol aircraft."

The General John A. Lejeune Award for Inspirational Leadership: Capt. Wesley A. Philbeck, USMC, "for outstanding performance of duty ... as platoon commander of Fourth Platoon, Second Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Company. ... He demonstrated exceptional resolve in preparing his Marines for a six-month deployment ... as a forward-deployed, expeditionary antiterrorism force designed to deter, detect, and defend against acts of terrorism against vital [U.S.] naval and national assets. His platoon performed remarkably in supporting ... Operation Southern Watch ... and Operation Determined Response in ... the aftermath of the terrorist bombing of the USS Cole."

The General Gerald C. Thomas Award for Inspirational Leadership: Gunnery Sergeant Raymond E. Stephens, USMC, "for inspirational leadership ... as the First Sergeant, Headquarters Company, First Recruit Training Battalion, Recruit Training Regiment, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. ... Assuming a leadership role of Marines assigned to widely varying responsibilities ... he quickly pulled them together as a unit with the application of time-tested leadership principles. ... Despite the enormous workload involved in his primary duties as battalion drillmaster, he ... [molded] a group of individuals into a team that quickly achieved goals that they had not deemed possible."

The Rear Admiral William S. Parsons Award for Scientific and Technical Progress: Max N. Yoder, "for meritorious achievement in the scientific and technical field as both program officer and director, Electronics Division, Office of Naval Research. ... He demonstrated outstanding scientific vision, technical knowledge, operational insight, and determination in overseeing the Navy's investment in wide bandgap semiconducting materials and devices that are giving the Navy a new family of radars ... that dramatically advance system performance. His visionary leadership has ... spawned a new industry in partnership with American universities."

The Stephen Decatur Award for Operational Competence: Lt. Randy Frederick Heth, USN, "for the superior performance of his duties ... as combat systems officer of the Submarine Squadron Support Unit, New London. ... He ... [led] the unit in every facet of submarine work screening and assignment, the coordination of material logistics, predeployment preparations, and expert technical support. He [also] cultivated a positive 'Team New London' approach to all aspects of operations in support of three submarine squadrons and their nuclear fast attack submarines ... [ensuring] that the material condition of the submarines would support mission accomplishment."

The General Holland M. Smith Award for Operational Competence: Capt. Sean N. Day, USMC, "for superior operational competence ... as operations officer, logistics officer, and inspecting officer of Delta Company, Marine Security Guard Battalion. ... He demonstrated exceptional knowledge in the field of antiterrorism and force protection ... to train over 200 forward-deployed Marines protecting U.S. embassies and consulates in Latin America and the Caribbean. He traveled over 200,000 miles in the conduct of more than 60 inspection/instruction missions. ... He also developed a detailed ... program of instruction ... for an expansion of antiterrorism training for all Marines assigned to the Embassy Security Guard program as well as the first comprehensive program in force protection."

The Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Literary Achievement: Brig. Gen. Edwin Howard Simmons, USMC (Ret.), "for six decades of extraordinary accomplishment, wielding both pen and sword, on behalf of the Marine Corps and the United States of America. From the beginning of World War II through the Chosin Reservoir campaign in Korea to Vietnam as well as in North China and the Dominican Republic ... [he] compiled an illustrious combat record while commanding Marine fighting units of every size. ... [After] retiring from active duty ... he continued to serve Corps and country as director of Marine Corps History and Museums. During this same time frame he authored five books ... and more than 300 articles, short stories, chapters, introductions, forewords, published lectures, and reviews. His latest book, Dog Company Six--published last year by the Naval Institute Press--has been hailed by ... critics as the finest work of fiction of its genre."

The Robert M. Thompson Award for Outstanding Civilian Leadership: Dr. Robert D. Ballard, "for more than 30 years of leadership in exploration and public education in the importance of the oceans to the American people. Through his work at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, with the National Geographic Society and other organizations, and as president of the Institute for Exploration, he has inspired a generation of Americans with a passion for deep-sea exploration and an understanding of the centrality of the oceans in our national life. His work as an explorer, writer, teacher, and Naval Reserve officer ... [is] unsurpassed among scientists of his era. As the United States continues to enjoy the benefits a vital community of oceanographic researchers confers upon it, it will owe those benefits in no small measure to Robert D. Ballard."

The Honorable J. William Middendorf II Award for Engineering Excellence: Senior Chief Machinist's Mate Rickey A. Seiter, USN, "for outstanding leadership and engineering excellence ... as leading chief petty officer of the Catapult Steam and Automatic Boiler Controls Division ... of the aircraft carrier USS Constellation. His unparalleled mentoring resulted in top performances by 'fireroom side' watchstanders. His personal attention to catapult steam valves and associated controls corrected long-standing discrepancies, enabling the system to operate in full automatic mode with 100 percent reliability in more than 10,000 fixed-wing aircraft launches."

The Admiral Ben Moreell Award for Logistics Competence, Officer: Lt. Cdr. Peter George Stamatopoulos, Supply Corps, USN, "for meritorious service as ... replenishment officer for commander, Logistics Forces, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/commander, Task Force Five Three in support of U.N. maritime intercept operations and Operations Southern Watch and Determined Response. He successfully met the logistics challenges posed by a 30 percent increase in operating tempo, an 85 percent increase in pallets transferred at sea, and a 20 percent increase in replenishment-at-sea operations. ... Following the terrorist attack on USS Cole, he spearheaded a scheme of maneuver to simultaneously sustain over 30 surface-combatant units thousands of miles apart."

The Admiral Ben Moreell Award for Logistics Competence, Enlisted: Chief Storekeeper James M. Sheffer, USN, "for outstanding service as assistant chief of staff for logistics ... [for] commander, Carrier Group Eight. His outstanding professionalism, expertise, and leadership ensured that superior logistical support was provided to the nine ships and crews of the Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group. ... The ... Group's sustained logistical readiness during its Mediterranean Sea/Persian Gulf deployment, including combat operations Allied Force and Noble Anvil, was a direct result of his planning ability, organizational skills, and flawless execution."

The Captain David H. Jarvis Award for Inspirational Leadership: Lt. Tracy J. Wannamaker, USCG, "for superior leadership ... as commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Cape May, N.J. Her leadership of 70 active-duty, reserve, and auxiliary personnel ... resulted in highly trained professional crews that earned high praise from the Coast Guard chain of command, the maritime and civilian community, and the governor of New Jersey. She ... demonstrated exceptional competence in superbly orchestrating high-tempo operations involving over 400 search-and-rescue cases and 1,600 boardings."

The Douglas A. Munro Award for Inspirational Leadership: Senior Chief Boatswain's Mate John M. Buchanan, USCG, "for superior leadership as acting officer-in-charge of the Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Metompkin. ... He kept ... [his] crew at the forefront of numerous high-profile cases, including the unprecedented interception and seizure of seven migrant-smuggling vessels over a 12-day period in operations that included the apprehension of two vessels, three smugglers, and nine Cuban migrants in one night. He also served, during a repatriation of migrants in a Cuban port, as the first enlisted person to command a U.S. warship... [and] as the only enlisted member of the Coast Guard Readiness System Development Team."

The Vincent T. Hirsch Maritime Award for Outstanding Leadership: Peter J. Finnerty, "for his commitment to the goal of maintaining the strong U.S. maritime industry needed to protect the political, military, economic, and environmental security of the United States. ... He has tirelessly worked on and contributed to every major U.S. maritime policy and legislative initiative since 1966, including the Shipping Act of 1984 and the Maritime Security Act of 1966 ... [and] has been an active participant in numerous industry-DOD groups working to provide strategic sealift for the United States in time of national need. He has served as national president of the Propeller Club of the United States, as vice chairman of the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation, and as a national vice president of the Navy League of the United States."

The Captain Arthur L. Johnson Award for Inspirational Leadership: John C. Pope, "for meritorious service as Master of the fleet ocean tugs USNS Sioux and USNS Catawba. ... After the Alaskan Airlines Flight 261 crash off the California coast, Sioux provided invaluable support to the recovery and investigative effort, serving as both a command-and-control platform and as an active participant in salvage operations. During his subsequent assignment to Catawba ... he led his ship through extraordinarily demanding operations ... [including the] tow of an impounded cargo vessel that had violated sanctions ... and served as on-scene commander for U.S. forces engaged in search-and-rescue efforts after the crash of Gulf Air Flight 072."

The Able Seaman Oscar Chappell Award for Outstanding Maritime Stewardship: Troy A. Bruemmer, "for meritorious service aboard the fleet ocean tug USNS Apache. Widely acknowledged as one of the Atlantic Fleet's foremost experts on ... technically challenging tow operations, he played a key supervisory role in four midstream tow hookups and disconnects. He also supervised the most difficult of disconnects, that of a target tow at night, on the open ocean. ... He is extraordinarily dedicated to providing his shipmates with the tools they need to excel. His insistence on demonstrating, teaching, and executing proper procedures produces flawless tow evolutions conducted in a safety-oriented atmosphere."