Peleliu Awarded First Battle "E"
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS060320-01
Release Date: 3/20/2006 12:45:00 PM
By Draftsman 1st Class (AW) Carmen O. Hubbs, USS Peleliu Public Affairs
PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- Commander, Naval Surface Forces awarded the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) her first Battle “E” March 10.
Peleliu Commanding Officer Capt. William Personius said that winning the Battle Efficiency award is a testament to the ship’s esprit de corps.
“Doing the right thing on a daily basis is what got us here,” said Personius. “I am certainly very proud of the crew’s performance. It says a great deal about their character and their ability to pursue and achieve such an accomplishment.”
According to Lt. Thomas Schrock, who coordinated Peleliu’s Battle “E” package, Peleliu had to qualify in four out of five evaluated warfare categories: maritime warfare, engineering survivability, command, control, communications and information warfare, logistics management, and safety.
“It is easier to fail in a particular area, or in more than one area, than it is to be successful at it. I think that is why it is such a prestigious and highly sought-after award,” Schrock said. “Everything that the crew does as part of their everyday job helped. By doing our jobs well and doing them on time, every time, that’s what allowed us to win the Battle ‘E.’”
One of the categories Peleliu competed in included the efforts of Sailors who work in the Combat Information Center.
“We don’t settle for average. We really push it and make training a priority. That’s why the Combat Systems Training Team and Integrated Training Team run so many drills,” said Senior Chief Operations Specialist (SW/AW) William Dilly, Operations Department leading chief petty officer. “There is a true effort by all to excel.”
Since the announcement of the award, Peleliu Sailor Seaman Tyler Cole said the morale on the ship has increased.
“I think it shows how our ship can pull together as a team,” said Cole, who works with First Division in Deck Department.
Personius said the crew is holding their heads up a little higher than before and “have bragging rights as the best ship on the waterfront.”
“Without the motivated leadership, even into the upper chain of command, I don’t think this would have been possible,” said Damage Controlman Fireman Jemel McCrea, who works with Repair Division.
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Justin Guthrie said winning the award for the first time in the ship’s 27-year history “definitely sets a new standard for Peleliu.”
“It shows a positive change in the way we are doing business,” said Guthrie.
The Navy Battle Efficiency Ribbon was established July 1, 1974, by then-Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf to recognize ships and aviation squadrons who are the best in the fleet in all areas of battle readiness, during a specific 18-month fleetwide competition.
In the 2005 Command Excellence Award Competition, Peleliu also won her first Command, Control, Communications and Information Warfare Excellence Award, fourth Logistics Management Excellence Award, fifth Engineering/Survivability Excellence Award, and eleventh Maritime Excellence Award.
Peleliu and Expeditionary Strike Group 3 are deployed to the Western Pacific in support of the global war on terrorism.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
