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Dubuque Awarded 11th Green 'H' for Crew Wellness

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100402-04
Release Date: 4/2/2010 6:48:00 AM

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David McKee, USS Dubuque (LPD 8) Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Commander, Naval Surface Forces (COMNAVSURFOR) announced March 12 that the Landing Platform Dock USS Dubuque (LPD 8) received the 2009 Force Health and Wellness Award, or the Green "H."

This is the ship's 11th consecutive year to receive the award.

The purpose of this unit award is to recognize the Sailors aboard ship who demonstrate their dedication to helping Sailors and Marines make constructive changes in their life by conducting activities like cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, smoking cessation courses, regular health fairs, fitness sessions and education on healthy living.

Stress, lack of exercise, alcohol and tobacco use are unhealthy lifestyle choices that account for a majority of illnesses and deaths in the United States, according to COMNAVSURFOR instruction 6100.1D. Positive changes, on the other hand, can improve health, quality of life and mission readiness.

Wellness education begins when a Sailor arrives on board Dubuque and continues until they transfer, according to Lt. Anatoly Hernandez, the ship's medical officer.

"Through command indoctrination, appropriate medical screenings, maintaining individual medical readiness above 95 percent, duty section medical training and conducting health fairs, we hope to decrease the time lost from work and improve the health and wellness of our Sailors. It's the healthy Sailors that make Dubuque a warfship ready for tasking," said Hernandez.

The award is on par with the work Hernandez's corpsmen perform each day in Dubuque's Medical Department, said Chief Hospital Corpsman (SW) Matthew McCoy, Dubuque's medical leading chief petty officer.

"We set high standards in medical, and we meet every expectation, on time, every time," said McCoy.

The qualifying period for this award was from Jan. 1, 2009, to December 31, 2009. Ships that receive the COMNAVSURFOR Force Health and Wellness award can paint a Green "H" on the ship's bridge wing. Hash marks are painted below the "H" to indicate sequential awards. Commands awarded the Green "H" five consecutive times are authorized to paint a green star above the Green "H."