Navy League to Present Navy, Marine Corps
Safety Awards at Sea-Air-Space Exposition
By DAISY KHALIFA, Sr. Director of Communications
Arlington, VA – The Navy League of the United States will present its Vern Clark and James L. Jones 2009 safety awards on Wednesday, May 5, at its annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, in National Harbor, Md. Navy League National President Daniel B. Branch Jr. and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will present the awards at the Secretary of the Navy Luncheon on the final day of the Exposition. The awards, named in honor of former Chief of Navy Operations Adm. Vern Clark and former Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Jones, recognize individuals and service units that best exemplified and advanced a culture of safety during the previous calendar year.
The awards will be presented to the following individuals and units with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps:
Admiral Vern Clark Safety Award, Individual – OS1 Floyd R. Smith, USS Simpson (FFG 56)
Admiral Vern Clark Safety Award, Command – Naval Construction Training Center Port Hueneme
General James L. Jones Award, Individual – MSgt Mildred E. McIntyre, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
General James L. Jones Award, Command – Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463
Petty Officer Smith is being honored with the Vern Clark award for his exceptional leadership that promulgated the reinvigoration of Simpson’s safety program, greatly enhancing safety for more than 200 Sailors, civilians and family members. His selfless dedication and intense personal involvement in the program resulted in the correction of more than 700 safety discrepancies in fiscal 2009. His innovative leadership and technical acumen saved the command more than $20,000 in repairs conducted by the ship’s safety petty officers.
The Vern Clark Command Award is being presented to the Naval Construction Training Center of Port Heuneme, Calif., for meritorious accomplishments associated with delivering the safest — yet most realistic — training to more than 8,500 Navy and Air Force students. By instilling safety practices on and off duty early in the careers of newly accessed Sailors and Airmen, the training center’s best practices helped instill safer work habits and behaviors that the students will take with them into the fleet. The Naval Construction Training Center Port Hueneme concluded its fiscal 2009 training year with a 70.8 percent mishap reduction rate, having reduced mishaps from 65 in 2008 to 19 in 2009, with zero fatalities or lost-time cases on or off duty. Additionally, the training canter achieved a 99 percent safety training completion rate for staff personnel.
McIntyre is receiving the General Jones Individual Award for professional achievement in the superior performance of her duties. Filling a captain’s billet, McIntyre actively promoted safety programs and initiatives during the planning and execution of numerous exercises and deployments throughout the Western Pacific, resulting in a significant reduction in operational mishaps and a 32 percent reduction in motor vehicle mishaps. As a result of her management acumen, the command’s ground safety programs achieved zero Class A mishaps and a 15 percent reduction in off-duty lost work days.
The General Jones Command Award goes to the Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 for distinguished performance in heavy lift and assault support operations while serving Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, from Oct. 1, 2008, to Aug. 11, 2009, and Marine Aircraft Group 40, Marine Expeditionary Brigade Afghanistan, from Aug. 11 to Sept. 30, 2009, while flying 2,620 mishap-free flight hours and 2,135 sorties. Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463’s superb integration of safety in its operations and training reflected great credit upon its personnel.
Then-Navy Secretary Gordon R. England and his wife Dorothy endowed these awards to honor the commitment to safety throughout the Navy and Marine Corps evident under Clark and Jones during their tenure. The awards are intended to stimulate safety ideas, suggestions and programs to reduce mishaps, injuries and fatalities within the Department of the Navy. Three Navy League Corporate Members — Lockheed Martin Corp., General Dynamics Corp. and Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. — contributed to the endowment. Smith and McIntyre will each receive $1,000.
The Navy League of the United States was founded in 1902 and is a civilian organization with more than 60,000 members dedicated to educating American citizens and elected officials about the importance of sea power to the United States. Every year the Navy League presents the largest maritime exposition in the world featuring the latest technologies in the defense industry. This year’s exposition will be held May 3-5 at the Gaylord National location. For more information, go to www.seaairspace.org.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: Media registration is complimentary, however, media credentials are required for admittance. Cameras are not allowed in any exhibit area without advance approval by the Navy League.
