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Winter, McGrath Present Navy, Marine Corps Safety Awards

By PETER ATKINSON, Deputy Editor

In what Navy League National President J. Michael McGrath said has "become a Sea-Air-Space tradition," he and Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter presented the Adm. Vern Clark and Gen. James L. Jones Jr. Safety Awards during the Secretary of the Navy Luncheon that concluded the exposition March 20.

The Adm. Vern Clark Safety Award for an individual was given to Navy Lt. Cmdr. William H. Shipp, the ship safety officer aboard the amphibious landing dock ship USS Dubuque. Shipp was recognized for his leadership in executing a safety program during a nine-month combat deployment in support of the global war on terror in which there were no mishaps involving loss of life, permanent injuries, hospitalization of personnel, non-fatal injuries that required time off from work or damage to property valued at more than $200,000.

The unit award was presented to Navy Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 37 for its innovative safety planning and operational risk management that resulted in 4,400 mishap-free flight hours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines.

The Gen. James L. Jones Jr. Safety Award for an individual went to Marine Master Sgt. Robert E. Bergmann, the ground safety officer for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). Bergmann was cited for promoting and initiating safety programs during the planning and execution of exercises and deployments that significantly cut the number of operational mishaps and resulted in a 40-percent reduction in lost workdays.

His unit, the 1st MAW, also was given the Marine unit safety award for reducing its mishap rate during a period of increased operational tempo in which it had units deployed in Iraq, supporting humanitarian efforts, and conducting joint and coalition training exercises throughout the Western Pacific.

The awards, which have been presented annually during the SAS Secretary of the Navy Luncheons since 2004, are named in honor of Adm. Vern Clark, former chief of naval operations, and Gen. James L. Jones Jr., former commandant of the Marine Corps. They recognize individuals and service units that best exemplified and advanced a culture of safety during the previous calendar year.

Former Navy Secretary Gordon R. England, now deputy secretary of defense, and his wife Dorothy endowed the awards to commemorate the commitment to safety throughout the Navy and Marine Corps that was evident under Clark and Jones during their tenure. Three Navy League corporate members -- Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. -- have also contributed to the endowment.