The Pacific Submarine Force was honored twice for safety, Oct. 20, as the Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) and the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) were each presented with the Secretary of the Navy’s 2014 Safety Excellence award.
Presented during a worldwide VTC ceremony hosted by the Honorable Dennis McGinn, assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, the SECNAV safety awards recognize Navy and Marine Corps units for mission safety, command cultures and commitment to safety during the previous fiscal year.
The awards recognize commands from 19 different categories throughout the Navy and Marine Corps, and of those only five afloat commands. Texas was honored in the “Afloat, Submarine” category, and Emory S. Land was honored in the “Afloat, Auxiliary” category.
Captain Harry Ganteaume, commodore of Submarine Squadron 1, said this safety award is recognition of Texas’ performance during their recent extended dry-dock selected restricted availability, an intense industrial maintenance period.
Commander Todd Nethercott, commanding officer of Texas, said that safety is routinely discussed at every level:
The shipyard and the ship worked together closely and created a culture of safety where they were always looking out for each other and looking out for safety hazards on board the ship.
The ship has a culture of safety and did a great job reinforcing that through a 26-month shipyard period with no major accidents or mishaps, and that’s a true testament to their commitment to safety.
Wilhite attributed the influences of the submarine community of doing everything by the book and doing it right the first time to part of the successes of both Texas and Emory S. Land.
Each awardee received a citation from the SECNAV, an award plaque, and the right to fly the SECNAV’s Safety Excellence Flag from now until October 2015.
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Press release, Image: US Navy