US Navy Amphibious Transport Dock Ship Receives Blue “H” Award

Amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) earned its first Blue “H” – Navy Surgeon General’s Health Promotion and Wellness Award, recognizing excellence in command health promotion programs, May 12.

The Blue H is an annual award sponsored by the Navy Surgeon General, and managed by the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center located in Portsmouth, Va.

“The Blue H Health Promotion and Wellness Award is a very important program because it recognizes our ship’s excellence in carrying out our health programs and other workplace safety and prevention policies,” said Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman Darius Vergara, Leading Chief Petty Officer of Green Bay’s Health Services Department.

Green Bay’s award embodies the ship’s variety of programs available to help Sailors and Marines make personal lifestyle choices. Program topics range from sexually transmitted diseases, anger and stress management, tobacco cessation classes, regular physical health assessments and maintaining the crew’s immunizations.

“Green Bay as a whole is very proud of its staff of medical professionals,” said Cmdr. Ralph Jones, Green Bay’s executive officer. “Each of them should be extremely proud of the effort given in achieving this historic milestone.”

Jones said the award signifies a continuous effort by every doctor, dentist and corpsman for the entire year to provide only the best medical and dental coverage to every member of the Green Bay team.

The Blue H award began in 1995 to recognize commands for their efforts in implementing successful Navy health promotion and Marine Corps Semper Fit programs.

Green Bay has also been awarded the Maritime Warfare Excellence Award (Black E), the Engineering/Survivability Excellence Award (Red E), the Command, Control, Communications and Information Warfare Excellence Award (Green E), the Logistics Management Excellence Award (Blue E), and the Type Commander Ship Safety Excellence Award (Yellow E) in their effort to win the Battle “E” award for Efficiency as one of the best overall ships in the fleet.

Green Bay is on its maiden deployment as part of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility.
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Source: navy, June 3, 2011;