The Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) announced the winners of the Fiscal Year 2012 NETC Excellence in Safety Awards March 4.
The award recognizes outstanding performance in the areas of safety and risk management in a training and education environment.
“You can operate safely and not be combat ready, but you cannot be combat ready if you cannot operate safely,” said Rear Adm. Don Quinn, NETC commander . “Much of what we do in the Fleet is inherently dangerous. Therefore, it is critical that good safety and risk management habits be instilled during initial training. Safety is also a fundamental enabler that makes our training more effective and better prepares Sailors for success in the Fleet. Our winners have set the standard for the domain and have directly contributed to the Fleet’s ability to execute our Maritime Strategy.”
The NETC domain activity excellence in safety award was earned by the Naval Submarine School, Groton, Conn., while the individual civilian excellence in safety award winner is Dale Rehberg, also from the Naval Submarine School.
The individual excellence in safety (collateral duty) award winner is Lt. Thomas Cathey, Naval Supply Corps School, Newport, R.I.
Earning the high-risk Training Safety Officer Award is Chief Damage Controlman (SW) Tommy Thompson, Surface Warfare Officer School Engineering Learning Site Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
“Safety for the Sailors we train in the NETC domain takes hard work and dedication from organizations and people who bring a mix of skills and strengths to bear to solve and mitigate risks,” said Donald J. Leavens, NETC special assistant for safety . “These awards recognize the time and effort our full-time and collateral duty members dedicate to not only their training mission, but NETC’s safety mission of sailor protection.”
The four overall winners received a certificate and trophy presented (virtually) during the NETC breakout session of the Naval Safety Center’s online Professional Development Conference March 4.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, March 6, 2013; Image: US Navy