AIRLANT Presents Truman with Battle "E" Award Prior to Deployment

May 21, 2010 - USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, At Sea (NNS) -- Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic (CNAL) presented USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Sailors with the carrier's second consecutive Battle Efficiency Award May 21.

CNAL Rear Adm. Richard O'Hanlon presented the award hours before the Truman carrier strike group got underway for a scheduled deployment.

"This is a historic moment," O'Hanlon said. "It speaks to the caliber of the men and women on board Truman that this is their second consecutive Battle "E" win. I am extremely proud to present this award as they depart today for deployment."

One of the most coveted awards in the fleet, the Battle Efficiency Award, more commonly known as the Battle "E", recognizes sustained superior performance in an operational environment.

The Battle "E" Award is one of the few awards given in the Navy that isn't earned by one individual, but rather is awarded based on a point system that evaluates the performance of 14 different departments and more than 4,000 Sailors.

This marks the fifth year the Truman has won the award. The ship was also a recipient in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2008.

"I am proud of our Sailors each and every day," said Capt. Joe Clarkson, Truman's commanding officer. "This prestigious award reflects the commitment, dedication, and sustained pursuit of excellence of every Sailor on board. I cannot think of a better way to recognize their battle-readiness as we begin our deployment."

The competitive cycle for the award is from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. The better each individual department scores with regards to their qualifications, the higher the marks they receive. The higher the departmental score, the better the overall average score for the ship.

The ship's score is computed and compared to other operational carriers on the east coast and the vessel with the best score wins the prestigious honor of calling themselves a Battle "E" recipient.

"It feels great to join a ship that has such a strong reputation," said Seaman Jason S. Kowalski, who joined Truman's Deck department in December 2009. "It gives me the motivation to keep this tradition going."

Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, commander, Carrier Strike Group 10, offered congratulations to the crew.

"The skill and determination of every sailor aboard Harry S. Truman has made a direct contribution to the success of the Carrier Strike Group 10 team and ensured we are ready to deploy," said Driscoll.