Eisenhower Nominated for Phoenix Award

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Amy Kirk, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) Public Affairs

May 24, 2010 - SS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, At Sea (NNS) -- USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) is competing against top commands from all the other branches of the military for the Secretary of Defense's Phoenix Award.

Every year the Navy, Marine Corps, Army and the Air Force compete for the award based on how well their commands perform maintenance.

According to DoD Instruction 1348.30, the award recognizes maintenance operations and accomplishments at the unit and program levels. Award categories include small, medium and large commands with two commands in each category able to win the award.

Eisenhower, nominated in the large command category, will be judged on several criteria, including effective use of maintenance resources, innovative management accomplishment, personal quality-of-life programs and mission accomplishment.

Chief Engineer Cmdr. Howard Markle said being the only afloat command nominated in large command category says a lot about the crew's capability to effectively and efficiently maintain the material condition of the ship.

"We always attribute our successes to an all hands effort, and it is no different with the maintenance of the ship," said Markle. "Every department plays a role in maintaining the overall material condition of the ship."

Markle explained that while departments such as Reactor, Combat Systems, Engineering and Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department are more maintenance oriented, every Sailor aboard ship has to take ownership of their spaces, equipment and the maintenance they perform within their department in order to keep the carrier in good working order.

The crew's ability to conduct shipboard maintenance in a self-sufficient manner without relying on outside contractors is another reason for the nomination, said Markle.

"We do a great job fixing our ship, everything from making sure the ship is clean and properly preserved to maintaining overall equipment operability," said Markle. "Our ability to fix our own equipment without asking for outside assistance is the true measure of our maintenance capability. We have also demonstrated our capability to help other ships within the strike group with repairs and technical assistance to conduct their own repairs."

With effective use of maintenance, personnel and financial resources, combined with an all-hands approach, the Eisenhower crew has developed into a highly efficient maintenance team.

Eisenhower is underway as part of a regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility(AOR). Operations in the 5th Fleet AOR are focused on reassuring regional partners of the coalition's commitment to help set conditions for security and stability. U.S. forces maintain a naval and air presence in the region that deters destabilizing activities while safeguarding the region's vital links to the global economy.