Navy Achievement Medal

[Wareal]

Have any of you received this award?  If so, would you mind explaining the circumstances of receiving this award?  Thank you.

[Fermi2]

Yes

Mike

[93-383]

I have never recived it, however I did watch three people get the award for things I did. I'm not saying that I turned the wrench and the LPO or WCS got the award. No the citation was for work done as LOQMPO and WCSX2 for the time and jobs that I oversaw.

My advice if you want one don't make waves, don't tell the LCPO he/she is wrong (even if they are), don't lookout for the people that work for you, and kiss as much 6 o'clock as you can and say "yes cheif thats a great idea".

[JustinHEMI05]

Yes.

One on the ship for heading up the first and to date only major overseas nuclear repair without the aid of a shipyard (replaced 2 air operated globe valves) which allow the ship to stay on station and complete the mission/deployment.

Ship counted that one as end of tour even though I end of toured a year after. 

Second at P-type for being everyones favorite instructor for a semester.

Third at P-type for standing about 3 million EDO watches and heading up a pressurizer drain, repair, refill without incident.

P-type forgot end of tour because they said they would "send it out," I am still waiting. 

So yes, nukes can get legitimate NAMs as long as you have someone interested in putting you in for it. At P-type my Chief was all about submitting people for awards. My second one might be questionable as legit but hey, its one for the record none the less.

Cook got one for cake baked for Admiral Bowman.

Justin

[LaFeet]

Id like to think I earned the four NAMs I was presented.

ETMS relocation and installation - SUBSCOL
USS Maryland (twice)
Kings Bay RADCON

[Wareal]

Thank you for your replies and thank you for your service.  My son was recommended for the award, if that's the correct term, thus my question.  I never served, so my knowledge of things Navy, much less Nuke Navy, are peripheral.  My son is not much for words, nor much for self promotion, so I was looking here for some information and some "clarity".  As it happens, my son will not get the award, but instead will get an "Admiral's letter".  That said, my pride is unbounded.  Thanks again.

[DSO]

My advice if you want one don't make waves, don't tell the LCPO he/she is wrong (even if they are), don't lookout for the people that work for you, and kiss as much 6 o'clock as you can and say "yes cheif thats a great idea". Exactly!!! How about what the "Coners" did to get a NAM??  I have seen them given to Coners for making good cookies during ORSE and a bunch of other BS reasons---this pretty much invalidated what a NAM was supposed to mean--anyone else got some good ones for why a "Coner" got a NAM?

[PapaBear765]

My advice if you want one don't make waves, don't tell the LCPO he/she is wrong (even if they are), don't lookout for the people that work for you, and kiss as much 6 o'clock as you can and say "yes cheif thats a great idea".

I assume you're joking because I chose a while ago to do just the opposite, so I can look myself in the mirror after I get out.

For the original post: the mantra for NAMs is "If you get one, it'll be more than 6 months late for something less significant than the hundreds of other noteworthy things you've done."

[Preciousblue1965]

I got one for completely overhauling the 3M database for my work center since it was completely hosed.  It must of also counted as my EOT because I didn't get one when I left the ship almost a year later.  I was supposed to get one as a EOT after I left Protosuck.  2 years later still waiting on that one.  I did however get a much better award than any medal or LOC.  I won the continuous improvement award at Protosuck one month.  I put in for some BS about students and staff would benefit from computer presentations that they use for prototype training that were based on real fleet plants like the CVN, SSBN and SSN plants.  This way they could get a jump start on learning their new plants before they got there(assuming they were already qual'd a prototype).  Got a kick @$$ parking spot(a luxury to be sure) and $200 cash money.  That was the best award I ever got.

[Gamecock]

Awards are a direct result of your CoC...more specifically, your CO.  Any CO can give out as many NAM's as he wants to.  It takes an O6 or higher to give a NCM....and it takes a Flag for higher order awards.

My experience as MM2 on CVN 73 back in the day......nobody ever got any awards for anything.  C'est la vie.

I was a LTJG with 11 years in the Navy before I got my first NAM.

My experience as a JO on both SSBN 737 and  CVN 69.....Everyone O3 and below got a NAM as an end of tour (EOT).  O4 and above got NCM.  I observed that there were some mid-tour awards, but definitely not as many as there should have been.

I also spent some time on a non-nuke cruiser, which has an O6 as CO.....all O3 and above and all E7 and above got NCM's as EOT.  Everyone else got NAM as EOT.  CO also gave out about 10 NAMs a quarter just because he could.  Morale was high on this ship...CO was the best I ever served under...and he was a nuke.

I served at NNPTC for shore duty....two different CO's while I was there and each one had differing philosophies on awards.

I can tell you I always put my guys in for awards when I thought it was warranted.....more often then not it was the Goat Locker who killed the recommendation...which always bothered me.

Bottom line though.....do your job and do it well....awards will catch up to you....eventually. 

[Motown homey]

I got one for machining a worm driven gear for the galley mixer on SSN 680 at the beginning of a 90 day spec op.  The "Ship's Machinist" said he couldn't do it, but I turned the blank, set up the versi-mill, and made the angle cuts on the teeth by running the flycutter up and down by hand.   

I think it had more to do with the CO trying to get me to re-up.  They seemed to be fairly stingy with the NAM on that command.  I got out about three months later, and got the NAM in the mail.

[JustinHEMI05]

My advice if you want one don't make waves, don't tell the LCPO he/she is wrong (even if they are), don't lookout for the people that work for you, and kiss as much 6 o'clock as you can and say "yes cheif thats a great idea". Exactly!!! How about what the "Coners" did to get a NAM??  I have seen them given to Coners for making good cookies during ORSE and a bunch of other BS reasons---this pretty much invalidated what a NAM was supposed to mean--anyone else got some good ones for why a "Coner" got a NAM?

We get pro pay, and lots of glory.

Justin

[PapaBear765]

What does everyone think the best philosophy for issuing awards to nukes should be?  That is, the amount of work that the average nuke does is beyond what a go-gettin' non-nuke does.  So how do you decide what's worthy of an award to a large group of guys who all do something to deserve one?

[Preciousblue1965]

I say spread the wealth as best you can, try to get everyone at least one as long as they actually deserve it.  If someone does something truly special and already has one, well explain to everyone why this guy is getting it twice.  Make them as close to actual deserving events as possible.  IF everyone chipped in an even amount, find someone who hasn't gotten reconized to give the award to, and give everyone else a 3 or 4 day weekend as soon as possible, and if ain't possible soon make it up to them later and kept that promise.

[JustinHEMI05]

Not sure I agree with giving awards just to give awards. And I never subscribed to the philosophy of "you got one 6 months ago so we are going to give it to someone else (or wrap it into your end of tour)" theory either. If a guy deserves it, he deserves it regardless of how many he already has or has received recently. Pretty much I think if you have done something special above and beyond your normal call of duty, then you should be awarded. If there is only one guy that steps up, then more chest candy for him.

Justin

[Preciousblue1965]

Sorry Justin, I was referring to the last line of PBear's Post

What does everyone think the best philosophy for issuing awards to nukes should be?  That is, the amount of work that the average nuke does is beyond what a go-gettin' non-nuke does.  So how do you decide what's worthy of an award to a large group of guys who all do something to deserve one?

I agree that you shouldn't just give them to be giving them, but only so many are allowed at any time to be given.  If you got 8 Guys who really deserve one because they completely overhauled an Evap and kept people off water hours, but you can only give 5 NAMS then those other 3 should get one as soon as possible or give them some good liberty when you get home and let them know that you were unable to give them an award this time but hopefully that 4 day weekend makes up for it for now. 

[Cycoticpenguin]

Yes

Mike

Touching story

Warreal - the most common reason for reciept of this award is training. Most of the training and drill team recieve NAM's, and a few who kicked butt at maintenance. We dont have an opportunity to save a shipmate from bullet fire, but we can turn a wrench and stop a mishap from occuring. 

where are you at right now, i.e. : civvie, pipeline, fleet??

[withroaj]

Zero LOK deficiencies on ORSE - that's mine.  (ok, I did some other stuff like redesign survey maps for the boat, making them compliant with all of the nucnotes and stuff, but the citation on the award just says 'unprecedented zero LOK deficiencies'.)

EDIT - I just put this up because it answers the coner NAM question, but I'm not a coner.  I just got a coner NAM.
EDIT AGAIN - I am still proud of it, and I greatly appreciate my MMC for putting in award recommendations for the Div.

[Wareal]

read before you ask!!!

What specifically should I have read?

[whitmoyer]

3 here - all from the same command.

1 for fixing an air dryer controller that involved the use of dental floss (yes, it even says that on the NAM!).

1 for fixing the boat's ancient HP-UX box that had all the ship's drawings and for qualing EWS/EDPO pretty quickly.

1 for my EOT.

[JustinHEMI05]

What specifically should I have read?

He was talking to c-penguin... pointing out that you had already answered his question, and all he needed to do was pay attention.

Justin

[deltarho]

Bottom line though.....do your job and do it well....awards will catch up to you....eventually. 
[/quote]

Funny you should say that.  When standing my first dress white inspection with my first division as a Senior Chief (I reported to the command that way), I was surrounded by ET3s and ET2s with NAMs--many had a gold star.  My highest level ribbon was my Good Conduct.

When asked why I wasn't wearing my NAM(s) I didn't really have an answer at first.  I finally asked one of the guys, "How much do you get paid for that NAM?"  He said, "Not a dime."  I reached up to my collar and grabbed my anchor and said, "This has a star, too-- but I get paid for it." 

I never did get anything higher than that Good Conduct...to put on my chest.

[PapaBear765]

Bottom line though.....do your job and do it well....awards will catch up to you....eventually. 


Funny you should say that.  When standing my first dress white inspection with my first division as a Senior Chief (I reported to the command that way), I was surrounded by ET3s and ET2s with NAMs--many had a gold star.  My highest level ribbon was my Good Conduct.

When asked why I wasn't wearing my NAM(s) I didn't really have an answer at first.  I finally asked one of the guys, "How much do you get paid for that NAM?"  He said, "Not a dime."  I reached up to my collar and grabbed my anchor and said, "This has a star, too-- but I get paid for it." 

I never did get anything higher than that Good Conduct...to put on my chest.

I, too, will probably also depart from the service NAMless.

[PapaBear765]

Bottom line though.....do your job and do it well....awards will catch up to you....eventually. 

Bravo sierra.  You forgot the corollary to that cliché: ...and kiss butt.

[withroaj]

You fellers ever heard of getting one on LIMDU? 

[Gamecock]

You fellers ever heard of getting one on LIMDU? 

I have.....

But the guy was TAD working for a 3-star while being on LIMDU.

[withroaj]

I have.....

But the guy was TAD working for a 3-star while being on LIMDU.

What about a charming, witty second class going to work for a shipyard tech code, catching the training program up by about three years and saving the shipyard at least $40K in the process.

You have to remember being a young blue shirt and catching wind of an award headed your way.  Even though the awards don't mean too much, the prospect is still exciting.  Tack a little star onto my NAM and I will feel like I have less trouble explaining why I am still E5 after almost six years (for some reason I like to excel, get noticed and then torpedo my own career).

[Gamecock]

You have to remember being a young blue shirt and catching wind of an award headed your way.  Even though the awards don't mean too much, the prospect is still exciting.

I remember....but despite my studliness as an enlisted MM, I didn't get my first NAM until I was a LTJG   

[withroaj]

I remember....but despite my studliness as an enlisted MM, I didn't get my first NAM until I was a LTJG   

They were probably harder to come by back in the day.  See: "Why was the nuclear Navy better back then?"

[Roll Tide]

I remember being recommended for a NAM:
We did so much better than the Radiation Controls Officer (Tender) expected on RCPE, that he put me in for one. It didn't get approved up the line. He kept putting in for each level lower than the previous. I ended up with an RCO letter of appreciation. How many points do you think a letter of appreciation from a LT in a LTCDR billet is worth for advancement?

[withroaj]

None, but at least you know you work for a good guy.

[Gamecock]

How many points do you think a letter of appreciation from a LT in a LTCDR billet is worth for advancement?

I always made sure my guys got a NAM (or NCM)  as an End of Tour (EOT) Award with very few exceptions (I once had an EM1 turn EM2 that finished serving his 45/45 restriction the day before he started terminal leave.....I wasn't able to get him an EOT ) .  I don't know why we in the nuclear community don't give out more awards, since they really are not hard to get approved (I've mentioned previously that any CO, regardless of rank, can approve a NAM).  In today's Navy where some CO's give NAMs out like candy, you do a disservice to your guys to not get them the awards they deserve. 

I remember the disappointment I felt when I transferred from CVN-73 back in the day without even getting a Letter of Appreciation.  It saddens me to hear that it still is that way on some boats and CVNs.   I always tried to give my guys that were getting out of the navy their award on their last day on the ship so that the last memory they had of their time in the navy was a good memory. 


Go Navy!!!!

[kp88]

Have any of you received this award?  If so, would you mind explaining the circumstances of receiving this award?  Thank you.

I was nominated once.  (In 1982.)  It was awarded to someone else.  About a month later there was a Naval Proceedings article about a hero being awarded a Navy Achievement Medal after a kamikazee attack on a destroyer during World War 2.
I never once again thought that I deserved that medal.

[Loffy Muffin]

I never received it.  My peers never received one.  If anyone of us got one, we would beat them up most likely.
I think it was mostly a coner reward for getting to work on time or something equally challenging.  Most of the Ogangers got one when they left.  I can't remember any nukes getting one. 

If I did receive one I would immediately try to trade it for a brew or a free lap dance at the boobie trap....I suspect there would be no takers...

So, I guess we have assigned a value number to the NAM. 

[DDMurray]

I got my first NAM after I had been a Chief for two years.  I knew that I had been put in for one as an E-6, but after a BAM and refusing to re-enlist before I transferred, I didn't even get a command plaque when I transferred.  4 and half years after my first NAM, I had been awarded two more, plus an EOT NCM.  I guess my second boat liked me better than the first (I've never put myself in for an award).  BTW, I worked very hard to recognize all my guys.  Probably one of my proudest moments was when I went to one of my guy's wedding in Texas.  His parents had an award citation framed on their wall (I don't remember if it was a NAM or not).  They asked if I could explain what some of it meant.  I told them I'd love to since I wrote it.  The pride they displayed was overwhelming.

[JustinHEMI05]

I got my first NAM after I had been a Chief for two years.  I knew that I had been put in for one as an E-6, but after a BAM and refusing to re-enlist before I transferred, I didn't even get a command plaque when I transferred.  4 and half years after my first NAM, I had been awarded two more, plus an EOT NCM.  I guess my second boat liked me better than the first (I've never put myself in for an award).  BTW, I worked very hard to recognize all my guys.  Probably one of my proudest moments was when I went to one of my guy's wedding in Texas.  His parents had an award citation framed on their wall (I don't remember if it was a NAM or not).  They asked if I could explain what some of it meant.  I told them I'd love to since I wrote it.  The pride they displayed was overwhelming.

Nice. Thank you.

Justin

[Smooth Operator]

You fellers ever heard of getting one on LIMDU? 

I got my 3rd NAM on LIMDU. I was put in charge of the base's recycling plant and brought it up to standards before an annual safety inspection. Basically the LIMDU bubblehead Senior Chief told the LIMDU bubblehead MM1 to treat it like an ORSE prep.

Of the 3 I am most proud of that one given I had a collection of misfits working for me (DQs, LIMDUS, RIRs, Restrictions,  FTNs, etc).

[withroaj]

I did wind up being awarded a NAM for my LIMDU period.  The citation said I saved the Navy and the shipyard tons of cash.  I just think I was really lucky to get thrown into a newly created enlisted position (I relieved no one and was relieved by no one) that had tons of work to get done. 

I also worked for some kick-ass people (a few retired nukes and a retired NAV ETCM -- and PNSY had an awesome CMC, Deputy Commander and SY Commander).  That six-month period also gave me some time to do some soul searching and get some priorities in order.  All the pieces just fell into place at the same time, I got some work done for myself and for the Shipyard, and I walked away with some defined goals for myself and a star tacked onto my NAM.  I didn't wind up returning to submarines like I initially had in mind, but I'll just look at it as a gift that I get to see both sides of the nuke world.  All things considered I'd say it was a great deal.