Iron Nickel Earns Phalanx Excellence Award

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The commander of Naval Surface Forces Pacific (SURFPAC) presented the San Diego-based amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5)'s Fire Control (CF) division the Fiscal Year 2008 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) Excellence Award May 28.

Vice Adm. D.C. Curtis, SURFPAC commander, presented the award at the William T. Powell Training Facility on Naval Base San Diego to recognize the command's high scores on overall CIWS maintenance and successfully completed exercises.

"This is probably one of the most challenging systems we have, and I realize that we depend on it; the captain depends on it, and of course the strike group depends on it," said Curtis. "I appreciate the job you've done."

To earn the award the crew had to meet specific criteria which included operational exercise completion, system availability, number of rounds fired during the assessment period, material reliability, and safety.

Fire Controlman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Eric Miramontes, CF division's work center supervisor, managed the work that was completed on both of the CIWS mounts on Peleliu during the assessment period.

"We had to work long hours in one hundred thirty-plus degree weather, but we got it done," said Miramontes.
"Throughout the year, both CIWS mounts have had consecutive successful pre-action aim calibration fires, a successful TDU shoot where we shot down a drone missile, and throughout Peleliu's Arabian Gulf deployment, the mounts were up and operational for approximately ninety-nine percent of the time."

The Phalanx CIWS Excellence Award was established by the Hughes Missile Systems Company and is sponsored by Raytheon Systems Company. It is given annually and includes a $1,000 donation from Raytheon to the ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation fund. The award is open to all U.S. Naval Surface Force ships that are CIWS-capable and is awarded to one ship on each coast.
This year's East Coast winner was USS Roosevelt (DDG 80).

For more news from USS Peleliu, visit www.navy.mil/local/lha5.