Forty-one units from Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) and NECC Pacific received the Retention Excellence Award, previously known as the Golden Anchor Award, for fiscal year 2016.

Commander, Pacific Fleet Rear Adm. Phillip Sawyer, announced the winners Feb. 3 in a naval message.

The Retention Excellence Award was established by U.S. Fleet Forces Command through the Fleet Retention Excellence Program, and is annually awarded to U.S. Navy commands which sustain superior levels of military retention during the previous fiscal year.

Commands must sustain superior levels of retention for each reenlistment zone, maintain an attrition rate for first-term Sailors below 6.2 percent, and are named to two or more quarterly retention honor rolls during the fiscal year.

"I've always believed that you need to train not only your career development team, but your entire first class and chief petty officers' mess," said NECC's Master Chief Career Counselor Dianalyn Galiza. "I believe the smarter they are on career programs and policies, the more confident they are with speaking it often to their Sailors."

Galiza emphasized this yearly award is linked to the command climate, involved leadership, clear standards and policies, and promotion of quality service.

Capt. Marc Delao, chief of staff, NECC Pacific praised all of the expeditionary commands for their commitment to stay Navy.

"Bringing talent into the Navy is a function of our recruiting commands; retaining that talent is a function of the leadership, mentorship, and dedication of our force," said Delao. "Keeping our best and brightest is a team effort and strikes at the very core of our fighting power and combat effectiveness as a Navy expeditionary combat force."

Commands within NECC which received the Retention Excellence Award include the following: Naval Construction Group 2, 22nd Naval Construction Regiment, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 11, Underwater Construction Team 1, Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202, Coastal Riverine Group 2, Coastal Riverine Group 2 Det. Bahrain, Coastal Riverine Squadron 2, Coastal Riverine Squadron 4, Coastal Riverine Squadron 8, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 2, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 6, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 12, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 2, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit 2, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, Navy Cargo Handling Battalion 1, Navy Expeditionary Intelligence Command, and Expeditionary Combat Readiness Center.

Commands within NECC Pacific which received the Retention Excellence Award include the following: Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training Evaluation Unit 1, Naval Construction Group 1, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 3, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5, Coastal Riverine Group 1 Det. Guam, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 1, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 3, Coastal Riverine Squadron 11, Explosive Ordnance Expeditionary Support Unit 1, Explosive Ordnance Mobile Unit 11, 30th Naval Construction Regiment, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4, Coastal Riverine Group 1, Costal Riverine Squadron 3, Explosive Ordnance Mobile Unit 5, Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1, and Underwater Construction Team 2.

Each command was nominated by their respective region commander, having passed the annual career information program review with a score of 90 points or better, met all aggregated reenlistment benchmarks of 40 percent for Zone A, 50 percent for Zone B, 63 percent for Zone C, and 5 percent or less aggregate attrition for Zone A during fiscal year 2016.

All winners may immediately fly the retention pennant and paint their anchors gold until the fiscal year 17 winners are announced.

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