The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) earned the 2017 Battle Efficiency "E" Award from Commander, Naval Air Forces (COMNAVAIRFOR), March 13.

The Battle "E" is awarded annually to ships that demonstrate sustained superior performance and battle readiness in an operational environment throughout the calendar year.

"I could not be more proud of this ship and its Sailors," said Capt. Sean Bailey, GHWB's commanding officer. "Our Sailors are some of the most dedicated in the fleet. It's a huge honor to lead such a great team."

Battle "E" is only achieved by meeting and exceeding multiple operational standards based on individual and community efforts.

"Every single Sailor had a role in earning this award," said Bailey. "It was a collective effort, and that effort is what made the difference as to why this ship maintained the same high level of excellence throughout its deployment, INSURV (Board of Inspection and Survey) and 3MI (Maintenance Material Management Inspection). Based on the way the team performed during that stretch, I'm not surprised we're Battle 'E' awardees."

The recipient of the Battle "E" award is decided through departmental awards, which mark excellence in the ship's individual departments.

"Earning the Battle "E" is the culmination of all the hard work this team put in last year," said Bailey. "It represents not only the success of a seven-month combat deployment, but also the dedication and hard work that went into the preparation for deployment and the efforts to sustain our readiness upon return to home port."

The ship is in port in Norfolk conducting sustainment exercises to maintain carrier readiness.

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