The Surface Navy Association (SNA) Executive Committee selected Master Chief Electronics Technician (Nuclear) Victor Harris, assigned to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), to receive the 2017 Admiral Zumwalt Award for Visionary Leadership.

The award recognizes Sailors who demonstrated dynamic leadership, operational excellence and unselfish dedication to duty, visionary zeal and exemplary care for personnel under their direction.

"Adm. [Elmo] Zumwalt was a guy that made a lot of change when necessary; we called him a lightning rod for change," said Cmdr. Todd Zenner, Truman's reactor officer. "That's what I call [Master Chief] Harris. He's the guy that will go out and fight for his Sailors when he needs to, and the guy who will tell them when they are wrong and hold them accountable. But he does it with complete and total passion and zeal."

The SNA committee selects two active-duty Sailors each year, one E-3 to E-6 and one E-7 to O4, who best exemplify the ideals of Zumwalt - who was the youngest man to serve as the Chief of Naval Operations.

"It's pretty humbling to win an award that you were nominated for by one of your subordinates," said Harris. "I feel like it was my Sailors that won the award, not me. I have an awesome group of Sailors in the reactor department who put in a lot of effort to get things done. They are the unsung heroes of the ship. They come in early and they stay late. . . On many levels it's my Sailors [who] won it, and it's just unfortunate it's not awarded to them, vice me."

As the reactor department leading chief petty officer, Harris leads nearly 440 Sailors in the safe and effective operation of Truman's two nuclear reactors and the associated propulsion plants.

"He is very hands-on with things," said Electricians Mate 1st Class Jason Craig. "He doesn't solely focus on the big picture, but people on an individual level. What really makes him a great master chief is the fact that he works harder than anyone else and does what he thinks is best for everyone."

Truman is currently underway conducting Carrier Qualifications in preparation for future operations. For more news from USS Harry S. Truman, visit http://www.facebook.com/usstruman.

For more news from USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), visit www.navy.mil/.