Cmdr. William Palmer, maintenance officer assigned to aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman's (CVN 75) aircraft intermediate maintenance department (AIMD), was announced as the 2016 winner of the Capt. Virgil J. Lemmon Award.

Named after the naval aviator who helped shape the Naval Aviation Maintenance Department into what it is today, the award recognizes officers leading departments that excel in aviation maintenance and logistics.

"I'm very humbled," said Palmer. "I'm not one who seeks out individual awards, so you can attribute this as a win for Truman. We have a lot of folks doing great things every day and an overall great command climate throughout all departments."

Packages for the award are submitted by aviation commands and departments, afloat and ashore, fleet-wide.

"This award is one that Truman hasn't been recognized for in a while," said Palmer. "The last officer assigned to Truman who received it is Capt. Nathan Schneider, who just so happens to be a mentor of mine. That makes bringing this award back to the ship even more of an honor."

Coming off of a 2015-2016 deployment, Truman has been recognized for a variety of command awards to include the Battle "E", Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Afloat Safety Award, Secretary of the Navy and CNO Environmental Awards, and Ramage Award. Palmer called the award-winning deployment one he will never forget.

"Last deployment was the highlight of my career," said Palmer. "I've been a part of many units but this one has been unlike any other. Capt. Ryan B. Scholl, Truman's commanding officer, and command leadership have collectively created an infectious winning environment where Sailors going out and winning has become a part of the daily routine."

Master Chief Avionics Technician Eric Kinnaman, AIMD's leading chief petty officer, said he was grateful to have worked alongside Palmer.

"I couldn't have asked for a better maintenance officer," said Kinnaman. "To work for him felt as though we were one big family."

Palmer mentioned that this was an amazing way to close out his time aboard Truman and he hopes his Sailors continue to practice his philosophy that helped him achieve this award.

"We're in a line of work where something always needs to be fixed," said Palmer. "I preach to my guys not to just fix it; improve on it to ensure there is a process in place to increase the longevity of our repairs remaining successful. That goes for at work or at home. Find something you like to do that gives you fulfillment and keep improving on it."

Truman is currently undergoing a Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for maintenance and refurbishment of shipboard systems to prepare for future operations.

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