Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy) Joseph Bryan visited amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) to present the ship with the platinum-level award for exemplary achievements in energy and water efficiency for fiscal year 2016, Nov. 4.

"About seven years ago the secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) set some pretty aggressive energy goals," said Bryan. "At the time, the question was, 'Why? Why does the secretary of the Navy care about energy?' The answer was pretty simple. It's because it matters to the mission. We want to be able to go farther on a tank of gas; we want to be able to stay on station longer; and we want to be able to deliver more firepower while we're there -- so what you do in respect to energy conservation matters."

The ship's Commanding Officer, Capt. Larry Getz, accepted the award on behalf of the ship and his crew.

"It's an honor to receive this award and have Secretary Bryan visit us today," said Getz. "On board Kearsarge, we go to great lengths to reduce our ship's energy footprint in all that we do. The award is just a testament to the work that this outstanding crew completes on a daily basis. I'm proud to say that together, we have met the SECNAV's goals and we're committed to continuing and expanding our conservation efforts."

SECNAV Ray Mabus announced the winners of the Department of the Navy's (DON) Energy and Water Management Awards Program in an All Naval Message, ALNAV 067/16. The accomplishments of these awardees supports the SECNAV's 2009 Energy Goals to improve combat capabilities and energy security, which can help bring economic growth to the nation through the development of alternative and renewable energy.

"The award is a great recognition to our crew," said Ensign Matthew Korte, Kearsarge's energy and water consumption representative. "It's proof that our operators know what they're doing and care about our environment."

The program is an annual recognition, designed to promote and reward excellence in the areas of energy efficiency, energy management, new technology, renewable energy, energy training innovation, and energy awareness.

"Kearsarge maintained excellent records of fuel and water use, and ensured that none was wasted by procedural violations or improper plant operation," said Korte. "We also drove the ship conservatively, operating at our most efficient bell for the circumstance."

The awards are presented to those commands that have made notable progress toward the DON goals to reduce energy and water consumption, increase use of renewable energy sources, and construct sustainable facilities. The program evaluates and classifies the overall energy and water management performance of each installation. Awardees are categorized according to SECNAV winners, platinum-, gold- and blue-level achievement.

Other winners of the platinum-level achievement were:

Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Mississippi
Naval Station Everett, Washington
Naval Magazine Indian Island, Washington
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, New Hampshire
Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia
Naval Base Kitsap, Washington
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, Washington
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California
USS Benfold (DDG 65)
USS Sentry (MCM 3)
USS Germantown (LSD 42)
USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE 3)

As part of the energy efficient initiative, President Barack Obama has proclaimed October to be Energy Action Month. For the Navy and Marine Corps, Energy Action Month is an opportunity to reinforce how critical energy is to mission accomplishment and to encourage Sailors and Marines to look for ways to optimize their energy use to boost warfighting capabilities.

To see a full list of awardees, visit http://www.denix.osd.mil/.

For more news on U.S. Department of the Navy Energy, visit http://greenfleet.dodlive.mil/.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), visit http://www.navy.mil/.