Capt. Ron Ravelo, commanding officer, USS Abraham Lincoln, recognized four Sailors for earning the 2016 Navy and Marine Corps Association (NMA) Peer Leadership Award, July 18.

The awardees were: Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Stephen D. Wilson, Food Services leading chief petty officer; Lt. Sohn D. McGough, Reactor Department mechanical assistant; Lt. Cmdr. John C. Leitner, administration officer; and Cmdr. Hannah A. Kriewaldt, chief of engineering.

Recipients of the NMA Leadership Award are selected by their peers for exhibiting the highest levels of excellence in leadership.

"I'm still at a loss for words," said Wilson. "I don't come to work for the accolades or the pats on the back. When you know you're putting in 110 percent, 110 percent of the time, and you get an award like this, it just shows that your hard work is being recognized."

NMA sponsors more than 400 awards annually for presentation by the commanders of Naval Air Forces, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Marine Forces Atlantic and Pacific and the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy to those officers and enlisted personnel who have been selected by their peers as outstanding leaders in their respective communities.

"I realized that I can't do it all, but I understand that I can do more; and the things that I do, I can do well," said Wilson, referencing the mantra he teaches to his Sailors on a daily basis.

Leitner beamed with pride while talking about how his success is a direct reflection of the Sailors he leads.

"I always told myself that when I got in this position, I would do everything I could to make a positive impact on every Sailor," said Leitner.

Above all else, what this award symbolizes is the strength, courage and dedication it takes to be a great leader, said Leitner.

Kriewaldt discussed how being a leader is about making the hard decisions, because it's the right thing to do.

"Being a leader means doing the right thing even when it is hard, inconvenient or much more difficult than cutting corners," said Kriewaldt. "It means having the ability to admit when you are wrong and fixing it."

Lincoln is currently undergoing Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. It is the fifth ship of the Nimitz class to undergo a RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone. Once complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and technologically-advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet and will continue to be a vital part of the nation's defense.

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For more news from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), visit www.navy.mil/.