Rear Adm. Ron Boxall, commander, John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, visited the guided missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) at Naval Base San Diego, June 11.

Boxall visited the ship to present the Battle Effectiveness (Battle "E") Award for 2014 to the officers and crew.

Yeoman 1st Class (SW) Shanelle Stribling, Wayne E. Meyer's Sailor of the Year, accepted the award on behalf of the entire crew. The ceremony was held in the commanding officer's cabin.

"I absolutely love being on this ship and talking to great Sailors," said Boxall when he presented the award. "Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer would be truly proud of everything that the ship bearing his name has accomplished."

Boxall then met with members of the wardroom to discuss their thoughts and feedback from the ship's deployment, as well as the upcoming schedule. As Wayne E. Meyer enters the basic phase of the next training cycle, Boxall spoke to prepare the officers for what to expect.

"This is a great time to get good at what we do as surface warfare officers," said Boxall. "On a DDG, everyone is working all the time. This is the time to go back to sea and practice doing what we do best."

Boxall then met with the ship's chief petty officers to discuss similar topics, and inquire about their feedback from the ship's deployment and any questions or concerns they had about expectations for the events to come.

DDG 108 is named after the late Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer, who is regarded as the "Father of Aegis" for his service as the Aegis Weapons System Manager and later his development of the Aegis Shipbuilding Project Office.

Meyer recently completed a shipyard maintenance period at Continental Maritime of San Diego.

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