Over the course of the last couple of months, 13 Navy ships have been recognized with the Best Ship's Store award.

Commander, Naval Air Forces and Commander, Naval Surface Force selected the following ship's store operations from both the Pacific and Atlantic Fleets to receive the award for 2014:

Pacific Fleet:
CG: USS Chancellorsville (CG 62)
CVN: USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70)
DDG: USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53)
LSD: USS Rushmore (LSD 47)
LPD: USS Anchorage (LPD 23)
LCC: USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19)
LHD: USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)

Atlantic Fleet:
CVN USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)
CG: USS Anzio (CG 68)
DDG USS Farragut (DDG 99)
LPD: USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19)
LSD: USS Oak Hill (LSD 51)
LHD: USS Wasp (LHD 1)

"Your ship's store personnel are commended for their hard work, sacrifice, and commitment to excellence," said Rear Adm. Jonathan A. Yuen, commander, Naval Supply Systems Command. Yuen also offered a personal "well done" to each of the ship's servicemen and ship's store officers.

The Best Ship's Store designation signifies to the fleet a superior level of service and excellence provided to the crew, which goes above and beyond the normal service provided on the other ships in the same class.

"Every year, our NEXCOM (Navy Exchange Service Command) team, in conjunction with the type commanders, assesses the ship's store operation, specifically in the areas of accountability, sustainability, service and, of course, customer satisfaction," said retired Rear Adm. Robert J. Bianchi, NEXCOM chief executive officer.

The NEXCOM manages the Navy's Ship's Stores Program by supporting the Supply department on board the ship. The program includes the store itself, the barber shop and the laundry.

"NEXCOM's Ship's Stores Program is specifically designed to provide a better quality of life for our Sailors and Marines," said Bianchi.

About NEXCOM's Ship's Stores Program
The mission of the Ship's Store program is to provide quality goods at a savings; to provide quality services necessary for day to day living; to provide funding for afloat recreation needs and to promote good morale.

There are approximately 158 ship's stores on U.S. Navy commissioned ships. Ship's stores carry basic necessities such as soap and shampoo as well as a limited selection of semi-luxury items such as watches and consumer electronic items. Services aboard ship include barber shops, laundry, and vending machines. Ship's stores are appropriated fund activities, but are authorized to make a profit. These profits are retained on board and support the ship's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs.

For more news from Navy Exchange Service Command, visit www.navy.mil/.