NORFOLK, Va. (Sep. 16, 2020) - The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), Adm. Michael Gilday, has awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation to the Naval Safety Center (NAVSAFECEN) and School of Aviation Safety. The unit award exemplifies the command’s drive for excellence. Established in July 1967, the award is presented to a Navy or Marine Corps unit that has distinguished itself, under combat or non-combat conditions, by either valorous or meritorious achievement, which renders the unit outstanding compared to other units performing similar service.

According to the citation, NAVSAFECEN personnel were “critical to the success of the Chief of Naval Operations safety program and the preservation of Navy and Marine Corps warfighting capabilities. Their singular drive for excellence and efficiency made comprehensive changes possible during the organization’s most radical restructuring and reorganization since its founding in 1951.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of the outstanding team of military and civilian personnel we have here,” said Rear Adm. F. R. “Lucky” Luchtman, commander, NAVSAFECEN. “Our team has worked to transform the Safety Center into a data-driven, risk-informed, analytical organization. As we continue to press forward with the Risk Management Information program, the naval enterprise will continue to benefit from these efforts.”

Driven by a diverse and expert team of analysts, NAVSAFECEN used extensive research methodologies spanning the naval enterprise and DOD and worked to reduce the Navy’s operational surface, submarine, and diving mishap rates by 84 percent. These initiatives reduced the Marine Corps’ aviation mishap rate by 53 percent and the Marine Corps’ aviation Class A mishap rate to zero from June 2019. NAVSAFECEN’s School of Aviation Safety additionally trained over 2,500 personnel in mishap prevention, investigation, and contemporary safety cultures. Furthermore, the Physiological Episode Action Team reduced T-45 and F/A-18/EA-18G physiological events by 96 percent and 74 percent, respectively.  

“Since the Fitzgerald and McCain incidents, the Naval Safety Center has worked tirelessly to prevent future incidents. We have expanded into NSW [Naval Special Warfare] and other cross-service expeditionary forces and we have stepped up our methods of data collection so that we can utilize predictive analytics,” said Lt. Jose Mercado, Operational Risk Management/High Risk Training/Expeditionary Safety deputy director and NAVSAFECEN Officer Safety Professional of the Year. 

NAVSAFECEN steadfastly stands by the statement, “We are your safety advocate.” The command, as a center of data excellence, will continue to develop leading indicators of risks and hazards to empower all Sailors, Marines, civilians and their families to embrace a proactive culture of risk identification and management to achieve zero preventable mishaps.

For more news from the Naval Safety Center, visit https://navalsafetycenter.navy.mil/ or https://www.facebook.com/navalsafetycenter 

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