So today RADM Stevenson, the American Admiral running this show stopped by the ship to switch from a helicopter to a Sweedish assult boat to go ashore Bornholm (my favorite Danish port to be anchored 5 NM outside of AND NO CLOSER).
The CO decided to swing a semi surprise on me and have the RDML pin a Navy Acheivement Medal on me (my third) - he passed a few out the morining after the (non)incident, but not being included, I thought that I was going to get missed.
Anyhow, the citation reads as follows:
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AS NAVIGATOR IN USS TORTUGA (LSD 46) ON 1 JUNE 2005. LIEUTENANT STAVELY DISPLAYED EXCEPTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, PERSEVERANCE, AND FORTITUDE AS HE SUPERVISED A PERILOUS RESTRICTED WATERS TRANSIT IN WHICH THE PILOT AND TUGS PROVED USELESS. LIEUTENANT STAVELY’S FIERCE DETERMINATIONS IN SUPERVISING ALL ASPECTS OF MANEUVERING TORTUGA IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SHOALS ENSURED TORTUGA WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON HER MISSION IN SUPPORT OF BALTOPS 2005. BY HIS NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PERSEVERANCE, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY, LIEUTENANT STAVELY REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.
Figure 1. Ryan and the Admiral.
I’ve got to get to bed, as RDML Stevenson is coming back tomorrow and bringing the media onboard for “BALTOPS MEDIA DAY” - it should be a blast
