Adding up to roughly three cumulative years at sea, Senior Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) Justin Garlick achieved his 1,100 days at sea while underway on USS Halsey (DDG 97) in the South China Sea.
Established in 1942 by Rear Adm. Robert English, Commander, Submarine Forces U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), the Roll of Honor recognized submarine commanding officers who achieved exceptional wartime results during World War II. The subsequent COMSUBPAC, Vice Adm. Charles Lockwood, continued the tradition of recognizing superior performers, by presenting the commanding officers with a certificate and solid gold Deep Water Dolphins, the U.S. Navy’s uniform breast insignia pin indicating submarine qualification. A total of 85 commanding officers were recognized by Rear Adm. English and Vice Adm. Lockwood, establishing them as members of the Roll of Honor.
To continue the legacy from World War II leaders, the ACINT community recognizes specialists who have completed 1,100 cumulative days of sustained superior performance at sea and dedication to the mission by welcoming them into the Roll of Honor. Garlick is the 38th ACINT specialist, and only the seventh surface sonar technician, inducted into the Roll of Honor.
Capt. Steven DeMoss, Commodore, DESRON 15, recognized Garlick’s achievement in a small ceremony while embarked USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) during its deployment to the 7th Fleet area of operation.
“This Roll of Honor recognition is fitting for Senior Chief Garlick, as he continues to distinguish himself by unswerving focus on sustained mission success in the acoustics realm; I trust him to advise my commanding officers on tactics, techniques, and procedures in hunting threat submarines across our missions in theater,” said DeMoss. “Garlick embodies the warrior ethos required of our warfighters to ensure we remain a lethal and combat-ready forward-deployed naval force that is the guarantor of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
The ACINT program was established during the Cold War Era in 1962, to develop subject matter experts to place onboard underway submarines, cruisers, and destroyers. Today, as experts in the acoustics, tactics, and operational capabilities of naval ships worldwide, ACINT specialists advise the commanding officers of ships and devote hours of formal training on acoustic analysis, sound propagation, and sound silencing to watchstanders and sonar operators.
Comprised of senior enlisted surface and submarine sonar technicians, there have been 275 qualified ACINT specialists since the conception of the program. Garlick was the 249th qualified ACINT specialist, the 54th surface sonar technician, and has been in the program since 2013.
Garlick will be officially recognized as an inductee into the Roll of Honor by his parent command, the Office of Naval Intelligence, based out of Washington, D.C., upon his return to homeport in Yokosuka, Japan. He will be presented with a certificate and a set of sterling silver enlisted surface warfare specialist pins, his primary uniform breast insignia, inscribed with his name, date, and the ship upon which he was embarked when he reached the 1,100th-day milestone, USS Halsey (DDG 97).
DESRON 15 is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed destroyer squadron and serves as U.S. 7th Fleet’s principle surface force.
U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Pacific area of responsibility. As the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability, and prevent conflict.