SAN DIEGO - Cdre. Craig Trent, Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) One, presented the Battle Effectiveness Award to the crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104), May 1 during a ceremony on the ship’s flight deck.
This award, also known as the Battle ‘E,’ is a prestigious accolade requiring a ship to demonstrate excellence on a day-to-day basis in addition to superior achievement during certifications and qualifications conducted throughout a calendar year. Sterett achieved these criteria through a combination of effective communication, full crew engagement, exceptional ship handling, and tactical acumen, all while maintaining a high state of material readiness.
"It is my honor to present Sterett this award,” said Trent. “Her Sailors performed above and beyond through each challenge and truly exemplify the excellence of our Navy. They earned this achievement every single day. I am extremely proud of the Sterett team."
Sterett's success in winning the Battle ‘E’ exemplifies the importance of comprehensive training, meticulous planning, and cohesive teamwork in demanding military operations on the high seas. Clear and consistent communication played a crucial role in keeping all team members informed of the ship’s mission objectives and enabled each Sterett crew member to be prepared for every challenge. By maintaining open lines of communication, Sterett ensured that all hands understood their role within a larger framework and underscored the importance of everyone contributing their best, whatever their role on board.
“From our most junior Sailor to the most seasoned Leader, every Sailor aboard Sterett demonstrated the warriorship, stewardship, and partnership along with with the personal integrity to get the job done on time and in the right way” said Cmdr. Jason Garfield, Sterett’s commanding officer.
Sterett’s crew underwent rigorous training and preparation to ensure proficiency in seamanship and navigation, engineering, damage control, unit-level and combined tactics and communications. “Winning the Battle ‘E’ not only shows our ability to perform when called upon, not just for a Navy inspection, but the high level of performance we can achieve when conducting prompt and sustained operations at sea,” said Command Master Chief Alfredo Alonso.
In 2023 and 2024, Sterett deployed to the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) One, participating in multiple high-level multi-national exercises, including two multi-large deck events with the Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan CSGs, Annual Exercise 2023, and several bilateral and tri-lateral exercises with regional allies and partners including Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea and Singapore. In addition, Sterett operated with the larger Joint Force, to include Naval Special Warfare, Marine Corps, and Air Force units.
“The importance of the exercises we participated in cannot be overstated,” said Garfield. “Our presence in the region helped strengthen regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.”
Sterett's demonstrated superlative command and control and the ability to develop and implement advanced tactics to deter aggression. In particular, Sterett led tactical actions while deployed as Carl Vinson Strike Group’s Air and Missile Defense Commander.
In addition to the Battle ‘E,’ Sterett’s recent achievements also include the Command Excellence Awards for Maritime Warfare (Black 'E') and Ship Safety (Yellow 'E'), the Force Health Award (Green ‘H’), and the Vice Adm. Thomas H. Copeman III Material Readiness Award. The latter award is given to the ship with the highest score in the Pacific Fleet for a Board of Inspection and Survey Material Inspection. This award reflects the ship's meticulous attention to detail in managing and maintaining its equipment, systems, and resources at peak operational efficiency. USS Sterett's proactive approach to material readiness underscores the crew's commitment to the Surface Force goal of providing ready ships for operational tasking and to overall mission success.
The Battle ‘E’ Award was first established by Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf in 1976. Under recent guidance released by Commander, Naval Surface Forces, the criteria for awarding the Battle ‘E’ to surface ships were adjusted to focus on training performance, warfighting readiness, and the evaluation of a ship’s Immediate Superior in Command (ISIC). These criteria, in turn, support the Chief of Naval Operations’ (CNO) priorities of warfighting, warfighters, and the foundation that supports them.
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