Eugene Native Awarded Champ of the Week Aboard USS Lake Champlain

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Serpico | 170317-N-FT178-004 SASEBO, Japan (March 17, 2017) Capt. Chris Cegielski, commanding officer of Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG 57), from Cheektowaga, New York, left, poses for a portrait with Fire Controlman 2nd Class Benjamin Shendaily, from Eugene, Oregon, after naming him Champ of the Week for the week of March 6-10. Lake Champlain is on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led initiative to extend the command and control functions of the U.S. 3rd Fleet in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have patrolled the Indo-Asia-Pacific regularly and routinely for more than 70 years. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan K. Serpico/Released)  

PACIFIC OCEAN

03.17.2017

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Serpico 

Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet           

Shendaily was selected for the week of March 6 – 10 for his outstanding work performance while underway during Carl Vinson Strike Group’s Western Pacific Deployment.

“Petty Officer Shendaily has done an exceptional job,” said Capt. Chris Cegielski, commanding officer of Lake Champlain. “Through his actions as small arms line coach, he helped the entire ship by making sure we had enough people qualified to allow for a good rotation of watch standers.”

Shendaily was given a certificate to mark his achievement and was also presented with a challenge coin from Cegielski.

“He was instrumental in the successful qualification of 41 armed watch standers, enabling Lake Champlain to maintain sufficient duty section watch qualifications throughout deployment and after returning to homeport,” said Cegielski. “His professional knowledge facilitated that accomplishment with zero safety mishaps or casualties. Furthermore, as CG04 work center supervisor, he directly assisted off-ship repair personnel in the troubleshooting of a major casualty to close-in weapons system mount 22, identifying the required repair parts in time for them to be delivered prior to the ship’s departure from Japan.”

Shendaily humbly accepted his recognition while thanking others.

“I was very surprised and a little confused at first,” said Shendaily. “I really enjoy what I do and the people I work with, so it didn’t really feel like I was doing anything extraordinary because it doesn’t really feel like work. I’m very honored to be named the champ of the week and grateful to have the confidence of my team and leadership.”

Shendaily graduated from South Eugene High School in 2009 and joined the U.S. Navy in 2013.

Lake Champlain is on a regularly scheduled Western Pacific deployment with the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group as part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led initiative to extend the command and control functions of the U.S. 3rd Fleet in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike groups have regularly patrolled the Indo-Asia-Pacific for more than 70 years and will continue to do so. Carl Vinson has deployed to the region several times, starting with a deployment to the Western Pacific in 1983, a year after commissioning. Most recently in 2015, Vinson conducted port visits and exercises with regional navies in the South China Sea.

U.S. 3rd Fleet leads naval forces in the Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary for an effective global Navy. Third Fleet constantly coordinates with U.S. 7th Fleet to plan and execute missions based on their complementary strengths to promote ongoing peace, security, and stability throughout the entire Pacific theater of operations.

Commissioned August 12, 1988, Lake Champlain is named after the Battle of Lake Champlain, also known as the Battle of Plattsburgh. The Battle of Lake Champlain ended the final invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812 and denied the British leverage to demand exclusive control over the Great Lakes and any territorial gains against the New England states.

For more information please visit the ship’s website:
http://www.public.navy.mil/surfor/cg57/Pages/default.aspx or
http://www.facebook.com/UssLakeChamplain/

-USN-

• Date Taken: 03.17.2017
• Date Posted: 03.24.2017 18:46
• Story ID: 227646
• Location: PACIFIC OCEAN
• Hometown: EUGENE, OR, US