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SAN DIEGO – Amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7) was awarded the annual Retention Excellence Award (REA) or golden anchor award, for outstanding command retention efforts during the 2023 fiscal year.
The REA is an annual award given to commands who demonstrate a superior ability to retain talented Sailors at all levels and authorizes qualifying ships to fly the golden anchor award pennant.
Tripoli was made eligible for the REA by keeping attrition levels below 4%, said Navy Counselor Madeline Torres.
“Attrition is when a Sailor gets out of the Navy before the end of their contract,” Torres said. “Attrition happens because of things we can’t control, such as medical issues and administrative separations. What Tripoli did was build up reserve affiliation by giving reserve enlistment bonuses of up to $20,000.”
Torres also said that Sailors who chose to transition from active duty to the reserves rather than getting out of the Navy counted toward Tripoli’s low attrition rate, and contributed to Tripoli earning the REA.
Bonuses can also be awarded to Sailors who reenlist and continue to serve their country on active duty. Culinary Specialist 1st Class Anthony Datu, the departmental career counselor for Tripoli’s Supply department, the second-largest on the ship, said Tripoli’s departmental career counselors help arrange for Sailors to receive these selective reenlistment bonuses (SRBs).
“Every department on the ship has a departmental career counselor,” Datu said. “Ever since I became the departmental career counselor for supply, 100% of culinary specialists and other Supply Department Sailors who chose to reenlist received SRBs. I didn’t miss any.”
For junior Sailors who have only experienced one command, the notion of staying in can be intimidating, but it is impossible to take advantages of all the opportunities the Navy has to offer after only one tour, Datu said.
“I tell my junior Sailors that your first ship is a learning process,” Datu said. “I always encourage my Sailors to reenlist, to enjoy the benefits, and enjoy the Navy while they’re young.”
Captain Gary Harrington, commanding officer of the Tripoli, thanked Tripoli Sailors for their continued dedication to the Navy.
“The success of the Tripoli and the Navy as a whole wouldn’t be possible without young Sailors choosing to raise their right hand and swear the oath of enlistment for a second, third, or fourth time,” said Harrington. “It is both a sacrifice and a great privilege to serve in the Navy and serve our nation, and I couldn’t be more proud of the Sailors aboard this ship who have chosen to stay Navy.”
Tripoli is an amphibious assault carrier that provides presence and power projection as an integral part of Joint, Interagency and Multinational Maritime Expeditionary Forces. Tripoli also supports Marine Air and Ground Task Force requirements, from small-scale contingency operations and Expeditionary Strike Group operations to forcible entry missions in major theaters of war.
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| Date Taken: | 03.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 03.15.2024 15:26 |
| Story ID: | 466324 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Tripoli Earns Retention Excellence Award, by PO2 Malcolm Kelley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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