A The skippers of a Hawkeye squadron skipper and an attack submarine CO are this year’s recipients of the Navy’s top leadership prize — a competition which for the first time saw females among finalists, according to results announced Friday.
Cmdr. Matthew Duffy, who commanded Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 112 from July 2014 to August 2015, is the Pacific Fleet recipient of the prestigious Vice Adm. James Stockdale Award. Cmdr. Anthony Grayson, who has commanded the Los Angeles-class attack sub Providence for two years, is the Fleet Forces Command recipient. Both are 1996 Naval Academy graduates and join an elite club of recipients, including the Navy’s top admiral. were selected from a pool of eight finalists. The Navy announced the winners in administrative message 197/15. Their awards will be presented at a Pentagon ceremony later this year.
Both leaders were commended for turning tough commands into top performers.
Duffy, a native of Kenilworth, Illinois, spent the past year prepping his squadron for an upcoming deployment with the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group. But a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response investigation, NCIS investigation, and poor command climate that landed the previous skipper in Admiral’s Mast resulted in “devastatingly low morale, broken programs, and a fractured Chiefs Mess and Ready Room,” Cmdr. David Dees, commander of VAW-124, wrote in Duffy’s nomination. “Duffy poured himself into the squadron, utilizing every leadership technique at his disposal, and made countless difficult decisions to set the squadron on the course for excellence.”
As a direct result of his leadership, squadron members were named Pacific pilot of the year, chief of the year, and sailor of the year, received the Association of Naval Aviation chief of the year, a Copernicus award. The squadron also nabbed its first Blue “H” pennant and its first CNO safety award in a decade — all this during the maintenance and basic phase.
Duffy is currently assigned to the office of the Chief of Naval Operations and has served with . He has previously served with Airborne Command Control and Logistics Wings in Point Mugu, California, and Norfolk, Virginia; Naval Air Forces Pacific, North Island, California; U.S. European Command, Washington, D.C.; Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, Fallon, Nevada; Carrier Strike Group 14, Mayport, Florida; Dept. of the Navy Staff, Legislative Affairs, Arlington, Virginia; and Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadrons 120 and 121. His personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, two Air Medals (Strike/Flight), and three Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medals.
Grayson etched a place in submarine history in December 20145 when Providence became the first sub to launch an unmanned aircraft from its torpedo tube. But what was taking place below the surface earned the respect of his peers.
“I have personally witnessed [Grayson] turn a once struggling Providence into a front-line deployed submarine that is establishing a new standard for excellence,” wrote the commanding officer of attack sub Toledo, Cmdr. Michael Majewski, in his nomination. Grayson’s “hands-on approach to the mentoring of his crew” was credited in the advancement of 46 petty officers, selection of three chiefs, and all junior officers qualifying engineer.
The skipper of the Dallas, Cmdr. Edward Byers, noted how his colleague prepared the sub for deployment in lessfewer than nine months and scored higher than any other boat. “Lauded by CSL N7 as the best prepared boat for deployment in recent memory, Tony met or exceeded fleet standard on all major inspections.”
Grayson has previously served with Submarine Group 2, Groton, Connecticut; U.S. Navy Central Command, Manama, Bahrain; U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Florida; Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee; ballistic missile subs Ohio and Nevada; and attack sub Connecticut. His awards include the Legion of Merit, two Meritorious Service Medals, and two Navy/Marine Corps Commendation Medal.
A Stockdale first
A STOCKDALE FIRST
This year marked theis first time women have beenwere named as finalists, according to Sharon Anderson, spokeswoman for chief of naval personnel. They included Cmdr. Kelly Fletcher, who enlisted in the Navy as an electronics technician in 1986 and now commands dock landing ship Harpers Ferry, and Cmdr. Katrina Hill, former commanding officer of Patrol Squadron 9, who led the “Golden Eagles” to earn the 2014 Battle “E” award and AVCM Donald M. Neal Aircraft Maintenance Award.
The other finalists nominated for their “inspirational leadership” were:
- Cmdr. John Friedman, former commanding officer, attack sub Columbia.
- Cmdr. Oscar Rojas, former commanding officer, EOD Mobile Unit Five.
- Cmdr. Michael Rovenolt, former commanding officer, Strike Fighter Squadron 31.
- Cmdr. Mikal Phillips, commanding officer, destroyer Mason.
The annual award is presented to two commissioned officers O-5 and below who serve in unrestricted line commands and are “examples of excellence in leadership and conspicuous contribution to the improvement of leadership in the Navy,” according to award criteria. Nominations are submitted by fellow commanding officers who were also eligible for the award. A board of senior officers measures nominees against the leadership ethos of the late-Vice Adm. James Stockdale, a Vietnam POW who earned a Medal of Honor for leading a resistance campaign against his North Vietnamese captors.
Past winners include Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert; Adm. John Richardson, the incoming CNO; retired Adm. Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Adm. Cecil Haney, a former Pacific Fleet commander who now leads U.S. Strategic Command.
