COMNAVSURFOR and COMNAVSURFLANT Announce Bloodhound Award Winners

SAN DIEGO (NNS) – Commander, Naval Surface Forces announced that the 2019 Bloodhound Award was given to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Milius (DDG 69) in the Pacific Fleet and USS Mason (DDG 87) in the Atlantic Fleet.

The Bloodhound award is presented to one Pacific Fleet and one Atlantic Fleet ship annually for exceptional performance in the area of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) proficiency, preparedness, and training.

“I'm utterly humbled to receive the Bloodhound Award in 2019 after achieving runner-up in 2018,” said Lt. Mark Choi, Milius’ ASW Officer. “The award is a testament to the effort my Sailors and I put forth through two years of unpredictable patrol schedules in which we partook in numerous multilateral ASW exercises as well as direct encounters with real submarines.”

The criteria for winning this award spans the entire warfare area from the technical proficiency of Milius’ watchstanders to the readiness of equipment and operators throughout the ship.

“It’s an honor serving with the amazing Sailors in the Sonar Division and the rest of the Mason team,” said Lt. Robert Stankewitz, Mason’s anti-submarine warfare officer. “Everyone played an integral part in earning this award.”

During Mason’s 2019 deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation, the crew successfully conducted multi-warfare missions under heightened regional tensions while enhancing maritime security and freedom of navigation in those regions of the world. Despite the arduous nature of the ship’s operations, the

technical and tactical proficiency of her crew sustained a high level of combat and material readiness. Following her deployment, the crew continued to build on their exceptional reputation and flawlessly conducted operations and training exercises in the Western Atlantic Ocean while also preparing to enter a Depot Modernization Availability.

“The team really came together; ASW is a team effort that spans the entirety of the ship from the sensor operators to the bridge and engineering plant,” said Chief Sonar Technician (SW) Michael DellaPosta. “Mason Sailors have worked cohesively to maintain the highest state of equipment readiness necessary to ensure mission success and flawlessly demonstrated unmatched tactical prowess in anti-submarine warfare tactics.

As part of Forward Deployed Naval Forces Japan, Milius’ crew operated exclusively in the 7th Fleet area of operations. They partook in numerous multinational ASW exercises that required coordination with air, surface, and undersea assets in dynamic combat scenarios. Throughout all operations, they executed procedural compliance with standing guidance from their operational commanders.

“My Sailors won this award by knowing their job inside and out,” said Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) Bobby Richey Jr. “ASW is a difficult field to be in. Most of the watches take place in classified spaces separate from other watch teams, so they don’t get much attention and recognition from the crew. Additionally, long times spent in port can negatively affect the retention of knowledge required for accurate and effective tracking. One way the team helped to mitigate this was by conducting regular training on specific acoustic attributes in 7th Fleet.”

Milius and Mason will continue to fly the ASW Bloodhound pennant until next year. *