Submarines Albuquerque and Topeka Earn Battle "E" Awards
By Submarine Squadron 11 Public Affairs

Release Date: 01/26/2011

(NAVAL BASE POINT LOMA, Calif.) – USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) and USS Topeka (SSN 754) are winners of Commander, Submarine Squadron 11's 2010 Battle E awards. Albuquerque earned the Engineering Red "E" and Deck Seamanship White "D"; and Topeka earned the Supply Blue "E". Capt. Rich Correll, Commander, Submarine Squadron 11 presented the awards to the crew Jan. 21.

Albuquerque’s Deck Division Leading Petty Officers, Machinist Mate 1st Class Bret Withey and Sonar Technician Submarine 2nd Class Jared Devallier, accepted the award from Capt. Correll. “We are really honored to receive this award,” said Devallier. “These guys come in and give it their all every day, and it feels really good to know the crew’s hard work is recognized.”

Albuquerque’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Christopher Cavanaugh said, "Every Albuquerque Sailor contributed to these awards, and it’s nice to see their dedications recognized. My crew is fantastic, and they inspire me daily."

Topeka’s Supply Officer is also excited about the award Topeka received. “We put several processes in place last year to make Supply Department fundamentally better,” explained Topeka’s Supply Officer Lt. j.g. Tucker Taylor. “I am proud to see that their hard work does not go unnoticed.”