The submarine and explosive ordnance disposal communities have produced the fleet's top skippers, who were chosen for the Navy's most prestigious leadership award.
Cmdr. Gary Montalvo, skipper of the attack submarine North Carolina, and Cmdr. Ken Kleinschnittger, former CO of EOD Mobile Unit 12, were chosen out of eight finalists for this year's award to represent Pacific Fleet and Fleet Forces Command respectively, the Navy announced Tuesday. The North Carolina is homeported in Pearl Harbor and the "Dirty Dozen" of EODMU 12 is based in Virginia Beach, Va.
The award is given annually to two skippers of a single ship, submarine, squadron, SEAL team or expeditionary unit, O-5 or below, who embody the qualities of the late Vice Adm. James Stockdale, who received the Medal of Honor for leading the resistance against his Vietnamese captors during seven and a half years as a prisoner of war.
After a peer nomination, the candidates are vetted by their fleet commanders and finally, a selection board made up of senior officers.
The other finalists include, according to NAVADMIN 194/16:
* Cmdr. Ryan Blazevich, CO of the destroyer Pinckney
* Cmdr. Gary Harrington, former CO of the dock landing ship Germantown
* Cmdr. Ralph McQueen III, CO of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 12
* Cmdr. Kevin Hoffman, CO of the destroyer Jason Dunham
* Cmdr. Kenneth Curtin, CO of the submarine Wyoming's gold crew
* Cmdr. Douglas Langenberg, CO of Strike Fighter Squadron 213
Montalvo and Kleinschnittger will be honored at a Pentagon ceremony later this year, according to the NAVADMIN. In past years, the Stockdale awards have been held toward the end of the year in Washington, D.C.
The award is regarded as the most prestigious leadership prize for commanding officers. Previous Stockdale recipients include Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson and Naval Academy superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
