Strategic Weapons Facility sailors honored on Navy birthday
Three Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific (SWFPAC) sailors of the quarter were recognized by the Navy League of the United States Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council during an Oct. 13 luncheon held at Naval Base Kitsap’s Bangor Plaza.
The luncheon focused on celebrating the U.S. Navy's 240th Birthday and included guest speaker Rear Adm. Dave Kriete, commander, Submarine Group 9, as well as Navy Birthday remarks by Washington's Sixth Congressional District Representative, Congressman Derek Kilmer.
Each awardee was presented a soaring eagle statuette engraved with their names by Council President Tim Katona. Captain Michael Baretela, SWFPAC commanding officer, and SWFPAC Command Master Chief Jared Hofer, were also present to honor their standout sailors for their hard work and individual efforts.
SWFPAC was established in 1964 as the POLARIS Missile Facility Pacific. Today, SWFPAC provides assembly, storage, check-out, on-load, and off-load of Trident D-5 strategic missiles; ensures custody, accountability and control of strategic weapons and material; publishes and maintains Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) procedures and conducts START inspections; and provides technical engineering services for guidance, missile, and launcher support equipment.
Honored were Missile Technician 1 Class (Submarines) Brent Cunningham who was cited for his work at the vertical missile packing building as leading petty officer. Cunningham mentored 23 sailors in the building during day-to-day operations. His efforts streamlined processing, made missile repairs more efficient, and helped create a strong culture of watch team backup and teamwork. He also worked as the command motorcycle safety officer, ensuring 100 percent compliance with all requirements for the command's 18 motorcyclists, and was a key member of the area Traffic Safety Council.
"Petty Officer Cunningham works 'behind the wire,' and every missile we process goes through him. He directs the loading of every missile into a long, white container for safe transportation. I can't tell you how important it is to get that right every time,” said Baretela.
Also recognized was MT1 Matthew Mussett, for his work as supervisor within the Explosive Handling Wharf Division. His expertise in weapons processing and solid leadership were essential in the completion of 12 missile transfer operations, eight service unit operations, a follow-on commander-in-chief evaluation, and a strategic arms reduction treaty inspection. As command fitness leader, Mussett facilitated an effective and challenging fitness enhancement program for 14 sailors who completed over 500 hours of physical fitness training.
Lastly honored was MT1 Kenneth Louk, who according to Baretela, "works in our operations division where he ensures we move everything we have from one location to another in a safe and timely manner. It's an important task to ensure all the moves we conduct are well coordinated. He is also our urinalysis coordinator, and does all the legwork to ensure our workforce maintains only the highest standards of personal conduct and integrity."
The U.S. Navy established the Sailor of the Year program, usually chosen from among a command's four top quarterly sailors, to recognize superior performance of petty officers with emphasis on outstanding achievements, exemplary personal conduct and military bearing, and demonstrated initiative in performance.