In its third year, an awards foundation that blends baseball and naval service ,named for a World War II chief who went on to have a storied major league career has broadened its horizons to honor an enlisted Marine and commands for peer-to-peer mentoring of junior sailors.
On Wednesday, the Bob Feller Act of Valor Award Foundation honored al Navy chief, Major League Baseball player and hall-of-famer, as well as a Marine Corps noncommissioned officer and two commands for their volunteer efforts. — one ashore and one afloat — in a Wednesday ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.
"Being here in Washington, D.C. and seeing all the people from the upper chain of command take the time out of their day to tell us how much they support us has been extremely empowering," Information Systems Technician 3rd Class (SW) Joshua Vogel, one of the award recipients, told Navy Times at the ceremony at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Vogel and three of his Carl Vinson shipmates flew out from San Diego to accept the afloat Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Award. Two major leaguers were recognized for their work supporting veterans' causes. The Other honorees included:
- Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy.
- Retired Kansas City Royals designated hitter George Brett.
- Chief Hospital Corpsman (FMF/CAC) Genell Cody of Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
- Staff Sgt. Rene Segura of Marine Wing Communications Squadron 18, Marine Air Controlraft Group 18, 1st Marine Air Wing in Okinawa, Japan.
- The Hopper Information Services Center at the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington.
Cody told Navy Times that she learned about the award a year ago when the 2013 chief honoree, Chief Hospital Corpsman (DV/FMF) Garth Sinclair, gave a talk about the award at a CPO-365 event.
Then two months ago, she picked up the phone and the voice on the other end identified himself as the Navy's top enlisted sailor.
Sailors from the carrier Carl Vinson accepted the afloat peer-to-peer mentoring award Nov. 4 at the 2015 Bob Feller Act of Valor Awards in Washington, D.C.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Jeffrey Malet
"I got a call from [Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens]. the MCPON. And I didn’t think it was the MCPON, I thought it was one of my brother chiefs harassing me, and I was like, 'What do you want? I don’t have time for this!' " she recalled.
Her chief's mess put her up for the award because of her volunteer work, she said.
"That is a big deal for me," she said. "We do have it really easy in the military, so just to give back, knowing how much we take for granted — or that I take for granted."
She hopes bringing the award home will show her junior sailors the bigger picture, and that every small donation of their time counts, she said.
The Vinson sailors were similarly surprised when they won. Nominated by their chief for their organization of events like 5K runs and anti-drunk driving education during their 10-month 2014 deployment, they found out over the carrier's general announcing system.
"It was for all the effort we put in throughout deployment," Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuels) 3rd Class (SW/AW) Jalisa Patrick said. "We did so many events with the command. We're sailors, we have nothing else better to do, so why not get involved?"
The activities were a welcome distraction from what was going on outside, Vogel added, as the carrier strike group and its air wing worked day and night dropping bombs on Islamic State group targets in Iraq.
And it was a nice break to come to Washington, Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class (SW/AW) Mia Jones said.
"It's just positivity everywhere," she said. "We don't get all of this positivity on the ship so it's a lot different."
Expanding the honors
The peer-to-peer awards were an idea from the foundation's vice president, retired Fleet Master Chief (SW/AW/SCW) Scott Benning, who started the Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions program in 2008.
Last year, he said, the Navy stopped giving annual command awards for the organization, so he proposed adding it to the Feller awards.
The foundation's original three awards honored a player, a hall-of-famer and a chief — Bob Feller was all three — and Benning felt a group award would complement them.
"I know our chief petty officers all around the world work to inspire our sailors to grow," he said. "Bob Feller was about mentorship during his Navy time as much as he was during his baseball career and afterward."
The Hopper chapter of CSADD won the first ashore award.
"It gives us legitimacy," said Chief Information Systems Technician (SW/IDW) Tortesha Hall. "It boosts our ego even more, to want to do even more. We want to continue to follow in his footsteps to do great things."
Adding a Marine Corps award was Navy Secretary Ray Mabus's idea, foundation creator Peter Fertig said. They settled on naming it after Jerry Coleman, a World War WII and Korean War pilot and former New York Yankees second baseman.
Segura, who received the inaugural Marine award, was happy to be recognized for his efforts at work and in Okinawa.
"It was a surprise for me," he said. "He did a great thing for the Marine Corps, so I'm very honored."
Segura spends his free time working with a senior center on Okinawa, he said, going once a month to elderly residents' homes to help them around the house with cooking and small repairs.
Staff Sgt. Rene Segura accepts the 2015 Jerry Coleman Award Nov. 4 with Bob Feller Act of Valor Award founder Peter Fertig, left, and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald Green in Washington, D.C.
Photo Credit: Courtesy Jeffrey Malet
The major leaguers are recognized for their work with veterans.
Lucroy, who has worked with Honor Flight and the Fisher House in Wisconsin, said he was inspired to get involved with veterans support by a personal tragedy.
In 2011, his college roommate, a National Guardsman, was wounded in an ambush in Afghanistan.
"It was a big mess," he said. "It really opened my eyes that, hey, I'm on a really big platform. I'm able to help some people out."
Lucroy was preceded by 2013 honoree Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and 2014's Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Swisher.
"A lot of guys do a lot of work for veterans issues across the league," he said. "It's a huge honor just to be selected from among that group."
Brett could not attend because of obligations following the Royals' Monday night World Series win, as he is still very involved in the organization.
The ceremony was attended by Assistant Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley and Adm. Frank Caldwell, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, as well as Los Angeles Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda, who won the hall-of-famer award last year.
Also in attendance were Naval Academy superintendent Vice Adm. Ted Carter and members of the Midshipmen baseball team.
"It reminds us how special the people are that we're going to be working with in the future," Midshipman 1st Class Robert Currie, the team captain, said of the awards. "It keeps us motivated to improve ourselves so we can serve those people the best we can when we're in the fleet."
The ceremony was part of several days spent in Washington for the awardees, visiting the White House, Pentagon and other sites while meeting with top leaders.
"Everyone wants to see everyone succeed," Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) 3rd Class (SW/AW) Alexis Clinton said. "It's really awesome to see a group of people come together to support a group of people who are doing the same thing they're doing as leaders."
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
