USS RONALD REAGAN HOST COMMITTEE ANNOUNCE GALA EVENT

Navy League of The United States - Santa Barbara Chapter

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Ronald Reagan's Graphics Media Department
Wins Six CHINFO Merit Awards

FOR RELEASE: 4/16/2007

From USS Ronald Reagan Public Affairs

USS RONALD REAGAN, PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Sailors from the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Graphics Media Department are celebrating the announcement of the CY-2006 Chief of Information (CHINFO) Merit Awards in which Ronald Reagan was named the recipient of six Navy-wide awards.

The announcement was made April 12 via official naval message while the ship's crew was enjoying a scheduled port visit to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The port visit is the last stop before returning to homeport in San Diego following a six-month deployment in support of operations in the Western Pacific.

The annual Navy-wide program recognizes outstanding achievements in internal media products submitted by commands and individuals both ashore and afloat. Categories include: best news article, feature article, stand-alone photograph, photojournalism, television newscast, radio newscast, web-based publication, cruise book, familygram, and a number of other categories.

Entries are judged by a professional team of journalists, photographers and public affairs professionals in the Washington D.C. area. Hundreds of entries are submitted by ship and shore installations to compete in the competition each year.

Ronald Reagan took home three unit and three additional individual awards in CY-2006, doubling the number of awards received during last year's competition.

"I couldn't be happier for our department and our Sailors," said Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Donnie Reagan, Ronald Reagan's public affairs chief. "Our team of MCs worked hard last year during our maiden deployment and these awards reflect all the hard work that went into telling the story of our historic deployment."

This year's unit awards included a first place finish for the SITE Open category where "Ronald Reagan Idol: Season 1" captured top honors. Other unit awards included second place for "Hellcat News" in the SITE television newscast; and a third place finish for Ronald Reagan's "The Great Communicator" in the newsletter competition.

In addition to unit awards, the program also recognizes individual journalists, photographers and graphic arts personnel. Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Cara Maib, editor of "The Great Communicator," was awarded first place honors in the individual news writing category.

"I can't believe I won it. This is the first time I have been recognized on a navy-wide level, and I am honored," said Maib. "I'm looking forward to the competition next year."

Maib's article will be forwarded by the Navy for Department of Defense level competition against top news writers from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Mass Communication Specialist (AW/SW) Kathleen Gorby, who is assigned to Ronald Reagan's photography lab, also received second place honors for the stand-alone photography category.

In addition, Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (AW/SW) John Lill, the leading petty officer of Ronald Reagan's video work center, received a second place award in the SITE spot production category.

Commissioned in July 2003, Ronald Reagan is the ninth and newest Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and departed San Diego Jan. 27 on a deployment in support of operations in the western Pacific.

The ship is named for the 40th U.S. president; its motto, “Peace through Strength,” was a recurrent theme during the Reagan presidency.

For more news from USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) visit www.news.navy.mil/local/cvn76/.