Submarine supply officer selected for Vice Adm. Robert F. Batchelder Award

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Wesley Velasquez | LT Duong poses for an awards photo after receiving the Vice Admiral Batchelder Award  

GROTON, CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES

08.20.2023

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Wesley Velasquez 

Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32

GROTON, Connecticut – A Submarine Readiness Squadron (SRS) 32 supply officer has been selected for the prestigious 2022 Vice Admiral (VADM) Robert F. Batchelder Award, an annual honor given to Navy Supply Corps junior officers who have made a significant contribution to the supply readiness of operating forces.

Lt. Phung Duong, born in Saigon, Vietnam and raised in San Jose, California, was selected by the Navy League of the United States (NLUS) for her efforts while serving aboard the USS Wyoming (SSBN 742) for the 2022 calendar year.

“This award belongs to all of the Wyoming supply members; I am certain they are as grateful as I am for this recognition,” Duong said. “We have a lot of talented supply officers in our corps, and being able to represent our best and brightest is an honor of a life time.”

“I am a firm believer in taking ownership of everything you do, earning the trust of who I work with, and pushing my team to reach their maximum potential,” Duong added.

The Batchelder Award is given in recognition of “outstanding efforts” according to the NLUS selection criteria, and Duong was one of five supply officers selected for the Navy. Duong, a former enlisted logistics specialist, credits her selection to meeting the demands on board Wyoming as a new officer during a 335-day extended operational deployment. Her citation reads that her contributions “went above and beyond the call of duty.”

“While leading the supply department, they accomplished revamping the Wyoming’s HAZMAT [hazardous material] program from being significantly below standards to being one of the very best in the fleet,” the citation continues. “Her involvement while conducting inventory, managing a budget of more than four million dollars, and identifying training gaps, lead to improvements across the waterfront for all submarine crews.”

The Batchelder Award, established by the NLUS in 1983, honors the memory of Vice Adm. Batchelder, who served on active duty from 1917-1957 and retired as inspector general at the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, now Naval Supply Systems Command. To be nominated for the award, selectees must “personify Navy’s core attributes” of integrity, accountability, initiative, and toughness.

“As a first-generation Vietnamese-American, I am proud to receive this award and represent how far we have come as a community,” Duong said when asked what this award meant to her. “The United States is an amazing country that has so much to offer for those willing to put in the work. The Navy has times and time again opened so many doors for me; I am grateful for the mentors I met along the way who had allowed me to knock.”

Duong, a 2012 graduate of California Polytechnic State University, enlisted in the Navy in 2015 and served on board the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) while attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 81. She attended Officer Candidate School in 2018 and Navy Supply Corps School in 2019 before transitioning to the USS Wyoming in 2020.

The mission of Submarine Readiness Squadron 32 (SRS-32) is to centralize administrative and support functions, economize resources and provide a common pool of experts who provide complete functional support to the commanders of Submarine Squadrons Two, Four, and Twelve. SRS-32 provides support in the areas of administrations, medical, legal, chaplain, supply, combat systems, engineering, communications and operations to improve readiness for Navy submarines homeported at Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut.

• Date Taken: 08.20.2023
• Date Posted: 08.21.2023 09:28
• Story ID: 451733
• Location: GROTON, CONNECTICUT, US
• Hometown: SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, US