REGION – The command and crew of the USS Vermont (our “Big Sugar”) is playing a leadership role with the AUKUS Trilateral Partnership between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, hosting several Royal Australian Naval (RAN) Officers on the Vermont’s current deployment. In December 2024, the first RAN officer to receive the U.S. Navy Submarine Warfare Device, also known as “dolphins,” was Lieutenant Commander James, while serving on the USS Vermont, our namesake nuclear-powered fast attack submarine.
The command of Submarine Force Pacific recently announced that the crew of the USS Vermont (SSN 792) was selected for several 2024 awards. They included:
The Squadron ONE Battle Efficiency, or Battle E Award for 2024, recognizes the highest level of naval readiness, and only 14 out of 81 submarine crews in the U.S. fleet are awarded it each year. It is awarded annually to those select commands that demonstrate outstanding readiness and efficiency. The award is accompanied by the Navy E Ribbon and Battle E Device, which can be worn by personnel of the winning unit.
The Engineering Readiness Red E, a color-coded designation representing engineering excellence. A submarine crew receiving the Red E indicates their engineering department performed exceptionally well in areas like propulsion plant operations, maintenance, and sustainability at sea.
The Electronic Warfare Green E, another color-coded acknowledgment of sustained, superior performance in shipboard operations relating to matters of command and control, communications, intelligence, electronic warfare, and cryptologic employment.
The Supply Readiness Blue E, another award earned by our submariners that recognizes excellence in logistics management.
And the Personnel Readiness White P, presented to a submarine that has demonstrated the highest level of battle readiness during an evaluation year.
Captain Aaron Peterson, commodore of Submarine Squadron ONE, added his congratulations to our namesake submariners, and passed along a heartful thank-you to the families for their sacrifice.
The crew of the USS Vermont, which continues to bring honor to their namesake state, has been deployed from their home port in Pearl Harbor since August of 2024 to the Western Pacific. They have conducted port calls to Busan, South Korea; and Yokosuka, Japan, to replenish supplies, and maintain the strong military cooperation between the U.S. and our allies.