Lt. Cmdr. Day earns Adm. O’Neill Award

Lt. Cmdr. John Day is this year’s recipient of the Admiral Merlin O’Neill Officer of the Year Award. Day is comptroller in Navy Medicine at the NAS Patuxent River Naval Health Clinic.

Sponsored by the Southern Maryland Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, the O’Neill Award was created to recognize ‘‘the most outstanding junior officer at NAS Patuxent River.”

Adm. O’Neill was a highly-decorated officer who served in the Mediterranean and the Pacific during World War II, and was known for the interest he took in junior officers, especially their professional development.

‘‘I’m surprised and honored to receive this award,” said Day. ‘‘It’s definitely a big honor considering the talent on this base — to know that what you do is recognized.”

Day was nominated for the award by Pax River Naval Health Clinic Commanding Officer Capt. Linda Ireland, who noted that Day had ‘‘improved accuracy of labor reporting of 200 staff through centralization of diversified functions” and that the improved accuracy ‘‘enabled enhanced analysis of cost center expenses and areas for cost savings and containment.”

He also ‘‘led the financial team to consistent annual growth in reimbursement collections through implementation of new procedures, automation and business partnerships.”

As emergency management officer for the clinic, Day ‘‘reorganized the emergency management program and response process to be compliant with Hospital Incident Command System and Joint Commission standards,” wrote Ireland, noting that Day ‘‘improved readiness and response posture by developing crucial working relationships with city and county representatives.”

A result of Day’s efforts is that during the Joint Commission Survey in May, ‘‘The Emergency Management Program passed with zero direct or indirect findings,” she stated.

Before his commissioning in 1999, Day served over 12 years as an enlisted hospital corpsman, including four and a half years with the Marines during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

Married and a graduate of the University of Phoenix with a master of business administration degree, Day is also region director and ethics committee chair of the International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association.

This year’s finalists for the O’Neill Award also included:

Marine Maj. Marc Gerads, of the Avionics Systems Engineering Department (AIR 4.5), who was nominated by Navy Capt. William Gilligan, the Avionics National Military Director. Gilligan noted Gerads’ achievement of a college degree while enlisted in the Marine Corps and subsequent commissioning in 1997.

Gilligan cited Gerads’ volunteer service with Walden Compass House and other organizations, saying, ‘‘despite a grueling travel schedule and long days supporting the USMC H-1 Helicopter Program Office, Maj. Gerads and his son have set the example of dedicated community service.”

Marine Maj. Anthony Giovenco Jr., also of the Avionics Systems Engineering Department, who has served 28 years in the Marines, starting in the enlisted ranks before becoming a Warrant Officer in 1996 and rising to major in April 2008.

In nominating Giovenco, Gilligan pointed to his degrees from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and advanced studies from Defense Acquisition University, calling him ‘‘an outstanding Marine and community servant.”

In the community, Giovenco volunteers as a Little League umpire, ‘‘officiating as many games in the local area as his travel schedule allows. Additionally, he voluntarily officiated multiple district and state postseason tournaments,” wrote Gilligan.

Lt. Cmdr. Nagel Sullivan, the mission control systems deputy for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned aircraft system (PMA-262). In nominating Sullivan, Program Manager Capt. Robert Dishman wrote, ‘‘Lt. Cmdr. Sullivan is not only eager to expand his working knowledge of the program, he is willing to share that knowledge with the community. The time he has dedicated to the program outside of working hours is priceless.”

A 1996 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Sullivan’s ‘‘work on the mission control systems will help maximize effectiveness and efficiencies for BAMS,” according to Dishman, who added that it was ‘‘a testament to the rigor and discipline Lt. Cmdr. Sullivan follows to ensure capability is delivered to the war fighter on cost and on schedule.”