Lt. Nathalie “Snap Shot” Behn, a Mechanical Engineer at Naval Provide Techniques Command Weapon Techniques Assist, spends most of her time supporting Sailors and making certain readiness from behind the scenes on the Value Fighters Division. Nevertheless, it was her time in uniform as a Navy Reserve officer that earned her the title of the 2020 Reserve Officers Affiliation Junior Officer of the Yr.
Lt. Behn was ordered to energetic obligation to help the Navy Reserve SurgeMain Mobilization of greater than 400 Sailors on the Norfolk Naval Shipyard final July. She was the SurgeMain deputy officer in cost from July 2020 to Sept. 2021.
SurgeMain is a Navy Reserve program that gives expert depot-level upkeep professionals to Naval Shipyards throughout peak workload intervals, timing their annual coaching to arrange for mobilization whereas including finish power when and the place it’s wanted—all with out impacting mission funding. The SurgeMain motto, ‘Proper Expertise, Proper Time, Proper Place,’ exemplifies the worth this system provides to ship upkeep by means of to this program. SurgeMain Sailors are able to mobilize anytime—anyplace, to offer direct help to the fleet of their expert trades, together with electricians, welders, pipe fitters, sheet metallic staff, riggers, mechanics and extra.
Behn spearheaded quite a few initiatives and packages benefitting the Navy. She helped mobilize and prepare her Sailors to offer measurable, efficient help to Norfolk Naval Shipyard retailers, departments, and ship upkeep initiatives. Their service improved availability schedules, added upkeep functionality, elevated effectivity, averted contractor prices, and additional cultivated Sailor abilities in depot-level upkeep. Throughout her time as deputy Officer in Cost (OIC), Behn helped useful resource 5 submarine availabilities, two moored coaching ship conversion initiatives, and two plane service availabilities obtained substantial help. Moreover, her engaged management helped her Sailors attain 450 new certifications to carry out shipyard upkeep, that are unprecedented numbers.
Behn mentioned she’s happy with her choice for this award, however she sees the popularity as a staff accomplishment.
“Certain, my identify is on the award, nevertheless it’s not about me. I might haven’t completed this on my own—this can be a large staff effort,” she mentioned, emphasizing NNSY’s motto ‘One Mission, One Staff.’ “It’s concerning the help for each Sailor and getting our ships out of their shipyard upkeep availabilities and out to sea the place they belong. If we don’t do our jobs, they will’t do theirs.”
Behn mentioned she is most happy with the robust emphasis she positioned on Sailor improvement throughout her tour of obligation.
“We, as leaders, have an obligation to make sure each Sailor has the coaching they should do their jobs safely,” she mentioned. “I sleep soundly at evening as a result of I do know my Sailors are skilled and able to go at a second’s discover to finish the mission they’re certified to do.”
Throughout her tenure as deputy OIC, 235 SurgeMain Sailors enrolled within the Navy Afloat Upkeep Coaching Technique program, with greater than 150 Sailors finishing core fundamentals, and at the least 15 Sailors absolutely finishing commerce abilities incomes a Naval Enlisted Classification code. Moreover, 12 Sailors certified as Command Pay and Personnel Admin clerks, then processed greater than 4,500 journey claims.
“Lt. Behn represents one of the best of the Navy. She’s a gifted skilled taking advantage of the alternatives in entrance of her, and he or she’s at all times working to open avenues for her fellow Sailors to make a distinction within the fleet,” mentioned Cmdr. Mike Sullivan, Behn’s Navy Reserve commander. “She finds a chance to make a significant contribution, formulates a plan, and prices forward with optimistic power.”
In early Jan. 2021, she was hand-selected by Rear Adm. Howard Markle, performing shipyard commander, as Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s main docking officer — a particularly excessive visibility function with unmatched operational duty for shipyard junior officers. As the one Reserve lieutenant at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Behn held this key management place for six months along with her deputy OIC duties.
When she’s not sporting a uniform to help the Navy, Behn is busy supporting the Navy behind the scenes as a Mechanical Engineer for NAVSUP WSS Value Fighters the place she does quite a lot of duties together with technical proposal evaluations for Efficiency Primarily based Logistics contracts. Behn has carried out detailed proposal evaluations, price analyses, negotiation help, and proposal modeling for MK-99, SPY-1, MK-41 and H-53 Section II, amongst many accomplishments.
“Lt. Behn’s choice because the Junior Officer of the Yr shouldn’t be a shock to me,” mentioned Rear Adm. Ken Epps, commander, NAVSUP WSS. “Our work at NAVSUP WSS is important to make sure naval readiness. That’s the reason we proceed to draw and retain probably the most gifted folks like Nathalie Behn. Her dedication as a Sailor and civilian shipmate, exemplifies our Navy.”
