Admiral Vern Clark and
General James L. Jones Safety Awards
The Admiral Vern Clark and General James L. Jones Safety Awards for fiscal year 2025 will be presented to recipients at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland.
Each year at Sea-Air-Space, the Navy League presents a minimum of two awards, one Navy and one Marine Corps, to Department of Navy organizations and/or personnel whose innovative actions, examples or suggestions have reduced fatalities and/or mishaps among Sailors, Marines or civilians within the department.
These awards provide special recognition to individuals, units or organizations that, through their example, advance a culture of safety. The purpose of the awards is to further stimulate safety ideas, suggestions, programs, and other actions that will reduce mishaps and fatalities.
More than one winner of each award may be selected at the discretion of the Navy League awards selection board based on the number and quality of nominations received.
Nominations must be received no later than February 17, 2026.
Eligibility
All active-duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel, civilians within the Department of the Navy, and Navy and Marine Corps Reservists are eligible.
Nominees must be individuals, units or organizations that best exemplify and advance a culture of safety by making significantly greater contributions to safety than normally expected of those in their particular assignments during fiscal year 2025.
Criteria
• Contributions to innovative safety planning and execution that merit service-wide adoption.
• Inspiring a climate where consideration of safety is an integral part of the command’s mission execution.
• Actions, examples or suggestions that have reduced fatalities and/or mishaps among Sailors, Marines and/or civilians within DON. A three-year trend is recommended.
• Participation in new safety initiatives that have had a proven impact on the group/unit’s overall safety program.
Make a Nomination
Mail Your Nomination
Email Your Nomination
Navy League of the United States
Attn: Corporate Affairs
2300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 200
Arlington, VA 22201-3308
Telephone: 703-528-1775
Nominations must be fully substantiated and reflect a careful and conscientious evaluation of the nominee. Substantive achievement shall be explained in a way that can be easily understood and appreciated by the general public; generalities, acronyms, excessive use of superlatives and comments on marginal achievement should be avoided. Achievement shall be supported by quantitative and qualitative data, wherever possible. The Navy League awards selection board will make its decision solely on the content of the nomination submitted.
Cover Letter must include:
For Individuals
- Full name, rank/rate
- Current duty station and address
- Home of record
- Length of service
- Point of contact, including name, rank/rate, mailing address, commercial telephone number, fax number and email address
- Signature of Commanding Officer
For Units or Organizations
Name
Complete address of command or activity
Name of principal point of contact, rank/rate, mailing address, commercial telephone number, fax number, and email address
Signature of Commanding Officer
Endorsement by next higher level of command
Prize
The awards are made from proceeds generated by an endowment provided by former Secretary of the Navy Gordon England and Mrs. England, as well as multiple corporate sponsors. Each recipient shall receive a cash award, the amount of which is determined by the Navy League awards selection board based on the value of the endowment and the income generated from it. When additional awardees are selected beyond the minimum two, the award amount shall be equitably shared among all recipients.
In accordance with the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch, cash awards may be accepted upon a written determination by an agency ethics official that the award is made as a part of an established program under which awards have been made on a regular basis and pursuant to written standards. Recipients should consult with their ethics counselor.
A Navy League commemorative scroll will also be presented to each award recipient.
The FY25 Admiral Vern Clark and General James L. Jones Safety Awards will be presented to recipients at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition to be held 19-22 April 2026 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, MD.
2026 Award Winners
Presented at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition · April 19–22, 2026
Navy
Admiral Vern Clark
Safety Award
Individual
CDR John Stockdill, USN
San Diego, CA
Unit
Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center
Port Hueneme, CA
Marine Corps
General James L. Jones
Safety Award
Individual
Ms. Sara Montez-Diaz
Barstow, CA
Unit
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162
Jacksonville, NC
Past Winners
Admiral Vern Clark Award
2025
Airborne Command & Control Squadron 117 (VAW-117), Point Mugu, CA
Mr. Angelo Owens – Cherry Point, NC
2024
Naval Station Rota – Rota, Spain
Lieutenant Erica Blanchard USN – Kekaha, HI
2023
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, ELEVEN, Gulfport, MS
CEC Brian Neilsen, USN, Port Hueneme, CA
General James L. Jones Safety Award
2025
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar – San Diego, CA
Deputy Chief Ryan Tworek – Barstow, CA
2024
Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow – Barstow, CA
Staff Sargeant Marcos Ascencio, Jr., USMC – Fort Worth, TX
2023
Marine Corps Installations, Pacific-Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, FPO AP
Mr. Michael A. James, Quantico, VA