ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE ROUTINE R 101614Z MAY 02 MIN ZYB PSN 787592J38 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN UNCLAS //N05354// NAVADMIN 132/02 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/-/MAY// SUBJ/2002 NATIONAL IMAGE, INC. MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD SELECTIONS// REF/A/RMG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/191320ZFEB2002// AMPN/NAVADMIN 040/02 ANNOUNCED THE NATIONAL IMAGE, INC. CONFERENCE AND SOLICITED NAVY NOMINATIONS FOR SUBJ AWARD.// RMKS/1. LCDR ANGEL R. RIVERA, USN, AND AVCM(AW) ROBERT MIRELES, USN, ARE THE 2002 NAVY RECIPIENTS OF THE NATIONAL IMAGE, INC. MERITORIOUS SERVICE AWARD. THIS AWARD IS PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO TWO MEMBERS FROM EACH BRANCH OF THE ARMED FORCES WHO HAVE BEST DEMONSTRATED OUTSTANDING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. 2. LCDR RIVERA AND AVCM MIRELES WERE SELECTED FROM A PARTICULARLY COMPETITIVE LIST OF DESERVING AND HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND IMPRESSIVE NAVY NOMINEES. 3. CURRENTLY STATIONED AT COASTAL SYSTEMS STATION (CSS), NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER, PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA, LCDR RIVERA INCREASED THE AWARENESS OF HISPANIC CONTRIBUTIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON OUR CULTURE AND SOCIETY. THROUGH HIS WORK AS THE HISPANIC PROGRAM MANAGER, LCDR RIVERA ENSURED DESERVING HISPANICS WERE FORMALLY RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CSS MISSION. HE IS COMMITTED TO THE HIRING AND RETAINING OF HISPANIC EMPLOYEES AND HAS BEEN A LONG TIME ADVOCATE OF THEIR PROGRESSION INTO LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT POSITIONS. HE IS ALSO ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN OTHER SPECIAL EMPHASIS PROGRAMS, SUCH AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, THE AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL, FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND DISABLED VETERAN'S EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS. LCDR RIVERA PARTICIPATES IN THE SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES MENTORING, AND SUMMER EMPLOYMENT TO LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, HE SUPPORTS VARIOUS CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDE THE AMERICAN RED CROSS, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, AND SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS. LCDR RIVERA TRULY DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF IN THE AREA OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY, RACE RELATIONS, AND PUBLIC SERVICE PROGRAMS. 4. MASTER CHIEF MIRELES, CURRENTLY STATIONED AT AIRCRAFT INTERMEDIATE MAINTENANCE DETACHMENT (AIMD), NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, SET A HIGH STANDARD IN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE AIMD COMMAND OF 550 SAILORS AND MARINES. AS A MEMBER OF THE NAVAL STATION NORFOLK AND COMMANDER, NAVY REGIONAL MID-ATLANTIC (CNRMA) AMERICAN HERITAGE COMMITTEES, MASTER CHIEF MIRELES COORDINATED EFFORTS LEADING TO NAVAL STATION NORFOLK'S HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION, AS WELL AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATIONS. HIS DILIGENCE PRODUCED OUTSTANDING RESULTS ACROSS THE BOARD AND ENSURED A RANGE OF SPEAKERS THAT REPRESENTED SUCCESS THROUGHOUT THE MILITARY AND CORPORATE AMERICA. HE ALSO SPEARHEADED THE EFFORTS OF MORE THAN 250 PERSONNEL TO PROVIDE VOLUNTEER SERVICES THROUGHOUT THEIR COMMUNITY FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS, THE DWELLING PLACE EMERGENCY SHELTER, UNITED WAY, NORFOLK ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, WILLOUGHBY ADOPT-A-SCHOOL PROGRAM, AND NORFOLK'S UNION MISSION. MASTER CHIEF MIRELES IS AN EPITOME OF QUALITY LEADERSHIP AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS. 5. LCDR RIVERA AND AVCM(AW) MIRELES WILL BE FORMALLY RECOGNIZED ON 30 MAY 2002, DURING THE NATIONAL IMAGE, INC. "SALUTE TO HISPANICS IN THE MILITARY" AWARDS BANQUET TO BE HELD AT THE BALLY'S HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA. NAVY PERSONNEL INTERESTED IN THE NATIONAL IMAGE, INC. CONFERENCE AND THE AWARDS BANQUET CAN VIEW DETAILS AT WEBSITE WWW.NATIONALIMAGEINC.ORG. NAVY POC IS LT SAD CARINO AT (703) 695-2651/DSN 225, E-MAIL: P00J1@BUPERS.NAVY.MIL. 6. CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH WINNERS. 7. RELEASED BY VADM NORB RYAN, JR., N1.// BT