Theodore Roosevelt Association honors Lt. Carl Comasco, Jr. for Leadership aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt
Buffalo, NY (PRWEB) September 21, 2013 -- The Theodore Roosevelt Association (TRA) today is honoring Navy Lt. Carl Comasco, Jr. with the Theodore Roosevelt® Junior Officer of the Year Award. This award, given annually by the TRA since 1992, recognizes young officers serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) who exemplify the exceptional leadership, pride, professionalism, and dedication to duty inherent in President Theodore Roosevelt.
Lt. Comasco, 27, is assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s reactor department, and is being honored for his achievements in overseeing operations, training and maintenance for 120 sailors in the reactor electrical and reactor controls divisions. While USS Theodore Roosevelt was in the shipyard undergoing her midlife refueling and overhaul, Lt. Comasco also worked extensively with Newport News Shipbuilding personnel to ensure that production deadlines under his responsibility were met.
“It was a great surprise when I heard the Captain announce my name,” said Lt. Comasco. “I’m extraordinarily thankful for this recognition. President Roosevelt was known for his charismatic leadership and incredible work ethic. I try to embody those qualities as a part of my approach to life, and I think people appreciate it.”
The TRA is bestowing Lt. Comasco with the Theodore Roosevelt® Junior Officer of the Year Award as part of its 94th Annual Meeting in Buffalo, the site in 1901 where Theodore Roosevelt was sworn into office. The award is being presented by RADM P.W. “Wick” Parcells USN (Ret.), first commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt and a long-time officer and trustee of the TRA.
“TRA members really look forward to our presentation of the Junior Officer of the Year Award,” said TRA president, Tweed Roosevelt, a great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt. “It is always heartwarming to have the chance to participate in honoring a very promising young naval officer who represents the very best of America's youth.”
Lt. Comasco graduated in 2008 from Fordham University and was commissioned in the Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, SUNY Maritime College Unit. Prior to joining the USS Theodore Roosevelt, he served onboard USS The Sullivans. A native of Harrisburg, PA, Comasco is the son of Carl and Cheryl Comasco and is married to Victoria Comasco.
The fourth of 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, USS Theodore Roosevelt, was commissioned on October 25, 1986 and has had a storied history of supporting naval operations around the globe. She just returned to the operational fleet after completing a four-year overhaul. The TRA has been a support organization for USS Theodore Roosevelt since her commissioning. In addition to annually bestowing the Theodore Roosevelt® Junior Officer of the Year Award, the TRA also has helped outfit the ship’s on-board museum, chapel, library and crew lounge, and maintains active ties with her crew and leadership.
The TRA is a congressionally chartered non-profit historical and public service organization dedicated to perpetuating the memory and ideals of Theodore Roosevelt. More information about the TRA and its relationship with USS Theodore Roosevelt is available online.
Laurence Pels, Theodore Roosevelt Association, http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org, 516.921.6319 11, [email protected]
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