INDIAN HEAD, Md. –
Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) employee Glenn Hooks was recently recognized with the Department of the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award for his steadfast dedication to duty and outstanding professionalism during his seven years serving with the command, first as Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) Field Team lead and now as the CIWS Fleet Support Branch manager in the command’s Systems Integration Department.
The Navy Superior Civilian Service Award is the second highest U.S. Navy honorary award and recognizes superior civilian service resulting in high value or benefit to the Navy. This is Hooks’ second Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, having received the award in 2013 while serving as the field service representative at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, supporting the U.S. Army’s Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System schoolhouse.
Hooks’ award spoke of his extensive training as a CIWS technician working on the Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System, Sea Rolling Airframe Missile (SeaRAM) and Phalanx system variants, noting that when the failure of two SeaRAM systems revealed a major design defect requiring an urgent upgrade to the elevation gear drive assembly, Hooks led the SeaRAM repair effort for NSWC IHD. He developed the methodology that was selected to resolve the issue and upgraded the 20 systems on all deployed SeaRAMs.
NSWC IHD Commanding Officer Capt. Eric Correll opened the ceremony virtually and provided an impressive list of Hooks’ contributions to the Navy. The award’s citation read in part: “His many accomplishments include ensuring six Amphibious Readiness Groups deployed across the world were ready at all times; resolving the Sea Rolling Airframe Missile repair effort fleet-wide; and overseeing new enhanced defensive capability for three Carrier, Fixed Wing Aircraft, Nuclear hulls. Through his personal initiative, professionalism and tireless pursuit of excellence for Close-In Weapon Systems, Mr. Hooks earned the highest accolades for his support of the Army and the Navy.”
“Glenn provided outstanding service in technical and managerial roles, supporting all versions of the CIWS,” Self-Defense Systems Division Director Gregory Bubniak said. “He was selected as the first branch manager for the Self-Defense Systems Fleet Support Branch and developed his staff to meet a number of unforeseen challenges that arose during that time period.”
The award spoke of Hooks’ dedication to his employees, ensuring recognition through numerous internal and external award programs. His process-oriented focus enabled him to recognize and promote his top performers, further strengthening his workforce for future challenges. Hooks’ employees received the most NSWC IHD Technical Director’s Tenets Awards within the Self-Defense Systems Division.
“He has a way of making everyone he speaks to feel important and has a witty sense of humor,” Systems Integration Department Corporate Operations liaison Marisol MacCheyne shared. “Had it not been for the restrictions due to COVID-19, the room [at the awards ceremony] would not have been large enough to hold the many that wanted to be there in person.”
Prior to Hooks’ civilian service, he served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years.
NSWC IHD — a field activity of the Naval Sea Systems Command and part of the Navy’s Science and Engineering Establishment — is the leader in ordnance, energetics, and EOD solutions. The Division focuses on energetics research, development, testing, evaluation, in-service support, manufacturing and disposal; and provides warfighters solutions to detect, locate, access, identify, render safe, recover, exploit and dispose of explosive ordnance threats.