GE Marine Engines' Lynn, Mass. Gear Plant recently received the U.S. Navy's Theater Surface Combatant Team Award for Excellence for the prompt effort performed on the main reduction gear of the USS Decatur DDG 73 destroyer.U.S. Navy CAPT Fred Parker, AEGIS Shipbuilding Program Manager, presented the award to seven GE employees in late July at the Gear Plant. According to the U.S. Navy citation, signed by Rear Admiral William W. Cobb, Jr., Program Executive Officer for Theater Surface Combatants, "The Main Reduction Gear Team demonstrated exceptional technical expertise, sincere dedication, and a strong commitment to the Fleet in repairing the impaired port main reduction gear aboard USS Decatur (DDG 73)." "Showing extraordinary initiative and responsiveness, team members immediately took action to identify the problem, deploy the necessary resources, and accomplish repairs in a timely and professional manner. Through their tenacity and technical acumen, they effectively repaired the damaged bull gear, replaced the 2B lower 2nd reduction pinion, and completed all operational testing in minimal time to return the ship to operational status.""As a result of these efforts, the impact on the Decatur's operational commitments were minimized. The team's performance during this complex evolution clearly illustrates their strong commitment to excellence as well as their dedication to the Surface Combatant Fleet. Congratulations for a job well done!"For nearly a century, GE has been involved in the design, manufacture and support of marine propulsion gearing for a variety of military and commercial marine customers. The Lynn Gear plant was built in 1942 to expand GE's manufacturing capabilities during World War II. Today, GE is the world leader in producing high-performance harden and ground gearing for the U.S. Navy. The facility now employees more than 300 people in the 500,000-square-feet of space to support the design, manufacturing, assembly and test of complete gearboxes for any size vessel.GE Marine Engines is part of GE Aircraft Engines and is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio. GE Marine Engines is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of commercial and military marine propulsion applications. Visit GE Marine Engines on the worldwide web at www.geae.net