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Gerlach Receives U.S. Navy’s Meritorious Service Medal

Honored for 31-Year Commitment to the U.S. Navy
Louis Gerlach, a technician in BNL’s Energy Sciences & Technology Department and a Command Master Chief in the U.S. Naval Reserves, was presented with the Navy’s Meritorious Service Medal this past May at an awards ceremony held at the Navy and Marine Corps Reserve Center in Amityville. Gerlach was selected for this commendation as the culmination of a seven month review process by various commanding officers in the Navy, including the Chief of Naval Operations, who sits on the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Navy awarded the Meritorious Service Medal to Gerlach to commemorate his 31-year commitment to Naval duty. As his award citation reads, "Gerlach performed his demanding duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner."

After enlisting at the age of 17, Gerlach served for four years of active Naval duty from 1970 to 1974, and subsequently as a reservist. As an operations specialist, he has obtained numerous other medals during his tenure in the reserves, including the Navy Commendation Medal, two Navy Achievement Medals, two Armed Force Reserve Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, and various unit awards. 

Qualified in both surface and air warfare, Gerlach obtained his air-warfare qualification by repeatedly training aboard the USS Enterprise over a period of three years. In 1994, Gerlach was the only reservist selected by the Reserve Force Master Chief to participate in the nine-week, active duty Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, Rhode Island.

Gerlach has over 400 people under his command at the reserve center in Amityville and has served on two Naval reserve force policy boards and on four selection boards.

Said Commander Waite of the Amityville Reserve Center, "Gerlach’s leadership and professionalism have been directly responsible for the improvement of the Reserve Center during his tour as Command Master Chief. His unrelenting perseverance, determination, professional expertise, and steadfast devotion to duty resulted in tremendous improvements in the Reserve Center’s effectiveness, which directly benefited the attached units, and the Navy as a whole." 

 

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