Get Retention Excellence Awards Program

The letters painted on the ship's bridge wings are known as Command Excellence Awards. These awards show that a ship has proven to be superior in a certain area of operations. Hash marks below the letters denote multiple awards. Awarded for best ship handling, weapons employment, tactics, and command and control.

Reenlisting in the military after discharge can be complex, often requiring an in-depth knowledge of RE codes and discharge types. Those with a less-than-honorable discharge or reentry code that requires a waiver may face significant hurdles in the reenlistment process.

The overall military retention rate for the US is 55% (2021) – second worse next to Hungary. See below.

The Navy set out to keep at least 55% of sailors in Zone A and 65% of those in Zone B. When combined with Zone C sailors, those who've been in the service for 10 to 14 years, the 2019 reenlistment rate was 74% across the three zones.

The gold anchors are a symbol of the Retention Excellence Award for sustaining superior levels of military retention. The aircraft carrier is conducting a scheduled maintenance availability at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton.

The Navy exceeded its retention goals for fiscal year 2023, keeping more than 110% of sailors with up to 14 years of service.

Term of Reenlistment Members on active duty reenlisting in the Regular Navy or the Navy Reserve may reenlist on board for a term of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 years per reference (b). The term of the enlistment contract must equal or exceed the period of service for which already obligated.

As a benefit of winning the Retention Excellence Award, Sailors here were authorized to paint the anchors in front of the building gold as a symbol of distinction. The gold anchors also send a message about the command to the rest of the Navy.