Orange native Petty Officer Second Class Ragan Anderson-Hennigan was recently awarded the Navy and Marine Corp Medal of Achievement twice for his exemplary service aboard the USS Jacksonville, a Los Angeles Class fast-attack submarine, before and during its eight-month deployment to the Western Pacific.

Petty Officer Anderson-Hennigan’s Gold Star Medal reads that he “consistently performed his demanding duties in an exemplary and highly professional manner.”

“Anderson-Hennigan’s mechanical expertise contributed immensely to repairs keeping the ship combat ready at all times with zero missed days of operations,” according to Cmdr Steven Faulk.

At 360-feet-long and displacing 6, 900 tons, Jacksonville can be armed with sophisticated MK48 advanced capability torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Anderson-Hennigan’s “meticulous troubleshooting ability directly contributed to the correction of several significant material issues,” Cmder Faulk writes.

Additionally, Petty Officer Anderson-Hennigan was credited with “managerial activity, personal initiative, and unswerving devotion to duty in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service,” Cmdr Steven Faulk said. “Anderson-Hennigan served as evaporator repair team supervisor which included completely rebuilding complex valves and restoring the ship distillate distribution system, the ship’s only means of attaining drinkable water.”

Jacksonville and her crew steamed more than 48,000 nautical miles while conducting maritime security operations and joint exercises with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and Indian navies. Commissioned May 16, 1981, USS Jacksonville‘s home port is Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

This final deployment of Jacksonville, “The Bold One,” took the crew out to sea for 237 days in port calls in Bahrain, Guam, Oman and Singapore, according to the Navy.

Petty Officer Ragan Anderson-Hennigan is the son of Mike and Caroline Hennigan of Orange.