The Secretary of the Navy recently presented the Energy Conservation (ENCON) award winners for FY2002 in ceremonies conducted at the Navy Memorial in Washington, DC. USS Essex (LHD 2) was among these prestigious award winners. These Navy and Marine Corps activities were singled out for executing comprehensive conservation programs based on senior-level command involvement, well-staffed and trained energy teams, aggressive awareness campaigns, investigation and execution of innovative energy conservation measures, and consistent reduction in energy consumption. The award winners represent Navy activities, ships and Marine Corps bases. USS Essex won the top performance award in the large ship category.