BHR Fun Boss Wins J. P. Hardin Practitioner Award

Department of Defense U.S. Navy Releases

ABOARD USS BONHOME RICHARD, At Sea (NNS) -- The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) and Armed Forces Recreation Society selected Abigail Schuh, USS Bonhomme Richard's (LHD 6) Fun Boss, as one of the recipients of the John Pat Harden Practitioner Award. She will receive the award at the NRPA Armed Forces Branch Conference in Seattle in October.

According to Schuh, she received the award because of the dedication of her Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) staff, including Recreation Services Officer Lt. Cmdr. Greg Booth and Funds Custodian Lt. j.g. Charles Adams. BHR's MWR Department received a 100 perfect accuracy rating on its last two annual audits because of the tireless efforts of Schuh and her staff.

"It was also because of improvements made in the ship's gym and the MWR program on the ship," said Schuh.

Schuh was responsible for coordinating numerous command sponsored events, such as the Command Summer Family Picnic, San Diego Chargers and Padres Tailgate parties, Command Holiday and Halloween parties, Tsunami Disaster Relief Support and American Red Cross Support, as well as many command competitions.

In addition, Schuh was responsible for maintaining a $500,000 MWR inventory and $300,000 recreation fund.

The John Pat Harden Practitioner Award was established in 1999 by the Armed Forces Recreation Society. Harden served on many committees, councils, boards, task forces, and other professional units of work over his 46-year career in recreation and parks and military morale, welfare, and recreation services. He served two terms on the NRPA Board of Trustees, as well as the Board of Directors of the Armed Forces Recreation Society.

The San Diego-based Bonhomme Richard is currently steaming off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Oahu in support of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. RIMPAC, the world's largest biennial maritime exercise, has brought together the military forces of the United States, Republic of Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru and the United Kingdom.

For related news, visit the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/lhd6/.

Story Number: NNS060721-07 - Release Date: 7/21/2006 9:34:00 AM