SMSA Honors Huntington Ingalls for Support

At the SMSA "Building America's Future Gala, held October 19th in Washington DC, the SMSA honored the Huntington Ingalls Company for generously funding the Huntington Ingalls/Robert Dean Stethem Scholarhip. SMSA Board Chair, CAPT Mike Blount, CEC, USN Ret..presented the “Can Do Award” to HII for embodying the Seabee “Can Do” spirit through the company’s investment and support of the organization.

In 2018, HII made a four year commitment to expand SMSA’s existing Robert Stethem Memorial Scholarship, which will provide financial support to eight additional students.

The scholarship and USS Stethem (DDG 63), built by Ingalls Shipbuilding, are named after Steelworker Second Class Robert Dean Stethem, the U.S. Navy Seabee diver killed in Beirut during the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in 1985.

“When presented with a moment of choice, we need to stand up and choose to do something of importance that will have everlasting value,” said Michael Lempke, president of HII’s Technical Solutions’ Nuclear & Environmental group, who accepted the award on behalf of the company. “Sponsoring our country’s next generation is undoubtedly something good for our youth and the future of HII.”

You can find out more about Huntington Ingalls at www.huntingtoningalls.com

L-R- CAPT Mike Blount, CEC, USN Ret.-SMSA Board Chair, Michael Lempke-President of HII’s Technical Solutions’ Nuclear & Environmental group, CAPT Steve Hamer, CEC, USN, Ret.-SMSA Executive Director