I understand the ribbons, but what do all those different colored E's and an H with the stripes underneath them mean?
Departmental "Excellence" proficiency awards from Squadron readiness tests/inspections. Red is Engineering Dept if memory serves- (it's been 25 years). Hashmarks below letter are for each repeat award, again- I think.
The Green H is Medical/Health, I believe. Red E is engineering, Green E is CIC, Yellow E is Safety. There's also a Blue E for Supply and Purple E for something else, never knew what it was.
Hashmarks indicate consecutive awards - note their Black E has a hashmark painted out below it, which means they won it two years in a row, then didn't at least one year, then got it again.
091117-N-0569T-034 SAN DIEGO (Nov. 17, 2009) The Surface Warfare Officer of the Year award is presented to Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Tamulevich, left, by Vice Adm. D. C. Curtis, commander, Naval Surface Forces, aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53). Tamulevich, combat systems officer aboard John Paul Jones, was one of 25 nominees selected as the first-ever surface warfare officer. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel J. Taylor/Released)
Holy shit, I know that guy. He was in my company at the Boat School. The fact that he's a Hinge, a Shoe Hinge, and winner of the Shoe Hinge Awesomeness Award is pretty damn funny. I don't know what the hell that caption means, though.