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| Contributed photo Caribou’s own Senator Susan Collins recently was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award — the highest public service honor given by the Department of the Navy. She was presented with the award on Jan. 30 by Secretary of the United States Navy Ray Mabus. |
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a ceremony in her Washington, D.C. office on Jan. 30, U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, received the Distinguished Public Service Award from Ray Mabus, secretary of the U.S. Navy.
The award, established in 1951, is the highest public service honor bestowed by the Department of the Navy and is awarded to civilians for service that benefits the Navy, Marine Corps and Department of the Navy.
“I am truly honored to receive this recognition,” said Sen. Collins. “Being an advocate for the men and women who serve in the United States Navy is a privilege. Maine has a long maritime tradition, and I am particularly proud of the shipbuilders at Bath Iron Works and the men and women who work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, as well as the countless other companies and suppliers across Maine who contribute to our national security. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, the State of Maine continues to help make the U.S. Navy the greatest fleet the world has ever seen.”
Awarded for her decade spanning support of the Department of the Navy, Sen. Collins has been a strong supporter of the military and national security.
While it’s well known that the Caribou native senator has deep county roots, it may be less well known that the Collins family tree includes honored military service.
Sen. Collins’ father, Donald, is a WWII veteran who received a Purple Heart after being injured in the Battle of the Bulge.
In speaking about him, she has said in the past, “From my father, I learned that the heroes who wear the uniforms of America’s armed forces are peace-loving, caring men and women who put aside the comforts of civilian life to advance the cause of freedom.”
