1423 Powhatan St., Suite 1
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone (703) 836-6727
Fax (703) 836-7491
Email: asnehq@navalengineers.org

 

ASNE is the leading professional engineering society for engineers, scientists and allied professionals who conceive, design, develop, test, construct, outfit, operate and maintain complex naval and maritime ships, submarines and aircraft and their associated systems and subsystems.  ASNE also serves the educators who train the professionals, researchers who develop related technology, and students who are preparing for the profession.  Society activities provide support for the U.S. Navy; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Marine Corps; U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Army.

ASNE is the seventh oldest technical society in the United States.  It was founded in 1888 by a group of naval engineering pioneers, most of them officers of the U.S. Navy's Engineering Corps, who sought a unified approach to their profession in order to make the most of new advances in technology. The purposes of ASNE are:           

  • to advance the knowledge and practice of naval engineering in public and private applications and operations,
  • to enhance the professionalism and well-being of members, and
  • to promote naval engineering as a career field.

For 125 years, the Society’s objectives have been strengthened and preserved to meet the changing needs of a time-honored profession. Today ASNE conducts a variety of technical meetings and symposia, publishes the highly regarded Naval Engineers Journal and a number of other technical proceedings and publications, and fosters professional development and technical information exchange through technical committees, local section activities and cooperative efforts with government organizations and other professional societies.

The Society's annual meeting, ASNE Day, is typically held in February of each year in the Washington, DC, area. The meeting features major addresses by high level industry and government leaders and panel discussions by leading members of the profession.  It also includes presentation and discussion of technical papers on a variety of timely naval engineering topics, presentation of the Society's prestigious annual awards and a large exposition with government and industry exhibits covering the full spectrum of naval engineering technology. ASNE Day is highlighted by the Society’s annual Honors Gala, attended by hundreds of executives and senior managers from both government and industry.

Our website is designed to not only serve our members, but also to support scholars, students and others interested in the varied field of naval engineering.  We welcome your suggestions on ways we can improve your experience. 

CAPT Charles H. Piersall, Jr., USN (Ret.)

Award: Gold Medal Award
Year: 1983
Recipient:
CAPT Charles H. Piersall, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Reason:
For his significant contribution to naval engineering as set forth in the following:

For outstanding leadership and program accomplishment as a naval engineer and technical system manager of three Navy acquisition programs including amphibious shipping, merchant ship naval augmentation and strategic sealift.

Captain Piersall, through personal effort, management skill and unswerving dedication to technical excellence has, since 1978, directed the most significant growth in amphibious and strategic sealift assets since World War II. As Amphibious Ship Acquisition Project Manager of the Naval Sea Systems Command, Captain Piersall has effectively secured the cooperation of the U.S. Marine Corps, the Military Sealift Command, The Maritime Administration and the private ship operating community, and under his leadership sealift capability has grown by a significant factor.

In the amphibious warfare area Captain Piersall’s Project has successfully launched three major new amphibious ship acquisition programs, the Advanced Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), the Amphibious Assault Ship (LHD 1), and the Landing Ship Dock (LSD 41). Three additional new programs under development are the LPD 4 Class Mid-Life Conversion Program, the T-AVB Aviation Logistics Support Ship Program and an LSD 41 derivative with increased cargo capacity, the LKDX. Captain Piersall’s personal involvement, initiative, and drive in pursuing the acquisition of amphibious ships and strategic sealift ships has contributed significantly to the development of the 600-ship Navy.

Captain Piersall also directs the Merchant Ship Naval Augmentation Program which will enhance commercial shipping for naval missions by the use of modular equipment without permanent impact on the ships’ commercial role or capabilities. He has been preeminently successful in tying together the disparate elements of this sealift enhancement program. In addition, as the Navy’s technical representative to oversee the Ready Reserve Fleet (RRF) and the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) managed by MARAD, Captain Piersall establishes criteria and requirements for selective procurement from the shipping and shipbuilding industry for these Fleets.

In assuming these vast program responsibilities, Captain Pie5rsall has shown unusual foresight and conviction in introducing a large number of management and technical innovations to meet newly emerging Navy initiatives and needs. His pe5rsonal dedication, engineering insight, and managerial skills have resulted in great benefit to the naval engineering community, as well as the United States of America, thereby making him most worthy to receive the Gold Medal Award for 1983.