Lt. Cmdr. Allen Linken, a native of Bessemer, Ala., and assigned to Navy Reserve U.S. 5th Fleet (NR C5F) Legal, accepts the 2017 Rear Adm. Hugh H. Howell, Jr. Award of Excellence from Rear Adm. Thomas Marotta, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) vice commander, at NAVCENT Headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. NR C5F Legal is recognized for their ingenuity and flexibility in resolving gapped-manning issues and providing U.S. stateside collaborations for operational and international law. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin J. Steinberg)