L-R: VADM William Hilarides, USN (Ret.), NSL President; VADM Robert Gaucher, USN, Commander, Submarine Force; Jacob Moreau, 2024 NSL Workforce Stars Awardee; Gerald Renaud, Business Agent, Chief Steward, UBCJA; ADM Jonathan Greenert, USN (Ret.), former NSL Chairman.
​Recognizing outstanding trades personnel who are actively employed in the Submarine Industrial Base, the Naval Submarine League (NSL) Workforce Stars Award is presented to young adults for their contributions to the construction of submarines and industrial infrastructure. Founded in 1982 in the state of Virginia, the NSL has remained dedicated to fostering an awareness of the importance of submarines to our national security. The Workforce Stars Award acknowledges men and women whose talents bring these remarkable machines to life, distinguishing them as role models and an inspiration for future talent.
Five individuals were recognized with the first annual Workforce Stars Award at the NSL’s 2024 Annual Symposium and Industry Update, held November 12-15 in Arlington, VA. Among the awardees was eight-year Electric Boat employee, Jacob Moreau, a carpenter in Department 252. Jacob has continuously climbed the ranks since beginning his career in September 2016, starting in new construction, where he worked installing exterior treatments that provide our submarines with stealth and advantage. Attentive to his craft and the knowledge shared by his mentors, Jacob’s quality work and attention to detail was apparent to his peers and supervision. He became a lead operator for the process just one year later, responsible for ensuring mixtures were correct and the treatments met all standards.
Selected to participate in the three-year Carpenter Apprenticeship Program in 2018, Jacob rotated through the various major responsibilities of carpenters, expanding his knowledge and skillset with each rotation, all while attending classes and training on-site and off-site at community college. He joined the carpenter’s linesmen group upon graduation, he and his peers responsible for laying out survey points on the interior and exterior of a ship, and working closely with the Optical tooling group to take precise measurements for critical submarine components in support of construction. Jacob became a lead linesman and was appointed a union steward with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) Local 1301, and was later elected treasurer. He took part in the 2023 union negotiations and was a vital part of the discussions that resulted in the most lucrative contract in Electric Boat history. Jacob is also the summer internship co-coordinator for the union, traveling to local schools and high schools to interview potential carpenter candidates for EB’s Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP). Over the last five years, the carpenters have seen all of their summer intern selections return to Electric Boat, with a majority in the carpenter trade.
Now supporting the Columbia-class submarine program, Jacob is working for the linesmen crew in the South Yard Assembly Building (SYAB). A working leader for his crew and one of the top linesmen in his department, he has been involved in the design and operation of a new transfer car system, used to move submarines on land level, for many years, often traveling to learn, operate and teach the new system. Jacob is an instructor for Lines of Ship training and the transfer car system, and is currently supporting the training curriculum for the many carpenters who will use the system to support Columbia work.​
