Fairfield Native Receives Navy's Meritorious Service Medal

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Timothy Winters, a native of Fairfield, recently earned the Meritorious Service Medal for accomplishments made while serving as the commanding officer aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams.

Winters, who is now assigned to Carrier Strike Group 12, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for completing a $500 million, first-time guided-missile destroyer modernization ahead of schedule and on budget while in charge of James E. Williams from September 2024 to December 2025.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Timothy Winters said:

Serving as the commanding officer of a Navy destroyer was the most rewarding and challenging assignment in my 28-year career. I’m proud to have served as the leader of her crew and to be the inspiration for the next generation of leaders in our Navy. While command [of a warship] pushes you beyond what you thought possible, the opportunity to lead sailors at this level makes it worth it in every aspect. I’m proud to have personally trained and been a role model for my junior officers and crew and to have contributed to the combat readiness of our Navy.

Winters enlisted in the Navy immediately after graduating from Lawrence High School in 1998 and was commissioned through Officer Candidate School Newport, Rhode Island, in 2007.