CITATIONS TO ACCOMPANY THE AWARD OF

COAST GUARD MERITORIOUS TEAM COMMENDATION

TO THE FOLLOWING UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY TEAMS

BOATING SKILLS AND SEAMANSHIP COURSE PHOTO TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from February 2006 to April 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Skills and Seamanship Course Photo Team.  Melding outstanding technical expertise with a remarkable spirit of determination and cooperation, the Team captured over 160 high-resolution, full-color photos for the 13th edition of the Auxiliary’s flagship Boating Skills and Seamanship course.  Exercising exemplary perseverance and professional skill, the Team strategically identified and covered events in order to stay on schedule while taking advantage of the best photo opportunities.  As a result of its diligence and meticulous attention to detail, the Boating Skills and Seamanship Course was thoroughly updated with attractive and relevant photos that made learning easier for thousands of recreational boaters.  The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Commercial Vessel Examination Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

COMMERCIAL VESSEL EXAMINATION TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from January 2004 to September 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary Commercial Vessel Examination Team.  The Team created several innovative workshops and training and mentoring programs for Auxiliarists, other agencies, and commercial vessel crews to promote Auxiliary performance, train new vessel examiners among Auxiliary, active duty, and Reserve ranks, and promote commercial vessel safety.  As a result of the Team’s steadfast commitment to training and program performance, the number of examinations of commercial fishing vessels, uninspected passenger vessels, and uninspected towing vessels notably increased.  Exercising similar expertise and zeal, the Team guided the Dockwalker program to an unprecedented level of more than 2,200 hours focused on increasing the awareness of commercial fishing vessel communities on vessel safety.  Demonstrating remarkable initiative and cross-programmatic coordination, the Team created a commercial vessel examination database for District Fishing Vessel Coordinators, and it employed Auxiliary interpreters to translate commercial fishing vessel regulations from English to Spanish, Portuguese, and Vietnamese.  The Team culminated its comprehensive efforts by crafting a detailed commercial vessel safety program policy letter for the Coast Guard’s Office of Commercial Vessel Safety that defined Auxiliary training requirements, augmentation expectations, and performance standards.   The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Commercial Vessel Examination Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

E-COMMERCE DEVELOPMENT TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from July 2005 to August 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary E-Commerce Development Team.  Demonstrating exceptional expertise, the Team built upon previous Auxiliary information system strategies and leveraged new open system hypertext  processor programming, structured query language database applications, and financial gateway technology to improve online support for Auxiliary programs.   Exhibiting uncompromising commitment to Auxiliary member support, the Team significantly enhanced e-commerce capabilities of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. “ShopAuxiliary.com” web site and the online District Store partnership program.  As a direct result of the Team’s remarkable diligence and technical skill, seven new web applications were created to increase Auxiliarists’ accessibility to information and products which added more than 2,000 online shoppers, over four million new web hits, and more than a 50 percent increase in web site use.  Displaying similar zeal and utmost concern for the entire Coast Guard, the Team established vital web-based capabilities to make online contributions to the Operation Life Ring program that greatly facilitated the donation of more than $125,000 for the benefit of Coast Guard families devastated by hurricanes along the nation’s gulf coast.  The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary E-Commerce Development Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

FISCAL TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from November 2004 to September 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary Fiscal Team.  The Team demonstrated remarkable professional expertise and unparalleled insight by carefully guiding Auxiliary financial matters and exercising invaluable stewardship during a period of significantly limited Auxiliary resources.  Applying meticulous attention to detail and exemplary team spirit, the Team thoroughly reviewed Auxiliary program needs and budgets with program managers and developed optimum spend plans for all organizational elements. Faced with an extremely challenging fiscal environment characterized by declining revenues and rising costs, the Team tirelessly persevered to craft responsible annual budgets that kept member support at the forefront of their objectives. As a direct result of the Team’s commitment to its fiduciary responsibilities and obligations, more than $50,000 in substantial savings and efficiencies were realized for the benefit of all Auxiliary programs and membership.  The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Fiscal Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE SUPPORT TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from January 2003 to September 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary National Conference Support Team.  Applying exceptional planning and preparation skills, the Team spent thousands of hours meticulously and professionally coordinating countless logistical and administrative details for four National Conferences and four National Training Conferences.  This included complex contract negotiations, extensive agenda scheduling, comprehensive transportation arrangements for conference guests, and the resolution of myriad audio-visual service challenges.  Demonstrating an exemplary spirit of cooperation, the Team worked closely with several diverse groups of Coast Guard active duty, Reserve and civilian personnel as well as members of other agencies and organizations to ensure all conference needs and concerns were fully addressed in timely fashion.  As a direct result of the Team’s diligence and commitment to high quality customer service, the thousands of people who attended these events were able to train and conduct business in comfortable, well-equipped venues permeated by superb support and hospitality.  The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary National Conference Support Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

REAR COMMODORE ACADEMY DEVELOPMENT TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from September 2005 to January 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary Rear Commodore Academy Development Team.  Working closely with the Coast Guard’s Leadership Development Center, the Team conducted a thorough review of the Rear Commodore training program to improve the tools used to prepare these key mid-level Auxiliary leaders.  The Team conducted extensive surveys and interviews of former Rear Commodores along with a detailed training needs assessment in order to identify relevant competencies required of effective Rear Commodores.      Exercising keen insight and vast instructional technology expertise, the Team developed a comprehensive training program that included markedly fresh content, interactive exercises, and follow-up assessments.  The resultant four-day course held at the Coast Guard Academy was accented by high-quality, tailored facilitation and content which were clearly aligned with the Coast Guard’s leadership competencies.  The Team’s unwavering commitment to leadership development was instrumental to the invaluable preparation of 24 Rear Commodores and many future Auxiliarists who will serve in these pivotal leadership positions.  The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Rear Commodore Academy Development Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

RESOURCE ALIGNMENT STUDY TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from January 2006 to September 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary Resource Alignment Study Team.  Combining outstanding technical expertise and analytical skill, the Team carefully identified and inventoried the Auxiliary’s strategic functions, critical competencies necessary to align with Coast Guard missions, and training requirements to augment Coast Guard units.  Applying meticulous attention to detail, the Team thoroughly researched dozens of the Coast Guard’s benchmark plans and systems including Auxiliary concepts of operations, District contingency plans, the Reserve Employment Study, Contingency Personnel Management System, and Readiness Management System.  The Team’s insightful diagnosis of crucial gaps between Coast Guard mission needs and the Auxiliary’s resources and capabilities enabled it to generate comprehensive recommendations for the Commandant to significantly improve Auxiliary alignment with the Coast Guard in addition to the first Auxiliary Policy Statement ever issued to all Coast Guard commands.  The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Resource Alignment Study Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.

TRAINING SUPPORT TEAM

For exceptionally meritorious service from September 2005 to January 2006 while serving on the Coast Guard Auxiliary Training Support Team.  The Team combined outstanding technical skill with exemplary customer focus to improve a broad range of Auxiliary training tools and services.  Exercising superb initiative, the Team developed and deployed the “Training Resource Center,” a remarkably innovative and well-organized web site that linked Auxiliary electronic training programs and saved Auxiliarists significant amounts of time searching for any desired training resources.  The Team re-designed the layout and content of the Auxiliary’s training newsletter, “The Quest,” resulting in an engaging e-newsletter linked directly to all other assets in the “Training Resource Center.”  Demonstrating meticulous attention to detail and exceptional concern for their shipmates, the Team devoted countless hours to correct data entries for over 650 Auxiliarists who had completed Auxiliary Leadership and Management School during the past four years but who had not received proper credit for the school in their records.   The dedication, pride, and professionalism displayed by the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Training Support Team are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.