This award is named after Admiral Russell R. Waesche who, while serving as Commandant, established the Coast Guard Reserve to bolster readiness during World War II. The award is presented to units that are judged to be most supportive of a totally integrated Coast Guard military force as demonstrated by its effective use and support of the Reserve Component during the previous fiscal year.
Category 1: Congratulations to the Fourteenth Coast Guard District
The Fourteenth Coast Guard District are recognized for exhibiting the highest level of commitment to maritime security, national defense, and disaster response across the entire central and western Pacific area of operations and across the United States. District Fourteen’s area of responsibility spans eight time zones and the International Date Line, including a 12.2 million square mile search and rescue region, and is a regional center of gravity in the strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). District Fourteen reservists maintain the highest levels of readiness to support contingency and mobilization requirements at local, regional and national levels in a dynamic and culturally diverse area of responsibility.
District Fourteen reservists continue to prove they are totally integrated and embedded into every facet of operations and mission support. Members of District Fourteen reserve were critical in establishing the Coast Guard’s response to Operation Allies Welcome, resettling thousands of Afghan partners and fostering relationships between the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of State, and non-governmental organization partners. District Fourteen reserve members continued their unparalleled support during the COVID-19 global pandemic on both the local and national level, mobilizing 25 percent of Sector Honolulu’s Reserve force under Title 10 to support the dynamic pandemic related requirements throughout fiscal year 2021. Further, seven members deployed under Title 10 across a three-month period to support FEMA’s national distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in both the Hawaiian Islands and on the mainland across four Coast Guard Districts, 11 Sectors, 12 States and U.S. territories.
District Fourteen reserve members routinely demonstrate the ability to fill active duty roles and are the go-to force for augmenting operations. Reserve members integrated into daily missions and augmented Sector-wide, completing 97 container inspections with the Prevention Department and responding to over 20 pollution cases with the Incident Management Division.
Congratulations to the Fourteenth Coast Guard District!
Category 2: Congratulations to the Seventh Coast Guard District
The Seventh Coast Guard District hosts the second largest Reserve workforce in the Coast Guard with 745 Reservists serving at five Sectors, 18 small boat stations, three Air Stations and one Marine Safety Unit. They are recognized for integrating into every mission area actively serving as coxswains, boat crews, boarding officers, pollution responders, container and facility inspectors, operations and intelligence specialists, contingency planners, and logistics staff positions. District Seven provides the largest qualified Reserve Boat Forces population with 119 reserve coxswains and 172 reserve boat crew members qualified on multiple boat platforms. Exemplifying mission capability is Station Miami Beach, with one of the busiest area of responsibilities in the country, responding to 33 Search and Rescue alarms in fiscal year 2021 resulting in 18 lives saved and 43 lives assisted. The reserve component also accounted for over 200 man-hours in support of Space Operations with active duty and reserve members of Marine Safety Detachment Port Canaveral coordinating interagency efforts at the Launch Emergency Operations Center and the Morrell Operations Center, assisting with 34 successful launches and 115 cancelled launches. Additionally, the Coast Guard Reserve was called on once again to respond to the M/V Golden Ray salvage operation in St. Simon Sound, charged with overseeing and monitoring the work performed to ensure compliance with Oil Pollution Act, National Contingency Plan, and Clean Water Act. This effort included over 300 active and reserve members whom completed the largest wreck salvage operation in U.S. history, performing over three million labor-hours in an extremely dangerous operation and maintaining an unimpeachable safety record.
Leading the Coast Guard Reserve, District Seven has been the role model with their Inactive Duty for Training (IDT) Berthing Management Plan. Collaborating with local Procurement and Contracting and the Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center, they developing a detailed statement of work that led to the award of the first comprehensive 5-year, $3.8 million Reserve Berthing Management contract. This effort resulted in IDT berthing being fully funded across fiscal years and not subject to annual congressional budget approval timelines and most importantly ensured that training and readiness can be optimally focused.
Congratulations to the Seventh Coast Guard District!