ALCOAST 178/19 - MAY 2019 2018 CAPTAIN CARDEN AND BM1 CULLEN MARITIME SECURITY AND RESPONSE OPERATIONS (MSRO) EXCELLENCE AWARDS

R 221533 MAY 19
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-5R//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N01650//
ALCOAST 178/19
COMDTNOTE 1650
SUBJ: 2018 CAPTAIN CARDEN AND BM1 CULLEN MARITIME SECURITY AND
RESPONSE OPERATIONS (MSRO) EXCELLENCE AWARDS
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 310723 OCT 18/ALCOAST 373/18
B. DHS Small Vessel Security Strategy, April 2008
1. The Captain Carden and BM1 Cullen MSRO Excellence Awards recognize a
Coast Guard unit and individual that have consistently demonstrated
outstanding contributions and achievements in the Port, Waterways, and
Coastal Security (PWCS) mission, specifically in MSRO activities. REF (A)
solicited nominations.
2. I am honored to announce that Sector San Francisco won the 2018 CAPT
Godfrey L. Carden MSRO Unit Excellence Award and MLES2 Charles Varnado won
the 2018 BM1 John C. Cullen MSRO Individual Excellence Award.
    a. Sector San Francisco (SSF) demonstrated exceptional performance and
remarkable collaboration with other government agencies (OGA) and Deployable
Specialized Forces. During Fleet Week 2018, SSF partnered with OGAs to protect
1.5M visitors, 1,000 recreational vessels, ferry transits, and five Navy
vessels. The Sector Boarding Team worked with CGIS and DHS components to
increase security for the public at maritime critical infrastructure, such as
sporting venues. Such collaboration with ICE Homeland Security Investigations
on small vessel security boardings garnered positive media attention and
supported REF (B). Through its leadership of OGAs in the Bay Areas Neptune
Coalition, SSF developed a coordinated approach to active shooter/active threat.
It partnered extensively with MSRT-W for Regional Coordinating Mechanism
investigations. In FY18, SSF achieved high resource efficiency and actual risk
reduction in quarterly Risk Based MSRO Reports. SSF volunteered for numerous
MSRO initiatives and beta tests, e.g., the Large Vessel Security Boardings. SSF
identified key areas to improve vessel targeting and screened over 1,700 vessel
arrivals to San Francisco Bay. It conducted 1,772 shoreside patrols and met the
increasing demand for ferry and waterfront security while sustaining legacy MSRO
activities, i.e., security boardings; escorting 100 HCPVs, vessels carrying
CDCs, and MOL vessels; fixed security zone enforcement; and MSRO patrols.
    b. MLES2 Varnado played a key role in the Enforcement Division at Sector
Houston-Galveston. He coordinated monthly MSRO activities in two COTP zones
that encompass the largest petrochemical port complex in the US and two
strategic commercial seaports, employing five PWCS Level 1 stations, four
coastal patrol boats, and three marine safety units. He contributed
significantly to the introduction, documentation, and implementation of the
Large Vessel Security Boarding beta test at Sector Houston-Galveston.
Demonstrating superior leadership, he employed risk informed decision making
to complete over 6,450 PWCS mission hours yielding 256 large and 674 small
vessel security boardings, 702 MSRO patrols, escorts of 96 HCPVs and 254 vessels
carrying select certain dangerous cargoes, and 152 shoreside patrols. After
COMDT (CG-5R) promulgated the CG Active Shooter/Active Threat Response policy,
MLES2 Varnado partnered with the Sector's Port Security Specialists to plan
and execute a full-scale Area Maritime Security Training and Exercise Program
exercise aboard a local dinner cruise boat involving 15 Regional Coordinating
Mechanism (ReCoM) partner agencies. He promptly applied lessons learned.
In June 2018, he facilitated embarkation and familiarization training aboard a
deep-draft tankship for 21 law enforcement officers (LEO) from eight agencies.
He facilitated training for 120 LEOs from 19 agencies in safeguarding the
690,000 cruise ship passengers using the Port of Galveston annually. He
collaborated with Homeland Security Investigations Houston Special Response
Team to tailor the nationally-recognized Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid
Response Training curriculum. The 28 CG participants from six Texas and
Louisiana units unanimously agreed that this training significantly improved
their knowledge, skills, abilities, and confidence to respond to an AS/AT event.
MLES2 Varnado expertly guided units new to the MSRO patrol concept which led
to 702 zone patrols, a 30% increase in overall workload. He optimized the use
of MSST Houston during Bravo periods for MSRO patrols that bolstered proficiency
and contributed to the LANTAREA benchmark of 185 working days. Following a
report of two stowaways aboard an inbound deep-draft vessel, he collaborated
with CGI and CBP to correlate previous stowaway cases and identify a foreign
port with security vulnerabilities that improves the International Port
Security program. His meticulous management led to Sector Houston-Galveston
completing 2,445 MSRO activities leading to exceptional performance for 2018.
He work within the ReCoM Integrated Planning Team, also known as the Maritime
Tactical Operations Group, to build unity of effort among interagency partners.
He fostered discussions and process improvement to ensure information collected
during facility inspections by Prevention and shoreside security patrols by
Response fed back to Planning to update and validate MSRAM vulnerability
information.
3. I thank and commend all the nominees for their Service to Nation, Duty to
People, and Commitment to Excellence. I admire our dedicated and capable units
and individuals who have conducted MSRO activities since 9/11. They have
demonstrated a remarkable commitment to excellence in leadership, initiative,
and risk reduction to successfully safeguard our fellow citizens and the Marine
Transportation System from terrorist attacks.
4. I am pleased to recognize the below unit nominees, listed alphabetically,
for their teamwork and successful contributions to MSRO:
    a. CG MFPU Bangor
    b. CG SECTOR Boston
    c. CG SECTOR Charleston
    d. CG MSRT East
    e. CG SECTOR North Carolina
    f. CG SECTOR New Orleans
    g. CG SECTOR Puget Sound
    h. CG SECTOR San Juan
    i. CG MSST Seattle
5. I extend my sincere thanks to the units who nominated their personnel and to
the nominees for their hard work and efforts that kept America safe from maritime
terrorism. I am pleased to recognize the below individual nominees, listed
alphabetically, for their admirable performance, leadership, and fortitude while
conducting MSRO activities:
    a. MECS Jonathan Bowden, CG SECTOR New Orleans
    b. BMC Darrell Bresnahan, CG MSST Seattle
    c. Mr. Robert Brewster, CG MFPU Bangor, our first civilian nominee
    d. MEC Brian Milcetich, CG SECTOR San Francisco
6. Direct questions regarding either award to Mr. Michael Shumaker, COMDT (CG-MSR)
at: (202) 372-2127 or Michael.R.Shumaker@uscg.mil.
7. RDML A. J. Vogt, Assistant Commandant for Response Policy, sends.
8. Internet release is authorized.