ALCOAST 142/24 - MAR 2024 SOLICITATION FOR THE 2023 MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS AWARD

R 281235Z MAR 24   MID600117308906U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 142/24
SSIC 16000
SUBJ: SOLICITATION FOR THE 2023 MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE AND
PREPAREDNESS AWARD
A. U.S. Coast Guard Marine Environmental Response and Preparedness
Manual, COMDTINST M16000.14A
1. This ALCOAST updates the nomination procedures and eligibility
criteria located within REF (A) and solicits nominations for
the RADM Sidney A. Wallace Award for Excellence in Marine
Environmental Response and Preparedness (Wallace Award) for the
2023 calendar year. The provisions of this ALCOAST will be
incorporated into the revision of REF (A), which will be released
within the next year.
2. The purpose of the Wallace Award is to provide recognition
to those members who exemplify the high standards of
professionalism and initiative embodied by RADM Wallace
throughout his career. The Wallace Award includes five
categories: Individual, Unit, and Team Excellence for
Response and Individual and Unit Excellence for Preparedness.
The Wallace Award recognizes Coast Guard individuals and
units for the following:
    a. Excellence in the area of marine environmental response
and preparedness;
    b. Contributions to the Marine Environmental Response (MER)
program;
    c. Efforts to improve coordination and cooperation among all
MER partner agencies, the industry, and the public;
    d. Professional conduct in carrying out program assignments;
    e. Innovations in response and preparedness to pollution
incidents; and
    f. Furthering the goals and objectives of the MER program.
3. RADM Sidney A. Wallace served as the first Program Manager
and Chief of the Marine Environmental Protection (MEP) Program
and Division. Under his leadership, the MEP Program quickly
achieved prominence in marine environmental response and
preparedness among federal and state agencies, industry, and
non-governmental organizations. He implemented the provisions
of the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1970, which, among
other things, created the National Response System (NRS).
RADM Wallace was a frequent delegate to the International
Maritime Organization (IMO) and was a delegate to the
International Marine Pollution Conference in 1973, which adopted
the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships (MARPOL), the main international convention covering
prevention of pollution to the marine environment from vessels.
He later served as Chair of IMO's Marine Environment Committee
during work on the International Convention on Oil Pollution
Preparedness Response and Cooperation (OPRC).
4. Chapter 1.F.3 of REF (A) regarding the Application Process is
updated to read:
    "a. Area, District, and Sector Commanders, Commanding Officers of
DCMS, LOGCOM, and Marine Safety units, the Incident Commander of a
response, and the Commanding Officer of a National Strike Force unit
may nominate individuals, units, and/or teams whose performance in
carrying out MER program assignments during the preceding calendar
year was notable and deserving of national attention. Each
nominating authority may put forward as many nominations that they
find meet the criteria for selection.
    b. COMDT (CG-MER) acknowledges the clear difference in the work
and actions that are needed to respond to an incident, compared to
the work and actions needed to bolster preparedness in advance of an
incident. Therefore, the Wallace Award will be split into two
categories from this point forward, Response focusing on real-world
incidents that took place in the calendar year and Preparedness
focusing on the planning efforts to ensure readiness. Each
nomination submission must specify if the unit or individual is
being nominated in the Response or Preparedness category. Examples
of Preparedness activities that might be considered include
rewriting Area Contingency Plans, extensive partnerships with local,
federal, state, tribal, industry, and other agencies during a large
scale exercise, reviewing response plans for new industries, among
other work.
    c. Nominations for the Wallace Award are restricted to units,
staff elements or personnel who engaged in a Marine Environmental
Response mission over the previous calendar year (including Sectors,
District Response Advisory Teams (DRATs), Marine Safety Units
(MSUs), Marine Safety Detachments (MSDs), National Strike Force
Strike Teams, National Strike Force Coordination Center, the Public
Information Assist Team (PIAT), the Incident Management Assist
Team (IMAT), Area staff personnel, cutters, and possibly other
Coast Guard units not mentioned.
    d. Nominees for Individual Excellence awards may be civilian,
military, or Auxiliary members located at any Coast Guard unit;
however, the nomination must be routed through one of the commanders
identified above for approval. An individual should have contributed
significantly to the categories listed above to be considered for
this award.
    e. Unit Excellence nominations should include only the
performance associated with a single Operating Facility (OPFAC),
even when the Federal On-Scene Coordinator authority and oversight
is held by the parent command. Parent commands should generally not
aggregate the routine performance of their unit and sub-units in
determining nominations, and should instead nominate each individual
unit on its own merits. If a parent command and sub-unit (or units)
are considering nomination for a single event, the Response Team
category should be the one employed.
    f. The Response Team Excellence nominations should highlight all
members who significantly contributed in an incident with a wide
geographic impact (e.g., hurricane response or major coastal spill)
and should come from the Incident Commander of the Incident
Management Team. Due to the nature of these incidents, the members
of the team may come from multiple units. Specific guidance of what
to include is listed in the nomination template.
    g. Submit applications to COMDT (CG-MER) no later than 01 May
following the end of the calendar year. A template nomination
is located on Commandant (CG-MER-1)'s SharePoint site (link below)."
5. Nominations are limited to two pages of text in a standard
memorandum format. Format requirements and RADM Wallace's biography
are posted on the COMDT (CG-MER) SharePoint page:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/cgmer/wallaceaward/default.aspx

6. Nominations must be received NLT COB 1 May 2024. Individual,
Unit, and Team nominations must be submitted electronically as an
email attachment to the POC listed below. Recipients of the
2023 Wallace Award will be announced via ALCOAST.
7. POC: LT Allison M. Wrieden, COMDT (CG-MER) at
Allison.M.Wrieden@uscg.mil or (202) 372-2260.
8. Ms. Dana Tulis, Director of Emergency Management (CG-5RI), sends.
9. Internet release is authorized.