ALCOAST 329/24 - AUG 2024 2023 USCG DEPLOYABLE SPECIALIZED FORCES (DSF) AWARDS

R 271044Z AUG 24   MID600117575673U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 329/24
SSIC 1650
SUBJ: 2023 USCG DEPLOYABLE SPECIALIZED FORCES (DSF) AWARDS
A. Deployable Specialized Forces Awards, COMDTINST 1650.30
1. This message announces the recipients of the 2023 USCG Deployable
Specialized Forces (DSF) Awards. The following members are
recognized for their exemplary contributions within the DSF during
calendar year 2023.
2. I am honored to announce the recipients of the 2023 DSF Awards
in the following categories:
    a. DSF Award for Outstanding Mission Support: SK1 Miguel
Dejesus-Vega, Atlantic Strike Team. Leveraging his expertise in
procurement, property, finance, and diligent market research, SK1
procured more than $215,000 of equipment and training services,
while saving the Coast Guard over $20,000. In addition to his
primary duties, SK1 developed incredible response acumen, and was
hand-selected to support the 2023 Army versus Navy football game,
a Special Event Assessment Rating Level 4. As the sole National
Strike Force representative, he augmented the DHS Mobile Detection
Deployment Unit and provided early detection and response
capabilities, executing continuous scanning operations for
60,000 vehicles and 70,000 pedestrians. Furthermore, while deployed
in support of the East Palestine train derailment in Ohio, he
monitored solid and liquid waste disposal on one of the most
politically charged man-made disasters in recent history,
contributing to the removal of nearly 15 million gallons of liquid
waste and over 37 thousand tons of contaminated soil and solid
debris. Honorable Mention:
        (1) CWO Jonathan Brooks, Gulf Strike Team
    b. DSF Emergency Response Award (Enlisted): MST1 Kesley
Underwood, Gulf Strike Team. MST1 Underwood deployed for more
than 70 days, supporting a wide range of natural and man-made
disasters in four different operational areas to meet Incident
Commanders’ operational objectives. During the catastrophic train
derailment response in East Palestine, Ohio, MST1 Kesley worked
hand-in-hand with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contractors,
leading safety oversight for night operations inspecting hundreds
of tank trucks and providing air monitoring. After Typhoon MAWAR’s
passage over Guam, MST1 led 30 EPA contractors in recovery and
disposal of 77 tons of batteries, 1,533 compressed gas cylinders,
450 cubic yards of electronic waste, 22,000 gallons of flammable
liquid, and 2,000 pounds of oily debris. Responding to the Maui
Wildfires, she capably coordinated air monitoring for Unmanned
Aerial Surveillance operators, the Remotely Operated Vehicle team,
and on-water pollution responders, enabling successful oil
containment in Lahaina Harbor and protection of 17 outfalls.
Immediately following her response efforts, MST1 Kesley quickly
shifted her focus to fulfill land-side operational demands and
provide safety oversight for EPA contractors throughout the recovery
process. Honorable Mentions:
        (1) BM1 George Ramirez, Atlantic Strike Team
        (2) DC1 Noah Weigand, Pacific Strike Team
    c. DSF Emergency Response Award (Reserve): LT Shanita Thomas,
Atlantic Strike Team. LT Thomas led both the Reserve Logistics
and Operations Departments, overseeing $200,000 in response
readiness drill funds and supported three nationally significant
events. Hand-selected to support the catastrophic train derailment
in East Palestine, Ohio, she demonstrated exceptional leadership
as the Safety Officer and Certified Industrial Hygienist in direct
support of the Environmental Protection Agency On-Scene Coordinator
for one of the worst man-made disasters in recent history. She
filled a critical occupational health role for the Unified Command
and ensured the safety of 600 responders during the removal of
15-million gallons of liquid waste and 8,000 tons of solid waste.
Augmenting the 86-day active-duty deployment to the Reading Drum
warehouse fire and hazardous waste site in Pennsylvania, she
deployed reserve hazardous materials technicians to support field
responders, provided invaluable hands-on sampling and
decontamination training, and led to the safe sampling, segregation,
and transport of 529 containers of hazardous materials.
    d. DSF Emergency Response Award (Officer/Civilian):
LT Trenton Brown, Pacific Strike Team. Operationally deployed for
51 days, LT Brown performed exceptionally in response to complex
natural disasters and high-profile national preparedness events.
During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, he led planning
and execution of a mass decontamination site designed to accommodate
200 attendees and 21 heads of state, notably elevating national
preparedness through enhanced contingency response options. Leading
the unit’s participation in a regional full-scale emergency response
exercise, he supervised employment of chemical and biological
equipment to detect, sample, and presumptively identify an unknown
agent contaminating a simulated public water system, demonstrating
Coast Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction response capabilities to
more than 400 responders from 20 federal, state, and local agencies.
Furthermore, he engaged with service partners to test data
collection methods used during dispersant monitoring operations
including the assembly of rare aerial imagery from remote areas
in the Arctic, sharpening disaster response strategies in this
critical region. Honorable Mentions:
        (1) LT Sarah Dupre, Atlantic Strike Team
        (2) LT Sydney Sonnega, Gulf Strike Team
    e. DC3 Nathan B. Bruckenthal Award, DSF Tactical Operator of
the Year (Enlisted): ME1 Cody McLendon, Tactical Law Enforcement
Team, Pacific. As Lead Petty Officer of Law Enforcement Detachment
(LEDET) 102, ME1 McLendon deployed for 202 days in support of drug
interdiction and counter Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated
Fishing activities, resulting in apprehension of 16 traffickers
and seizure of 10,434 kilograms of cocaine valued at more than
$309 million. Leveraging his Tactical Operator skillset while
embarked on USCGC WAESCHE (WMSL-751), he demonstrated precision
tradecraft during the interdiction of a self-propelled
semi-submersible, resulting in the removal of 2.5 metric tons of
cocaine valued at more than $76.2 million and cementing LEDET-cutter
integration. Showcasing his Advanced Marksmanship Instructor acumen,
ME1 led 100 hours of high-risk training across 11 LEDETs,
facilitating realistic scenarios, resulting in sustainment
of 100 members, maximizing unit global readiness. Hand-selected as
a Tactical Operator Screener evaluator, he facilitated 20 events for
22 prospective TOs, enabling assignment of most desirable personnel,
and saving $500 thousand in transfer costs. Honorable Mentions:
        (1) ME2 Ramon Brea, Tactical Law Enforcement Team South
        (2) MEC Robert Larkin, Maritime Security Response Team East
    f. CDR Joe Rodriguez Award, DSF Tactical Operator of the Year
(Officer): LT Connor Nelson, Maritime Security Response Team West.
LT Nelson demonstrated superior leadership and expertise across a
range of maritime operations in the homeland and throughout the
Indo-Pacific, generating strategic effects in support of vital
national interests. As part of a Special Operations Task Force
supporting Operation PACIFIC EAGLE, he pioneered an evolutionary
joint operating concept for the DSF, leading his team for six months
through heightened force protection conditions during maritime
counterterrorism advise and assist missions supporting the Armed
Forces of the Philippines. His leadership and persistent presence
alongside joint service and Filipino partners yielded a deep
understanding of their threats and challenges, enabling tailored
and timely contributions that enhanced maritime governance and
affirmed the United States as a trusted ally. He served with
distinction in oversight of four MSRTW international training
engagements, and as Deployable Team Leader for two multilateral
security exercises across the South China Sea, reinforcing the
rules-based global order. Additionally, he expertly managed an
immediate response posture for the Unit’s Presidential maritime
evacuation team through a two-day trilateral defense summit.
Honorable Mention:
        (1) LTJG Steven Stewart, Tactical Law Enforcement Team South
3. I would like to extend my personal congratulations to these
outstanding award winners for their dedication and success.
I also wish to thank their leadership for taking the time to
recognize them. These acknowledgments highlight the exceptional
efforts and contributions of our DSF community, which play a vital
role in maintaining our Service’s status as the world's premier
Coast Guard.
4. RADM S. Gilreath, Assistant Commandant for Capabilities
(CG-7), sends.
5. Internet release is authorized.