ALCOAST 187/25 - APR 2025 2024 SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS (SAME) AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

R 151842Z APR 25 MID120001867723U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 187/25
SSIC 1650
SUBJ: 2024 SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS (SAME) AWARD
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT
1. Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Society of American
Military Engineers (SAME) Awards for making outstanding
contributions to the Coast Guard (CG) Civil Engineering (CE) Program
and advancing the Civil Engineering Work Plan and objectives:
    a. The RADM Thomas Jones Excellence Award is awarded to Civil
Engineering Unit (CEU) Miami. CEU Miami revolutionized depot-level
project execution in 2024, dramatically improving design resource
productivity to reduce costs by 50%, completing $11.4M in critical
storm damage repairs, and achieving a 33% increase in production
capacity, despite significant workforce challenges and vacancies.
Their efforts included securing over $127.5M in disaster relief
funding and implementing innovative strategies that expedited
timelines by at least six months per project, enhancing operational
resilience across 155 regional units. This exceptional leadership
and innovation earned CEU Miami the RADM Thomas Jones Excellence
Award, solidifying their role as the gold standard in
infrastructure management.
    b. The Cowart Plaque for Facility Engineering Organizations is
awarded to Base Portsmouth's Facilities Engineering Department
(FED). Base Portsmouth, the Coast Guard's largest Major Cutter
homeport, supports over 1,700 personnel daily across 29 tenant
commands, manages 367 real property assets valued at $370.8M, and
oversees 505,714 square feet of buildings. Its FED executed a
notable five-week HVAC replacement project at STA Barnegat Light,
restoring system functionality, deferring a $500K FY25 project, and
ensuring a successful cooling season. Additionally, FED prioritized
$117M out of 75 reviewed CPOP project submissions, expanded DLM
capabilities with $1M in fall-out funds, achieved recycling
compliance with over 182,000 pounds of scrap metal, and earned
awards for environmental leadership through initiatives like
Earth Day efforts and $600K in annual energy savings.
    c. The Oren Medal is awarded to LT Kiera Hollenbeck of
CEU Oakland. LT Hollenbeck has excelled as ATON and Dredge Program
Manager, managing over 1,900 aids valued at $169M across Washington,
Oregon, and California, while achieving over 25% cost savings by
transforming the ATON CASREP procurement system and expediting a
$273K contract to restore navigational aids. She partnered with
USACE Portland District to remove 13,000 CY of sediment at Station
Cape Disappointment, saving $500K and securing $2.6M in FY25 funding
to enhance long-term operational resilience. Her leadership in
projects like the $3.4M Novato Housing A/E design initiative,
dedication to professional growth, and service to the community
exemplify the highest ideals of Coast Guard Civil Engineering,
making her a deserving recipient of the 2024 SAME Oren Medal.
    d. The Sargent Medal is awarded to CWO William Stevenson of
Air Station Clearwater. CWO Stevenson managed extensive facility
operations at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, overseeing a
$235 million plant replacement value and a $520,000 operational
maintenance budget. He achieved a remarkable 96.62% preventative
maintenance completion rate, far exceeding the Coast Guard average,
and maintained high PM rates even after three devastating
hurricanes, including Hurricane HELENE, which caused $600,950 in
damage. His leadership was instrumental in securing $1.77 million
in additional funding for depot-level repairs. Beyond his
engineering expertise, Stevenson demonstrated community leadership
through various initiatives, including educational outreach and
charitable work.
2. The Panel received many well-deserved nominations for these
awards. The Panel would like to thank the commands who took the
time to recognize their personnel and to especially highlight the
following units and nominees as honorable mentions for their
hard work and accomplishments throughout the year. Bravo Zulu for
a job extremely well done.
Base Boston
Base Cape Cod
Base Elizabeth City
Base Kodiak
Base Charleston
TRACEN Petaluma
TRACEN Cape May
TRACEN Yorktown
CEU Cleveland
CEU Honolulu
CEU Juneau
CEU Oakland
CEU Providence
FDCC
CDR Elizabeth Nakagaw
LCDR Troy Robison
Mr. Scott Arsenault
Ms. Jennifer Nutt
CWO Barry Marseglia
CWO Benjamin Syrstad
CWO Christopher Imgarten
DCC Thon Lisle
Mr. Brett Jones
3. For any questions, contact LCDR Mark Funke, COMDT (CG-437)
at (202) 475-5780.
4. RDML A. B. Grable, Assistant Commandant for Engineering and
Logistics (CG-4), sends.
5. Internet release is authorized.