ALCOAST 493/25 - DEC 2025 SOLICITATION FOR THE 2025 MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE AND PREPAREDNESS AWARD

R 121500Z DEC 25 MID120038474476U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 493/25
SSIC 16000
SUBJ: SOLICITATION FOR THE 2025 MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE AND
PREPAREDNESS AWARD
A. Marine Environmental Response and Preparedness,
COMDTINST 16000.14B
1. This ALCOAST solicits nominations for the RADM Sidney A. Wallace
Award for Excellence in Marine Environmental Response and
Preparedness (Wallace Award) for the 2025 calendar 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 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, 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. 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, 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.
4. Those submitting nominations should review REF (A) for an
overview of the nomination criteria and process.
5. Nominations are limited to two pages of text in a standard
memorandum format. Nomination template, format requirements, and
RADM Wallace's biography are posted on the COMDT (CG-MER) SharePoint:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/cgmer/mer1/SitePages/Wallace-
Award.aspx?csf=1&web=1&share=EYCqeglVYiZNj9WQcHVJN9sBXrPo3qooJ-C_6Si
rUKW7wQ&e=nptTSF&CID=548df40c-2fea-4f78-a22c-caa68ddac6d6

6. Nominations must be received NLT COB 01 April 2026. Individual,
Unit, and Team nominations must be submitted electronically as an
email attachment to the POC listed below. Recipients of the
2025 Wallace Award will be announced via ALCOAST.
7. POC: LT Noel L. Garcia, COMDT (CG-MER) at
Noel.L.Garcia@uscg.mil or (571) 607-6084.
8. RADM M. M. Dean, Assistant Commandant for Operations Integration
and Response Policy (CG-3/5R), sends.
9. Internet release is authorized.