ALCOAST 111/26 - APR 2026 2025 SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS (SAME) AWARD WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

R 291925Z APR 26   MID120041219201U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 111/26
SSIC 1650
SUBJ: 2025 SOCIETY OF AMERICAN MILITARY ENGINEERS (SAME) AWARD
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT
1. Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 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. In a landmark year, CEU Miami
executed over $41M in depot-level maintenance and $10.7M in PC&I
projects, increasing production capacity and reducing costs by
50% despite a 24% vacancy rate. Following Hurricanes HELENE and
MILTON, the unit rapidly executed $5M in disaster relief projects.
Their technical expertise was pivotal after a fire at Station
South Padre Island, delivering a complete $6.5M repair design
eight months ahead of schedule. By partnering with the Defense
Logistics Agency (DLA), they executed 47 projects totaling $11.5M,
reducing procurement timelines by 80 days. This exceptional
performance, supporting 155 units across two districts, solidifies
CEU Miami's reputation for engineering excellence and operational
readiness.
    b. The Cowart Plaque for Facility Engineering Organizations is
awarded to Air Station Clearwater's Facilities Engineering
Department (FED). The FED, a team of 36, masterfully managed the
Coast Guard's largest aviation unit by personnel and physical
footprint, valued at $256M. In the face of unprecedented adversity
from two major hurricanes, they led a monumental recovery, securing
over $26M in disaster relief funds and executing over 3,800 work
orders while maintaining a 99% preventative maintenance completion
rate. Their leadership extended to a joint task force with the
Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, restoring critical
infrastructure in the Bahamas and increasing personnel capacity
by 60%. The FED's resilience and exceptional project execution
have set a new standard for facility engineering excellence.
    c. The Oren Medal is awarded to LT Moira Meek of CEU Juneau.
LT Meek demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision as the
primary project officer for the CGC STORIS homeporting effort in
Juneau, securing $300M in funding and ensuring navigational
compatibility with future maritime development. She devised a
unique, multi-pronged solution to temporarily moor three new Fast
Response Cutters in Kodiak, preventing operational delays.
Furthermore, LT Meek led a critical international partnership with
the Government of Japan to support the repatriation of WWII remains
from the remote island of Attu. Her innovative problem-solving and
dedication to operations across the vast Alaska AOR distinguish her
as a deserving recipient of the Oren Medal.
    d. The Sargent Medal is awarded to CWO Steve Mensen of Sector
Southeastern New England. CWO Mensen led a transformative year,
championing the nationally-recognized "OPERATION RESTORE
HABITABILITY" initiative that grew from a $1M pilot to a $26M
nationwide success. His efforts culminated in an incredible
logistical feat: awarding 42 high-impact projects totaling $4M in
just 45 days, dramatically improving living and working conditions
across the sector. Through the innovative "Operation Bench Strength"
program, he established dedicated "Station Keeper" contracts at six
locations, freeing boat crews to focus on their primary missions.
CWO Mensen's visionary leadership and relentless drive have created
a new playbook for facility maintenance and habitability across the
Coast Guard.
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.
    a. Base Borinquen
    b. Base Honolulu
    c. Base Miami Beach
    d. Base Boston
    e. Base Charleston
    f. Base Elizabeth City
    g. Base Kodiak
    h. Base LA/LB
    i. Base New Orleans
    j. US Coast Guard Academy
    k. TRACEN Cape May
    l. TRACEN Yorktown
    m. CEU Cleveland
    n. CEU Honolulu
    o. CEU Juneau
    p. CEU Oakland
    q. CEU Providence
    r. FDCC
    s. Mr. Gregory Carpenter
    t. Mr. Justin Caruso
    u. Mr. Vincenzo Mazzarella
    v. Mr. Edward Wieland
    w. Mr. Brandon Goodrich
    x. CAPT Brian Maggi
    y. CDR Chris Marquis
    z. LT Clara Dahill-Baue
    aa. LT Alexis Laskowski
    bb. Mr. Hector Laguer
    cc. DCC Jesse Decker
    dd. CWO Joseph Black
    ee. DC1 Erin Asher
    ff. CWO Justin Scott
    gg. CWO Michael Jones
3. For any questions, contact LCDR Mark Funke, COMDT (CG-SHORE-E)
at (571) 610-2116.
4. Mr. Michael Haycock, Assistant Commandant, PEO - Shore
(CG-SHORE), sends
5. Internet release is authorized.