ALCOAST 247/26 - AUG 2026 AUXILIARY INTEGRATION AWARD PROGRAM RESULTS - 2025

R 131243Z AUG 26  MID320018881742U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 247/26
SSIC 5224
SUBJ: AUXILIARY INTEGRATION AWARD PROGRAM RESULTS - 2025
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 171929Z DEC 25 / ALCOAST 501/25
1. I am pleased to announce the recipients of the annual Commodore
Viggo C. Bertelsen, Jr. and Vice Admiral John P. Currier Awards
along with the District Director of Auxiliary of the Year Award.
2. The award winners are Training Center (TRACEN) Cape May, Sector
Southeast New England, Sector San Francisco, and CDR David M. Otani.
    a. Enhanced Mission Support Award: TRACEN CAPE MAY supported a
historic surge in recruit training by leveraging more than 20
masterfully trained Auxiliary culinary assistants. They dedicated
more than 2,500 hours to serving over 20,000 meals to the families
of more than 4,240 recruits. Auxiliarists also provided crucial
support by delivering more than 550 hours in TRACEN's emergency
dispatch center, providing nearly 200 hours of medical services, and
contributing 190 hours to religious ministry program support. Their
efforts were instrumental to enabling TRACEN to successfully
graduate its highest number of recruits since 1991.
    b. Enhanced Operations Award: SECTOR SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND
utilized more than 820 Auxiliarists who delivered more than 54,490
hours of support to directly enhance its operations. They stood over
1,355 hours of watch in the Sector Command Center, assisted the
coordination of over 230 search and rescue cases that resulted in
117 lives saved or assisted and nearly $3.8 million in property
saved. They also achieved 100% verification of all 1,709 private
aids to navigation in their area, including those for new offshore
wind farms, ensuring the safety of waterways in a rapidly evolving
maritime environment.
    c. Applied Innovation Award: SECTOR SAN FRANCISCO's Auxiliarists
pioneered innovative solutions to complex operational challenges.
They established a fully integrated training model at STATION
VALLEJO where Coast Guard military and Auxiliary personnel trained
together to rapidly earn the same qualifications, a practice that
institutionalized strong trust and improved unit resilience. To
address recruiting challenges, the Sector developed the innovative
practice of having potential recruits first serve as Auxiliarists.
This "internship" model enabled recruit candidates to gain valuable
operational experience and earn qualifications before entering
boot camp.
    d. District Director of Auxiliary (DIRAUX, dpa) of the Year:
CDR DAVID M. OTANI's leadership led to outstanding Auxiliary
performance across one of the Coast Guard's most operationally
active regions. He steered expansion of Auxiliary engagement in
specialized, high-demand roles such as oil pollution responder,
container inspector, and maritime transportation system
cybersecurity. He also inspired Auxiliarists to provide critical
support to major events, including the Presidential Inauguration,
and facilitated the rapid assignment of 46 Auxiliarists to assist
in the response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. His focus
on leveraging membership experience while effectively streamlining
administrative processes greatly boosted regional morale and
retention among the nearly 2,000 Auxiliarists in his district.
3. Honorable Mention by Category.
    a. Enhanced Mission Support: AIDS TO NAVIGATION FORT
LAUDERDALE
    b. Enhanced Operations: SECTOR SAN FRANCISCO
    c. Applied Innovation: MARINE SAFETY DETACHMENT CINCINNATI
    d. District Director of Auxiliary (DIRAUX, dpa): LCDR BENJAMIN
TUXHORN
4. Award Logistics. Plaques for the Commodore Viggo C. Bertelsen,
Jr. and Vice Admiral John P. Currier Awards will be sent to the
cognizant DIRAUX office for coordination of appropriate
presentation. The DIRAUX of the Year plaque will be sent to CGD-E
(dp) for appropriate presentation. Award presentation pictures are
encouraged to be sent to: hqs-smb-bsx-cgaux@uscg.mil for showcasing
on the award program SharePoint site.
5. Awards Panel. There were numerous award nominations packages
submitted for the nominees' distinguished Auxiliary integration
achievements. Serving on the panel were:
    a. COMO John P. Feighery, Auxiliary Vice National Commodore
    b. CAPT Brent R. Schmadeke, COMDT (CG-BSX)
    c. CDR Jennifer D. Osetek, COMDT (CG-7241)
    d. LT Kelly M. Richters, COMDT (CG-BSX-11)
    e. BMCM Jason C. Hermes, COMDT (CG-BSX-12)
    f. BMCM Michael E. Winiarski, COMDT (DCP-WFS-5)
    g. Mr. Stephen J. Minutolo, COMDT (CG-BSX-1) (Acting)
    h. Ms. Christina L. Parsons, COMDT (CG-COS)
6. POC: Coast Guard Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety
(CG-BSX-11) at hqs-smb-bsx-cgaux@uscg.mil.
7. RDML Robert C. Compher, Assistant Commandant for Prevention
Policy (CG-5P), sends.
8. Internet release is authorized.