JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Three Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville units were awarded the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal, Monday at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville.
Rear Adm. Steve Branham, commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, presented the three Meritorious Unit Commendation Medals. The medal is awarded to any unit of the Coast Guard which has distinguished itself by either valorous or meritorious achievement or service in support Coast Guard operations.
Recipients of the Medal are Aids-to-Navigation Team Jacksonville Beach, Fla., the Coast Guard Cutter Hammer, a 75-foot construction tender, and Station Mayport, Fla.
ANT Jacksonville Beach and the Hammer crewmembers received the medals for meritorious service from April 2009 to July 2009 while working in partnership to conduct aids-to-navigation operations on a light range in the St. Johns River. Guardians replaced a damaged navigational aid that is considered the most critical by bar pilots navigating deep draft ships into the port of Jacksonville.
The commitment, risk management and ingenuity employed by the two units saved the Coast Guard significant time, money and effort and quickly provided mariners with a critical aid to safely navigate commercial vessels through the jetties at the entrance of the St. Johns River.
Station Mayport crewmembers received the medal for overall excellence in ports, waterways, and coastal security, including conducting more than 1,208 security patrols between October 2006 and October 2009. In addition, Station Mayport crewmembers provided critical waterside security to over 88 military outload vessels transporting nearly four million square feet of essential military cargo and provided force protection for 80 submarine movements.
For more information about the aids to navigation project in the St. Johns River please follow this link.
