ALCOAST 464/21 SUBJ: WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT – 2021 HOPLEY YEATON CUTTER EXCELLENCE

USCGC Hamilton (WMSL-753) conducting port visit in Valletta, Malta on May 17, 2021. Coast Guard Photo

Just passing this along. I have added pictures and a link to a previous post. 

R 202101Z DEC 21
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 464/21
SSIC 1650
SUBJ: WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT – 2021 HOPLEY YEATON CUTTER EXCELLENCE
AND SUPERIOR CUTTERMAN AWARDS
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 141626Z SEP 21/ALCOAST 336/21

1. The Douglas Munro Chapter of the Surface Navy Association (SNA) is honored to announce and congratulate the recipients of the 2021 Hopley Yeaton Cutter Excellence and Superior Cutterman Awards. The winners were selected from an incredibly competitive pool of nominees.

2. The winners of the Hopley Yeaton Awards for 2021 are:

a. Cutter Excellence Awards

  • 1. Large Cutter: CGC HAMILTON (WMSL 753)
  • 2. Medium Cutter: CGC RESOLUTE (WMEC 620)
  • 3. Small Cutter: CGC ISAAC MAYO (WPC 1112)

b. Superior Cuttermen Awards

  • 1. Officer: LTJG Lauren Kowalski – CGC POLAR STAR (WAGB 10)
  • 2. Enlisted: YN1 Joseph DeVito – CGC RELIANCE (WMEC 615)

3. Cutter Excellence Award (Large) – CGC HAMILTON (WMSL 753):

a. Following her trans-Atlantic escort of the first Fast Response Cutters bound for service at PATFORSWA, CGC HAMILTON transited the Bosporus into the Black Sea where she conducted freedom of navigation patrols and operated and trained with Turkish and Romanian Naval Forces, the Georgian Coast Guard, and Ukrainian Maritime Forces. While deployed in the U.S. European Command AOR, HAMILTON conducted at-sea exercises and port visit engagements with the navies and coast guard of seven total international allies and partners; bolstering freedom of navigation in international waters of the Black Sea and building maritime domain awareness, cooperation, and interoperability with partner nation navies and coast guards. As Caribbean maritime migration levels increased to the highest levels in more than seven years, HAMILTON assumed command of surface operations in the Windward Pass, directing the employment of three major and four fast response cutters that successfully resulted in a dramatic decline in attempts by migrants to attempt the extremely hazardous voyage at sea.

b. Honorable Mentions for the Large Cutter Award are:

  • 1. CGC MUNRO (WMSL 755)
  • 2. CGC BERTHOLF (WMSL 750)

RESOLUTE conducts an at-sea transfer with CGC DILIGENCE. The transfer included a 77 Haitian migrants, their personal belongings, and a Creole interpreter. In total, RESOLUTE cared for 260 Haitian migrants. All migrants are given food, water, and medical attention once onboard a Coast Guard cutter. During a 56-day patrol, RESOLUTE provided overt presence in Northern Haiti to deter illegal and dangerous migration voyages. Photo by ENS Alex Cordes.

4. Hopley Yeaton Cutter Excellence Award (Medium) – CGC RESOLUTE (WMEC 620):

a. In 2021, CGC RESOLUTE safely conducted the largest single-unit, at-sea migration case in more than a decade (183 migrants, including 17 children and infants). RESOLUTE led rigorous dockside and underway trials for the new Cutter Boat-Large acquisition and delivered expert analysis of safety, compatibility, and suitability for a wide range of Coast Guard missions. RESOLUTE’s superb engagement with headquarters program sponsors and naval engineers supported successful acceptance and roll-out across the entire 210′ WMEC fleet. Highlighting a year with multiple SAR cases, RESOLUTE’s lookout detected people in the water, leading to the rescue of 8 migrants who had been treading water for 24 hours following the capsizing of their makeshift vessel.

b. Honorable Mentions for the Medium Cutter Award are:

  • 1. CGC LEGARE (WMEC 912)
  • 2. CGC HICKORY (WLB 212)

USCGC Isaac Mayo, Key West, Fla., Jan. 29, 2015. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Barney

5. Hopley Yeaton Cutter Excellence Award (Small) – CGC ISAAC MAYO (WPC 1112):

a. In 2021, CGC ISAAC MAYO conducted 108 at-sea boardings resulting in the disruption of 3,000 kgs of cocaine valued at $75 million. ISAAC MAYO conducted joint operations with Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations during an operation to deter, detect, interdict, and inspect, targets of interest in the northern portion of Sector Key West’s area of responsibility. ISAAC MAYO led the way during Operation CHOKE POINT, an intradepartmental partnership with Customs and Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations, to board and inspect vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, ISAAC MAYO developed a first-ever Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for operating with a Customs and Border Patrol 45-ft Coastal Intercept Vessel, laying the foundation for sustained multi-agency asset employment far beyond historical operating limitations.

b. Honorable Mentions for the Small Cutter Award are:

  • 1. CGC RICHARD ETHERIDGE (WPC 1102)
  • 2. CGC CHARLES MOULTHROPE (WPC 1141)

6. Hopley Yeaton Superior Cutterman Award (Officer) – LTJG Lauren Kowalski – CGC POLAR STAR (WAGB 10):

a. LTJG Kowalski completed the USCG’s Afloat Icebreaker Training program and demonstrated outstanding professionalism in her role as USCG liaison officer and ice pilot for three months aboard the HMS PROTECTOR. In her capacity as ice pilot, she led the ship to set a new Royal Navy latitude record for surface ships. She managed operations and tracklines for the nation’s only heavy icebreaker, planning and navigating the 10,000 nm voyage for the Arctic Winter West 2021 deployment, through treacherous ice windrows, howling gales, and 10 days of perpetual winter darkness.

b. Honorable Mentions for the Superior Cutterman Award (Officer) are:

  • 1. LTJG William Stephens – CGC MAUI (WPB 1304)
  • 2. ENS Matthew Hall – CGC ANACAPA (WPB 1335)

7. Hopley Yeaton Superior Cutterman Award (Enlisted) – YN1 Joseph Devito – CGC RELIANCE (WMEC 615):

a. YN1 DeVito went beyond the normal duties of a Yeoman afloat by qualifying as an underway officer of the deck. In addition, YN1 DeVito qualified as boat deck safety, helm and lookout, boatswain mate of the watch, quartermaster of the watch, on scene leader for flight operations, detainee watch stander, boarding team member, force protection officer, .50 cal mount captain, .50 cal gunner, repair party leader, and inport officer of the deck. As the vice chairperson of the cutter’s newly formed Leadership and Diversity Advisory Council, he helped organize multiple events that improved the unit’s investment in the professional and personal development of its junior officers and enlisted members. As a Damage Control Training Team member leading training for Repair III, he trained more than 100 crew members in damage control. His superb expertise as a Yeoman resulted in zero discrepancies across 50 line items during the cutter’s Finance and Administration inspection.

b. Honorable Mentions for the Superior Cutterman Award (Enlisted) are:

  • 1. BMC Brian Cleversey – CGC RESOLUTE (WMEC 620)
  • 2. BM2 Nancy Worley – CGC HOLLYHOCK (WLB 214)

8. The winners will be recognized at the 2022 SNA National Symposium.

9. Bravo Zulu and great work to this year’s Hopley Yeaton Award recipients and nominees. This year’s nominees were selected by panels comprised of 61 active duty and retired permanent cuttermen from the rank of E6 to O8, with a collective 604 years of sea time. The sheer volume of praiseworthy nominees and high-quality award write-ups continue to impress. Thank you to all commands that submitted and reviewed nominations.

10. POC: LT Luke Trautwein at John.L.Trautwein@uscg.mil.

11. RDML Todd C. Wiemers, Assistant Commandant for Capability
(CG-7), sends.

12. Internet release is authorized.

2 thoughts on “ALCOAST 464/21 SUBJ: WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT – 2021 HOPLEY YEATON CUTTER EXCELLENCE

  1. That first pic of Malta is lovely. Shades of Star Wars with those futuristic cruise ships in dock next to the ancient stone of Grand Harbour.

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