[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 116 (Wednesday, August 17, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   COMMENDING CAPT. JUAN TUDELA SALAS

                                 ______


                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 17, 1994

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend Capt. Juan Tudela 
Salas of the U.S. Coast Guard, a native son of Guam and a distinguished 
graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, for the exemplary manner in 
which he has discharged his duties as commander of the Marianas section 
and as the marine safety officer of the U.S. Coast Guard on Guam.
  Since assuming this post 2 years ago, Captain Salas efficiently dealt 
with an unusual heap of natural and manmade disasters which have struck 
Guam and its neighboring islands. Five typhoons, including typhoon 
Omar, which passed directly over Guam with winds in excess of 150 miles 
an hour, battered the island within the span of 3 months in 1992. The 
careful precautions that Captain Salas took assuming command of 
instructing his personnel and their families in typhoon preparations 
helped hold to a minimum the damage to Coast Guard personnel and 
facilities during this exhausting period. Under his command the Coast 
Guard was able to respond promptly and efficiently to the typhoon 
related emergencies in Guam's Apra Harbor. These included the grounding 
of 2 U.S. Navy vessels, the sinking of 13 fishing boats, oilspills 
caused by damage to these various vessels and damage to various 
navigational aids. Additionally, Captain Salas was able to alleviate 
the strains of water and power outages experienced by Coast Guard 
personnel and their dependents after Typhoon Omar by making 
arrangements for the use of shower and laundry facilities and obtaining 
portable generators from California and Hawaii.
  The Coast Guard headed by Captain Salas responded once again on 
August 8, 1993, when a substantial portion of the island was damaged by 
an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale. Water and electricity 
was again cut off and the same prompt and immediate response of the 
Captain and his team directly helped in the island's swift recovery. He 
and his personnel were duly recognized with the award of special 
certificates for volunteer service by the First Lady's Committee for 
Special Projects in 1993 and 1994 for the assistance they gave their 
Sister Village of Merizo in the aftermath of typhoons and the 
earthquake.
  Captain Salas has also proven himself a formidable commander beyond 
the scope of these natural disasters. The Marianas section, under his 
command, has responded to more than 300 search and Rescue missions 
during the past 2 years. Seventeen persons who had abandoned their ship 
at sea were rescued on one of these missions leading to the winning of 
the Controller of the Year Award for the entire Coast Guard in April 
1993 by the Operations Center staff under Captain Salas. In the same 
respect a Reserve Coast Guard unit proposed to be disbanded just a few 
months before the captain assumed command was revitalized by this 
leadership to such an extent that it was nominated for the ROA 
Congressional Unit of the Year Award. The active command was also 
nominated for the Total Force Award and a Certificate of Appreciation 
was awarded to Captain Salas in May 1994 from the National Committee 
for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.

    
    
  Advances in the field of environmental protection and maritime safety 
were also implemented through the Captain's efforts. Efforts initiated 
by him in the Coast Guard's enforcement of maritime and other Federal 
laws have led to the detection of numerous violations of the Lacy Act 
and the collection of substantial fines through the U.S. attorney's 
office for illegal fishing activities by foreign vessels within the 
U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Marine life, a valuable natural resource 
to the people of Guam was afforded significant protection as a result 
of this. Oilspill contingency plans for Guam, the Northern Marianas, 
and Palau, under the Captain's direction, have also improved. He has 
chaired and establishment of an oilspill response organization in Guam 
that had acquired 1.5 million dollars' worth of oil-spill response 
equipment for Palau and Rota, formerly isolated and neglected 
locations. On top of these, he has assisted the Guam and the Northern 
Marianas legislatures in the preparation and enactment of oilspill 
responder immunity laws. He also has implemented with the governments 
of Guam and the Northern Marianas memoranda of understanding that 
delineate responsibility in the case of major oilspill, the first and 
third of such signed in the entire United States.
  I commend Captain Salas for these accomplishments and the service he 
has given to the U.S. Coast Guard, the people of Guam and the Marianas. 
We all look forward to all the good things that will surely materialize 
during the next 2 years under his leadership.

                          ____________________