[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5115-S5116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO COAST GUARD AWARD RECIPIENTS

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and pay 
tribute to the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard who 
came to the rescue of the citizens of the Gulf Coast in the wake of 
Hurricane Katrina. On May 12, 2006, in one of the largest awards 
ceremonies in Coast Guard history, 95 Coast Guard members received 
medals for their heroic efforts while rescuing thousands of victims 
stranded along the central Gulf Coast. The awards ceremony highlighted 
the Aviation Training Center near the Mobile Regional Airport. The 
center served as the staging base for more than 50 helicopters 
conducting rescue operations along the central Gulf Coast and--along 
with Sector Mobile personnel--is credited with saving more than 4,700 
lives in the two weeks after Katrina.
  The highest of the four awards presented--the Legion of Merit--went 
to Capt. David Callahan, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Aviation 
Training Center, and Capt. James Bjostad, commanding officer of Coast 
Guard Sector Mobile. They received the award for their outstanding 
leadership in the aftermath of Katrina.
  The Distinguished Flying Cross--the second highest award presented at 
the ceremony--went to 19 local Coast Guard personnel Commander Michael 
McCraw, Commander Patrick Gorman, Commander James O'Keefe, Lieutenant 
Commander Brian Hudson, Lieutenant Commander Jacob Brown, Lieutenant 
Commander William Sasser, Lieutenant Commander Mark Vislay, Lieutenant 
Commander Scott Langum, Lieutenant Gregory Houghton, Senior Chief 
Aviation Survival Technician Christopher Walker, Chief Aviation 
Survival Technician Martin Nelson, First Class Aviation Survival 
Technician Timothy Fortney, First Class Aviation Survival Technician 
John Williams, First Class Aviation Survival Technician Jason Shepard, 
Second Class Aviation Survival Technician Brian Doolittle, Second Class 
Aviation Survival Technician Joel Sayers, Third Class Aviation Survival 
Technician Mitchell Latta, Third Class Aviation Survival Technician 
William Lawson and Third Class Aviation Survival Technician Jason 
Leahr.
  The Meritorious Service Medal--the third highest award presented--was 
pinned on 13 Coast Guard members Captain Edwin Stanton, Commander Barry 
Compagnoni, Commander Mark Hemann, Commander Jason Fosdick, Commander 
Bradley Bean, Commander Melvin Bouboulis, Commander Thomas Tardibuono, 
Commander Ronald Cantin, Lieutenant Commander James Elliot, Chief 
Warrant Officer Four Thomas Milligan, Chief Warrant Officer Three 
Kenneth Hardenbrook, Senior Chief Aviation Maintenance Technician 
Robert Gagliano and Chief Aviation Maintenance Technician Scott Corner.
  The Air Medal was awarded to 61 Coast Guard members Lieutenant 
Commander Christopher Chase, Lieutenant Commander Christopher Conley, 
Lieutenant Commander Robert DeCoopman, Lieutenant Commander David 
Edwards, Lieutenant Commander Christian Ferguson, Lieutenant Commander 
Eric Gleason, Lieutenant Commander Mark Hiigel, Lieutenant Commander 
Thomas McCormick, Lieutenant Commander Edward Sandlin, Lieutenant 
Commander Patrick Shaw, Lieutenant Commander Thomas Swanberg, 
Lieutenant Thomas Bailey, Lieutenant Karen Cagle, Lieutenant Steven 
Cerveny, Lieutenant Cornelius Cummings, Lieutenant William Dronen, 
Lieutenant John Druelle, Lieutenant Thomas English, Lieutenant Todd 
Fisher, Lieutenant Mark Graboski, Lieutenant Wendy Hart, Lieutenant 
Brian Hopkins, Lieutenant Joseph Klatt, Lieutenant Richard Nameniuk, 
Lieutenant Stephen Priebe, Lieutenant Michael Rasch, Lieutenant William 
Strickland, Lieutenant Keith Trepanier, Lieutenant Charles Webb, 
Lieutenant Martin Simpson, Lieutenant Donnis Waters, Senior Chief 
Aviation Maintenance Technician John Burns, Senior Chief Aviation 
Survival Technician Jeffery Tunks, First Class Avionics Electrical 
Technician Ronald Jester, First Class Avionics Electrical Technician 
Jon Schroeder, First Class Aviation Maintenance Technician Anthony 
Johnson, First Class Aviation Survival Technician James Dix, First 
Class Aviation Survival Technician Blain Elkins, First Class Aviation 
Survival Technician Jeffrey Galbraith, First Class Aviation Survival 
Technician Dustin Skarra, Second Class Aviation Survival Technician 
Jason Edmiston, Second Class Avionics Electrical Technician Benjamin 
Berman, Second Class Avionics Electrical Technician Charles Lowmaster, 
Second Class Avionics Electrical Technician Stephanie Sera, Second 
Class Aviation Maintenance Technician Robert Bradley, Second Class 
Aviation Maintenance Technician Stevenjohn Conrad, Second Class 
Aviation Maintenance Technician Stephen Fruzan, Second Class Aviation 
Maintenance Technician Gabriel Grise, Second Class Aviation Maintenance 
Technician Michael Lewis, Second Class Aviation Maintenance Technician 
Karl Williams, Second Class Aviation Maintenance Technician Daniel 
Hoffmeier, Second Class Aviation Maintenance Technician David 
Villarreal, Second Class Aviation Survival Technician William Johnson, 
Second Class Aviation Survival Technician James Farmer, Third Class 
Aviation Maintenance Technician Richard Amelio, Third Class Aviation 
Maintenance Technician Joshua Nichols, Third Class Aviation Maintenance 
Technician Mathew Quiggle, Third Class Aviation Survival Technician 
Keric Allen, Third Class Aviation Survival Technician Sara Faulkner, 
Third Class Aviation Survival Technician Jeff Lowe, Third Class 
Aviation Survival Technician Jonathan Ptak and Third Class Aviation 
Survival Technician Aaron Raines.
  Mr. President, these awards are a small token of the appreciation and 
thanks that are owed to the dedication to duty and self sacrifice these 
helicopter crews, technicians and support personnel displayed. The 
impact of the brave and tireless efforts of these 95 personnel directly 
impacted the rescue

[[Page S5116]]

of 50 times their number. These individuals deserve our gratitude, our 
praise and most importantly our continued support as they conduct on a 
daily basis, vital rescue and relief missions for the citizens of the 
Gulf Coast. Thank you for a job well done and for continuing to support 
our Nation.

                          ____________________