[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 25 (Thursday, February 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E189-E190]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING STATION MENEMSHA AS THE RECIPIENT OF THE SUMNER I. KIMBALL 
                                 AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 14, 2008

  Mr. DELAHUNT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor United States 
Coast Guard Station Menemsha, of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, as 
the recipient of the prestigious Sumner I. Kimball Readiness Award.
  The Kimball Award is a rarity in the United States Coast Guard, as 
very few units attain this level of outstanding performance. It demands 
a grade of 90 percent or higher during a rigorous week-long inspection, 
requiring a combination of exemplary test scores, crew proficiency, 
superb vessel condition, excellent performance in drills, a successful 
and progressive unit training program, survival systems readiness and 
good administrative work by all members.
  This award actually marks the second time that Menemsha has been 
given this prestigious honor--they won it for the first time in 2004.
  This award is named after the Maine native who introduced training, 
performance standards and accountability into the life saving 
organization that eventually became the Coast Guard. This honor is 
extremely difficult to achieve, and even more noteworthy considering 
the high-tech vessel the crew must master and maintain, the 47-foot 
Motor Lifeboat. Of the 200 Coast Guard stations throughout the country, 
only a handful receive the Kimball Award, and only two stations that 
operate the 47-foot MLB were so honored.
  The Menemsha Coast Guard station has come a long way. In the early 
1990s it was in danger of closing, but the people of Martha's Vineyard 
rallied to save it. For a brief period it was used by the Town of 
Chilmark, and then it became a substation of the Woods Hole station. In 
recent years, it became a full-time station and--time and time again--
has proven its importance. This award is not just a testament to the 
station, but it is a tribute to the hard-working men and women who 
serve our Coast Guard and who are willing to put their life on the line 
to protect the safety of mariners and the integrity of our coast.
  On the Vineyard, the Coast Guard is an important part of the 
community. Those who first served as life savers came from the island, 
and are part of a very proud tradition that began here years ago. 
Today, those who serve in Station Menemsha are not just representing a 
Federal agency, but are very much members of the community, honoring 
the proud tradition of service that the people of Martha's Vineyard 
hold dear.
  Station Menemsha's remarkable achievement is not just about receiving 
an award; it is a testament to the professionalism and dedication that 
each member of the station brings to the job. In their line of work, 
readiness and competence is the difference between life and death.
  I would like to congratulate and recognize Station Chief Steve Barr 
and the men and women stationed at Menemsha for their exemplary 
service:
  BM3 Dustin Shaw, BM2 Matthew Sponable, BM2 Bill Robertson, SK2 Rachel 
Glade, MK3 Christopher Guice, FN Julie Lopatka, BMCM Jack Downey. BMC 
Chris Bobrowski, FN Shannon Heintzelman, BM3 Rajeah Wilson, BM2 Lance 
Nelligan, MK3 Greg Lockwood, SN Derek Perendy, BM3 Daniel Carrillo, MK1 
Mike Micucci, MK2 Nicholas Prescott, SN Jarrett Dube, RADM Timothy 
Sullivan, MK3 Andrew Chace, BM2 Patrick Bryant, BM3 Andrew Leblanc, BM3 
Joe Pancotti, CAPT Raymond Perry, and BM3 Mark Chaknis.

           [From the Martha's Vineyard Times, Jan. 31, 2008]

               Station Menemsha Wins Rare Readiness Award

                           (by Steve Myrick)

       Last summer, a fishing boat in a dangerous stretch of water 
     off Aquinnah was taking on water. The call for help came to 
     United States Coast Guard Station Menemsha.
       Petty Officer Second Class Lance Nelligan scrambled his 
     crew, and guided the station's 47-foot motor lifeboat to the 
     distressed vessel, where the fishing crew was moments away 
     from abandoning their sinking boat.
       ``They came across Devil's Bridge,'' said Petty Officer 
     Nelligan, ``bounced a couple of rocks, split a whole bunch of 
     big cracks in the bottom of their hull. We were able to get 
     out there, we put two people on board to rig a pump and get 
     the boat pumped.''
       Petty Officer Nelligan recounts the story of his day's work 
     the way most people mention writing a sales report, replacing 
     a fan belt, or waiting on a customer. The skill, training, 
     and preparation of his crew saved a valuable boat and got two 
     very grateful fisherman safely back to port. But to him, it's 
     no big deal.
       But the Sumner I. Kimball Award? Now that's a big deal to 
     Petty Officer Nelligan. ``To have somebody come in and say 
     the job that you're doing is award worthy, is a really big 
     deal,'' he said. ``The things that we're tested on, it's 
     absolutely everything you can think of. It takes a lot, a 
     lot, a lot of work to keep those boats ready, and keep the 
     crew ready.''
       ``In my mind,'' adds Petty Officer Second Class Bill 
     Robertson, ``this is almost the Super Bowl of the Coast 
     Guard.''


                              Boat of note

       The Kimball Award is named for the Maine native who 
     introduced training, performance standards, and 
     accountability into the life saving organization that 
     eventually became the Coast Guard.
       The honor is extremely difficult to achieve, and even more 
     noteworthy considering the high-tech vessel the crew must 
     master and maintain. It is a test of readiness, including the 
     condition of the vessel, along with the skill and training of 
     the crew, administered by inspectors so tough that they 
     inspire awe among the enlisted men and women.
       ``This isn't flag football, everybody gets a trophy sort of 
     a deal,'' said Rear Admiral Tim Sullivan, who flew to the 
     Island to present the honor to station personnel this past 
     Friday. Admiral Sullivan commands the Coast Guard's First 
     District, which includes eight northeast states and 2000 
     miles of coastline from the Maine to northern New Jersey.
       Of more than 200 Coast Guard stations throughout the 
     country, only a handful receive the Kimball Award, and only 
     two stations that operate the 47-foot motor lifeboat were so 
     honored.
       ``It's the most complicated boat we have, it's a beast of a 
     machine,'' said Lieutenant Commander Chris Cederholm, who 
     represented Coast Guard Group Woods Hole at the ceremony.
       ``This award will become a benchmark,'' Admiral Sullivan 
     said. ``You guys really set a benchmark as a crew. Your 
     outstanding performance is really your gift to a lot of 
     future generations. A lot of folks will follow behind you, 
     they will have to stand on a lot of big blue shoulders. 
     People are going to be standing on your shoulders. This is a 
     day you'll look back on, maybe when you're an old grey 
     admiral. Think about that legacy, of people that will follow 
     behind you.''
       Coast Guard Petty Officers (left to right) BM2 Bill 
     Robertson and BM2 Lance Nelligan were all smiles, holding the 
     pennant they will fly aboard Station Menemsha's 47-foot motor 
     lifeboat. The pennant symbolizes the Kimball Award, earned by 
     only one other boat of this kind in the entire Coast Guard 
     this year. Click photo for larger version.


                               Tough test

       Seven months after the grueling evaluation, MK First Class 
     Mike Micucci, the head engineer, still scolds himself about 
     one of the most serious faults the inspectors found in the 
     material condition of his vessel: a missing screw in a 
     plastic cover. It was nothing that would have interfered in 
     the boat's operation, but it cost him a precious point in the 
     rating system.
       ``I can't believe I missed that,'' said Petty Officer 
     Micucci. ``The guys that come and do the inspections, they 
     know what to look for, you have to be one step ahead of 
     them.''
       Senior Station Chief Steve Barr was unable to attend the 
     ceremony. At the moment his station personnel received the 
     award, he was welcoming newborn son Isaac into the world.
       ``He's got a good excuse,'' said Admiral Sullivan. 
     ``Another little Coastie coming along.''
       ``I wish I could have been there, absolutely,'' said Chief 
     Barr. ``It's a joy for me that my crew got this award, with 
     or without me. The fact that we got this Kimball with the 47-
     foot motor lifeboat is just amazing. It's a big deal, and we 
     have a lot of junior people there. They did exceptionally 
     well. I'm very proud of all their hard work.''


                             Ready and able

       As difficult as the Kimball Award is to get, it is not 
     difficult to understand how the station achieved the honor. 
     Speaking to the personnel offers a glimpse of the 
     professionalism, pride, and dedication which courses through 
     the ranks. They understand that the award represents more 
     than passing an exam on a specific day. They know an engine 
     leak, a poorly maintained pump, or a navigation error may 
     mean points deducted from the Kimball award grade sheet. 
     ``They

[[Page E190]]

     watch us plot position, lay down courses,'' said Petty 
     Officer Nelligan. ``How we organize the crew, how we get our 
     boat set up, how we're going to respond. They're pretty much 
     testing everything that could possible go wrong.''
       The unit also realizes these things can mean life or death 
     when it's not a drill. ``We are a search and rescue 
     station,'' said Petty Officer Nelligan. ``It's the middle of 
     the night, it's the middle of the day, during a meal, those 
     are the times you really have to snap to and get the boats 
     ready.''
       Petty Officer Nelligan joined the Coast Guard shortly after 
     the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in 
     New York City. ``I wanted to be involved in some branch of 
     the service that I knew was going to protect my family, and 
     this country,'' said the Dennis native.
       Petty Officer Robertson, who grew up in Wrentham, is a six-
     year veteran of the Coast Guard. He flashes a broad grin when 
     recalling the day Chief Barr told the assembled crew that 
     they had won the Kimball Award. ``Definitely a lot of big 
     smiles and high fives,'' he said.
       Petty Officer Robertson likes the Menemsha assignment so 
     much, he asked to extend his duty an extra year. ``I like the 
     whole Island vibe, the whole atmosphere,'' he said. ``We have 
     a blast in the summer, we have a really tight-knit crew here. 
     We work hard and play hard.''
       The pride carries over to the town of Chilmark, which has 
     come to think of the station as its own. ``They are an 
     integral part of our community,'' said Chilmark selectman 
     Frank Fenner Jr., who along with selectman Riggs Parker, and 
     a large contingent of town officers, police officers, 
     residents, attended the morning ceremony. ``I'm proud that 
     this station is doing so well.''

                          ____________________