Coast Guardsmen earn prestigious service awards

Written by: LT Connie Braesch

Post Written by Public Affairs Specialist 3rd Class Cynthia Beckert

Two of the Coast Guard’s most outstanding Shipmates, who have demonstrated uncommonly high standards of leadership and commitment to their service, will be recognized with the Coast Guard’s most prominent awards, the Douglas A. Munro and Captain David H. Jarvis Awards.

Petty Officer 1st Class John F. Costabile, a boatswain’s mate stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell, homeported in Portsmouth, N.H., is this year’s recipient of the Dougals A. Munro Award and upon acceptance will earn an automatic merit promotion to Chief Petty Officer, a rare and prestigious honor.

Cmdr. Matthew T. Meilstrup, commanding officer, Coast Guard Cutter Confidence, homeported in Port Canaveral, Fla., will be recognized and presented the Captain David H. Jarvis Award for his above average devotion to his crew while serving as executive officer, coincidentally, aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis.

Together, in addition to countless other examples of their leadership values, the two Coast Guard recipients have served as mentors for their shipmates – building moral and devoting personal time and resources to help 146 of their shipmates receive qualifications or advancements. Thanks to the enthusiasm of these two exceptionally hard-working Coast Guardsmen, both units are more healthy, happy and operationally prepared.

The awards will be presented today at the Navy League of the United States’ 2010 National Convention being held in Jacksonville, Fla.

BM1 Costabile will be our Guardian of the Week today and LCDR Meilstrup will be honored as Guardian of the Week next Friday, so stay tuned to learn more about these two terrific Coast Guardsmen’s careers and to see photos from today’s ceremony.