Guardians of 2010: July

Written by: Christopher Lagan

Each week Coast Guard Compass honors members of the Coast Guard family as “Guardian of the Week” for their leadership, devotion to duty, and contributions to our service. As we close out 2010, we’re looking back over the year to celebrate the contributions of the Guardians of 2010. Today, we revisit those recognized in July 2010.

Jim Smith – July 2, 2010

Civilians play a vital role in Coast Guard operations. As the maintenance mechanic leader for Air Station Atlantic City, Jim Smith has proven just how valuable the civilian workforce can be to mission excellence.

“The most stand-out element of Jim is he’s really a jack of all trades,” said Capt. Paul Ratte, commanding officer of the air station. “He’s integrated at all levels. Countless times he’s asked the right questions and has averted potential disasters.”

LT David Ratner – July 9, 2010

Over the past several years, piracy on the high seas has become a major threat to the international maritime community. The piracy crisis in places like the Gulf of Aden showcased the unique capabilities of the Coast Guard as both a military and law enforcement organization. Lt. Ratner leads one of the Coast Guard teams responding to this emerging global threat.

Ratner led his team on 11 high-risk boardings in the Gulf of Aiden and he and his team directly stopped at least three pirate attacks on unarmed merchants protecting billions of dollars in cargo aboard the many ships that transit the area said Lt. Cdr. Michael Fredie, executive officer of Tactical Law Enforcement Team South.

MK3 Carlos Camacho – July 16, 2010

As the smallest of our nation’s military services, the Coast Guard asks a great deal of its junior members and, in return, offers those members the opportunity to take a leadership role early in their careers. Machinery Technician 3rd Class Carlos Camacho took full advantage of the trust put in him as the junior member of the Station Key West machine shop.

“He is one of the most knowledgeable (Response Boat Medium) engineers in the Coast Guard,” said Chief Warrant Officer Todd Stoughton, commander of Station Key West. “He read the manual cover to cover and found dozens of mistakes and made many recommendations that ended up becoming part of the actual manual.”

LCDR Elizabeth Booker – July 23, 2010

The Coast Guard prides itself on being a service that offers equal opportunities in all career fields for our service men and women. But, the Coast Guard also recognizes that women who choose our profession as a career will face unique decisions and challenges in life. When senior leadership makes decisions on these important issues, it is no surprise that they often turn to Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Booker for advice.

(Lt. Cdr. Booker) has spent a lot of time bringing light to women’s issues by organizing conference participation, coordinating surveys to identify areas for improvement and spending countless hours mentoring and counseling members both on and off duty. But her greatest contribution is likely a book she authored unofficially known as “The Mom Book.”

ME2 Anthony Emanuele – July 30, 2010

The Coast Guard’s role in ongoing U.S. military operations in Iraq is often overlooked. As an expert in maritime law enforcement, Petty Officer 2nd Class Emanuele was called upon when our partners in Iraq wanted to develop their own maritime security methods.

From November 2008 to March 2009 Emanuele was temporarily assigned to Law Enforcement Detachment 107 and the Naval Transition Team Umm Qasr, Iraq. There he trained 12 platoons of Iraqi Marines on how to conduct law enforcement boardings and was an integral part of developing curriculum for this important program.

Congratulations to all of the Guardians of 2010! Come back tomorrow as we pay tribute to the Guardians of the Week for August 2010.