LINDA NELSON

1. Ms. Nelson served as the Department Chief—Operations during the period of November 2002 to September 2004.

2. During this period, Ms. Nelson was tasked with increasing programmatic demands as a result of 9/11 and the increased optempo. Recognizing that the current staff structure was inadequate to meet the new normalcy, Ms. Nelson instigated a proposed restructuring of the department. She wrote job descriptions for nine additional staff positions and was successful in getting them all approved.

3. Ms. Nelson was instrumental in development of the Auxiliary MDA initiative and OPR III. Through her participation at H.Q in February of 2003 and completion of subsequent taskings, the program has been put in place in record time.

4. Early in her term of office, Ms. Nelson recognized the need to develop an easily deliverable Risk Management program for Auxiliarists, as the mandated TCT program was hampered in delivery by its own requirements. Ms. Nelson developed a three to four hour Risk Management program which could be delivered at the flotilla level by a qualified instructor/operations/member training officer. This training received an initial blessing by WKS and was immediately put in the field. Shortly after, WKS withdrew their approval and Ms. Nelson was tasked with working with them in order to do a data search to find out the total number of Auxiliarists who have completed TCT.

5. In 2001, the Operations department initiated an Operations Excellence Program to prepare teams for ISAR and to offer an advanced training program to increase boat crew proficiency. This program languished at H.Q. for a year and a half. Ms. Nelson was instrumental in getting this program approved and in the field.

6. Ms. Nelson recognized the urgency of working closely with the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Department as a result of the increased optempo since 9/11 and the unfolding on the water missions that Marine Safety was being tasked with. As a result, the Operations department as produced joint training sessions at N-TRAIN and NACON for the last several years. In addition, Ms. Nelson had the foresight to create a staff position, fill it and detach it to the Marine Safety and Environmental Department. In addition, the last two Operations workshops have been designed with important marine safety information. In 2003, it included a harbor safety patrol guide and in 2004 it included a hazardous material guide.

7. Working with the Department Chief of Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Ms. Nelson was instrumental in designing training modules in harbor patrol procedures, pollution response, maritime domain awareness and aids to navigation. This training modules will complete the “Protect us from HARM” Program.

MSM Award