RADM Sirois, USCG; AFRAS Chairman VADM Rufe, USCG (ret.); ADM Collins, Commandant USCG; Gene Seibert, Natl Commodore USCG Aux; AFRAS President CAPT Chomeau, USN (ret.); past AFRAS Chairman ADM James Gracey, USCG (ret.)

Washington, DC, 11 April 2006. In a dramatic departure from their previous award presentations, the Association for the Rescue at Sea (AFRAS) awarded their Gold Medal to the U.S. Coast Guard and their Silver Medal to the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

At prior annual AFRAS ceremonies these awards are normally presented to individuals for heroic rescues. This year AFRAS decided to recognize all those who participated in any way during the hurricanes Katrina/Rita recovery.

The ceremony took place in the Commandant’s Anteroom in Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC. Representing the Coast Guard were Admiral Thomas Collins, Commandant, RADM Dennis Sirois and Captain Barry Smith, Chief Director of the Auxiliary.

Representing the Auxiliary were National Commodore Gene Seibert, National Vice Commodore Steve Budar, and Commodore Carol Urgola, National Chief of Staff.

Representing AFRAS was Chairman VADM Roger Rufe (USCG ret,), Chairman Emeritus ADM James Gracey (USCG ret.), AFRAS President Capt. John Chomeau (ret.), AFRAS Treasurer David Chomeau, Boat/US Chairman Richard Schwartz and Captain Robert Witter.

LTJG Eric Leese was very instrumental in the planning and execution of the ceremony and awards.

The Officers and Directors of AFRAS generally award their gold medal to an enlisted member of the United States Coast Guard for an act of extraordinary bravery during a rescue at sea and the silver medal, likewise, is awarded to a Coast Guard Auxiliarist who has performed a rescue under the same criteria as that for a USCG enlisted person. (The silver is to denote the uniform markings of a CG Auxiliarist as opposed to the gold of the USCG).

For the extreme competency and outstanding heroics of such a large portion of both the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary that took place before, during and after the hurricanes in 2005, AFRAS has chosen to make a special presentation of these prestigious medals to the whole of both organizations. A vast majority of these men and women performed these actions while knowing that their own homes and families had also been devastated by Rita and Katrina.

Along with the medals, AFRAS also presented a check for $5,000 to the United States Coast Guard Mutual Assistance which comes to the aid of enlisted men and women who have experienced a personal loss such as those during the hurricanes and a check for $5,000 to Operation Life Ring which supports both the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary in the same way.

The Association for Rescue at Sea (AFRAS) is a non-profit foundation with charitable status, which supports services concerned with saving lives at sea.

-SK