The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard is soliciting nominations for the 2017 Enlisted Person of the Year for both:
• Active Duty Component, and
• 2017 Enlisted Person of the Year – Reserve Component
The Enlisted Person of the Year program recognizes exemplary men and women from the active and reserve enlisted workforce who reflect the Coast Guard’s core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty.
Seaman Gregory W. Jacquet was recognized as the 2016 Enlisted Person of the Year – Active Duty Component – and Petty Officer 1st Class Nicole K. Cimino is recognized as the 2016 Enlisted Person of the Year – Reserve Component.
Jacquet served as the leading seaman of the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant’s deck department.
He demonstrated remarkable initiative by qualifying in positions normally reserved for experienced petty officers, while directly overseeing the training of 20 helmsmen, lookouts and boatswain’s mates of the watch.
He voluntarily assumed additional leadership responsibilities to include spearheading preparations for boat and helicopter standardization assessments, and the bi-annual command assessment of readiness for training.
His extraordinary work ethic and attention to detail were critical to Valiant receiving near perfect scores during each assessment.
Jacquet’s skill and readiness to perform the work of a rated Boatswain’s Mate greatly enhanced Valiant’s operational capacity.
His efforts helped interdict eight drug smuggling vessels laden with 4,300 kilograms of cocaine, and interdict and/or embark 221 distressed migrants.
Having recently completed a temporary duty assignment aboard the Dutch Warship HNLMS Holland, knowingly delaying his orders to Avionics Electrical Technician “A” school, he served as a helicopter tie-down team member alongside a deployed Coast Guard HITRON aviation detachment.
Showing initiative, he assumed responsibility of routine maintenance tasks, allowing the HITRON detachment to focus on more complex maintenance duties.
Steadfastly dedicated to his shipmates and community, he served on Valiant’s Leadership and Diversity Advisory Council, volunteered countless hours to Jacksonville food banks, and read to school-aged children.
Cimino, a gunner’s mate, serves as the lead petty officer for Port Security Unit 313’s weapons division.
During the PSU’s deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, she led the armory team to an outstanding score in all inspection categories during the integrated forces readiness command and naval station explosive safety inspection team assessments.
Selected as the 2016 Enlisted Person of the Year – Reserve Component – Cimino proved that a part-time job can be performed with full-time devotion.
Setting the example for others, she volunteered as a Coast Guard victim advocate aboard the naval station’s critical incident management team.
Additionally, she worked jointly with the Navy First Class Petty Officer Association to develop a legal charter allowing fundraising for both her own unit and future commands deploying to Cuba.
In her personal life, Cimino serves as an emergency department nurse, assessing and initiating triaged patient care at a Level-1 Trauma Center for a five-state region.
“Seaman Jacquet and GM1 Cimino are remarkable examples of adherence to our core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Steven W. Cantrell.
“It’s inspiring to witness members of our service go above and beyond the call of duty to the degree that these two have.”
Do you know someone who embodies the Coast Guard Core Values of Honor, Respect, Devotion to Duty? Please submit your nominations as outlined below.
Nomination packages must be submitted in the format and manner prescribed in REF (A) Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year (EPOY) Program, COMDTINST 1650.36 (series).
This program is designed to recognize enlisted persons of the year
from the active-duty and reserve enlisted workforce, selected from
those serving in pay grades E-2 through E-6.
Nominees should reflect a spirit of pride, professionalism and dedication, and must embody our Coast Guard Core Values.
The performance for each award nomination must have occurred during
Calendar Year 2017.
Each District Gold Badge Command Master Chief (CMC) should email one active-duty nomination and one reserve nomination to the Office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard to arrive no later than 31 January 2018.
Questions regarding the process or nomination packages should be referred to appropriate District Gold Badge CMCs.
The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard will convene a selection panel.
Recommendations from this panel will be submitted to the Commandant for approval.
Winners will be announced via ALCOAST during the week of 19 March 2018.
Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant, and MCPOCG Steven W. Cantrell, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard.
