Date:
Nov, 23, 2009

Contact:
Petty Officer 3rd Class Cindy Beckert
305-318-1864

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Rear Adm. Steve Branham, commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, hands a coin to Chief Petty Officer Robert E. Lehmann, officer in charge, Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Jacksonville Beach, Fla. U.S. Coast Guard photo 3rd Class Cindy Beckert.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Rear Adm. Steve Branham, commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, awards Chief Petty Officer Jim J. Devane, officer in charge, Coast Guard Station Mayport, Fla., the Meritorious Unit Commendation at Sector Jacksonville, Nov. 23, 2009. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Cindy Beckert.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Rear Adm. Steve Branham, commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, speaks to Station Mayport, Fla., crewmembers at Sector Jacksonville, Nov. 23, 2009. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Cindy Beckert.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -Three Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville units were awarded the Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation, Nov. 23, 2009, at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville.

Rear Adm. Steve Branham, commander, Seventh Coast Guard District, presented the three Meritorious Unit Commendations. The commendation is awarded to any unit of the U.S. Coast Guard which has distinguished itself by either valorous or meritorious achievement or service in support Coast Guard operations.

Recipients of the commendation are Aids to Navigation Team Jacksonville Beach, Fla., the construction tender Hammer, and Station Mayport, Fla.

ANT Jacksonville Beach and the Hammer crewmembers received the commendations for meritorious service from April 2009 to July 2009 while  working in partnership to conduct aids to navigation operations on a light range in the St. Johns River. Guardians replaced  a discrepant navigational aid that is considered the most critical by bar pilots navigating deep draft ships into the port of Jacksonville.

The commitment, risk management and ingenuity employed by the two units saved the Coast Guard significant time, money and effort and quickly provided mariners with a critical aid to safely navigate commercial vessels through the jetties at the entrance of the St. Johns River.

Station Mayport crewmembers received the commendation for overall excellence in ports, waterways, and coastal security, including conducting more than 1,208 security patrols between October 2006 and October 2009. In addition, Station Mayport crewmembers provided critical waterside security to over 88 military outload vessels transporting nearly four million square feet of essential military cargo and provided force protection for 80 submarine movements.

For more information about the aids to navigation project in the St. Johns River please click the link below

Coast Guard reignites the light that guides