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My Coast Guard
Commentary | Dec. 16, 2021

2 Coast Guard civilians receive highest award for senior executives; the perfect fit—how the Industrial Production Facility at Alameda collaborated to help Coast Guard Cutter Waesche get underway; meritorious advancement.

By Keisha Reynolds

2 Coast Guard civilians receive the highest award bestowed upon senior executives. Congratulations to Coast Guard civilian senior executives Gary Rasicot and Calvin Lederer who were recognized for the 2021 Presidential Rank Award (PRA) program. The PRA program was established in 1978 and is one of the highest awards the President of the United States can bestow upon senior executives. President Biden selected the 2021 PRA recipients, with 27 winners from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) senior executive workforce. Rasicot was selected for the Distinguished Rank Award for achieving sustained extraordinary accomplishments, and Lederer was selected for the Meritorious Rank Award for achieving sustained accomplishments. Read more here.
  
The perfect fit—how the Industrial Production Facility at Alameda, Calif., collaborated to help Coast Guard Cutter Waesche get underway. Bravo Zulu to the Surface Forces Logistics Center’s Long Range Enforcer Product Line (Lt. j.g. Hannah Eshleman); the Regional Pacific Dive Locker (Chief Petty Officer Brendon Ballard); and the Industrial Production Facility at Alameda (Frank Drenik and Robert Espinoza), who all collaborated to successfully replace the port shaft seal of Coast Guard Cutter Waesche this past fall helping the cutter’s crew in getting underway. The renewal was imperative because the shaft seal is the part responsible for ensuring that water does not enter the ship. Specifically, the task required precision technical expertise and teamwork. Coast Guard Regional Pacific Dive Locker, the dive team purposed with maintaining maritime assets below the water’s surface, was called out to Base Alameda to assist with the renewal of Waesche's port shaft seal. To do that properly, the shaft alley, a watertight trunk that houses the propeller staff, needed to be dewatered—nearly impossible to do while the ship is in the water. However, the integrated team decided to fabricate a metal hull access panel for the shaft alley and weld a hose fitting to it. After divers rigged a tool called the inline educator to dewater the stern tube, the technical representative was able to successfully replace the shaft seal. Also, to prevent the diver from having to constantly tread water while working, the Industrial Production Facility at Alameda fabricated a platform that the diver could stand on to complete the work more efficiently. Well done, team!

A petty officer meritoriously advances and receives accolades from Coast Guard leaders. Bravo Zulu to Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryan Frattaroli, a damage controlman aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba. Frattaroli was meritoriously advanced for performance far exceeding the expectations of his rating and rank, while filling the position of a higher rank. Since reporting over two years ago, Frattaroli has filled two billets for more than 300 deployment days over five patrols, including 235 days during the Covid-19 pandemic and a homeport shift from Boston to Portsmouth, Virginia. He acted as the fire marshal and lead damage controlman, maintaining all portable and installed damage control equipment onboard. He received qualifications as an engineer of the watch, a member of the damage control training team, and he supervised and led all training onboard, qualifying more than 200 personnel in shipboard fundamentals. Frattaroli is also a volunteer within his local community. 

"DC2 Frattaroli represents not only our core values, but also some of the finest traits of the Coast Guard," said Vice Adm. Steven Poulin. Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard’s commandant, joined in the congratulations via a Facebook post stating, “Well done DC1! This honor is a reflection of your hard work and dedication to duty.”