R 031353Z SEP 10

ALCOAST 443/10
SUBJ: CAPT MARION "GUS" SHRODE AVIATION SAFETY AWARD
A. MEDALS AND AWARDS MANUAL, COMDTINST M1650.25(SERIES)
1.  I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE LT PATRICK DILL, LT BARRY MILES, AND
LEUT JOEL COPPER (AUSTRALIAN NAVY) OF THE AIR STATION LOS ANGELES
SAFETY DEPARTMENT AS THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2010 CAPTAIN MARION "GUS"
SHRODE AVIATION SAFETY AWARD.  CAPTAIN SHRODE IS CREDITED WITH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDIZATION PROGRAMS FOR COAST GUARD AVIATION AND
PUBLISHING THE COAST GUARDS FIRST AIRCRAFT STANDARDIZATION MANUAL.
CAPTAIN SHRODE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE CREATION OF THE COAST GUARD
AVIATION TRAINING CENTER,  AND SERVED AS THE COAST GUARDS AVIATION
SAFETY CHIEF.  HE ALSO COMPLETED SEVEN CONTINUOUS YEARS OF COMMAND
WITHOUT A MAJOR INCIDENT OR INJURY.  THIS ANNUAL AWARD, SPONSORED BY
THE ANCIENT ORDER OF PTERODACTYLS (AOP), RECOGNIZES FLIGHT SAFETY
DEPARTMENTS OR FLIGHT SAFETY OFFICERS WHO DEMONSTRATE SUPERIOR
PERFORMANCE OR PROVIDE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO AVIATION SAFETY.
2.  WITH THE RECENT INCREASE IN BORDER SECURITY MISSIONS, THE SAFETY
DEPARTMENT WAS INTRUMENTAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FIELD-LEVEL TACTICAL
PATROL PROCEDURES FOR JOINT OPERATIONS WITH THE US BORDER PATROL.
THESE JOINT PATROLS RESULTED IN THE CAPTURE OF 41 ILLEGAL MIGRANTS,
SIX HUMAN TRAFFICKERS, TWO VEHICLES, 6,800 DOLLARS IN CASH, AND THREE
TONS OF MARIJUANA.  THE SAFETY DEPARTMENT PROVIDED CRITICAL INPUT AND
OVERSIGHT FOR THIS MISSION THAT ENSURED CREW AND AIRCRAFT SAFETY IN
DEMANDING FLIGHT PROFILES IN THE HIGH THREAT BORDER ENVIRONMENT.  IN
AN EFFORT TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL OPERATIONAL HAZARDS DURING
PRE-MISSION PLANNING, THE SAFETY DEPARTMENT IMPLEMENTED A FORMAL UNIT
PRACTICE TO IDENTIFY RISKS, OUTLINE MITIGATION STRATEGIES, AND
DOCUMENT THE RESULTS OF THIS PROCESS WITH A NUMERICAL AND COLOR-CODED
GAR SCORE IN ALMIS.  THIS VALUABLE METRIC ALLOWED GREATER
TRANSPARENCY AND ENHANCED RISK AWARENESS TO ALL LEVELS OF THE
ELEVENTH COAST GUARD DISTRICT.  RECOGNIZING THAT AIR CREW TRAINING
MINIMUMS DO NOT GUARANTEE PROFICIENCY, THE SAFETY DEPARTMENT CREATED
A TRACKING SYSTEM BASED ON TIME BETWEEN EVENTS.  THE TOOL UTILIZES A
COLOR-CODED MATRIX TO HIGHLIGHT THE LAPSED TIME BETWEEN CRITICAL
MANEUVERS ENABLING AIRCREWS TO STRUCTURE TRAINING MISSIONS TO
SPECIFICALLY TARGET AREAS OF CONCERN.  DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE
MEMBERS OF AIR STATION LOS ANGELES SAFETY DEPARTMENT MADE NOTEWORTHY
CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS IMPROVING PERSONAL SAFETY ON THE HANGAR DECK.
THE TEAM CRAFTED AN INNOVATIVE METHOD TO INCREASE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT USE DURING SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE BY CREATING TWO MOBILE PPE
CARTS DESIGNED TO MIRROR THE AIRCRAFT TOOL CARTS.  BY PROVIDING
READILY AVAILABLE PROTECTIVE GEAR TO THE WORK SITE, THE INITIATIVE
INCREASED SAFETY, WORK QUALITY, AND EFFICIENCY, AND DECREASED THE
TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE.
3.  IN ADDITION TO RECOGNITION AT THE ANNUAL AOP BANQUET, MEMBERS OF
THE AIR STATION LOS ANGELES SAFETY DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE THEIR NAMES
PLACED ON THE CAPTAIN "GUS" SHRODE AWARD PLAQUE IN THE AVIATOR HALL
OF HONOR IN ERICKSON HALL AT THE COAST GUARD AVIATION TRAINING
CENTER, MOBILE, ALABAMA.
4.  I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE OTHER OUTSTANDING NOMINEES FOR
THIS AWARD:
   A. SECTOR CORPUS CHRISTI, TX SAFETY DEPARTMENT: LT DEREK MITCHELL,
LT BRETT FREELS, LT BRIAN SCHMIDT, AND MS. JAMMIE FISHER
   B. AIR STATION CLEARWATER, FL SAFETY DEPARTMENT: LCDR JAMES
ZAWROTNY, LCDR THOMAS WALLIN, LT JAMES BATES, LT JOHN HESS, AND MST1
JOHN GEBO
   C. AIR STATION MIAMI, FL SAFETY DEPARTMENT: LT BRIAN CONLEY AND LT
DUSTIN LEE
   D. AVIATION LOGISTICS CENTER COMMAND SAFETY OFFICER, CDR CHRIS
CHASE
5.  RELEASED BY RADM M. J. TEDESCO, DIR HEALTH, SAFETY, AND WORK
LIFE.
6.  INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.