R 151733Z JAN 10 

ALCOAST 024/10
COMDTNOTE 1650
SUBJ: 2009 RADM BENNETT "BUD" SPARKS AWARD SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 061802Z NOV 09/ALCOAST 636/09
B. COAST GUARD PERSONNEL MANUAL, COMDTINST M1000.6 (SERIES)
1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MARINE SAFETY UNIT (MSU) BATON
ROUGE IS THE 2009 RADM BENNETT "BUD" SPARKS AWARD RECIPIENT.
SPONSORED BY THE RESERVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (ROA), THE SPARKS
AWARD IS PRESENTED ANNUALLY TO THE COAST GUARD UNIT JUDGED TO BE
THE MOST SUPPORTIVE OF A TOTALLY INTEGRATED COAST GUARD FORCE,
DEMONSTRATED BY ITS EFFECTIVE USE OF COAST GUARD RESERVISTS. REF A
OUTLINED THE CRITERIA FOR THIS AWARD.
2. MSU BATON ROUGE DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL RESERVE MANAGEMENT,
READINESS AND WORK FORCE INTEGRATION BY FOCUSING ON THE OBJECTIVE
MEASURES OUTLINED IN REF A AND CONCENTRATED EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN TO
IMPROVE THEM.  NOTEWORTHY INITIATIVES INCLUDED:
 A. EXCEEDING COAST GUARD READINESS INDEX GOALS FOR MEDICAL,
DENTAL, IMMUNIZATIONS, ANNUAL SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRES, EVALUATIONS
AND WEIGH-INS.
 B. MSU BATON ROUGE AGGRESSIVELY SEIZED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES THAT
RESULTED IN EIGHT ENLISTED ADVANCEMENTS, TWO OFFICER PROMOTIONS
AND EIGHTEEN QUALIFICATIONS EARNED.
 C. MSU BATON ROUGE WILLINGLY ACCEPTED 12 ADDITIONAL RESERVE
MEMBERS FROM OTHER UNITS, CONSTITUTING A 109 PERCENT INCREASE TO
THEIR RESERVE PERSONNEL ALLOWANCE LIST.  BY SUCCESSFULLY LEVERAGING
THESE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL THE MSU WAS ABLE TO LAUNCH TWO FULLY
QUALIFIED RESERVE BOAT CREWS TO SUPPORT CRITICAL PORTS,
WATERWAYS, AND COASTAL SECURITY MISSIONS IN THE NATIONS NINTH
LARGEST PORT BY VOLUME.
 D. MSU BATON ROUGE PROACTIVELY SUPPORTED AND ACHIEVED A ONE COAST
GUARD APPROACH ACROSS ALL UNIT MISSION AREAS AS DEMONSTRATED BY
THEIR DYNAMIC TRAINING PROGRAM AND VISIONARY ACTIVE AND RESERVE
COMMAND CADRE LEADERSHIP.
3. THIS WAS A VERY TOUGH YEAR FOR SELECTION OF THIS PROMINENT
AWARD. AS SUCH, SECTOR SEATTLE AND THE SPECIAL MISSIONS TRAINING
CENTER NOMINATIONS WERE ESPECIALLY NOTEWORTHY AND RECEIVE A STRONG
HONORABLE MENTION FOR THEIR FULLY INTEGRATED RESERVE PROGRAMS.
ADDITIONAL COMMANDS EXEMPLIFYING THE FINEST QUALITIES OF THE SPARKS
AWARD ARE:
 A. SECTOR BOSTON
 B. SECTOR HONOLULU
 C. SECTOR JACKSONVILLE
 D. SECTOR NORTH CAROLINA
 E. SECTOR SAN DIEGO
 F. UNITED STATES JOINT FORCES COMMAND
4. THESE INTEGRATED RESERVE PROGRAMS TRULY EMBODY THE TEAM COAST
GUARD CONCEPT AND ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE COMMANDANTS RESERVE
POLICY STATEMENT.
5. THE SPARKS AWARD WILL BE PRESENTED TO REPRESENTATIVES OF MSU
BATON ROUGE AT A CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT THE 2010 ROA NATIONAL
CONVENTION IN WASHINGTON, DC, 7-10 FEB 2010. FUNDING FOR UNIT
REPRESENTATIVE TRAVEL IS OUTLINED IN PARA 6 OF REF A.  ACTIVE DUTY
MEMBERS CONTACT POC BELOW FOR TRAVEL FUNDING, RESERVE MEMBERS SHALL
REQUEST ADOS-RC ORDERS AND TRAVEL IN DIRECT ACCESS THROUGH THEIR
CHAIN OF COMMAND AND DISTRICT (DXR).
6. INFORMATION ABOUT THE ROA NATIONAL CONVENTION IS AVAILABLE
ONLINE AT WWW.ROA.ORG. I INVITE ALL RESERVE OFFICERS TO ATTEND.
ALTHOUGH RESERVE TRAINING FUNDS (AFC-90) ARE NOT AUTHORIZED FOR THE
PURPOSE OF ATTENDING THIS EVENT, SELRES MAY REQUEST PERMISSIVE
ORDERS IAW CHAPTER 7.A.10 OF REF B TO ATTEND AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE.
7. POC: CWO GREG HUNTON, COMDT (CG-131), PHONE (202) 475-5461, E-
MAIL GREG.P.HUNTON(AT)USCG.MIL.
8. RDML D. R. MAY, DIRECTOR OF RESERVE AND LEADERSHIP, SENDS.
9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.