Presented by:

Smitty Smith, IPDCP

Date presented:

January 5, 2008

Citation (in part)

"Responding to emergent tasking, you professionally answered the short-fuse call to action while demonstrating superb aerial technical competence and remarkable airmanship.  After M/V John Paul Eckstein's allision with a piling cell at mile marker 142.3 on the Upper Mississippi River, which resulted in a 25-barge breakaway, Sector Upper Mississippi River required immediate and continuous reconnaissance of the area affecting the Upper Mississippi River.  Your constant aerial surveillance of the affected areas of the Mississippi River provided Sector Upper Mississippi River with sustained situational awareness and barge status reports involving 25 stranded/grounded barges and one sunken barge.  This essential information provided to Sector Upper Mississippi River allowed the command to make the "right" operational decisions and resulted in minimal impact to commercial and recreational traffic, as well as no injuries or deaths.."