NEW YORK – Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Bart J. Coma, a native of Freehold, N.J. was recently selected as Coast Guard Station New York’s Sailor of the Quarter for January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2014.
Coma, a boatswain's mate at the station, was selected for SOQ for exhibiting exceptional pride and professional competence as a tactical boat coxswain, rescue and survival petty officer, and mentor.
On several occasions Coma volunteered to participate in emergent operations allowing other Coast Guard members to recover from previous tasking, sustaining both operational readiness and providing greater flexibility. His eagerness was best demonstrated during a short-notice Presidential security zone detail, comprised of more than 11 surface assets from the Coast Guard, and the New York Police and Fire Departments.
Coma, one of Station New York’s most experienced senior tactical coxswains, dedicates his time to mentoring other members at the station, supervising tactical boat training exercises, participating in qualification boards and providing timely feedback to aspiring tactical coxswains and crew members.
Station New York’s Sailor of the Quarter Program is designed to recognize exemplary performance. A number of outstanding personnel at the unit qualify and are nominated for this recognition, but the honor of Sailor of the Quarter is bestowed to only one nominee. Final selection of the Sailor of the Quarter is based on the member’s ability to demonstrate exceptional performance in the areas of adherence to the Coast Guard’s Core Values and embodiment of the Coast Guard Ethos, leadership, specialty and technical knowledge, initiative, responsibility, teamwork and community/shipmate support.
Coast Guard Station New York is the largest and busiest coastal search and rescue small boat station in the Coast Guard. During an average “busy” month, unit personnel may complete more than 30 search and rescue cases, conduct hundreds of vessel boardings, as well as security boardings of large merchant vessels entering the Port of New York and New Jersey.