The Coast Guard Foundation has announced that it will host the annual 2016 Salute to the United States Coast Guard at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on October 6, 2016. At the event, the Foundation will present the National Award for Heroism to the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf and will also recognize Morton S. Bouchard III, President and CEO of Bouchard Transportation.
The first of six highly capable U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutters in active duty, Bertholf is one of the most successful Coast Guard assets to date. Over a 16-month deployment from December 2014 to April 2016, the crew of the Bertholf engaged in unmanned aerial vehicle testing,
counter-drug operations and multi-national exercises. Breaking new ground in December, 2014, Bertholf was the first Coast Guard ship to successfully launch and recover a U.S. Navy Fire Scout unmanned helicopter – advancing the Coast Guard’s ambitions for cutter-based unmanned aerial reconnaissance systems. Also, during three counter-drug patrols, the Bertholf performed 32 law enforcement interdictions. Most notably, the crew accomplished two self-propelled semi-submersible vessel interdictions – including one highly successful, nighttime operation – that combined yielded 12,669 kilograms of cocaine. In all over the 16-month period, the cutter detained 82 suspected narco-traffickers and seized 28,187 kilograms of contraband valued at over $ 985 million. These efforts are responsible for over 10% of the Coast Guard’s total cocaine seizures in 2015.
“The men and women of the Coast Guard are on-call every day, often in harms way and occasionally far from home,” said Anne Brengle, president, Coast Guard Foundation. “The tireless dedication of these individuals rarely receives recognition and we are humbled to be able to honor the excellence of one such crew, that of the Cutter Bertholf. Also, through the support of noted and generous individuals including Mort Bouchard, we are able to do our small part to give back to the crew of the Bertholf and their families and thank them for keeping our nation safe.”
The Coast Guard Foundation’s Salute to the United States Coast Guard will be held on Thursday, October 6, 2016 at the Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York City, New York. A cocktail reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the program following at 7:30 p.m.
