While stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, Alaska on March 23, 2008, Petty Officer Heller demonstrated outstanding heroism and courage while serving as a rescue swimmer on Coast Guard helicopter 6566 during the rescue of survivors from the 192 ft fishing vessel ALASKA RANGER that sank 125 miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Arriving on scene amidst blowing snow, 30 knot winds and 15 foot seas, and knowing that the survivors had very little time, Heller deployed in the frigid water and recovered three persons and had them hoisted into the helicopter. Continuing his search, Heller picked his way through the debris field and located two additional survivors entangled in fishing gear. He disentangled the two survivors and had them hoisted safely into the helicopter. Low on fuel and with five survivors filling the helicopter to capacity, Heller remained behind in the wind swept seas as the helo departed. Heller, alone and undaunted, assisted three additional, severly hypothermic survivors into a liferaft. Over the next hour, Heller worked to keep the survivors conscious. When another rescue helicopter arrived, and despite being severly hypothermic himself, Heller returned to the frigid water and placed each survivor, one at a time, into the basket for recovery. Petty Officer Heller's actions, skill and valor were instrumental in saving eight ALASKA RANGER survivors from certain death in the Bering Sea.

The Silver Medal was awarded to the Coxswain and crew of Auxiliary Facility 194323: District Eight Auxiliarists Edward Parish, Jeffrey Brooks, William Shepard, Robert Wells, and William Winfrey. On May 24, 2008, while conducting a swimmer in distress search and rescue mission, the crew observed a Panama City Beach Patrol vehicle flashing his spotlight toward their boat. As the boat turned toward shore and approached the surf, the crew heard and then spotted an exhausted male and female clinging to a small float board adjacent to the breaking surf. The coxswain instructed the helmsman to approach the pair cautiously; aware that if the boat entered the surf it could capsize. The coxswain moved the bow of the boat and guided the helmsman as he nosed the vessel forward to within 10 feet of the heavily breaking surf. Auxiliarist Parish grabbed a heaving line and accurately threw the line directly to the pair. As the helmsman slowly backed the boat away from danger, Parish and another crew member pulled the distressed swimmers alongside where they were pulled from the water. Both swimmers had been in the surf zone for almost 30 minutes and were facing extreme exhaustion from trying to swim to shore. Neither swimmer suffered any injury and were transported to a safe harbor and reuinited with their families.