Association for Rescue at Sea
Anne E. Skelton, Treasurer
341 East Argonne Drive
Kirkwood, MO 63122
Phone: (314) 822-3454
Anneskelton@earthlink.net

ASSOCIATION FOR RESCUE AT SEA
SPECIAL AWARD PRESENTATION APRIL 11, 2006

On 11 April, 2006, at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D. C., the Association for Rescue at Sea (AFRAS), awarded an AFRAS Gold Medal

AFRAS Chairman, VADM Roger Rufe, USCG (ret), ADM Thomas Collins, Commandant, USCG, AFRAS Chairman, CAPT Chomeau

to the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard and an AFRAS Silver Medal to the National Commodore of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary for the heroic efforts of Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

COMO Gene Seibert, National Commodore, USCG Auxiliary and CAPT John Chomeau, USN (Ret), President of AFRAS

The Officers and Directors of AFRAS generally award their gold medal to an enlisted member of the United States Coast Guard for an act of extraordinary bravery during a rescue at sea and the silver medal, likewise, is awarded to a Coast Guard Auxiliarist who has performed a rescue under the same criteria as that for a USCG enlisted person. (The silver is to denote the uniform markings of a CG Auxiliarist as opposed to the gold of the USCG).

(L to R) RADM Denis Sirois, AFRAS Chairman, VADM Roger Rufe, USCG (ret) ,ADM Thomas Collins, Commodant, USCG, Como Seibert, CAPT Chomeau, AFRAS chairman emeritus, ADM James Gracey, USCG, ret.

For the extreme competency and outstanding heroics of such a large portion of both the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary that took place before, during and after the hurricanes in 2005, AFRAS has chosen to make a special presentation of these prestigious medals to the whole of both organizations. A vast majority of these men and women performed these actions while knowing that their own homes and families had also been devastated by Rita and Katrina.

Along with the medals, AFRAS also presented a check for $5,000 to the United States Coast Guard Mutual Assistance which comes to the aid of enlisted men and women who have experienced a personal loss such as those during the hurricanes and a check for $5,000 to Operation Life Ring which supports both the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary in the same way.

The Association for Rescue at Sea (AFRAS) is a non-profit foundation with charitable status, which supports services concerned with saving lives at sea.

Como Seibert, ADM Collins hold respective Silver and Gold Awards

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