SUBJ: INAUGURAL OMBUDSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE INAUGURAL COAST GUARD (CG)
OMBUDSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD. THIS AWARD RECOGNIZES THE ACTIVE DUTY
OR RESERVE UNIT OMBUDSMAN THAT OVER THE PAST YEAR HAS DEMONSTRATED
THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTION TO:
 A. CREATING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE LINES OF COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN THEIR COMMAND AND ITS FAMILIES, AND
 B. ASSISTING COMMANDS AND FAMILIES IN IDENTIFYING UNIT NEEDS FOR
SUPPORT SERVICES AND PROVIDING APPROPRIATE REFERRAL SERVICES
BEFORE FAMILY CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS REACH CRISIS PROPORTIONS.
2. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: ALL ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE UNIT
OMBUDSMAN ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS AWARD. TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR THIS
AWARD AN OMBUDSMAN MUST HAVE:
 A. DEMONSTRATED THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONALISM AND
CONFIDENTIALITY,
 B. BEEN A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL FOR UNIT MEMBERS AND FAMILIES,
 C. ENHANCED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COMMAND AND ITS FAMILIES
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROVIDING DIRECT COMMUNICATION TO
FAMILIES THROUGH NEWSLETTERS, E-MAIL, ETC.,
 D. ASSISTED IN IDENTIFYING UNIT NEEDS FOR SUPPORT SERVICES AND
PROVIDE APPROPRIATE REFERRAL SERVICES TO ADDRESS FAMILY CONCERNS
AND PROBLEMS,
 E. FACILITATED AND PROMOTED A HEALTHY SENSE OF COMMUNITY AMONG CG
MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS WITHIN THE UNIT, AND
 F. SERVED AS A PRINCIPAL SOURCE OF ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO CG
FAMILIES DURING TIMES OF LOCAL OR NATIONAL EMERGENCY,
MOBILIZATION, DEPLOYMENT, OR EVACUATION.
3. AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED VIA THE CHAIN OF
COMMAND TO COMDT (CG-00B) BY 15 JULY 2009. THE AWARD NOMINATION
SHALL BE IN LETTER FORMAT FROM THE UNIT COMMANDING OFFICER. THIS
LETTER SHALL SPECIFY HOW THE NOMINEE HAS DEMONSTRATED THE SIX
CHARACTERISTICS OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 2 ABOVE. LETTERS SHALL BE
LIMITED TO NOT MORE THAN TWO PAGES, USING 12-PITCH ARIAL FONT,
WITH ONE INCH MARGINS. A CG HEADQUARTERS SELECTION PANEL WILL MEET
TO REVIEW THE NOMINATIONS AND SELECT THE OMBUDSMAN OF THE YEAR.
4. THE OMBUDSMAN OF THE YEAR WILL BE INVITED TO CG HEADQUARTERS TO
MEET WITH THE COMMANDANT AND BE PRESENTED WITH THIS AWARD. COMDT
(CG-111) AND (CG-00B) WILL FUND THE TRAVEL EXPENSES OF THE AWARD
RECIPIENT AND SPOUSE.
5. UNIT COMMANDING OFFICERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO SUBMIT
AWARD NOMINATIONS TO RECOGNIZE THE SELFLESS SERVICE OF THEIR UNIT
OMBUDSMAN.
6. COMDT (CG-00B) POC FOR THIS AWARD IS YNCM ANN TUBBS AT (202)
372-4531 OR E-MAIL: ANN.L.TUBBS(AT)USCG.MIL.  COMDT (CG-1112) POC
FOR THIS AWARD, AND FOR OTHER OMBUDSMAN ISSUES, IS MR. RODNEY
WHALEY AT (202)475-5158 OR E-MAIL: RODNEY.B.WHALEY(AT)USCG.MIL.
7. RELEASED BY RADM MARK J. TEDESCO, DIRECTOR, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND
WORK-LIFE.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.