P a ge 50 t opside V olume 79 , I s s u e 1
Coast Guard Station and Flotilla Develop Joint Recognition Award
Article and Photographs by COMO Joseph Giannattasio , AUXPA1
CAPE MAY , NJ - USCG Station Cape May and the Coast Guard Auxiliary Cape May Flotilla launched a new tradition on November 2 , 2020 ; to jointly sponsor the Enlisted Person of the Quarter ( EPOQ ) award to a deserving enlisted member . The genesis of this idea was from an inquiry made by the station ' s Commanding Officer , LT Jason Harczak and Auxiliary Unit Coordination ( AUC ) John Burns earlier in the year . Flotilla Commander Marty Sannino agreed to jointly sponsor the EPOQ award at Station Cape May . The EPOQ award is given to the active duty Coast Guard member who has consistently performed their work with a high degree of excellence during the previous three months .
CAPE MAY , NJ – ( Left to Right ) Flotilla Commander Marty Sannino looks on as BM2 Catherine Vickers receives the Enlisted Person of the Quarter Award from LT Jason Harczak . Coast Guard
CAPE MAY , NJ – Flotilla Commander Marty Sannino presents BM2 Catherine Vickers a Coast Guard Auxiliary challenge coin in recognition of her awarding as Enlisted Person of the Quarter Award .
At a ceremony in the station ' s training room , BM2 Catherine Vickers became the first recipient of the EPOQ award at Station Cape May . In the presence of about twenty of her shipmates , Lt . Harczak presented the EPOQ award to BM2 Vickers . This was followed by a congratulatory statement by Flotilla Commander Sannino and presentation of the Auxiliary challenge coin on behalf of the Cape May flotilla and the Auxiliary . John Burns , Auxiliary Unit Coordinator and Joe Giannattasio , District 5NR Chief of Staff were also present for this presentation . BM2 Vickers expressed her thanks to Lt Harczak , Mr . Sannino and her shipmates for the award and congratulations .
EPOQ awards are presented at other Coast Guard units throughout the country , including Training Center Cape May ( TRACENCM ), however the implementation of this award was a first time initiative of Lt Harczak at Station Cape May . Lt . Harczak stated that he would like to see the EPOQ award become a permanent tradition at Station and is pleased that the Auxiliary flotilla will continue to jointly sponsor the award in the future .