Coast Guard Station Montauk Receives Top Readiness Award

has received an award for the highest standards of boat and crew readiness.

Sector Commander Captain Joseph M. Vojvodich, who came over from New Haven, CT, presented the Sumner I. Kimball Readiness Award to the crew in a small ceremony at the station on Wednesday.

Of the 200 small boat Coast Guard stations inspected only about 10 percent achieve the standard, according to Vojvodich.

According to a memorandum from the Commndant of the Coast Guard, the award "is a significant accomplishment and your crew can be truly proud of their achievement, especially considering the pace of operations in our boat forces community."

Inspectors visited Montauk over two days at the end of May to conduct tests, run through drills and inspect platforms. "You can't make that stuff up at the last minute," he said. "Your preparedness, following the Commandant's standard, that build's up over time."

The station will also fly the Kimball Readiness Pennant until its next readiness and standardization assessment visit.

150 years ago, Sumner I. Kimball "convinced a parsimonious Congress" to increase the funding of life-saving stations to provide for full-time, paid crews, according to the Coast Guard.

Bill Wilkinson, who was in attendance with Ed Ecker, Chief Harbormaster Ed Michels, and Police Captain Francis Mott, expressed the town's appreciation.

"When I saw the flag, I saw the lighthouse," he said. "Forever, since George Washington commissioned the , it has been an icon of safety," he said. "There's another icon of safety in Montauk, too, and that's this Coast Guard station... I just want to thank you for everything you do."