Awarding Devotion to Duty

The room was packed with approximately 50 crew members from Station Seattle for Response Boat Tactics, Techniques and Procedures training July 14 but, before they had their lunch break, the station took time to award one of their own as the recipient of this year's Commander Ray Evans Outstanding Coxswain Trophy.

Cmdr. Ray Evans is one of the most celebrated heroes in Coast Guard history.  He demonstrated exemplary performance and superior technical, professional, leadership and seamanship abilities while operating his Higgins boat September 27, 1942, at Point Cruz during the battle of Guadalcanal.  For his courageous efforts, a signalman first class at the time, Evans was awarded the Navy Cross, an honor reserved for only those who display extreme acts of combat heroism and other distinguished service.

Station Seattle's command reviewed their crewmembers' volume of underway hours, performance and leadership roles and agreed that Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Ortega had the best chance in representing the station.

"Petty Officer Ortega is somebody that I rely on to get the pulse of the crew and ask are things working from his perspective because he has been down on the deck plates," said Lt.j.g. Scott Farr, Executive Officer of Station Seattle.  "Brandon takes a lot of ownership and not only in his actions but also his peoples' actions.  He definitely wants to see them succeed which I think plays to his character."

Petty Officer 1st Class Kurtis Mees, the station's training petty officer, is thoroughly involved in the data collecting and tracking of the crewmembers' qualifications.  Noticing that Mees was tied up with the training's paperwork, Ortega asked to be allowed to support Mees as the assistant training petty officer, by getting underway and doing more of the hands-on training.

"He puts in a lot of time and energy to get his people to qualify," said Farr.  "Then he wants to see them perform, which he then evaluates and even uses it as a self-assessment to change what might be needed in his course development."

"He is definitely passionate about his people," added Farr.  "He speaks up if he thinks that things need to go in another direction.  Simply put he is dedicated to doing a good job."

The command was able to put Ortega's nomination together and submitted it March 14.  It wasn't until June 9, that the message came out stating Ortega had won this year's award.

"I had forgotten all about it when they told me that I won the award," said Ortega.  "I had just gotten back from emergency leave, because my grandmother had just passed away three days before I was notified.  I got a phone call from BM1 Kurtis Mees on Monday informing me that I had won the award."

After being apprised of his honor, Ortega wasn't quite aware of the importance of his award.

"I thought it was a Sector Seattle award," added Ortega.  "I knew that Commander Ray Evans lives in the area, so I thought it was a locally generated award.  Then I realized that it was a national award because Kurt forwarded me the email to my home address."

"When I came into work the next day I checked my email and had tons from people that I had worked with throughout the years congratulating me on the award," Ortega said.  "That was when I really started to notice the impact of what this award means."

Being that Evans has retired, lives in the area and keeps in close touch with the Thirteenth District command it was brought up that he may be able to be there when Ortega received his award.

"I was told that they were going to try to set up a lunch with him," said Ortega.  "I was pretty jazzed up by it."

"It didn't really sink in for me," added Ortega.  "The magnitude of the award, until we went and had lunch, I mean my family and I were there having lunch with him hearing him tell stories."

"I know that the others who have won this award in the past probably didn't have the opportunity to meet Commander Ray Evans," Ortega said.  "So that's why, to me, this award was even more special."

Brandon's wife, Stacey and his three boys were present during both the ceremony and the luncheon and have been there to support him throughout his career.

"Stacey came into the relationship accepting of my three boys," said Ortega.  "She has given up a lot.  You know all the typical stuff, but it's also a lot deeper than that."

"Being that she was in the Coast Guard," Ortega added.  "Stacey has a deeper understanding and better insight, making her real supportive."

"I don't consider it sacrificing," said Stacey.  "I consider it supporting my best friend."

"Not only is Ortega an example at the station," said Farr.  "He also brings the same attitude to his life outside of work."

"I have a list of goals," said Ortega.  "On the list was to get my captain's license, which I just received, so my next step is to get a bachelor's degree in business."

The Commander Ray Evans Outstanding Coxswain Trophy recognizes those coxswains who, like Evans continue to uphold the service's proud traditions by giving everything to better themselves, others and the service.  The award has five eligibility requirements and one selection criteria.  The criteria for the award state that the recipient will be the coxswain who possesses the strongest combination of leadership, proficiencies and performance of duty.

From his command's view and the view of those who know him, Brandon fits the billet, and now he has been recognized by the Coast Guard in an honor that is held by only one person each year.

His Career

Throughout his career, Ortega has been under the tutelage of many people he credits to learning his formula for success.

"I began my Coast Guard career aboard the Cutter Mellon in 1996," said Ortega.  "There they told me, as a seaman/boatswain mate, that they wanted to send me to Boarding Team Member School.  But I told them I had more interest in driving the boats.  So instead of having to go to the school I was able to learn how to drive boats in the Bering Sea from Chief Warrant Officer Neal Feustel."

From there he went to the Cutter Red Cedar, a 157-foot buoy tender out of Portsmouth Va., from 1997 to 1999.

"I was able to drive boats in the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac and James rivers under Master Chief Otis Metje," added Ortega.  "We de-commissioned the Red Ceder and I cross-decked to the brand new 175-foot buoy tender the Frank Drue, where I spent one more year, drove my first jet drive boat and made second class."

Ortega next went to Station Coos Bay, Ore., and was there from 2000 to 2003.  There Ortega had a lot of influential crew members.  It was the combined effort of Senior Chief Brent Zado, Chief Paul Gibson, Petty Officer 2nd Class Ahren Schoensiegel and Petty Officer 1st Class Stephen Rigley that taught him to drive the 47-foot Response Boats.

"Chief Warrant Officer Arnold LeCompte was my first commanding officer at Station Coos Bay," said Ortega.  "He gave me my very first Coxswain check ride aboard a forty-seven-footer and is definitely someone who I looked up to in regards to boat driving."

"From there I went to Station Pascagoula where Senior Chief James Riley taught me to drive twenty-five-foot rescue boats and forty-one-foot response boats, in the Bayou's with the gators down in Mississippi," added Ortega.  "I was there for three years, and got frocked in August of '03."

Being frocked means someone is moved up in rank to let others know of his position in leadership.  This promotion is done before the actual date of promotion so the service member is known to be higher ranking, but is not being paid as the higher rank.

"I was on the list to become a first class petty officer," said Ortega.  "But when the date got pushed back they went ahead and frocked me since I was the executive petty officer, which is a command position."

"I was the XPO there for three years," said Ortega.  "I left there and arrived to Station Seattle on July 1st of '06."