| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard First District |
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| Press Release |
Date: July 8, 2008 |
| Ohio native receives award for service as ship's officer in charge |
BOSTON - A Strongsville, Ohio native was honored during a change of watch ceremony aboard a Coast Guard cutter here June 27. Senior Chief Petty Officer Christopher R. Swiatek was presented with the Coast Guard commendation medal for outstanding achievement during his two years as officer in charge of the Coast Guard Cutter Pendant, a 65-foot icebreaking tug based here. "I am in total shock that I was given this award," said Swiatek. "Every time I look at this I will remember this crew and how hard we all worked to get the job done in the end." Swiatek said his fondest memory of being onboard the Pendant was the ice breaking mission of 2006 where the crew conducted over 100 hours of icebreaking missions in Massachusetts for the inbound oil barges to sail in safely.
"One of my biggest goals while being here was to establish a better operational ice breaking plan," he said. "I got permission to install [a new navigation system] and it made us the first 65 in the fleet to have this new navigational system." In addition to the Coast Guard Commendation Medal awarded June 27, Swiatek is the recipient of many distinguished Coast Guard awards, including the Meritorious Service Medal, two Achievement Medals, two Commandant Letter of Commendation Ribbons, and the Department of Transportation Outstanding Achievement Award. After leaving Boston, Swiatek will assume the duties of officer in charge of the Coast Guard Cutter Blacktip, an 87-foot patrol boat based in Oxnard, Calif. Swiatek and his wife Wendi, also from Strongsville, have one 8-year-old daughter. Swiatek is being replaced by Senior Chief Petty Officer Jeffery Zappen, who most recently served as officer in charge of Aids to Navigation Team Humboldt Bay in Samoa, Calif.
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