MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River held an all-hands awards ceremony yesterday to honor local Coast Guardsmen for their heroic efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which resulted in the largest domestic Coast Guard response in U.S. history. 

The command's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and Coast Guard Cutter GREENBRIER received prestigious awards for their response and recovery efforts while being deployed to the New Orleans area from 01 September to 18 September 2005 whereby they helped lead a massive urban search and rescue (USAR) operation with other Coast Guard units, Federal Emergency Management Agency teams, local authorities and the U.S. Army.  The DART operated from a USAR staging area while the Coast Guard Cutter GREENBRIER went to Chalmette, Louisiana to repair and restore numerous aids to navigation along the Lower Mississippi River and served as a vital search and rescue platform. 

In addition, several crew members received the Armed Forces Service Medal for their superb planning and logistical efforts in anticipation of Hurricane Katrina's landfall which enabled the prompt dispatching of Sector resources to provide aid and assistance to the hurricane ravaged region.   

"Everyone should take great pride in knowing that you played a pivotal role in providing humanitarian relief to one of the worst natural disaster zones in American history," said Lt. Cmdr. Jerry W. Davenport, Sector Lower Mississippi River's Deputy Sector Commander, while addressing crew members during the ceremony.  "Although the DART represented the command on scene, we can't lose sight that this was a total team effort that included hardworking members who provided logistical support to enable the DART to function on scene, as well as backfilling their jobs while they were gone." 

For all questions regarding the awards ceremony or DART deployment to the Gulf region, please contact Public Affairs at (901) 521-4845.

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