Active duty member Petty Officer 1st Class Robely Molina, left, went above and beyond in his work training reservists on the sector boarding team for Sector New York. From left, Molina, Petty Officer 2nd Class Christian Villanueva, Petty Officer 1st Class Dave Sansone, Petty Officer 1st Class Todd Roth, Chris Decarlo, and Lt. j.g. Julian Quentin. The linchpin that makes all the difference Petty Officer 1st Class Robely Molina, an active duty maritime enforcement specialist, first reported to the Coast Guard Sector New York Enforcement Division’s boarding team in 2017. He routinely requested reservists to support boardings for high-interest vessels, providing great support to the active duty crew, and hands-on training for the reservists. In 2019, Molina became the Sector’s law enforcement petty officer, maintaining quals and collaterals for the division, including the reservists on the sector boarding team. As the LEPO, he incorporated the members of the Reserve component into active duty day-to-day operations, with the goal of eventually making the reserve members their own self-reliant unit. “He’s the supervisor everyone respects and wants to work for; the linchpin between the reservists and active duty,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Todd Roth. Molina conducted more than half a dozen boarding team colleges and boards for reservists, streamlining the qualification process. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, Molina pushed for reservists to augment the NY crew, and the reservists completed more than 100 boardings in nine months. Despite the busy HIV boarding schedule and mitigating the spread of corona virus among the crew, Molina achieved his goal: the Reserve component members became stand-alone unit. With 66 RESERVIST � Issue 1 • 2021 command approval, he assembled a complete process, with Reserve law enforcement officers mirroring the same administrative and operational activities as their active-duty counterparts. “I’ve worked and interacted with numerous active-duty counterparts, but ME1 Molina has always stood out,” said Chief Petty Officer Brian Moreland. “The strong relationships and reserve-friendly procedures that ME1 Molina has worked to facilitate throughout his time here will continue to contribute to reserve success in the future.” Petty Officer Dave Sansone, a member of the Sector for the last seven years, agreed with Moreland. “He immediately went to work, fostering a positive relationship between the active duty and the Reserve,” said Sansone. “He understands the extensive and varied backgrounds of the reservists. With members like him in charge, the Reserve component will be instrumental in supporting any upcoming surges and mobilizations.” Molina is transferring this summer and will be missed by his shipmates. “Petty Officer Molina dedicated his time to combine the active duty with the reservists to complete hundreds of missions for Enforcement Division,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Joe Garone, a maritime enforcement specialist at Sector New York. “He’s a great leader who represents the core values and demonstrates true leadership.” �
