She joked about her ability to rattle off local laws, ingrained by weeks and months of repetitive communication with the public as a 911 supervisor. “It’s really a plus to keep the reservists [stationed] around the area they’re from,” she said. “They know the area, the know how things run.” As COVID-19 infections ramped up, Station Miami Beach brought reservists on to help continue operations when their active duty members needed to quarantine. Lopez del Castillo, who was qualified as a coxswain on two platforms, left the 911 call center to take a set of 60-day Title 10 military orders. She agreed to remain on active duty for another three months to assist with transfer season, which, combined with the pandemic, would have left the station with critical personnel gaps. Trading one fast-paced job for another, Lopez del Castillo slid into the role of assistant operations petty officer at the station. There, she helped manage the unit’s 75 members, five vessels, boardings, cases, and numerous high- profile operations. “This station is non-stop, 24 hours, seven days; it’s easy to get At the conclusion of her time on orders, Lopez del Castillo was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal by Station Miami Beach. “Each team member or agency brings something different to lost,” she said with a laugh. “My first week of active duty, I had a headache trying to wrap my head around all the moving pieces, but I learned it.” Her dispatch experience carried over well, especially with record-keeping and watch-standing, and she took time to relay to the station’s personnel the experience of their fellow first- responders in the community—how they think, train, and operate. In this way, Lopez del Castillo reiterated that the Coast Guard’s reservists are a crucial tie between the local command and the citizens and law enforcement partners in the community. the table, and it’s my job as a 911 supervisor and a coxswain to use them correctly,” she said. Over the following months, the pace of operations never waned, and Lopez del Castillo remained on active duty for a year. At the conclusion of her time on orders, she was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal by Station Miami Beach. Lopez del Castillo recently transitioned to the Miami Beach Fire Department as their emergency management coordinator, but maintains readiness for the next operation with her Coast Guard station. “The wonderful thing about it is the teamwork and the command,” said Lopez del Castillo. “Our relationship is like a family.” � Honoring devotion to duty On May 15, active and Reserve members of Station New London, Conn., participated in a 5K run with local police departments for National Police Week; the run honored Officer James V. Spignesi, Jr., a State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection police officer who was killed in the line of duty in November 1998. The group started the run outside the front gate at 7:30 a.m. and jogged through the scenic streets of Fort Trumbull and New London. � Back row, from left: Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Donohue, Petty Officer 3rd Class Minihan, Dave Cave, Seaman Phillip Casano, Kathleen Spignesi (niece of fallen officer); and kneeling from left, Chief Petty Officer Matthew Willett, Officer Scheel of Colchester Police Department, Seaman Kyle Clifton, and Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Netto. Photo courtesy of Petty Officer 1st Class Chris Oakley. 26 RESERVIST � Issue 3 • 2021 Photo courtesy of Petty Officer 1st Class Melissa Lopez del Castillo
