Reservist selected for 2022 DSF Emergency Response Award Chief Warrant Officer 4 Joshua Davis, a reservist at the Gulf Strike Team in Mobile, Alabama, was recognized at an awards ceremony April 20 as part of the Deployable Specialized Forces Commanding Officer’s Conference in Leesburg, Virginia. Attendees included commanding officers and senior enlisted leaders from the entire DSF community. That evening, six members of the DSF community, which includes, among others, port security units, maritime safety and security teams, the National Strike Forces and the Incident Management Assist Team, were recognized for superior performance and excellence demonstrated in support of Coast Guard missions. Davis received the 2022 DSF Emergency Response Award (Reserve), which recognizes one reservist for outstanding professionalism, leadership, and performance resulting in significant operational success in emergency response to man- made or natural disasters. His commanding officer at the Gulf Strike Team, Cmdr. Melanie A. Burnham, nominated Davis for his “outstanding professionalism, inspirational leadership, and exemplary performance” as one of the GST’s most versatile responders, especially during the response to Hurricane Ian in Southwest Florida. Davis filled multiple roles, ensuring a smooth response by more than a hundred Coast Guardsmen Burnham also recognized Davis’s loyalty and efforts to help train and qualify other members of the unit, setting a sharp example for others to follow. “CWO Davis is a respected member of the GST, a leader within the DSF, and is a true force multiplier at any response,” said Burnham. “His commitment to duty, professionalism, and leadership set the standard for others to follow. . Building relationships at Sector New York Petty Officer 1st Class Gregory Caserta, a reservist with Station Sandy Hook, New Jersey, is a full-time police officer and helicopter pilot for the Nassau County Police Department in Long Island, New York. Last year, while off-duty and out to dinner with his family he rescued a woman from under a dock who was in danger of drowning; he was awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal. Last January, he took Sector New York’s Capt. Zeita Merchant up in the NCPD helicopter for an area familiarization run, showcasing the great relationship between the New York’s reservists and active duty. Photo courtesy of Chief Petty Officer Peter Kastritsios. 32 RESERVIST . Issue 2 • 2023 CELEBRATING CELEBRATING 70 70 YEARS OF THE RESERVIST YEARS OF THE RESERVIST
