Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: Nov. 5, 2008

Contact:  Lt. B. Chamberlain
(412) 644-5808 ext. 2116

PITTSBURGH - The Boat Forces Team from Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh was recently awarded the prestigious Sumner I. Kimball Readiness Award on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008.

The team received 46 points out of a possible 50 on a standardization inspection conducted by a team of specialists from Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown, Va.

The Kimball Award recognizes the achievement of high readiness of shore unit boats and personnel through an inspection of vessel conditions and survival systems, performance of underway drills and examination of unit training programs.  While the Coast Guard maintains a high readiness posture, only 10 percent of shore-based boat force units earn the Kimball Award each year.

The award is named for Sumner I. Kimball, the General Superintendent of the U.S. Life-Saving Service from 1878 to 1915. Kimball's accomplishments included organizing divided life-saving stations into unified, mission capable teams, which later became part of the U. S. Coast Guard in 1915.

MSU Pittsburgh received a Sumner I. Kimball pennant and a plaque for permanent display at the unit.

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