Chief Petty Officer Miguel Resto from Training Center (Mission Support Division), Cape May, New Jersey, has been recognized as the Coast Guard winner of the 2020 League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Excellence in Service Award. The distinction recognizes outstanding individuals who advance diversity, education, economics and health in communities with large under-represented populations.
As a qualified Section and Company Commander, Chief Resto recognized the importance of each recruit’s first experiences in a Coast Guard culture that values diversity, personal accountability and a strict adherence to our Core Values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty. Having struggled with English proficiency when he joined the Service, Chief Resto acknowledged the need to assist other individuals, who have difficulties overcoming the language barrier. Consequently, he took the initiative to translate training materials into Spanish, thus improving accessibility for recruits who speak English as a second language. By working to align training standards with the Coast Guard’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic goals, his efforts led to the revision of the Recruit Training Standard Operating Procedure used to govern the instruction for 3,800 personnel annually. His work increased the number of graduates and many who benefitted from his efforts emerged as recruit company award winners.
Civil Rights programs help maximize the Coast Guard’s overall mission effectiveness by fostering a discrimination-free environment through recognition of members’ accomplishments and contributions to Civil Rights, Equal Opportunity, minority communities, and Partnership in Education (PIE) programs. Learn about the USCG Civil Rights vision, mission, awards programs and CG PIE at: https://www.uscg.mil/Resources/Civil-Rights/.
