Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Bi-monthly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security
Issue link: https://uscgreservist.epubxp.com/i/140140
Around the Reserve REPOY 2013 norton selected as Reserve Enlisted Person of the Year Petty Officer First Class Stepheni Norton was recognized as the Reserve Enlisted Person of Year (REPOY) during a ceremony held at Coast Guard Headquarters on Friday, May 10, 2013. As part of her selection as the REPOY, Petty Officer Norton was meritoriously advance to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Norton is currently deployed with Port Security Unit (PSU) 311 at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The unit's members form Joint Task Force Guantanamo's maritime security detachment and are responsible for securing ports and waterways around the Petty offcer Stepheni norton has her Chief's anchors pinned on by her fancé and fellow reservist BM3 Michael Lesley and her dad iCC/SW Stephen norton U.S. navy (ret.). Photo by Pa2 Patrick Kelley base. An expeditionary unit, do what they do." PSU 311 is responsible for providing port security in support of In addition to their current deployment, Port Security Unit military or humanitarian operations worldwide, ready to 311 also participated in Exercise Patriot Hook, a joint-service, deploy within 96 hours of notification and establishing air-mobility and contingency-response exercise. The exercise sustained operations within 24 hours. The unit deploys on the required staging out of three sites in California, more than 300 frontlines of global operations but in order to get there they military people and moving more than 1.5 million pounds of need support; that support is anchored by Chief Norton. cargo. Norton is assigned to the operational support division of the When inclement weather forced an unplanned redeployment port security unit where her administrative leadership for three port security units during the exercise, Norton supports the entire unit in boundless ways. She has issued 130 spearheaded the amendment of 122 orders in less than 16 personnel orders; led the unit's department heads in a major hours to prevent pay issues for deployed personnel. update of all unit instructions; led administrations preparations "She is unrelenting in her drive toward efficiency and for a Coast Guard-wide assessment, receiving a 100 percent excellence, continually setting the bar for all petty officers in score and best-in-fleet assessment; and processed 500 travel the unit," said Cmdr. John Caraballo, commanding officer of claims with zero discrepancies. Port Security Unit 311. These may sound like meaningless numbers to many, but in Keeping the unit ready isn't her only mission. Norton keeps Norton's world of work, the numbers matter. These numbers them ready with morale high. Knowing that deployments can affect each of the members on deployment. To Norton, these be tough on the crew, Norton coordinated a Christmas Day numbers are the difference between being ready for the surprise so all members of the unit would wake up to a present mission, or not being able to support operations. to open during the holidays. In the words of Norton herself, "I do what I do, so they can 8 RESERVIST � Issue 2 • 2013