The Seventh District Coast Guard Auxiliary honored a Lake Murray Coast Guard Auxiliary member for outstanding volunteer service in a ceremony on October 16, at Southshore Marina.
Barbara Burchfield, Lake Murray Flotilla 12-3 member, was selected as the Seventh District Coast Guard Auxiliarist of the Year for 2019. She was cited for outstanding achievement while serving as District Staff Officer – Program Visitation, leading more than 500 members in the recreational boating safety outreach program in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Burchfield also served on the District 7 Recreational Boating Safety Committee, tasked with developing approaches to inform and educate boaters in order to reduce accidents and save lives.
Patricia McMenamin, District Commodore-elect (2021), presented Burchfield with a bronze trophy featuring an American Eagle in flight, the national flag and an engraved glass plaque along with the formal citation signed by J.W. Briggs, Commander, U.S. Coast Guard Director of Auxiliary, Seventh Coast Guard District.
The Auxiliary Commendation Medal citation reads, “Ms. Burchfield conducted over 20,000 hours in Recreational Boating Safety activities and not only lead by example but inspired others to perform at their best. Utilizing exceptional organizational skills, she set up district-level programs, rewards, and communications. These attributes enabled Ms. Burchfield to grow both the number of qualified Program Visitors and the number of program visits conducted during an incredibly challenging environment. Furthermore, she established the ‘Lighthouse Award’ for any Program Visitor with 1,000-lifetime program visits. Other accomplishments include the introduction of a quarterly newsletter for Program Visitors and the creation of an RBS Program Visitor challenge coin. Lastly, she was selected as District Seven’s Auxiliarist of the Year for 2019. Ms. Burchfield’s dedication, judgment and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.”
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.
Photo: Lake Murray Coast Guard Auxiliary member Festus Burchfield holds a trophy for his wife, Barbara Burchfield, selected the Seventh District 2019 Coast Guard Auxiliarist of the Year in a ceremony on October 16.
