MST3 Nicole Tainatongo

She's working on an associate degree in early childhood education.

When vessels arrive at the Port of Lake Charles, La., about 30 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, odds are they'll check in with Marine Science Technician 3rd Class Nicole Tainatongo.

Tainatongo coordinated safety and securities examinations for the more than 1,800 vessels that visited the port last year. She acted as a liaison between vessel agents, crews, representatives of foreign governments, and several local and federal agencies. After two years at the command, she has a reputation for getting things done.

"She performed this work with a sense of professionalism in line with the most senior members of our service," her commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Compher, wrote in her nomination.

As part of the Coast Guard's response efforts in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Tainatongo was dispatched to Mobile, Ala., where she spent three weeks "walking the beaches" as the federal representative to the Mississippi shoreline cleanup assessment team.

Thanks to Tainatongo's passion for fitness, she was prepared for all that walking. As her marine safety unit's health promotion coordinator, she gets fellow service members excited about staying fit. All of the unit's 70 members are within weight standards, Compher wrote.

For two years, she has coached a girls' volleyball team at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School in Lake Charles. She regularly visits schools as a mentor and to talk about Coast Guard careers.