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.

HS1 Matthew Reines

Married to Alyssa; children Cameron, 9, Kaylyn, 7, and Kamille, 2.

On the job and in his off hours, Health Services Technician 1st Class Matthew Reines lives the Coast Guard motto, "Semper paratus": He's always ready to serve others.

Whether he's treating crew members of the seagoing buoy tender Hickory and their families, responding to an alarm as a volunteer firefighter or answering the call of a remote neighbor as an emergency medical technician, he's responsible for the welfare of hundreds of people in south-central Alaska.

Along with keeping his crew healthy, Reines qualified as buoy deck supervisor, authorizing him to run Hickory's buoy deck operations, a job normally done by senior boatswain's mates.

"He could have easily just relaxed after the workday, but his outstanding initiative and tireless work ethic inspired him to accept more responsibility," Hickory commanding officer Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Musman wrote in nominating Reines.

While Hickory is in port, Reines volunteers as a firefighter and EMT, but also spends time with his kids, coaches their teams and takes them camping.

Reines also trained Coast Guard spouses in CPR and led the cutter's scholarship selection committee to award a high school senior $1,000. He volunteered for Hickory's haunted ship Halloween event, which collected 2,800 pounds of food — the biggest donation received by the Homer food pantry in 2009.

"He is the one person aboard that each and every person admires for his tireless efforts ... and his devotion to the community," Musman wrote.

LCDR Richard Angelet

Married to Georgina; children Kyle, 19, and Cassandra, 15.

Consuelo Conde was nearly broke when she accepted a job in November to work for the Coast Guard in Washington, D.C. After a traumatic divorce, the single mother did not have enough money to move her furniture from Mesa, Ariz.

When she mentioned her situation to a co-worker, he knew exactly where to go for help — Lt. Cmdr. Richard Angelet.

Angelet immediately sent a message for help on his "bang list" — a list he created that includes 80 fellow Hispanic Coast Guard and Navy personnel. Conde, who had just a mattress and a blanket in her apartment, soon had a dining set, dishes, pots and pans, and clothes for her 8-year-old son.

"He makes you feel like you have a family here," Conde said, praising Angelet and his network.

Angelet, a budget analyst and developer for the assistant commandant of operations, is the 2010 Navy Times Coast Guardsman of the Year.

He was raised in Brooklyn by his grandmother, who struggled to balance her factory job with keeping an eye on her grandson. His schoolwork suffered.

"I kinda got pushed along," Angelet said. "I didn't take it seriously."

After he graduated high school, a Coast Guard recruiting commercial changed his life. He enlisted in 1988.

"During that time, I did a lot of growing up," he said.

Angelet, 41, married his high school sweetheart, had two children and convinced himself to go back to school in 1995. After he earned 30 credit hours, Yeoman 2nd Class Angelet was selected for Officer Candidate School.

Sandwiched between assignments worldwide, Angelet finally earned a bachelor's degree in management studies in 2008. By that time, he had been at Coast Guard Headquarters for five years and had moved from the Office of Boat Forces to the budget office.

Angelet said his childhood drove him to look for opportunities to help kids. He became involved in coaching youth baseball and softball teams.

Angelet benefited from mentors in the Coast Guard, but he noticed that he didn't see a lot of Hispanic officers. So he dedicated himself to helping other Hispanics move up in the service.

Angelet is president of the Washington chapter of the Association of Naval Services Officers, an organization that promotes the advancement of Hispanic service members. He is the Coast Guard's representative to the national association and helped organize its annual leadership symposium in San Diego. He also is the Hispanic employment program manager at Coast Guard Headquarters, working to eliminate barriers to recruiting and promoting Hispanics in the Coast Guard.

Last year, he served on the Hispanic College Fund scholarship selection committee and helped judge a talent show sponsored by the fund at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Angelet also is a Coast Guard Academy admissions partner, working to help minority applicants complete the application process.

"He's one of those really well-rounded people who can do all these things and still do his primary job well," said Lt. Xochitl Castañeda, assistant team leader for the Vessel Response Planning Program.

Angelet has asked co-workers to let him know when Hispanic personnel move to Washington. He welcomes them and adds them to his networking list. Angelet sends regular messages to the list about volunteer opportunities, events and other topics.

Angelet was one of the first people former Lt. Nadine Santiago met when she came to headquarters to be a public affairs officer three years ago. She said she was nervous about her new assignment, but Angelet introduced her to a network of people.

"It meant a lot to me," Santiago said.

Capt. Bob Whitehouse, former deputy chief of budget development for operations, supervised Angelet for three years. He described Angelet as a high-energy individual who works hard to help others without seeking recognition.

Whitehouse also praised Angelet's ability to connect with Hispanic youth.

"He has tremendous passion for the Coast Guard and tremendous passion for reaching out to people who may not know we are there," Whitehouse said.

Angelet, who is transferring to the Office of International Affairs this summer, said he wants to continue to reach out to young people.

"My message constantly with the kids is you can succeed no matter what," Angelet said.

Master Sgt. Tikwan Garland

Garland knows just how important details are.

In his job, Garland helps manage the office to the assistant vice chief of staff and director of Air Force Staff — security, personnel, equipment and travel — and advises senior officials on the morale and welfare of enlisted airmen, non-commissioned officer leadership and training.

He’s so good at the particulars that the Air Force handpicked him to escort 800 people — many of them members of Congress — to the inauguration of President Obama last year.

As busy as he is, Garland still finds time to give career advice to younger non-commissioned officers — so far, 15 airmen count him as their mentor — and to lead the Pentagon’s Airmen Unit Fund, which pays for fun activities for the 2,000 enlisted airmen assigned to headquarters, said retired Army Maj. Riley A. Jacobs, who nominated Garland.

Outside the office, Garland is just as active. He organized a two-mile run that raised $17,000 for heart research, saved a homeowner from foreclosure as president of a 212-member homeowners association, helped establish a neighborhood watch program and collaborated with a local power company to restore broken street lights to increase safety and reduce crime, Jacobs said.

“He does this kind of thing not for personal recognition,” Jacobs said, “but simply because he is a leader in keeping [with] the highest standards of those in uniform.”

Senior Master Sgt. Rex Temple

Born in Scullton, Pa.

Temple was struck by how simple the request was: The 8-year-old Afghan boy wanted a pen from him.

The boy inspired Temple, with the help of his wife at home in Tampa, Fla., to coordinate a school supply drive for the children of Afghanistan.

Schools, universities, churches and civic groups in 12 states donated more than 700 boxes of pens, paper and stuffed toys.

And it was Temple who spearheaded a plan that transformed an unused mosque into a library.

Throughout his yearlong deployment, Temple gave a "voice and a face" to countless U.S. military members through weekly radio stories that aired on the Tampa National Public Radio affiliate, said Earl Quenneville, who listened to the reports and nominated Temple. Temple also wrote a blog of his experiences that received the 2010 MilBlog award for the Air Force category.

In the war zone, Temple served as convoy commander, gunner or driver in 180 mounted combat-patrol missions and led a nine-man team against an insurgent ambush during a humanitarian mission. He received the Bronze Star for his actions.

"One villager at a time, he has shown the Afghan people America's compassion, strength, sacrifice and generosity," said Joseph Burns, who worked with Temple at 6th Air Mobility Wing.

MSgt Rodney Deese, II

AO1 (AW) John Pampaloni

Married to Sarah. It would be understandable if Aviation Ordnanceman 1st Class (AW) John Pampaloni didn’t spend time helping others after his day job, where he makes sure maintenance is done correctly on aircraft that could be crucial to the survival of the U.S.

But Pampaloni didn’t just help maintain E-6B Mercury aircraft, which carry communications equipment designed to enable the nation’s leaders to stay in contact with submarines, bombers and missile silos in the event of a nuclear war.

He served as Morale, Welfare and Recreation president, raising more than $10,000 for MWR to distribute. As an assistant enlisted aviation warfare specialist coordinator, he qualified 11 sailors last year for their wings. He’s also working toward a bachelor’s degree in criminal science.

And he’s been very active in his local Elks Lodge and its volunteer programs. “Whenever we have any events, John’s hand is the first one up,” Retired Air Force Senior Master Sgt. John Holsapple wrote in nominating Pampaloni.

He acted as a resource for his shipmates, linking them with organizations who need help. His efforts helped increase volunteer participation to nearly 90 percent of sailors.

At the end of April, Pampaloni moved to a new command, Electronic Attack Squadron 138 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. He said he looks forward to getting involved in volunteering at his new home.

RP3 Xavier Wofford

President, Tri-Command Single Marine Program.

As the religious program specialist for a Marine recruit battalion, RP3 Xavier Wofford is used to helping those in need.

“A lot of the younger kids have never been away from home,” said Wofford, who at 21 isn’t much older than those he supports. While meeting the spiritual needs of his charges, he also reminds them of more physical pursuits: “I give them sports scores on Sundays.”

Wofford looks for ways to improve the spiritual life of his command. He helped create new Islamic and Buddhist worship areas to support practitioners of those religions, which increased attendance at those services by 20 percent, he said.

Wofford “consistently goes above and beyond what is expected of him,” Chaplain (Lt.) Stephen Cloer wrote in his nomination, noting that Wofford had taken on several tasks normally beyond his paygrade — which was E-3 at the time.

Wofford also helps members of the surrounding community by coaching several youth and adult sports teams, and teaching life skills to dozens of at-risk youth at the Child Abuse Prevention Association. He also formed a group called the Impactors, which is dedicated to providing troubled children role models from the military community.

Although he’s served for a little more than two years, Wofford has his eye on the future: He’s applying for the Seaman to Admiral-21 commissioning program.

NC1 Kylee Bolibrzuch

Married to MAC (SW) James Bolibrzuch; children Kiara Briddell, 15; Kory Reid, 14; Arashaud Webb Jr., 10.

Naval Station Great Lakes, Ill. — After 12 years in the Navy, Navy Counselor 1st Class (SW/AW) Kylee Bolibrzuch says she’s learned one thing: It’s all about giving back — both in the service and out.

Bolibrzuch, the 2010 Navy Times Sailor of the Year, is command career counselor for 160 sailors here.

“It’s important young sailors know there’s someone who’s here for them, someone with their interests in mind,” Bolibrzuch said. “We get a lot of young sailors on limited duty, as well as pregnant females from the schools here. They’re usually not feeling too good about themselves and the Navy. They need a smiling face and someone to tell them it’s going to be OK, then guide them. That’s my job.”

In addition to counseling sailors on their careers through her job and as president of the first class petty officers association, she spends her off-duty hours coaching and tutoring at-risk youth in the Chicago area.

“She is what I call an everyday hero,” said Lt. Jeffrey Gray, who coordinates Navy outreach programs in the Chicago area. “She is extremely tireless and passionate about recruiting volunteers to do outreach.”

Last year, he said, Bolibrzuch got 15 sailors from Great Lakes to tutor and mentor elementary school children in the Woodlawn section of Chicago’s South Side a few times a month. She not only coordinated getting the volunteers through the training and clearance process to be allowed in the schools, but she also went through the training and tutored kids herself.

“She practices what she preaches — she doesn’t just recruit and send them on their way, she leads from out front,” Gray said. “When we had difficulty in getting the use of government vehicles for transportation, she organized caravans of sailors using their own vehicles to make the drive — that’s no small thing given the traffic in this area.”

Because of her work, Gray said, he plans to expand the Navy’s involvement in the program this fall. In addition to the inner-city work, Bolibrzuch also gets Great Lakes sailors to volunteer at schools near the base, Gray said.

She draws on her experiences both at work and in helping kids. Bolibrzuch, a native of Salisbury, Md., had two children when she joined the Navy at age 20; she’d tried college, but found it tough to manage a job, classes and her kids. She also struggled for years to find a job she loved that fit her skills.

“Like many of the sailors I counsel, my early days in the Navy were tough — and I thought hard about getting out many times,” she said.

Out of boot camp, she spent two weeks in airman apprentice training, then hit the fleet. She first learned how to be an aviation boatswain’s mate (fuels), wearing the distinctive purple shirt on the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman.

“I’d say that was the heart of my ‘I hate the Navy’ days,” she said.

But she had drive and investigated other jobs onboard the ship.

That early experience has added to her zeal as a career counselor, according to Religious Program Specialist 3rd Class Savannah Brown.

“I joined the Navy to be a [damage controlman] but got pregnant while in ‘A’ school,” Brown said “I was sure my career was over and I’d be getting out of the Navy — NC1 [Bolibrzuch] helped me turn that all around — she changed my whole attitude about the Navy just by showing me what was possible.”

Brown, now stationed at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, plans to make the Navy a career.

“She showed me how she made being a mom and a sailor work in her life and then helped me find the rating that was just right for me,” Brown said. The path wasn’t always so clear for Bolibrzuch, though. She found the counselor rating after striking for operations specialist onboard Truman, rising to petty officer second class and then taking shore duty orders to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.

“Shore duty for OSs is just like sea duty. You stand watches and it’s a 24-hours-a-day operation,” she said. “We tracked hurricanes, and when that season was over, we tracked whales. There was always something to track.”

Then she discovered her true calling: helping sailors.

“I got assigned as the command’s assistant career counselor because we didn’t have an NC,” she said. “I helped a sailor put in their package for the [Seaman to Admiral-21 commissioning program], and I was hooked.”

One of the last E-5s allowed to convert into the NC rating, she went back to sea as the command career counselor for Sea Control Squadron 31 onboard the carrier John C. Stennis.

When her squadron decommissioned in 2008, she got orders to Great Lakes. “She has really come into her own in this job,” said Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Leon Walker, Naval Station Great Lakes’ senior enlisted sailor. “She is without a doubt the best first class petty officer out of the 22 I have in this command.”

Active both on base and in the community, she’s constantly on the go. Though she recently married — husband Chief Master-at-Arms (SW) James Bolibrzuch is in San Diego with the amphibious transport dock Cleveland — it’s her mother who helps make her career possible.

“She’s always been there for me and has really kept me focused on what I need to be doing,” Bolibrzuch said. “She took care of my children during my first cruise and moved in with me after that as my dependent — I couldn’t do what I do without her being there for me. She makes it all easier for me.”

As president of the naval station’s first class petty officer association, she not only coordinates volunteer efforts off base, she also spearheads efforts on base to help the command’s junior sailors succeed.

“We work with sailors on learning their [professional military knowledge] it’s roughly 50 percent of their advancement exam, and we do it as they are gearing up for each advancement cycle,” she said.

This, Walker said, has increased the command’s advancement percentages and also helped raise retention rates.

\“It’s all about options, and the Navy has given me a lot of options — you just have to put in the work,” she said.

1ST SGT Javier Duarte

Ran a Bible study group in Afghanistan in his off time.

Duarte began 2009 by deploying to Japan on the heels of a combat tour in southern Afghanistan with Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C.

In Afghanistan, he earned several medals, including a Bronze Star, for organizing a resupply route that served as the sole lifeline for hundreds of Marines in Garmsir. He regularly drove mine-laden roads to deliver supplies to units engaged in daily firefights with the enemy.

But it is his concern and care for the Marines under his command, not his medals, for which he is best-known. “I have never worked with or seen a senior enlisted Marine more invested in his Marines,” wrote 1st Lt. Crystal Serrano, who nominated Duarte for Marine of the Year after working with him in Okinawa. “He devotes himself to mission accomplishment and troop welfare.”

Despite the abrupt transition from the battlefield to a new garrison in Okinawa, Duarte embraced his new post and began coordinating companywide volunteer activities to clean up public spaces in Okinawa. He also inspired Marines under his command to coach children’s soccer and tutor kids at local schools.

He returned to Afghanistan in March to support operations in Marjah, Helmand province, after field commanders requested him by name for his detailed knowledge of the region.