My name is Nicholas Sawka, and I am with the United States Coast Guard.

Both of my grandfathers were in the Army during wartime. My Grandfather Sawka fought in Italy during WWII and received a Purple Heart for combat injuries sustained during battle liberating Italy. He died when I was young. My Grandfather Miske was in the Korean War and stationed near Seoul and did not see combat while in Korea.

I have served 14 years active duty and counting with the Coast Guard as a Chief Operations Specialist. I have been stationed in Seattle, Oregon and Cleveland. I currently work at the Coast Guard’s 9th District Office out of Cleveland, Ohio. The 9th District is responsible for the entire Great Lakes Region. I enlisted in the Coast Guard after High School in 2001, in order to help those who were in need. I like the humanitarian aspect of Coast Guard’s mission set pertaining to Search and Rescue. On several occasions I directly impacted the lives of those on the water.

The Coast Guard has made it easy for me to multitask and disseminate information in a timely manner. We dispatch the appropriate resources (Helicopter/Boat) for the situation and develop a Search and Rescue Plan to assist those in need of assistance. The Command Center is like a 911 Call Center for the Coast Guard. We are the first representative from the Coast Guard that a person talks to when they are in need of assistance or in distress.

My greatest fear is the next case. I know what to do for the case that I am dealing with currently, but the anticipation of the next case is the worst part of doing my job. The Meritorious Team Commendation is a perfect example of what the next case might be. I was actually the person inside the command center relaying vital information between the fishing boat, our boats, aircraft and then important key figures in our chain of command like our captain operations officer and local agencies while providing communications to the fishermen on board.

My Facebook page Sailors & Soldiers: Military Newsfeed provides real-time feeds from websites like Military.com, Navy Times, and The American Legion, keeping you informed on current events and policy changes, giving you a one-stop shop to get the latest news on all things military.

Please visit and follow us!
~ Nicholas Sawka, U.S. Coast Guard
www.facebook.com/SS20PP
twitter.com/SS_MIL_NEWS

We are very grateful to Nicholas for sharing his personal story and invite you to share your family service here as well.

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