The Master's Medal

Awarded to any person in aviation, at any time, for an act or other achievement in aviation considered worthy of the Medal, as soon as the facts of the event are clear. This is intended to be an immediate award, made at the discretion of the Master and on the advice of the Trophies and Awards Committee.

2011 Awarded to: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER WILLIAM STRICKLAND USCG 

Lieutenant Commander William Strickland was assigned as Mission and Aircraft Commander on Coast Guard helicopter, callsign ‘CG‑6518’ for Operation Unified Response, the multi-nation, multi-service relief effort resulting from the catastrophic destruction of the earthquake that ravaged Haiti on 12 January 2010.  Attached to the ‘USCGC Tahoma’, the crew of ‘CG‑6518’ reacted quickly and effectively in assisting the Haitian people from 13 to 21 January 2010.

During this period, Lt Cdr Stickland and the crew of ‘CG‑6518’ flew 35 hours, completed 28 sorties and 70 landings, resulting in 27 lives saved directly and hundreds more saved or assisted through indirect action.  Lt Cdr Stickland was resourceful and dedicated to the mission.  Faced with limited air traffic control, inadequate outdated charts and in an unknown area, Lt Cdr Stickland and his crew adapted by downloading internet based charts, assisted in forming air asset command and control for allied assets in the region and helped develop a working air rescue plan.  This important work was pivotal in laying the groundwork for sustained multi‑surface air support in the greater Port Au Prince area.

Assigned to the ‘Tahoma’, Lt Cdr Stickland and crew worked quickly, using whatever supplies were available to modify the aircraft.  The crew improvised by lining the interior of ‘CG‑6518’ with customised body bags and tape to reduce contamination risk. They procured masks, gloves, disinfectant, and disposable rags placing them strategically throughout the cabin for easy access.  ‘CG‑6518’ made multiple landings in confined areas and landing zones (LZs) throughout Port Au Prince and outlying areas, assisting with the evacuation of critically injured personnel. As the first US helicopter to land at the improvised hospital LZ in Milot, Haiti, the aircrew braved 50 miles of unfamiliar mountainous terrain overcoming dangerous updrafts and downdrafts while navigating without local charts, eventually locating the LZ at the base of several mountains capped in low‑lying fog. The rapid transport by helicopter allowed four victims with injuries ranging from multiple amputations, gangrene infections and open head trauma to be quickly off‑loaded to waiting surgical teams. The crew of ‘CG‑6518’ made multiple return trips to Milot and developed critical route and hazard awareness briefs that were disseminated to Coast Guard and U.S. Navy air support crews to allow for safe continuous follow‑on medical evacuations from the Port Au Prince area to the trauma centre in Milot.

Lt Cdr Stickland played a crucial role in the early days of the ground‑based medical support effort for the operational area in and around Port Au Prince.  ‘CG‑6518’ transported multiple medical personnel and much needed supplies from the US Embassy and Port Au Prince airport to both makeshift clinics and US Navy hospital ships in the region. The supplies and medical expertise were distributed to the hardest hit areas and hospitals to help treat the most critical patients.

Lt Cdr William Strickland displayed unwavering courage and aeronautical skills throughout this event.  Port Au Prince was a city mostly without power or infrastructure.  Navigating at night among unlit towers and power lines Lt Cdr Stickland successfully executed multiple night sorties in this dangerous environment.  On the night of 19 January, ‘CG‑6518’ was diverted to the vicinity of the Presidential Palace to locate a makeshift LZ that had been established in the hopes of evacuating a critically ill woman who had been trapped in the rubble for seven days. Unable to locate the exact position of the LZ due to the darkness, heavy haze and smoke from burning fires, ‘CG-6518’ contacted ‘Tahoma’ to have them relay to the on‑scene ground‑party to flash their flashlights and vehicle lights in order to help locate the LZ. The message was relayed to Coast Guard District Seven in Miami Florida, then to CNN headquarters in Atlanta, and ultimately to an on‑scene CNN journalist via text message.  With the help of the ground party's torches and headlights beaming through the smoke Lt Cdr Stickland and ‘CG‑6518’ were successfully able to pinpoint the LZ and conduct several low slow reconnaissance passes to survey the scene, identifying multiple hazardous unlit towers and power lines through which they threaded in dangerously close proximity in order to effect the landing.  After quickly loading the patient and with little power margin available due to the added weight of the patient, ‘CG‑6518’ safely cleared the landing zone and transported the patient seaward eventually making a challenging NVG landing to the ‘USS Bataan’, again under extremely low light conditions.

The next day, during an evacuation of a young boy with a closed head injury, ‘CG‑6518’ had to make a landing in a neglected field to pick up the patient. On final approach and committed to landing, the aircraft was suddenly enveloped by blowing dirt and debris immediately prior to touchdown. Lt Cdr Stickland and his crew made a remarkable landing in nearly complete brown‑out conditions. The patient was loaded and eventually delivered to the ‘USS Comfort’ for treatment.

Lt Cdr Stickland and his crew displayed remarkable bravery and stamina during the whole of the operation.  Operating under a Crew Rest Waiver for lack of sleep, cautiously granted by the USCG Commanding Officer in Jacksonville due to the gravity and urgency of the situation, the crew performed at an extremely high level for many days.  ‘CG­-6518’ landed on various USCG cutters and unfamiliar landing decks, both day and night.  ‘CG‑6518’ performed a wide array of patient transports, supply runs, and personnel transports under extremely challenging physical and environmental conditions.  Over the final two days of their participation, ‘CG‑6518’ evacuated 16 patients, many of them children, with a wide variety of life-threatening injuries.

Lt Cdr Stickland’s actions, aeronautical skill and heroism directly resulted in the saving of 27 lives and indirectly affected many hundreds more.  Leading the rescue effort during the critical first week after the event, Lt Cdr Stickland displayed uncommon bravery and dedication.  Flying in a chronic state of fatigue, in an extremely dangerous environment consisting of multiple hazards to flight including cloud shrouded mountains, unfamiliar and confined landing zones, an urban disaster area of unprecedented proportion covered in thick smoke from burning buildings and bodies, and the inherently hazardous work of non-stop day/night landings on multiple USCG and USN ships, Lt Cdr Stickland and the crew of ‘CG‑6518’ laid the groundwork and helped create a workable air rescue effort that undoubtedly advanced the capability and efficiency of follow-on rescue operations.  Lt Cdr Stickland’s courage, judgement and devotion to duty displayed during this trying event are testimony to his character and resolve and are in the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.  He is deservedly awarded the Master’s Medal.

Previous Award Winners:

1976 F A Laker Esq

1977 The Red Arrows

1978-85 Not Awarded

1986 PO ACMN L Slater

1987 R Branson Esq and Per Lindstrand

1988 Captain S Yousif

1989 FO A Atchison

1990 Miss H Sharman

1991 Not Awarded

1992 Not Awarded

1993 Captain E J Wyer

1994 Not Awarded

1995 Air Commodore A N Nicholson OBE QHS RAF

1996 Not Awarded

1997 Not Awarded

1998 Not awarded

1999 Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard

2000 Polly Vacher

2001 Caroline Gough-Cooper and Imogen Asker

2002 Not Awarded

2003 David K Hempleman-Adams OBE

2004 HMS ENDURANCE

2005 Not Awarded

2006 CREW OF 7 FLIGHT ARMY AIR CORPS, Warrant Officer Class 1 Challis (Aircraft Commander), Sergeant Khanlarian and Corporal Leah

2007 APACHE PATROL MEMBERS OF 656 SQUADRON AAC, Petty Officer Aircrewman James O'Donnell QGM

2008 Not Awarded

2009 The Crew of US Airways Flight 1549
2009 Captain Charles "Chalkie" Stobbart

2010 Captain Michael Fairhurst and First Officer James Brown
2010 Captain Stephen Noujaim

2011 Lieutenant Commander William Strickland USCG