Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicolas Santos of Babylon, N.Y., received the highly coveted Coast Guard Commendation Medal for Coast Guard-wide impact from his performance above and beyond his rate and pay grade. Santos serves as a boatswain's mate aboard the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR home-ported in Kodiak, Alaska. He helps the unit maintain over 150 navigational aids in 2 million square miles of operational area including the Aleutian Chain, the Bering Sea and the Arctic. Lt. Cmdr. Doug Jannusch, CGC SPAR commanding officer, presented the award to Santos during quarters aboard the cutter. Santos will transfer to Motor Lifeboat Station Ketchikan, Alaska, this summer with plans to eventually become a Coast Guard warrant officer. He is a 2005 graduate of Babylon High School and a 2009 graduate of Adelphi University. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. j.g. Keith Arnold)