The Story:
Petty Officer Vega served with the Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment (RAID), the furthest deployed Coast Guard unit in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, from October 2005 to February 2006. Constantly facing threatening insurgent activities, Vega and her team completed the inspection of nearly 2,000 inter-modal freight containers and 8,100 pieces of rolling stock, and conducted hazardous-materials field-training sessions for more than 60 major Army units. Working with U.S. Navy Customs and the Army in Kuwait and Iraq, Vega ensured that the military equipment shipped was safe and secure. By inspecting equipment inside Iraq, Vega and her team made it possible for troops to return home three to four weeks earlier than is normal. Vega was awarded the Coast Guard Commendation Medal on Feb. 3, 2006.