Oct. 23, 2003 – U.S. Coast Guard Reservist Lt. Catherine "Cathy" Prince is among several junior officers approved for promotion to the rank of lieutenant commander.
The Secretary of Homeland Security has approved the report of the selection board, convened on Sept. 8, that recommended the names of officers on the inactive duty promotion list for promotion to the grade of lieutenant commander. Coast Guard Navigation Center's Chief Warrant Officer Alvin Dalmida said, "This is great news, Cathy's name was right in the mix among her peers."
Prince, daughter of Otis and Catherine Prince of Frederiksted, was born in St Croix and graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1976.
After service in the U.S. Navy and in the Navy Reserve, Prince in 1991 joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and attended the Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination School at Yorktown, Va. Upon graduation she received her commissioning as an ensign, making her the first U.S. Virgin Islands native woman commissioned in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves.
In September 2003, she was released from active duty at the Coast Guard Resident Inspection Office (RIO) in Christiansted, St. Croix. The promotion list may start advancing individuals in June of 2004. In the meantime, Cathy will continue to drill with the Coast Guard.
Lt. Robert Campbell, the officer in charge of RIO St. Croix, said, "I'm very happy for her. Cathy is very deserving of and has earned this promotion …. she has two brothers who are also ranked as lieutenant commanders in the Navy, so I'm certain that this is welcomed news to the entire Prince family."
In addition, Prince is a team member of the "2003 Raising Coast Guard Visibility in the U.S. Virgin Island Program:" She volunteers her off duty time to travel throughout the islands educating the public and identifying candidates for potential enlistment and appointment opportunities in the Coast Guard.
For earlier details of her Coast Guard activity, see St. Croix Source "People" article, Crucian Cathy Prince serves with Coast Guard.
Editor's note: Coast Guard Chief Warrant Office Alvin Dalmida Jr., another Virgin Islander, writes about Virgin Islanders' activities in the U.S. Coast Guard.
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