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Meritorious Public Service Award to Mr. George C. Xiradakis

The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard takes great pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award to Mr. George C. Xiradakis, immediate past President of the Board of Governors of the International Propeller Club of the United States- International Port of Piraeus.  In his tenure as President of the Propeller Club, Mr. Xiradakis was a leading force for improving the global search and rescue system.  Since 2012, Mr. Xiradakis worked tirelessly to increase the visibility of the Greek Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) awards and the contribution Greek shipping has made to safety at sea.  Mr. Xiradakis’ dedicated effort has been impactful, expansive, and multi-faceted.  His direct efforts recruiting additional Greek ships into AMVER and promoting annual Greek AMVER Awards Ceremony let to an increase of more than 800 award eligible ships over a seven-year period.  Greece now leads the world in both AMVER participation and awards.  Mr. Xiradakis’ dedication to safety at sea and steadfast promotion of the AMVER system contributed to 894 lives saved by Greek ships from 2012 to 2018.  His extensive cultivation of a strong relationship between the Greek Shipping community and the United States Coast Guard has led to a greater understanding of the needs of the shipping community balanced with the regulatory requirements of the United States Coast Guard.  Mr. Xiradakis ensured influential members of the Hellenic shipping community were aware of the United States Coast Guard initiatives and worked to build support and consensus for the improvements to safety, security, and environmental stewardship.  Since 2012, Mr. Xiradakis has coordinated a comprehensive visit by United States Coast Guard flag officers with key leaders in the Greek shipping community and the Hellenic Coast Guard.  Mr. Xiradakis’ outstanding efforts directly influenced the United States Coast Guard’s global ability to save lives at sea.  Mr. Xiradakis’ dedication and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.