ST. LOUIS, Oct. 6, 2016 — U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak, Alaska, was recognized today as the winner of the 2016 National Gold Medal Grand Plaque Award for excellence in park and recreation management for the armed forces during a ceremony here.

The Alaska Coast Guard base’s morale, welfare and recreation program was recognized for its excellence during the general session of the annual conference of the National Recreation and Park Association, a national nonprofit organization committed to the advancement of public parks, recreation and conservation.

Recognizing Military Recreation Providers

The Armed Forces Recreation Gold Medal Award, founded in 2012 and given by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association, recognizes the contributions of military recreation providers and the work they do among service members, their families, other patrons and local communities.

The Gold Medal Awards program honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate excellence in parks and recreation through long-range planning, resource management, volunteerism, environmental stewardship, program development, professional development and agency recognition.

Three other installations were nominated alongside U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak for the gold medal this year: Fort Carson, Colorado; Fort Riley, Kansas, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.