OUTSTANDING MERITORIOUS SERVICE WHILE SERVING AS A BOAT CAPTAIN IN RIVERINE SQUADRON TWO FROM JULY 2011 TO FEBRUARY 2014. PETTY OFFICER SMITH CONSISTENTLY PERFORMED HIS DEMANDING DUTIES IN A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. HE DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS A HIGHLY RESPECTED AND INFLUENTIAL LEADER DURING THE COMMISSIONING OF RIVERINE SQUADRON TWO. PETTY OFFICER SMITH DEMONSTRATED OUTSTANDING INITIATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE ACUMEN IN THE MENTORING OF 134 SAILORS, 26 PCS MOVES, AND SUPERVISED THE COORDINATION OF 500 RIVERINES SENT TO CAMP LEJUNE FOR ADVANCED TRAINING OVER A 7 YEAR TIME SPAN. AS ONE OF ONLY 4 SQUADRON CAREER COUNSELORS, HE FOSTERED A RETENTION RATE FOR STAYING NAVY WITHIN THE RIVERINE FORCE OF 85 PERCENT. WHILE ATTACHED TO THE TRAINING DEPARTMENT HE FLAWLESSLY CREATED AND TAILORED THE TRAINING PIPELINE FOR ALL FOLLOW-ON MISSIONS FOR MARITIME SECURITY OPERATIONS AND COUNTER NARCOTICS OPERATIONS. HE ALSO CREATED THE CONTROLLED EQUIPMENT TRACKING SYSTEM FOR RIVERINE SQUADRON ONE'S ARMORY, SECURING OVER 250 WEAPONS AND OPTICS AND 60,000 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. AS SQUADRON ONE'S BOAT SAFETY OFFICER HE ENSURED THE SAFE QUALIFICATION AND OPERATION OF RIVERINE PATROL BOATS AND LIVE WEAPONS FIRE. AS ONE OF SQUAD TWO'S BOAT CAPTAINS HE PLANNED AND CARRIED OUT 150 PATROL BOAT OPERATIONS AND 200 TACTICAL CONVOYS THROUGHOUT AL-ANBAR PROVINCE IRAQ DURING TWO DEPLOYMENTS. FURTHER, HE TRAINED THE COASTAL RIVERINE SQUADRON'S BOAT CAPTAINS, COXSWAINS AND ENGINEERS ON THE RIVERINE COMMAND BOAT IN PREPARATION FOR RIVERINE SQUADRON TWO'S FINAL DEPLOYMENT TO THE ARABIAN GULF PRIOR TO ITS DECOMMISSIONING. BY HIS EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY, PERSONAL INITIATIVE AND TOTAL DEDICATION TO DUTY, PETTY OFFICER SMITH REFLECTED GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.

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MERITORIOUS SERVICE WHILE SERVING AS LEAD MKVI ENGINEER, LEAD BOAT CAPTAIN, AND COMPANY LEAD LOAD PLANNER IN COASTAL RIVERINE SQUADRON TWO FROM MARCH 2015 to OCTOBER 2018. EN1 KLONDIKE'S EXEMPLARY KNOWLEDGE AND LEADERSHIP WERE VITAL IN THE SUCCESS OF AN INTENSIVE TRAINING CYCLE IN SAN DIEGO, QUALIFYING 7 FULLY QUALIFIED WATCH TEAMS OF 92 CREWMEN, 9 ENGINEERS, 11 COXSWAINS, 10 NAVIGATORS, 10 COMMS OPERATORS, 10 BOAT CAPTAINS, AND 5 PATROL OFFICERS. ADDITIONALLY, HE ORGANIZED THE MOVEMENT OF OVER 100,000 POUNDS OF GEAR TO AND FROM GUAM FOR 2 DEPLOYMENTS IN THE 7TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY. BY HIS NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PERSEVERENCE, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY, PETTY OFFICER KLONDIKE REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.

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EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM AGAINST THE ENEMY WHILE SERVING AS BOAT CAPTAIN WITH RIVER DIVISION 55, I-CORPS RIVER PATROL FORCES, QUNAG TRI PROVINCE, SOUTH VIETNAM AND ACTION AGAINST THE ENEMY WHILE ESCORTING AMPHIBIOUS SUPPLY CONVOYS ON THE PERFUME RIVER (SONG HUHONG) FROM 15 APRIL 1966 TO 30 JUNE 1966. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD, PETTY OFFICER SAILOR COURAGEOUSLY MANEUVERED HIS PATROL BOAT BETWEEN THE SUPPLY CRAFT AND ENTRENCHED ENEMY POSITIONS AND PROVIDED INTENSE SUPPRESSIVE FIRE TO DRAW THE ENEMY FIRE AWAY FROM THE SLOW MOVING SUPPLY CRAFT THEREBY ENSURING THE SUCCESSFUL FLOW OF VITAL SUPPLIES TO THIRD MARINE FORCES INLAND. BY HIS NOTEWORTHY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, PERSEVERENCE, AND DEVOTION TO DUTY, PETTY OFFICER SAILOR REFLECTED CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND UPHELD THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL SERVICE.