Presentation Date: June 23, 2019
Cree Townsend, Petty Officer 2nd Class, United State Coast Guard
Cree Townsend, Petty Officer 2nd Class, United States Coast Guard
Cree was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1993. Her father served in the US Marine Corps and later worked as a parks and recreation manager. Her mother was an elementary school teacher and later became a US Postal Service employee. Cree attended Forest City Regional High School in Forest City, PA.
She then entered Florida Atlantic University at Boca Raton, Florida and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Sculpture in 2013.
Cree joined the Coast Guard in 2014 and completed Boot Camp at Cape May, New Jersey. Her first operational assignment was seaman on Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton, a Fast Response ship stationed in Key West, Florida.
After additional training in 2016 at Yorktown, Virginia, Cree earned the rating of Marine Science Technician. She was transferred to her current station at USCG Sector San Francisco on Yerba Buena Island where she conducts facility inspections, foreign vessel inspections, and pollution responses.
Her military awards and decorations include:
-- Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbon
-- Coast Guard Meritorious Unit Commendation with 1 Star
-- Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation with 2 Stars
-- Coast Guard Pistol Marksman Ribbon
-- Coast Guard Sea Service Ribbon
-- Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal
-- Global War on Terror Service Medal
-- Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
In 2014, Cree married Patrick McGowan before both joined the Coast Guard. The couple resides in Oakland.