Brava Coast Guard receives 1st Class Distinguished Service Medal
The Brava Island Coast Guard Detachment was awarded the 1st Class Distinguished Service Medal today, in recognition of the relevant services it has rendered to the State of Cape Verde.
According to the Official Bulletin, the award is due to the exceptional contribution to safeguarding human life, strengthening the authority of the State at sea and providing permanent support to island populations.
Between 2022 and 2026, the structure asserted itself as an essential element of the Coast Guard's operational device, standing out in particular in medical transfers on the Brava-Fogo axis.
To date, 90 transfers have been made, transporting 116 patients in an emergency situation.
Since its installation, the Detachment has assumed responsibilities in the areas of maritime and coastal surveillance, search and rescue, support for civil protection, combating illicit trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, as well as carrying out inter-island patient transportation, in conjunction with the competent health authorities.
According to the order, these results reflect the high level of professionalism, dedication and sense of mission of the soldiers of the Armed Forces who are and have been part of the Detachment.
"Each mission carried out represented a decisive intervention in safeguarding human life, with significant gains for families and local communities, also contributing to strengthening territorial cohesion", reads the document.
The distinction was awarded under Article 18, in conjunction with Article 31(3) of the Military Medal Regulations, approved by Decree-Law no. 66/2005, of October 24, by order of the Minister of State and National Defense, Janine Tatiana Santos Lelis, dated February 27, 2026.
The award comes as part of the implementation of the Strategic Coast Guard Development Plan 2017-2027, which determined, by Government guidance, the permanent positioning of a Coast Guard vessel in the Port of Furna, ensuring continuous operational coverage of the Fogo-Brava region and reinforcing the effective presence of the State in an area of recognized geographical sensitivity, with the establishment of a military detachment on the island of Brava.
