Chatham Coast Guard Station receives award named for respected former commander

Photo provided by U.S. Government.

CHATHAM – The Coast Guard Station in Chatham was honored last month with the 2025 Boat Forces Master Chief Jack Downey Award.

The station received the award for outstanding service as a boat forces multi-mission station.

The award is named after the man who served the U.S. Coast Guard for over 40 years, including on the Cape and Islands.

When he retired in 2008, Cape Cod Congressman Bill Delahunt spoke in the House of Representatives about Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate John E. “Jack” Downey. 

“His familiarity with the treacherous local waters around Cape Cod is legendary. He has brought that knowledge to a wide variety of operational, command and staff assignments over the years,” said Delahunt.

Downey served as Officer-In-Charge at Station Woods Hole and Brant Point Nantucket, and also commanded the Coast Guard Station Chatham.

Delahunt said Downey faced a fishing community that had lost faith in the Coast Guard, but that in a very short period of time, he made the Chatham station one of the finest in the Coast Guard, and quickly won the respect of the entire Cape Cod fishing community.

Later commanders of the Chatham Station would seek Downey’s advice.

He won numerous awards himself, including becoming the first recipient of the Joshua James Keeper Award, the “Ancient Keeper”, which is given to Coast Guard members in recognition of their longevity of service and their outstanding performance in boat forces operations.

Downey passed away in 2022. 

The current officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Chatham is Ross Comstock, U.S. Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer. He is pictured above, accepting the Downey Award on May 12th.