The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal to Rear Admiral Richard W. Schneider, United States Coast Guard, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished service in a position of great responsibility to the Government of the United States as Senior Reserve Officer Atlantic, from May 1995 to July 1998. During this period, Rear Admiral Schneider superbly represented the Reserve forces and successfully led them through the streamlining transition to Team Coast Guard. As president of the Coast Guard’s Reserve Policy Board, he innovatively re-shaped its membership to include active duty personnel then advanced significant issues such as revamping the career path development of senior officer and enlisted reservists. Rear Admiral Schneider served on the Reserve Forces Policy board providing outstanding leadership to this team as they developed well-documented adroit recommendations for the Secretary of Defense. He led portions of the Board’s quadrennial review and partnered with the National Defense University on total force planning. He chaired a post-streamlining study group that re-thought and gained approval to increase the number of ready reserve force Captains. He significantly impacted the Coast Guard’s future as a member of the Board of Trustees at the United States Coast Guard Academy. He magnificently represented the Coast Guard as the only member of the Coast Guard quarterly Atlantic Command General Officer’s Steering Committee; on numerous panels at the annual national ROA conference, and as the Commandant’s representative at a NATO conference on joint operations in Stuttgart, Germany. Rear Admiral Schneider’s leadership, dedication, and devotion to duty are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.