Most ordinary people might get nervous to step out onto Safeco Field in Seattle and throw the first pitch at a Mariners game.

But Justin Kuxhausen, a damage controlman working on the Tongue Point-based U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Fir, wasn’t fazed one bit by taking center stage at the 40,000-plus-person stadium.

“That was pretty awesome, but I wasn’t that nervous,” he said.

That’s because Kuxhausen isn’t quite an ordinary Coast Guardsman, his superiors said.

All the units in the 13th District nominated an enlisted person of the year, and the officers at the district headquarters in Seattle chose the winner, said Kuxhausen’s commanding officer on the buoy tender Fir, Lt. Cmdr. Mark Vlaun.

“He’s a natural leader and just about the most unassuming guy you’ll ever meet,” Vlaun said.

As a damage controlman – or DC 1 – Kuxhausen has been fixing whatever is broken on Coast Guard ships for the last 10 years, and has more recently taken on training and leadership roles as he’s moved up the ranks. Originally from Mt. Vernon, Mo., he joined the Coast Guard after finishing high school.

“It’s a pretty impressive award, to be chosen from among the 40 best sailors in the unit,” Vlaun said. “The competition is steep.”

Kuxhausen said winning the award was a surprise, but it hasn’t changed much about how he works.

“I have always strived to be a good, positive leader in the Coast Guard and will continue to do so. I take great pride as a damage controlman and ensuring my shipmates receive the most practical training onboard the ship,” Kuxhausen said.

Vlaun said Kuxhausen’s job performance has always gone beyond the usual expectations.

“He’s a shipmate that’s way ahead of every expectation. In a job that should’ve taken 18 months to be fully qualified, it took him six months,” Vlaun said.

From pipe-fitting and welding, to maintaining fire fighting equipment and carpentry, Kuxhausen’s skills are valuable on the Fir, Vlaun said.

“He has an unusual level of expertise that is unexpected,” Vlaun said. Kuxhausen can do patch work on a buoy while the Fir is on scene – work that would ordinarily need to be done at the Tongue Point aids to navigation shop, he added.

Vlaun also praised Kuxhausen’s abilities to work as a go-between when a small airplane crashed into the Columbia River in April. The Coast Guard worked together with the local fire department to haul the plane onboard the Cutter Fir so that it could be examined for closer investigation. Kuxhausen is a volunteer member of the Astoria Fire Department, and was easily able to help the two entities work as a team that day, Vlaun said.

“He was a fantastic conduit. He was instantly able to wear two hats and figure out what needed to be done. He played equally on both teams,” Vlaun said.

Kuxhausen said working with the local fire department has been very rewarding.

“I like doing something for my community,” he said.

Astoria Fire Chief Lenard Hansen said Kuxhausen’s contribution to the department has been valuable, proof of the strong partnership between the city and the Coast Guard.

“We’re a huge fan of Justin’s. He gives a lot of his time to the department and to the city. We wish we had more just like him,” Hansen said.