Sergeant Eric L. Coggins Award

The Sergeant Eric L. Coggins Award of Excellence was established in 1997 under the direction of Major General Walter B. Huffman, at the time the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army. The purpose of the annual award is to recognize the junior enlisted Paralegal Specialist who best embodies the standards for which Coggins was known.

Coggins was a Paralegal Specialist in Korea whose skills led to his selection as the Noncommissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the Camp Stanley Legal Office while still a Specialist. After his Korean tour Coggins volunteered for duty in Kuwait where he became NCOIC of the Camp Doha Legal Office, and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. After his death from liver cancer, the award was established in his honor.

Award Recipients


 * 2011 Staff Sergeant Margarita Abbott, 82nd Airborne Division


 * 2010 Staff Sergeant Juan Santiago, U.S. Army Pacific Command