New Jersey native recognized nationwide for off-duty heroism and service leadership
Brick, NJ – A U.S. Coast Guard service member from Ocean County is being recognized on a national stage after a lifesaving act performed while off duty, earning him one of the military’s highest-profile honors for service and bravery. Yeoman Second Class Cody Dmochowski, a Brick native stationed at Training Center Cape May, has been named the 2026 USO Coast Guardsman of the Year.
The honor places Dmochowski among seven service members across the country selected by the USO for extraordinary acts of courage and commitment. He will be recognized at the organization’s annual gala on April 16 in Washington, D.C.
The recognition stems from an incident in which Dmochowski came upon a serious motorcycle crash and immediately intervened. The victim had been thrown into a wooded area and was suffering from a compound fracture and significant blood loss.
Off-duty response credited with saving life
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Key Points
- Brick native named 2026 USO Coast Guardsman of the Year
- Honored for rescuing crash victim while off duty
- Will be recognized at USO Gala in Washington, D.C. on April 16
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
According to details released by the USO, Dmochowski navigated difficult terrain to locate the injured individual, provided emergency care, and communicated critical information to dispatchers. Recognizing the potential for spinal injuries, he stabilized the victim and remained at the scene for more than an hour until first responders arrived.
Yeoman 2nd Class Cody Dmochowski | USO Coast Guardsman of the Year 2026
While off duty, U.S. Coast Guard Yeoman Second Class Cody Dmochowski saved the life of a motorcycle accident victim who had been thrown from their motorcycle into a heavily wooded area.
Immediately after witnessing the crash, Dmochowski put his own safety at risk and rushed to the scene. He found the victim with severe injuries, suffering a compound fracture with significant blood loss, and he quickly got to work: simultaneously rendering aid, assessing the condition of the victim and relaying critical information to emergency dispatch. Aware of the high risk of spinal injury, he instructed the victim to remain still, preventing further injury while navigating difficult terrain to provide comfort and reassurance.
Yeoman 2nd Class Cody Dmochowski | USO Coast Guardsman of the Year 2026 | Photo credit Courtesy Photo
He remained on scene for over an hour to assist with the investigation and later traveled to the hospital to check on the victim’s condition. His commitment did not end there; he has since provided unwavering support to the victim and the victim’s family. Without Dmochowski’s immediate, decisive and heroic intervention, it is unlikely the victim would have survived.
In addition to his lifesaving actions, Dmochowski serves as a Company Commander at Training Center Cape May, where he is one of only 56 specialists in the Coast Guard entrusted with the profound responsibility of transforming civilians into military members. He expertly develops raw recruits, fostering trust while holding them to the highest standards of personal conduct, morality and professional skill. His leadership has been a critical force multiplier, especially as the Coast Guard has seen a 25% increase in recruit throughput without a corresponding increase in Company Commanders. Through his courage, dedication and exceptional leadership, Dmochowski embodies the highest traditions of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Yeoman Second Class Cody Dmochowski is originally from Brick, New Jersey, and is currently stationed at USCG Training Center, Cape May, New Jersey.
Officials said his actions were instrumental in preserving the victim’s life. He later followed up by visiting the victim at the hospital and assisting the family.
Leadership role at Cape May training center
Beyond the incident, Dmochowski serves as a Company Commander at U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, where he is responsible for training and mentoring recruits entering the service. His role comes during a period of increased demand for Coast Guard personnel.
The USO’s annual Service Members of the Year awards recognize individuals from each military branch whose actions reflect a commitment to duty both on and off assignment.