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VOL. 31, NO. 4 — WINTER 2004-2005

DDeelliivveerriinngg tthhee MMeessssaaggeeA C-130 TOPS A DAY OF LEARNING FOR STUDENTS

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Contents

Send submissions to Navigator

Mike Harris, BC-APN4918 N. Harbor DriveSuite 201San Diego, CA 92106

[email protected]

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Keeping an Ear Out for Trouble 3COMO Seibert 6COMO Koeppen 8COMO McAdams 10Keeping the Light 12Auxiliarists help in BUI patrol 16COVER STORY: Hands on Learning 20Welcoming Razorback Home 22Auxiliary Volunteers Respond

to FEMA’s Call for Help 26Auxiliarists Turn Out for Oil Spill 28To the Rescue 30AIMed in the Right Direction 32NACON 2005 — “Winds of Change” 35Member survey 36ISAR 2004 38

ON THE COVER

A USCG C-130 maneuvers to drop a message block to a waiting facility. See 0 Photo by Drew Wilson

VOL. 31, NO. 4 — WINTER 2004-2005 2005 EDITION

DEADLINESSPRING EDITION

February 15

SUMMER EDITIONMay 15

FALL EDITIONAugust 15

WINTER EDITIONNovember 15

NAVIGATOR • Spring 2004 • 3

BY ED SWEENEYDVC-AP

Shasta Lake is the largest man-made reser-voir in California, and one of the most popularwith boaters.

Renowned throughout the west for its widevariety of water-based recreational opportuni-ties, Shasta Lake is home to more than 1,000houseboats, as well as 11 marinas and a num-ber of resorts, all of which rent boats to thepublic, many of who are unfamiliar with thelake’s finger-like geography.

With a surface area of 30,000 acres and 365miles of shoreline (longer than California’sSan Francisco Bay), Shasta Lake has also had

the somewhat dubious honor of being one ofthe most accident-riddled areas in Californiafor boaters.

In fact, two of the state’s 61 fatalities in 2003occurred on Shasta Lake, and about 5 percentof the total accidents in California occurredthere.

This situation is further complicated by thefact that the lake, which is located in theShasta-Trinity National Forest north ofRedding, is somewhat remote. Most cellphones have large gaps of coverage, if theyeven work at all. There are also several moun-

Keeping an Ear Out for Trouble

Flotilla 39 11NR uses Boat U.S. Foundation grant to improve Channel 16 coverage on California’s remote Shasta Lake.

Auxiliarists hone their SAR skills at a recent OPTREX on California’s Shasta Lake. Photo by Harry McBain BC-AHL.

SEE SHASTA PG. 4


tains surrounding the lake, whichoften impeded VHF-FM communica-tions.

For boaters having problems on thelake, not being able to call for help wasa real potential danger. The solution?Radio repeaters.

The project to install repeater sta-tions to improve radio coverage atShasta Lake was the brainchild ofmembers of U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary Flotilla 39 11NR based inRedding.

The first of three repeater stations— part of a three-phase radio repeatersystem designed to improve coveragefor boaters relying on VHF-FM radiosto make distress calls on Shasta Lake— became officially operational in the

summer of 2004. Dedication ceremonies for the first

repeater station were held July 2004 atthe Bridge Bay Resort and Marina. Inattendance were CAPT Jeff Pettit,Commanding Officer U.S. CoastGuard Group Humboldt; CWO4 ChuckKemnitz Operations Training Officer,IPNAVCO-P Gail Ramsey; RayTsuneyoshi, Director, CaliforniaDepartment of Boating & Waterways;Don Enos, VCP; and Deputy SheriffMark Jenkins, Shasta County Sheriff’sdepartment.

This first repeater system providescoverage in the Sacramento River armand about a third of the main body ofthe lake. The second and third phaseof the project will include the installa-tion of additional repeater stations pro-viding coverage in the McCloud andPitt River arms of the lake.

“The other two repeater stations willbe installed when we are able to raisethe money to buy them,” said DanWeggeland, ADSO-PAS 11NR. Theflotilla does not yet have a firm time-line as to when those two phases of theproject will be complete.

When all three repeater stations areoperational, boaters will have reliableChannel 16 coverage for hailing anddistress calls on more than 95 percentof the entire lake, Weggeland said.

The project has been on the drawingboard for the past several years,Weggeland said.

“Raising the money for a repeaterstation — which costs between $8,000and $9,000 — then finding a suitablelocation and obtaining the necessarypermits to install the station takes a lotof time,” he said.

Earlier in 2004, Flotilla 39 received a

A USCG C-130 Makes a search and rescue demonstration above Lake Shasta while houseboat vacationers look on.Photo by Flotilla 39 11NR

SHASTAcontinued from page 3

NAVIGATOR • Winter 2004-2005 • 5

is the official magazine of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

www.cgaux.orgEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

National Commodore

COMO Gene M. Seibert, NACONational Vice Commodore

COMO Steven M. Budar, NAVCONational Area Commodore - Atlantic East

COMO Nicholas Kerrigan, ARCO-A(E)National Area Commodore - Atlantic West

COMO Kenneth J. Koeppen, ARCO-A(W)National Area Commodore - Pacific

COMO Dan F. Neiderhiser, ARCO-PImmediate Past National Commodore

COMO E.W. (Bill) Edgerton,IPNACOChief Director of the Auxiliary

CAPT Barry P. Smith USCG

DIRECTORATE COMMODORES

National Directorate Commodore for Operations and Marine SafetyCOMO Helmut Hurtle, NADCO-OMS

National Directorate Commodore for Member ServicesCOMO Fred Gates, NADCO-MS

National Directorate Commodore for Recreational Boating SafetyCOMO Warren E. McAdams, NADCO-RBS

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Department ChiefNick Tarlson, DC-A

Editor, NavigatorMike Harris, BC-APN

Copyright 2005Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.

All rights are reserved. No portion of thispublication can be copied or otherwise beused without written permission of the editor.NAVIGATOR is an official informationaland educational tool for the U.S. CoastGuard Auxiliary and is intended as a training vehicle and publication to keepthe membership and the U.S. Coast Guardapprised of the activities of the Auxiliary.Accordingly, all articles published in NAVIGATOR must be consistent with thestated policies of the U.S. Coast Guard andthe U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. All articlesand pictures submitted to NAVIGATOR become the property of the Coast GuardAuxiliary Association, Inc.

Navigator

$4,850 grant from the Boat U.S.Foundation for Recreational BoatingSafety to help fund the installation of thefirst repeater station.

This grant, coupled with a donation ofan additional $3,000 from the LakeShasta Boat Owners Association — agroup representing private houseboatowners on the lake — enabled them toget the first phase of the project up andfunctioning.

“We knew there was a problem andafter working with some engineers, weknew what needed to be done to fix theproblem,” said Charlie Duncan, pastflotilla commander 39 11NR. “Betweenthe BoatU.S. Grant and the funds fromthe Lake Shasta Boat OwnersAssociation, we were able to make thefirst phase of this project a reality.”

With volunteer assistance from twolocal Redding telecommunications engi-neers —Jim McKeown from RepcoCommunications and Jim Bremer fromRegent Broadcasting — the station wasinstalled on an existing U.S. ForestService tower near Bridge Bay. “Wecould not have done it without them, orwithout the support of the U.S. Forestservice and other local agencies,”Weggeland said.

“Unless a boater knows about therepeater system, they won’t even knowthey are operating on a repeater,”Weggeland said.

“Now our job will be to inform thepublic about the benefits of using VHF-FM marine radios for emergency com-munications,” said Meinert Toberer,flotilla commander.

Auxiliarists and Coast Guard personnel put on a SAR demonstration as part ofthe radio commissioning ceremony. Photo by Flotilla 39 11NR

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This is my first article in theNavigator as your NationalCommodore.

In the coming issues I will be shar-ing many specific ideas on the futureof the Coast Guard Auxiliary and whatwe collectively need to do to preparefor and manage this future.

In this first article I want to let youknow more about the concept ofMaritime Domain Awareness (MDA)and to share some philosophical per-spectives on change and continuity.

Change and continuity is a recurringtheme associated with leadership tran-sitions in the Coast Guard:

● When Admiral James M. Loybecame Commandant he stated, “Achange of command, even at theCommandant level, is as much aboutcontinuity as it is about change. TheCoast Guard has undergone signifi-cant change over the past few years.

“We all welcome the leadership chal-lenge that comes with such times.However, we must also recognize theneed to preserve the things that rep-resent stability — constants like ourcore values of honor, respect anddevotion to duty.”

● Admiral Thomas H. Collins, ourpresent Commandant, marked thefirst anniversary of the U. S. CoastGuard’s realignment under theDepartment of Homeland Securityby noting, “The dual threads ofchange and continuity are woveninto the fabric of the Coast Guard’sperformance of today’s missionsand its anticipation of tomorrow’s.On the one hand, the changes that

the Coast Guard is experiencingtoday are of epic proportions byany measure.

“The Coast Guard must lead thatchange — to seize its opportunitiesby transforming itself so as to beready to address tomorrow’s chal-lenges. At the same time, we in theCoast Guard must implementtransformation initiatives within aframework that allows us to holdfast to the core characteristics andvalues — honor, respect, and devo-tion to duty — that have definedthe very essence and success ofour service to the nation through-out our history and will continue todo so in the future.”

Impetus for changeThe terrorist attack on our nation on

Sept. 11, 2001, substantially altered thenational security environment and, inturn, spurred fundamental changes inthe organization, roles, and missions ofthe Coast Guard.

Just as the Coast Guard charts a newcourse, so too must the Auxiliary if weare to provide not only a continuationof the superior level of service thatdates back 65 years, but also a boldenhancement of that service to includean entirely new set of actions anddirections in support of America’sMaritime Homeland Security.

Maritime DomainAwareness

One of the major post-9/11 changesaffecting the Coast Guard is the needto increase Maritime DomainAwareness (MDA). MDA has beendefined as “the effective knowledge of

Change andContinuityWe will stand side-by-side with the Coast Guard — Semper Paratus — ready to answer the call of the Nation.

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GENE M. SEIBERTNATIONAL

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all activities associated with the global mar-itime environment that could impact thesecurity, safety, economy, or environmentof the United States.”

To recognize and reduce vulnerabilitiesof U.S. ports and waterways, the CoastGuard has assumed a leadership role in aninteragency approach for establishingMDA.

MDA entails the development and use ofaccurate information, intelligence, andknowledge of vessels, cargo, crews, andpassengers. MDA is designed to enhanceour security through collaborative effortswith international partners to identify andcounter security risks before they reachU.S. ports.

Jeffrey P. High, Director of MaritimeDomain Awareness, USCG, testified inCongressional hearings, “Building a nation-al MDA capabilities requires both aprocess and a system. In the most funda-mental terms, the MDA process consists ofreceiving maritime data, information, andintelligence, both classified and unclassi-fied; fusing, correlating, analyzing, andinterpreting the collected material; and dis-seminating effective assessments, action-able intelligence, and relevant knowledgeto appropriate federal, state, local, private,and international stakeholders in a usableformat … The system includes cooperationand information exchange with and amongthe public, private and commercial sectorsat all levels.”

Future Auxiliary roleHow do we fit into the MDA program?

The Auxiliary leadership is developing anintegrated plan to transform the Auxiliaryfrom an organization solely concerned withmaritime safety to one that gives addedattention to maritime security.

Using the Auxiliary’s Operation PatriotReadiness Phase III Program as the nucle-us, the Auxiliary has begun building anMDA capability.

To help spearhead this effort we havecreated a new position within the Auxiliary,the National Director for Maritime DomainAwareness, which reports directly to me.The new MDA director, John VanOsdol,will work closely with his Coast Guardcounterpart and our leadership to identifyand develop specific Auxiliary programsand activities in support of increased MDA.

We plan to effect a balanced transforma-tion between MDA and our traditional boat-

ing safety missions. The future will witnessa fusion of safety and security missions forthe Auxiliary.

The Auxiliary welcomes the new oppor-tunities to support the Coast Guard andwill do whatever is necessary to shoulder alarger role in MDA. At the same time wewill not abandon our shared responsibilitywith the Coast Guard to promote andenhance recreational boating safety. Wewill continue to support this objectivethrough our boating safety courses, vesselsafety checks, chart updating, aids verifica-tion, marine safety, and search and rescueactivities.

These cornerstone activities are worth-while missions, help provide funds to alllevels of the Auxiliary, and are the majorsources of new members. One of our con-tinuing challenges in the coming years willbe to maintain the appropriate balancebetween our new opportunities and thesetraditional missions.

ContinuityIf the need for change is obvious, why do

we also speak of continuity? The core val-ues of both the Coast Guard and theAuxiliary — honor, respect, and devotionto duty — are our fundamental strengths.These and related attributes — profession-alism, accountability, and commitment —are the foundation of our continued suc-cess.

It is essential for us to align our organiza-tional strategies with these core values aswe chart a course for the future. We owe adebt of gratitude to our past leaders whoheld fast to these core values and acknowl-edge a responsibility to do the same so thatfuture leaders can also capitalize on thesestrengths.

It is also essential to continue to be peo-ple-centered and maintain our efforts torecruit and retain members. As our MDAprograms and activities take shape, we willredouble our efforts to explain thesechanges, show why these are necessary,and how our members can contribute toand benefit from “the new Auxiliary.”

In the coming months the Auxiliary willbecome decidedly more aggressive andfocused — this is by design. We recognizethe challenges ahead and share the CoastGuard’s sense of urgency in meeting thesechallenges. We will stand side-by-side withthe Coast Guard — Semper Paratus —ready to answer the call of the Nation. U

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On assuming the office of NationalArea Commodore, Atlantic – West, Iwas immediately, along with theother members of the NationalExecutive Committee (NEXCOM),plunged into a series of meetings toprepare ourselves for the ensuingyears with Coast Guard briefings, thefall National Area Planning Meetingsand the All Flags workshop.

Looking forward from what Ilearned at those briefings, I under-stand how we Auxiliarists have theopportunity to become more active— and play a decisive role — in theplanning, participation and directionof our group in the coming years.Gene Seibert, our NationalCommodore, presented to the AllFlag workshop our business plan,organizational direction and role inMarine Domain Awareness (MDA).

Auxiliary districts will be asked todevelop their own business plans inconjunction with the national busi-ness plan and your Coast Guard dis-trict commander’s plan.

They will provide direction,involvement and a partnership with

your district commander in chartinga course for the ensuing years andwill become the blueprints for engag-ing and balancing RecreationalBoating Safety (RBS) missions withMDA activities. They will be living,breathing documents that can beshaped to meet the needs of both theCoast Guard and Auxiliary wheneverthey are affected by local factors.

To satisfy the requirement of a bal-ance between RBS and MDA, thedelivery of MDA material can use thesame delivery methods as those usedfor safe boating literature. Thismeans utilizing Program Visitors(PVs), Public Education classes, andVessel Safety Checks (VSCs) to intro-duce the Waterway Watch programand distribution of the brochures atthese various program events.

Commodore Seibert’s watchwordsare, “Ready, Responsive andResolute” and all three can be appliedin balancing our traditional roles withour ever-changing roles of MDA.

We can no longer do business asusual, but rather we must continueto adjust as our Auxiliary environ-

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KENNETH J.KOEPPEN

NATIONAL AREACOMMODORE

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What the Future HoldsWe can no longer do business as usual, but rather we must continue to adjust as ourAuxiliary environment changes.

ment changes. We can make thishappen by availing ourselves to posi-tions of our interest and selecting anarea we prefer, rather than being all-inclusive. By using this approach, webecome Ready, Responsive andResolute in the selected program.This approach, perhaps, will be animpetus for members who have beenactive since their enrollment toremain involved.

As Auxiliarists, we need tostrengthen our roles as mentors tothe new enrollee and be available toprovide sound direction. We canachieve growth and organizationalviability by bringing to the surfaceour experience as participants in achosen field.

We need to continue forming part-nerships with other organizationsthat are similar to ours and that alsoprovide MDA services.

As we become more involved inthe planning and implementation ofCoast Guard programs, our roles willbecome increasingly more security-oriented. We will have met a securitychallenge on completion of the

Personnel Security Investigationsprocess and will be able to proceedforward in security-sensitive issuesand programs.

The success of enabling ourAuxiliary to maintain its viability andgrow depends on many things.

These “needs” come in the form ofmaterials for operations, VSCs, theaviation program, PVs and all of theother programs provided by theNational departments.

“Needs” are the continuation ofour ability to have national trainingfor district staff officers, our divi-sions and our flotillas. “Needs” areremaining the premier boating safetyorganization and expansion of ourinvolvement in MDA.

In order to meet these “needs” wemust continue to grow our member-ship and increase our financialsoundness.

I look forward to the next twoyears as a member of your NEX-COM, primarily representing the 8thand 9th Districts, but looking out forall Auxiliarists.

Semper Paratus.


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The Coast Guard Auxiliary hasmore opportunities or taskings thanany one organization should have tocontend with.

Over the past year we have wrestledwith the question of what prioritytakes precedence and where shouldwe expend our energies.

Is our primary mission homelandsecurity, or is it recreational boatingsafety? Should we devote more time todirect Coast Guard support, or inde-pendent Coast Guard Auxiliary mis-sions? I think most members feel thevarious demands are mutually sup-portive but it is not always clear wherevarious contributions stack up in orderof importance.

The National Commodore has clari-fied the situation by redefining themission of the Coast Guard Auxiliaryas follows: “The overarching missionof the U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary isto contribute to the safety and securityof our citizens, ports, waterways andcoastal regions.”

With a focus on safety and security,all that we do contributes to the over-all mission.

Direct Coast Guard support usuallyprovides a direct contribution to secu-rity. In addition, when we are doingpatrols this support also contributes topublic safety.

When we teach a boating safetyclass we provide direct emphasis topublic safety. We also make a contribu-tion to security by reducing the stu-dents’ likelihood of becoming a SARcase. Further, we train the boatingsafety students to be eyes and ears onthe water through the WaterwayWatch program.

With the focus on safety and securi-ty, all that we do fits into one large fab-ric of compatible tasks and missions.

Even better news is that there areareas that in which each and everymember can make some kind of con-tribution. In terms of where membersshould apply efforts, there is plenty ofgive and take based on what is hap-pening around us.

In times of heightened security risklevels we can shift our efforts more todirect support. In calmer times we candevote more time to public safetythough safety classes, vessel safety

PublicInvolvement — An Urgent Need

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WARREN E.MCADAMS

NATIONAL DIRECTORATECOMMODORE

RECREATIONALBOATING SAFETY

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checks and the visitation program.Notice that I did not label safety

classes as public education, eventhough that is the formal name of ourprogram. Fact is that all of our interac-tions with the public should now bedirected to both safety and securityissues.

We should always convey the mes-sage that safety contributes to home-land security efforts, and securityefforts contribute to a safe boatingenvironment. Through these effortswe should constantly enroll membersof the public into areas where they canmake contributions to homeland secu-rity or boating safety.

Of course, one of the better ways toaccomplish this is to enroll folks in theCoast Guard Auxiliary.

In addition to the demands for ourtime we also need to recognize thecurrent strain on finances, both CoastGuard Auxiliary and the Coast Guard.Due to high demand usage, CoastGuard assets — both water and air —are wearing out at accelerated rates.

Not only does the Coast Guard needto replace existing assets, the service

needs to add newer technologies tomeet expanding requirements. Due toattrition, some attributed to personnelsecurity requirements; the CoastGuard Auxiliary has experienced adrain on funds needed to operate theorganization.

To meet these challenges we contin-ue to seek support from the businessand private sectors to fund what wedo. For example, our vessel safetycheck decals are donated by a com-mercial firm. Also, we receive somesupport for public education effortsfrom publishing or printing firms. Inthe not too distant future we may needoutside support for the visitation pro-gram.

We are in tough and challengingtimes.

To continue as a viable contributorto public safety and homeland securitywe have to bring together the effortsof our members and contributionsfrom outside benefactors. Enrollingnew members and utilizing outsidefunding support will expand our capa-bilities to provide for maritime safetyand security. U

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Keeping TheLight

An Auxiliarist uses a brush to clean the glass on top Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. All photos by Bruce Rogerson

Keeping TheLight

BY BRUCE ROGERSONVFC 87, D 11 NR

Until the early 1970s, lighthouses stood for over 100years as aids to navigation, protecting our ships fromAmerica’s rocky shorelines. But new technology elim-inated the need for the old-time lightkeepers, knownas “wickies,” who kept the oil lamps full and lampwicks trimmed.

The technology resulted in the shutdown of manylight stations operated by the U.S. Coast Guard whosepersonnel were charged with the duty of keeping the“lights” burning after 1937.

Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, located on northernCalifornia’s rocky and treacherous Mendocino Coast,was among those mothballed 30 years ago to makeway for automated beacons and modern navigation.

The year 1999, however, marked the emergence ofa new breed of modern lightkeeper.

That was the year U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary,Flotilla 87, located 150 miles north of San Francisco,accepted a unique Coast Guard mission to maintainthe restored Point Cabrillo Lighthouse as a FederalAid to Navigation (ATON).

This is the story of Point Cabrillo’s restoration andFlotilla 87’s unique mission — so far not duplicatedelsewhere in the U.S.

A New Breed of LightkeeperEach week, two to five (of a dozen) trained

Auxiliarists report for ATON duty at the Point CabrilloLighthouse, inspecting, maintaining, and cleaning the

SEE LIGHTHOUSE PG. 14


A Long Tradition Continues in California As Auxiliarists Assume Role of Modern Lightkeepers

The Point Cabrillo Lighthouse, located on northernCalifornia’s rocky coast, was established in 1909. Photo by Bruce Lewis


lantern room glass inside and out.One Friday per month, they shut the

lens down to polish the prisms andshine the brass of the British-built, 95-year-old classical Fresnel lens. On aclear night, a 1,000-watt light bulb,aided by the sparkling lens prisms,projects a beam visible 14 miles out tosea.

Accepting A New Mission“Despite an [already] active mission

schedule, including boating safety on alocal lake and vessel inspections innearby Noyo Harbor, the local flotillawas struggling to attract members,”explained Ron Eich, flotilla command-er.

That’s when Point CabrilloLighthouse entered the picture.

“Arrangements were made with theCoast Guard so that the Auxiliary,properly trained, could maintain PointCabrillo,” Eich said. “With this newmission the flotilla was able to recruit alarge group of new members.”

The success of the flotilla’s light-house work recently has led to thebroader mission of maintaining nearbyminor aids, according to Eich. In doingso, Flotilla 87 provides support, work-ing under the direction of the CoastGuard ATN team at Humboldt Baylocated three hours north.

“By handling routine maintenanceand responding to emergency situa-tions, we can save ATN Humboldt pre-cious time and money that would oth-erwise be taken away from their manyother homeland security missions,”Eich noted.

Reviving A Federal AidDecommissioned by the Coast

Guard in 1972 after the new technolo-gy provided a less expensive alterna-tive to the antique Fresnel lenses,Point Cabrillo lay fallow for 27 years.

In 1999, after major restoration workled by the Coast Guard, Point Cabrillowas re-commissioned as a Federal AidTo Navigation. Its job once again wasto protect local fishing fleets, interna-tional merchant marine and cruiseships that occasionally report systemfailures and rely on the lighthouse toverify their location (indicated on all

navigation maps with a notation aboutits 10-second flash signature).

A Labor of LoveIt is a typical summer morning on

the Mendocino Coast, three milesnorth of the town of Mendocino wherethe long-running popular televisionseries “Murder She Wrote” trans-formed the tiny village into CabotCove, Maine. The fog is burning off asthe sun climbs above the horizon; thepiping call of a pair of Pacific OysterCatchers cuts over the muffled roar ofthe surf on the reef below the bluff atPoint Cabrillo.

On the lantern room balcony, fourblue-clad members of Flotilla 87 areassembling their equipment for animportant day’s work; work platforms,tools, mops, buckets, and cleaning

materials. It is major maintenance dayat the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse.

“I’m proud to be a modern lightkeep-er,” said Doug Pohlson, FSO-OP. “Withthe brilliant brass Fresnel lens mountsand golden color of the crystal lens,ATON duty is pure joy.”

Jim Kimbrell, FSO-FN, echoedPohlson’s enthusiasm: “I feel like I’mworking on a national treasure.”

The lighthouse was established in1909 as an aid to navigation at theheight of the coastal lumber trade onthe north coast of California. The origi-nal British-built Fresnel lens provideda beacon for seafarers from 1909 until1972 when the lens was decommis-sioned. It was replaced by a DCBBeacon as part of the Coast Guardautomation program for lighthouses.The lens sat unused, gathering dust

LIGHTHOUSEcontinued from page 13

Pam Hurst, FSO-AN, sits inside the lens in order to clean some of the brassparts. Photo by Bruce Rogerson


under an old canvas cover for the next27 years.

During the late 1980s and early ‘90s,the California Coastal Conservancy,with the encouragement and supportof the local communities, acquired theland surrounding the FederalLighthouse property to form the PointCabrillo Preserve, ensuring publicaccess to this stretch of coastline forposterity.

In 1991 the Coastal Conservancynegotiated a unique land swap with theUSCG, where by the Coast Guardreceived land with housing for StationNoyo personnel and their families innear-by Fort Bragg, in return for theLighthouse property at Point Cabrillo.

Over the next several years, theCoastal Conservancy, through a non-profit organization, the North Coast

Interpretive Association, developedambitious plans to restore the light-house buildings and the Fresnel lensto their original working condition.

After extensive research by theNCIA staff and local volunteers, workcommenced in the fall of 1998 in coop-eration with the USCG ATON staff.

The Fresnel lens was painstakinglydismantled — panel by panel — andrestored to its former glory of shiningbrass work and flashing glass prismsby a team of volunteers who put inhundreds of hours of labor. At thesame time the complete lantern roomwas removed from the tower by craneand extensively renovated and repaint-ed.

A Stumbling BlockDuring this process, negotiations

were continuing between the NCIAand the USCG to permit the beautifulFresnel lens to assume its original roleas the official navigation aid at PointCabrillo, replacing the automated bea-con mounted on the lighthouse roof.

The stumbling block to this plan wasthat the USCG no longer had the per-sonnel — or the budget — to maintainan active Fresnel lens, which requireslots of loving care and attention. As aFederal Aid to Navigation, the lighthad to be maintained by a duly author-ized federal agency.

The solution to the impasse was theCoast Guard Auxiliary.

An agreement was worked outbetween the NCIA and the CoastGuard whereby a number of local vol-unteers would join the Coast GuardAuxiliary to care for the lens. Over thepast four years, more than 20 volun-teers have gone through the requiredAuxiliary training and become mem-bers of Flotilla 87, Unit No. 11N-08-07,Mendocino County.

On June 10, 1999, approximately 90years from the day of its original illumi-nation, Point Cabrillo Lighthousebegan projecting its 10-second charac-teristic light, providing a welcome bea-con for local boaters 24 hours a day,seven days a week. Under the direc-tion of Pam Hurst, FSO-AN, “who trulysees this as a labor of love,” theAuxiliarists perform the essentialweekly and monthly maintenance onthe lens and lantern room.

“I was honored being part of thetwo-year effort to restore the lens,”said Harold Hauck, FSO-IS. “I continueto get great satisfaction participating inour flotilla’s ATON mission that keepsthis historical light shining.”

Certainly the job of the new light-keepers is less taxing than those whooriginally manned Point Cabrillo in theearly 20th Century. Those “Wickies,”as one of their primary duties, had tokeep the oil lamps trimmed and fueledas the source of light magnified by theFresnel lens, carrying oil up the stairs.

Nevertheless, the modern-day keep-ers of Point Cabrillo are proud to main-tain the original lightkeepers tradition,with the assistance of electricity. Theyare protecting an important part ofmaritime history and showing honor,respect, and devotion to duty in aunique fashion.

Auxiliary member Tom Dolan pays special attention to the lighthouse glass.Photo by Bruce Rogerson

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BY MICHAEL SCOTTADSO-OP 9 WR

When Rear Admiral Robert J. Papp,the new Commander of the Ninth CoastGuard District, announced to his unitsthat his top priority would be stoppingintoxicated boaters, the crew at CoastGuard Station Wilmette Harbor heardhim loud and clear.

One of two units responsible for thefederal waters of Chicago, WilmetteHarbor Station was still growing fromthe station (small) size of nine activeduty personnel to a full-sized station asthe 2004 season started.

An obvious need for additional law

enforcement patrols was late at night,as restaurants and liquor establish-ments along the Chicago River closedand boaters headed home. Additionallikely times included Wednesday andSaturday nights, when fireworks dis-plays were sponsored at Navy Pier.

Group Milwaukee developed a plan,code-named Midnight Badger, to focuson apprehending intoxicated boaterswith four weekends of late-night/early-morning patrols. This unit could mobi-

Auxiliary Supports CoastGuard’s BUI EffortsFlotillas pitch in to helpstop intoxicated boatersaround Chicago.

SEE BUI PG. 18


lize a standard boat crew, and oftenaugmented the duty section with a sec-ond boat crew made up from theCommand Cadre.

However, it was quickly recognizedthat these law enforcement patrols,while extremely productive, put the unitpast fatigue limits. Further, only fournights of heavy enforcement would notbe as effective as continuous patrolsthroughout the summer. There was norelief section or available boat crew tocall to cover the search and rescueresponse during the following morning.

The answer was found with theestablished close working relationshipwith the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Wilmette Station is regularly support-ed by crews from Divisions II and III of

9WR, with members from four otherdivisions frequently adding their sup-port. The first request went out for aresource to be available for B-0 SARstandby during the weekend morninghours, while the active duty crews wererecovering from their late-night opera-tions.

Two 24-foot aluminum patrol boatshave been donated for Auxiliarists tooperate at this unit, and these boats areroutinely scheduled for afternoon safe-ty patrols. One crew each day wasasked to arrive early for standby at thestation, and then conduct their sched-uled safety patrol if no SAR developedearly. This gave the unit a SARresource if needed, without disturbingthe potential for two-boat training andactively interfacing with the boatingpublic during the heavier afternoonboating period.

The Auxiliary gave additional sup-port by providing regular patrols forthe fireworks at Navy Pier. Althoughthese marine events were assigned toCalumet Harbor Station, the safetyzone around the fireworks barge wasjointly patrolled by Calumet Harborand Wilmette Harbor units, ChicagoPolice Marine Units, and Auxiliarypatrol vessels.

Auxiliary patrols from Wilmette werescheduled for every fireworks patrol,and often were the only Coast Guardrepresentation at the event when activeduty boats were diverted to lawenforcement missions.

John Rogers, a member of Flotilla 10-8 who joined after 9/11/01, observed,“The level of cooperation between theWilmette Harbor active duty and theAuxiliary is among the highest I’veseen. It is a real treat to be a part of

BUIcontinued from page 17

Rick Tamraz (foreground) of Flotilla 2-12 and Rick Polad ofFlotilla 7-9 practice alongside towing. Photo by Jeremiah Coughlin, Flotilla 7-2

CGAUX PI-SAR and crewmembers on patrol off Navy Pier, Chicago. Photo by Rick Polad, Flotilla 7-9


Station Wilmette’s operations … espe-cially when we hear how much ourefforts are appreciated.” Without thededication of the fireworks patrolcrews, many productive boardingswould have been missed while theactive duty boats protected the fire-works spectators.

As the season developed, the stationwas tasked with more challenges. Theresources of the unit were strained fur-ther, as personnel were detached fromthe already-small unit to perform lawenforcement patrols in the BoundaryWaters of Minnesota.

Two Auxiliarists who were qualifiedfor communications watch beganaccepting the morning watches follow-ing law enforcement patrols. This freedanother active duty crew member forboarding operations on law enforce-ment patrols, and this frequently was

the difference whether one or two boatswere underway throughout the night.

BMC Mark Stevens, Officer inCharge, commenting on the benefit ofthe combined operations, noted, “Oneboat we terminated had four childrenand five intoxicated adults on board.It’s scary to think what the results ofthat voyage could have been.”

When weather conditions were notconducive for law enforcement patrols,the active duty was careful to de-alertthe Auxiliary standby forces. They rec-ognized that, by being considerate tothe Auxiliarists who were putting inextra hours for their benefit, the work-ing relationship would remain strong.They reserved the extra efforts for thedays that counted toward law enforce-ment, without abusing the offers ondays that did not need it.

The cooperation between the active

duty and Auxiliary ran both ways. Fortwo major regatta patrols, active dutymembers volunteered to sacrifice theirliberty time to crew on Auxiliary facili-ties that otherwise could not havetaken orders.

On one of these patrols, a steeringbracket broke off during the patrol.MK3 Jeremy Stock, who had volun-teered to crew on the facility that brokedown, brought his welding equipmentto the scene and performed the repairsnecessary to return the facility to oper-ational status.

As evidence to the success of thisrelationship, Station Wilmette Harborended FY2004 with 72 BUI boardings— the highest total for any station inthe country — out of a total of 503boardings. The Auxiliarists of NinthWestern Region share their pride in ajob well done. U

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CGAUX PI-SAR242039 standsready just offChicago’s famedNavy Pier. Photo by Rick

Polad, Flotilla 7-9


BY STEVE LEWISFlotilla 16-07

The weather on this Oct. 26, 2004 morning was typical forthe Outer Banks — sunny and breezy. This was going to bea perfect day to conduct on-the-water training for a group ofNorth Carolina high school juniors and seniors who wereboating enthusiasts.

Eleven students from Cape Hatteras High School weretaking a boating safety course centered on the Coast GuardAuxiliary Boating Skills and Seamanship course. The class-es were being taught by the Coast Guard and the OuterBanks Auxiliary Flotilla 16-07. The class met every day forone and one half hours and the students received one hourof credit upon completion.

To help generate enthusiasm in support of safe boating,and to let the students practice what they were learning,Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 16-07 invited the 11 studentsto Colington Harbor for a day of “hands on” learning.

Their day began with a 0900 arrival, followed by introduc-tions, briefings and on-the-water teaching using five 16-07facilities. The morning class consisted of proper pre-under-way briefings, casting off lines, radio usage, overtaking andcrossing drills, man overboard drills and docking. Each stu-dent participated in demonstrating his knowledge duringeach drill.

The facility returned to the dock around 1130 where thestudents had a chance to practice their charting skills. Theywere given the task of charting courses for the afternoonactivities. It was quite interesting to watch their efforts asthere seemed to be a great deal of competition among theplotters to get it right and precise the first time.

In the end everyone came up with the correct coursesand was anxious to put their efforts to the test. But, first itwas time to eat.

Some of the Auxiliarists who did not participate in the on-the-water exercises were gracious enough to prepare a

lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, potato chips,beans and brownies for all.

The Outer Banks photographer of the Virginian Pilot,Drew Wilson, and Greenville television station WITNreporter Aaron Tuell were along for the afternoon activities.Both accepted an invitation and expressed a desire to beincluded in this event and did an outstanding job of docu-menting and covering the events of the day.

Wilson captured some great pictures and Tuell spent

Hands-OnLearningA group of enthusiastic CapeHatteras high school studentsenjoy a day practicing safeboating skills and seamanship.

Two Cape Hatteras High School students practice their charting s

quite a lot of time conducting on-camera interviews of thestudents, their teacher, Jim Fordham, flotilla commander.

After lunch the students reboarded the facilities — thepress on a separate facility — and headed out to meet TomCat, a 29-foot powerboat facility that is outfitted to work withCoast Guard helicopters. Tom Cat is owned and skipperedby Auxiliary Coxwain Tom Franchi.

Tom Cat was taking part in a helo and C-130 exercise andthe students were quite anxious to watch — close up.

Unfortunately, the helo portion of the exercise cancelledat the last minute because of a high priority commitment.However, the four-engine C-130 Hercules was impressive asthe pilots practiced dropping “water pumps and survivalgear” to the “distressed” vessel.

The students got a real thrill when each facility had the

skills as part of the day-long safe boating skills and seamanship course. Photos by Drew Wilson

SEE LEARNING PG. 34



WelcomingRRaazzoorrbbaacckk

Home

Auxiliary members keep an eye out for problems as the Razorback is towed to welcoming ceremonies at North Little Rock, Ark.Photo by Stu Soffer


Auxiliarists are there tohelp ensure the longestserving submarine in theworld safely reaches hernew home in Arkansas

BY STUART D. SOFFER, SO-PAD15 8WR

The longest serving submarine in theworld — USS Razorback — received arousing welcome to her new home inNorth Little Rock, Ark. Aug. 29, 2004 andthe Auxiliary played a key role in makingsure her arrival went smoothly.

Auxiliarists from Eighth Western RiversDistrict Division 15 flotillas provided sixfacilities and around 20 crewmembers tosupport the official welcome for the WWII diesel submarine.

SEE SUBMARINE PG. 24

Even a vintage 1960s Amphicar was on hand towelcome the Razorback. Photo by Stu Soffer


Auxiliary members provided marinesafety patrols during the submarine'sinitial arrival to temporary mooringfacility in North Little Rock, then backdownstream for several miles and final-ly on Sunday back upstream for theofficial welcoming.

While there were state game and fishpersonnel and local sheriff’s deputieson the water to help provide security,Auxiliary members’ efforts were ineffect a force multiplier for the CoastGuard’s Marine Safety OfficeMemphis.

For Sunday’s welcoming cere-monies, Auxiliarists were on the waterfrom about 1400 until fireworks endedat 2130. In order to have the fireworksdisplay, about three miles of the riverhad to be closed to vessel traffic.

Auxiliarists had to keep boaters outof the main channel before the fire-works were discharged and until the

all-clear was given. People obviouslywere anxious to get to the boat rampand try to jump the exclusion zone,but Auxiliarists were diligent in help-ing to control the boating crowd.

The Auxiliary’s presence on thewater also helped deter problems fromtoo much social drinking.

The welcome proved to be quite aparty. The patriotic celebration, billedas an "American Homecoming,"included a full slate of events through-out the weekend.

More than 150 submarine veteransrepresenting 25 states were on handfor the submarine’s arrival. The sub-marine veterans attending representedseveral tours of duty including WW II,the Korean War, the Vietnam War andthe Cold War.

The last USS Razorback NavyCaptain, Joseph T. Talbert, Jr., U.S.Sens. Blanche Lincoln and MarkPryor, Congressman Vic Snyder,Adjutant General of the ArkansasNational Guard Don Morrow and

other dignitaries participated in thewelcoming ceremony.

Turkish officials were also on handto honor the submarine’s 30 years ofdistinguished service as the TCGMurat Reis in the Turkish Navy.

Commissioned in 1944, the 1,500-tonUSS Razorback was the last opera-tional submarine present in Tokyo Bayto take part in the formal surrender ofJapan on Sept. 2, 1945, officially end-ing W.W.II.

USS Razorback earned five battlestars for her WWII service and fourstars for service in Vietnam, the onlysubmarine to earn battles stars in bothwars.

The sub was decommissioned bythe U.S. Navy in 1970 and transferredto the Turkish Navy, where she spent30 years of distinguished service asthe TCG Murat Reis.

Rather than scrapping the ship, U.S.officials began a two-year negotiationeffort with Turkish officials to bringthe 60-year-old submarine back to

SUBMARINEcontinued from page 23

A facility is from Pine Bluff, Ark. Flotilla 15-4 with Stu Soffer as coxswain, Robert Lunsford, Allen Trusell and William"Bill" Cody as crew, were ready to rescue any of the guests aboard the Razorback who fell overboard. Photo by Flotilla 15-4


America. The city of North Little Rock, Ark.

acquired the sub from the TurkishNavy for $39,684.59 in salvage costs.

The USS Razorback began her 7,000-mile journey from Istanbul, Turkey onMay 5, 2004, sparking internationalmedia interest that continued through-out her trip.

She made her first stop in U.S.waters in Key West, Fla., on June 12.The submarine continued later thatweek on her journey across the Gulfof Mexico making her first fresh waterstop in a welcoming ceremony nearthe French Quarter in New Orleans,La., on Saturday, June 19.

Several thousand well wishers were

on hand for the New Orleans ceremo-ny.

After a few weeks of preparation forthe upriver tow on the MississippiRiver, the USS Razorback began herjourney to Rosedale, Miss. on July 10,with a two-night stop in Baton Rouge,La.

Due to river depth concerns on theArkansas River, arrival organizerspostponed the original ceremony thenplanned for July 18 in North LittleRock.

On Thursday, July 15, the USSRazorback entered Arkansas water forthe first time with an overnight stop atthe Montgomery Point Lock and Damnear Tichnor, Ark., where she tookpart in the next day’s official dedica-tion ceremony of the MontgomeryPoint Lock and Dam.

After a temporary stop at the Port ofLittle Rock, she was later moved onFriday, Aug. 6, to the rock quarry inNorth Little Rock to allow local sub-marine veterans and city officials toprepare the submarine for the home-coming festivities.

The USS Razorback will make itspermanent home in North Little Rockas part of the Arkansas InlandMaritime Museum. U

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Government officials, former crewmembers and local dignitaries wait aboard a barge for the Razorback. Photo by Stu Soffer

Two Auxiliarists perform crowd control duty during ceremonies for theRazorback. Photo by Stu Soffer


BY MAXINE CAVANAUGHAuxiliary National Press Corps

Charles Hartjen picked up the stackof colorful flyers and cards from thepassenger seat of his rental car andapproached the people waiting in linefor bags of ice and cases of bottledwater.

“Have you applied for disaster assis-tance?” he asked each person as hehanded out the flyers and cards. “Callthis number to apply.”

Answering an appeal from theFederal Emergency ManagementAgency (FEMA) Auxiliarists acrossthe country converged first on Atlanta,Ga. and then Florida. AuxiliaristCharles Hartjen came from LinnCreek, Mo.

Another Auxiliarist, Bill Giers fromCocoa Beach, Fla., reported to FEMAand soon became involved in teachinglocal Community EmergencyResponse Team members to becomecommunity relations officers forFEMA. As a nurse and a manager hebecame invaluable to the disasterwork.

Giers’ supervisor Gordon Myers —another Auxiliarist who calls Seattle,Wash. Home — recommended himfor an opening at disaster headquar-ters where he became part of the psy-chological analysis and debriefing sec-tion.

Throughout the country otherAuxiliarists heard about the volunteer

“call up” through email as each districtput the word out.

Coming straight from NACONwhere they heard about FEMA’sappeal, Bruce Takayama and Ed Lottfrom Honolulu, Hawaii arrived inFlorida and soon found themselves inthe thick of it.

They drove hundreds of miles criss-crossing Florida where they walkedneighborhoods and contacted hurri-cane victims urging them to apply forassistance.

Takayama and Lott were only able tostay for the minimum two-week tour ofduty, and even had to make a trip tothe local Kmart to get some shorts andt-shirts to work in. Myers also camefrom NACON. Myers, Hartjen, Giersand many others stayed longer — aslong as they were needed.

But these Auxiliarists were not onCoast Guard orders. They were notvolunteering in the normal sense asAuxiliarists. They would not get volun-teer hours for Auxiliary credit, norwould they get to go home at night totheir families.

They would, however, be paid anhourly wage and expenses by FEMA.Following a couple of days in Atlanta,where they received training on theFEMA teleregistration process andcommunity relations procedures,emphasizing ethics and sensitivity topeople’s situations, the “volunteers”were issued FEMA ID badges andsent on their assignments to various

counties throughout Florida. They worked as auxiliaries to

FEMA’s community relations staff,ground troops who could personallycarry the basic message that help wasavailable to every individual they couldreach. Lodging was initially promisedas maybe a cot in a shelter. Luckily,most were able to find rooms in hotelsnear where they were working.Eventually, some even got FEMAshirts.

From early September Hartjen,Giers, Takayama, Lott, Myers andapproximately 160 other Coast GuardAuxiliarists worked 12-hour days in themosquito infested, hot and muggyFlorida climate. They made contactwith people through out the state toensure that anyone who had suffereddamage or loss from the hurricanesgot the information to apply for disas-ter assistance.

They went door to door in neighbor-hoods, rich and poor alike, talked topeople in shopping malls, churches,shelters, Red Cross food lines some-times driving hours each day to get tothe needed locations — wherever peo-ple gathered to get supplies of ice,water and other essentials. It wasimportant that everyone who mightneed help got the information on howto apply for it so they could get startedback on the road to recovery.

By the time many of the “volunteers”got on scene Hurricane Frances’s pathhad already made the ‘X’ acrossFlorida. Then Hurricane Ivan made hispresence known. Floridians and FEMApersonnel alike hunkered down for yetanother battering by Mother Nature.Except for the time when the stormsactually came across their areas these

Hurry-Up Hurricane DutyAuxiliary ‘Volunteers’ Quickly

Respond to FEMA’s Call for Help


“volunteers” were out in the field get-ting the word to victims on the telereg-istration process.

Myers became a sector manager andsoon had Hartjen working as hisdeputy. As more community relationsofficers arrived Myers and Hartjentrained them and sent them to theirassignments. Then Hurricane Jeanneappeared to be heading directly forHartjen and Myers’ duty station.Hartjen volunteered to work the mid-night to dawn shift at the BradfordCounty Emergency Operations Centerduring the alert.

Myers’ evaluation of both Giers andHartjen stated that each man “…is a

credit to the US Coast GuardAuxiliary…dedicated to enhancing theAuxiliary’s image.”

It’s been said if you want a job done,if you need volunteers, you ask thebusiest people you know. So FEMAreached out to volunteer organizations,federal, state and local agencies, andpeople volunteered to help. FEMA’sresponse to the four hurricanes wasunprecedented, necessitating FEMA tothink outside the box in order toensure victims received help as quick-ly as possible.

“We put out a call for hundreds ofpeople to come help us,” said FEMADeputy Community Relations Chief

Ken Jordan. “And come they did.People from the Coast GuardAuxiliary to the U.S. Forest Serviceresponded. Among the volunteerswere more than 2,600 Citizen Corpsparticipants from 48 states whodeployed to help in disaster recoveryfrom the hurricanes. And we usedthem in jobs from walking door-to-door through devastated neighbor-hoods to working in the DisasterRecovery Centers we set up for vic-tims all across the state. They workedlong hours, often outdoors in highheat and humidity. We could not haveasked for more. They were magnifi-cent.”

Philippe Mugnier (43) and Rand Henke (47 FC) assist a Coast Guard Aides to Navigation team member with loadingchannel marker buoys aboard the Auxiliary vessel Manana. Photo by Mike Howell, FC-43, VDC-4 elect

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BY MARY ANN CHAPMANAUX LO MSO Puget Sound ADSO-MS-N, FC 13-24 D NR

In the early morning of Oct. 14,2004, Marine Safety Office (MSO)Puget Sound received a tug captain’sreport of an oil slick near Tacoma,Wash. This routine report escalatedinto a major environmental incident —the Dalco Passage “Mystery” Oil Spill— and set the stage for unprecedentedincident response support by District13’s Northern Area Auxiliarists.

For two years, the Northern Areahas worked to build support relation-ships with Coast Guard commands,provide force augmentation, and imple-ment Operation Patriot Readiness. Thecomplex nature of the Northern Area,however, presented some challenges.

The area’s four divisions include 19flotillas with overlapping geographicalterritory, and its Area of Responsibility(AOR) includes two Coast Guard oper-ational groups, one air station, oneMarine Safety Office (MSO), andDistrict 13 headquarters.

The solution adopted by RCO-NFred Bell and the Northern AreaDivision captains was to centrally coor-dinate Coast Guard direct support that

overlaps division and flotilla bound-aries.

As the Auxiliary Unit Liaison Officer(AUXULO) to MSO Puget Sound, Iwork with the area’s divisions andflotillas to coordinate members fromall four divisions and meet MSO’sdirect support needs. MSO PugetSound’s Commanding Officer, CAPTDanny Ellis, who also serves asCaptain of the Port, has requested mypresence at his weekly staff meetingsand included the Auxiliary Unit LiaisonOfficer on the organization chart ofthe emerging Sector Seattle.

To support our direct support role,flotilla commanders have assisted inidentifying members from throughoutthe area who wish to provide directsupport, and we have strongly promot-ed Incident Command System (ICS)training and marine safety PQS train-ing. Auxiliarists from all four divisionsnow routinely provide MSO force aug-mentation. We assisted in the JointInformation Center at a major oil spillearly last year, played critical roles in a30-hour MSO/industry simulated envi-ronmental disaster drill, and ran twoexercises of an MSO OperationReadiness program.

This training and preparation paid

off when I received a call mid-after-noon on Oct. 14, 2004, from CraigBrown, outgoing commander ofTacoma-area Flotilla 32 and ViceCaptain-elect of Division 3. “Have youbeen contacted about the oil spill?” heasked. “Karen Francisco called me. It’sall over the news.” Karen is a staff offi-cer of Division 3 and Flotilla 32.

I glanced at my email screen andfound a press release from District 13Public Affairs. Asking Craig to standby, I called the District 13 PublicAffairs office. PO Adam Eggers, thePublic Affairs contact initially assignedto the spill, was en route to MSOPuget Sound to help plan the response.Craig was at work, so I advised Karento get into tropical blue and put her intouch with PO Eggers. By the time theIncident Command selected theTacoma Fire Department TrainingCenter as the Incident Command Postand PO Eggers notified Karen toreport there, Craig was home fromwork and changing into uniform. They

THE DALCOPASSAGE

‘MYSTERY’OIL SPILL

Forty-nine Auxiliary members representing 13flotillas provide an estimated 1,350 hours of workin response to Puget Sound’s Dalco Passage spill.

also recruited Gene Rubbert (Flotilla32) to join them at the IC Post. I start-ed calling ICS-trained Auxiliarists andgiving them a heads up.

About 1900, Karen called with theCoast Guard’s request for Auxiliarists.Essentially, it was “Send as many bod-ies as you can find.” They hoped forabout six. By bedtime, we had 17Auxiliarists ready to report the nextmorning at 0700. They came fromeight flotillas, from all four divisions,and from as far as 60 miles away.About half were ICS trained. Noneknew exactly what they would bedoing, so some brought both tropicaland working blue uniforms to be readyfor anything.

By mid-day, two were on the water inan Auxiliary facility carrying media.Six were in the field providing “securi-ty and crowd control,” diverting thepublic and media away from thecleanup crews. Several were workingin a Joint Information Center (JIC) thatwas humming with activity even as the

fire department employees ran moretelephone lines into the room. Otherswere assigned to assist the logisticssection. I helped coordinate andserved as Auxiliary Liaison to theIncident Command.

As the Incident Command becamefirmly established, we fell into therhythm of the ICS forms, communica-tions, planning meetings, press releas-es, press conferences, and on-the-spotdecision-making for which we hadtrained. Each Auxiliarist had a “T-card”on the Operations Section board, track-ing their assignments. When the plan-ning section sent us personnelrequests for the next day, we assignedstandby Auxiliarists to duty stationsand call them to confirm.

On morning two, 23 Auxiliaristsfrom 10 flotillas reported for duty.Division 2 Captain Ted Schiesswohl(Flotilla 22), a retired career Navy offi-cer, became an essential part of theLogistics Section. Flotilla 22.Commander Doug Julien, RCO-Elect

John Thoma (Flotilla 32), and Flotilla22 VFC-elect Kelly Garber wereassigned to “shadow” the IncidentCommanders and be their scribe.

Auxiliarists rotated through duty atthe front desk, a critical functionbecause its log is the initial data entrypoint for all personnel. The same folksserved as the IC Post gatekeeper, pre-venting entry by unauthorized person-nel. Flotilla 12 Commander RussPowell was stationed in the IC Postparking lot, controlling media access.Six Auxiliarists including Division 3Captain Shaheed Ali-Sheikh (Flotilla33) were in the field, continuing to pro-tect the cleanup workers from intru-sions and monitoring WashingtonDepartment of Ecology radio transmis-sions. The only two metal Auxiliaryfacilities in the area, Red Ryder andCisco’s Kid, carried ecology andwildlife personnel on survey trips. Spillofficials feared that fiberglass hullswould be stained by the oil.

The Dalco Passage “Mystery” OilSpill continued like this for seven days.Claudia Kenworthy (Flotilla 24)became the mainstay of the JIC. All thereporters and several environmental-ists and members of the general publicknew her by name. Dan Repp (Flotilla38) led a caravan of media and Corpsof Engineers personnel to a launchramp to survey the spill.

After two days on duty in the JIC,Penny Dustin (Flotilla 22) was calledback to the IC Post, a 40-mile drive, topick up materials for a public meetingon Vashon Island, ride a ferry to theIsland, and assist with the meeting.Other Auxiliarists (too many to men-tion them all) spent long days on fieldteams. Bob Hayes (Flotilla 32) had

Expert clean-up personnel frommany agencies gathered oily debrisalong the southern islands’ strand.They were shielded from media andpublic interference thanks toAuxiliarist patrol watches on bothwater and land. Photo by Shaheed Ali-Sheikh

SEE SPILL PG. 31



BY DALENE G. BAILEYRCO-CD5 SR

Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia’s sec-ond largest lake and popularly referredto as the jewel of the Blue RidgeMountains, is a 40-mile-long boaters’paradise located in the rural southwest-ern part of the state.

Normally visitors enjoy the lake with-

out problems. But dangers can pop outof nowhere.

On Aug, 29, 2004 at 1245, a MAYDAYcall was received at the Smith MountainLake Auxiliary Search and RescueDetachment from a vessel that hadstruck debris and was taking on water.

Flotilla 82 members Dean Nimax,Seth Gardner and Flotilla 81 memberBob Thompson, Sr., all of Division 8,5SR, responded to the call on CoastGuard Auxiliary Vessel 222039. This

In the foreground,Auxiliary Vessel222039 Is seen along-side a fireboat from theSmith Mountain LakeVolunteer Marine FireCompany, as they pre-pare to assist a strick-en vessel Aug. 29,2004. The VirginiaGame Warden is in thevessel astern of222039. Photos courtesy

Sharon Moran SEE RESCUE PG. 15

To The Rescue

Auxiliary Leads SAR Teamto Save Sinking Cruiser


been assisting FEMA in Florida sinceAugust. He arrived home, kissed hiswife, and deployed to the spill.

The Logistics Section Chief asked ifit would be possible for Auxiliarists topost flyers all over South Puget Sound,warning boaters about the thousandsof feet of boom that were out and pro-vide contact phone numbers forinjured wildlife reports.

In less than five minutes, we pro-duced a list of the hundred marinasand boat ramps in the area, and inanother 15 minutes, we had madearrangements for distribution. TomCoughlin (Flotilla 24) came fromSeattle to distribute them throughoutTacoma. We emailed flyers to Jack andJo Ann Grubb (Flotilla 38) in Olympiaand Helen Jamieson (Flotilla 35) in GigHarbor, who printed them, put them inplastic sleeves, and posted them.

The Auxiliary coordination team fellinto a daily routine. We developedassignment forms, procedures, and afiling system. Claudia Kenworthyopened the JIC at 0600 each day —sometimes the first person in thebuilding — and stayed until well aftersundown. Karen Francisco and CraigBrown also often beat most of the uni-

fied command team into the IC Post.They arrived by 0630 to meet theAuxiliary field teams at 0700 hrs anddispatch them.

One morning, Karen fetched herexposure suit from Cisco’s Kid and lentit to Billy Schwitters (Flotilla 23) sothat he could assist contract personnelon a response boat. I came in latereach day and usually stayed untilaround 2200, when the day’s paper-work was done and I could providepersonnel lists for the next day to theOperations Section.

Seasoned response team membersbegan to say they didn’t know howthey had worked previous spills with-out Auxiliarists. During one site visit,CAPT Danny Ellis was heard toexclaim with delight, “There are moreAuxiliarists here than Coasties!”Operations Section Chief ScottKnudson asked us to meet with himlater and plan future participation. Heasked if he could put us on the regularcall-out list and encouraged us toobtain higher ICS qualifications so thateventually we could serve as ICSSection Chiefs.

On the last day, we tabulated the sta-tistics. Forty-nine members represent-ing 13 flotillas had provided an estimat-ed 1,350 hours of work and drivenabout 7,000 miles in response to the

Dalco Passage spill. And these weren’tjust weekend warriors. Several peopletook off work to help, because the inci-dent ran a full week. Even after theonsite Incident Command Post wasstood down, Claudia Kenworthy wasrelocated to MSO Headquarters andcontinued to answer phones for severalmore days. Throughout, no requestfrom the Incident Command wentunfilled. As of the time of this writing,the U.S. Coast Guard investigation wascontinuing.

After the dust settled, we had an inci-dent hotwash including both theAuxiliary coordinators and theNorthern Area bridge to considerimprovements in the notification andstaffing process and other issues thatarose. Now we are preparing for thenext incident — refining our process-es, developing a formal Operation Planto be approved by the MSO Command,increasing our roster of members fromthroughout the Area willing to help onshort notice, and putting together a“go box” of supplies, checklists,Auxiliarist rosters, and ICS forms.

For the regular Coast Guard, inci-dents like these disrupt their regularwork schedule, wipe out their week-ends, and set them behind on all theirtasking. Auxiliary assistance helpslessen that impact.

SPILLcontinued from page 29

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was a multi-unit SAR response by theCG Auxiliary, the Smith Mountain LakeMarine Volunteer Marine Fire Dept andVirginia game wardens.

The distressed vessel was attemptingto beach on the shoal outside theentrance of Smith Mountain Yacht Clubto prevent sinking. However, it hadtaken on too much water to keep theengines running.

Upon arrival, Nimax (coxswain of222039) secured the scene and put oneextra crewman (Thompson) on the

stricken craft to assist with the pumpprovided by the Auxiliary.

The Marine Fire Department wassummoned and deployed two pumps toevacuate the vessel; each could pump ata rate of700 gallons per minute. Thegame wardens assisted in securing thescene and helped the owner fill out thenecessary accident report.

Once pumped out, the 39-foot Owenscabin cruiser was towed to the SmithMountain Yacht Club, where it washoisted out of the water and checkedfor damage. The inspection of the hull,revealed a 12”-14” hole above the star-board screw, inflicted by a 4”x20” tree

branch, which had caught in the prop. Due to the quick response (222039

was on scene within 15 minutes of theMAYDAY), there was no loss of life.Unfortunately, there was $65,000 inproperty damage due to the flooding ofthe engines and bilge.

One of the key facets of this evolutionwas that all agencies (Auxiliary, FireDepartment, and state game wardens)functioned smoothly together and effi-ciently protected the three people andthe dog on board.

It is planned to have frequent drills atSmith Mountain Lake to polish this coor-dination among the various agencies. U

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RESCUEcontinued from page 30


Editor’s Note: Supporting the United States Coast

Guard in its effort to find outstandingstudents to attend the U.S. Coast GuardAcademy, the Coast Guard Auxiliaryparticipates in the Academy IntroductionMission or “AIM” program.

The primary purpose of AIM is toassist in the recruitment of highly quali-fied high school students for theAcademy. From its inception in 1966,AIM participants have been selected andsponsored by the Auxiliary.

Each year, AIM provides an opportu-

nity for young men and women to expe-rience life at the Coast Guard Academyin New London, Conn. during the sum-mer between the candidate's junior andsenior years of high school. Though theprogram has seen many changes, andthe interview mentioned in the followingarticle is no longer a part of the process,the program continues to grow.

“Today it is a benchmark-quality col-lege admissions program responsible fororienting about 25 percent of every newclass,” CAPT Susan Bibeau, director ofAcademy admissions, said in a recent

article in Navigator. “AIM graduatesare among the Academy’s strongest per-formers.”

The following article, authored by LTTyson Weinert, offers a glimpse at howthe AIM program can impact a studentfor life.

Weinert is currently an HH-65Aircraft Commander duty standing pilotat Air Station Humboldt Bay. His collat-eral duty is the Regional OperationsCenter Coordinator, managing all opera-tions and personnel within theOperations and Communications Center.

AIM(ed) in the RightDirection


The application process was quitethorough, the most involved I’ve everseen for a “summer program.” Therewere personal interviews, essays, andan entire flotilla I needed to convincethat I was the kid from San Marcos,Calif. who would eventually become a“model” Coast Guard officer.

Thirteen years later, I’ve come torealize Webster defines a model as asmall, non-working replica of the orig-inal. I promise that is not the case. Mysize is “normal” and my work ethic isdirectly proportional to the value ofmy AIM experience. I now hope toallow that Southern Californian flotillathe chance to see the dividends fromtheir investment in me.

AIM imparts critical building blocksfor achieving success in the CoastGuard. Developing and understandingteam-building skills, an appreciationfor hard work, and a willingness toput other’s needs before my ownhelped me set a course for what is the

most rewarding career I could imag-ine. AIM provided the opportunitiesto build the confidence necessary tohandle the challenges of the Academyand life thereafter.

Having completed the AIM pro-gram, graduated from the Academy,and served multiple operational tours,I am thankful for the opportunity topraise the efforts of the Coast Guard’shard working Auxiliary and itsrecruiting mission.

I am also proud to have servedalongside the Auxiliary through manyevents throughout my most recenttour at Air Station Humboldt Bay, locat-ed in beautiful Northern California.

My confidence in boating safety andeducation has never been stronger,thanks to the efforts of theAuxiliarists supporting Shasta,Crescent City, and Clear Lake. I sharethe same respect for our brethrenpatrolling from the sky. Members of11N McClellan 31, based out of Air

Station Sacramento, willingly providea great service with their publicaffairs and law enforcement support.

Clearly, my appreciation for theCoast Guard’s Auxiliary and the AIMprogram runs deep. Had it not beenfor their continued support, I wouldnot be the person I am today.

I am fortunate in my Coast Guardexperience to have met my lovely wife,Nino, remarkable friends, and loyalshipmates. The lessons learned fromAIM and the Academy did an excel-lent job in preparing me for what hasturned out to be an amazing career. Ilook forward to the challenges beyondthe horizon and am confident in myabilities to meet them head on.

Bravo Zulu to the Coast Guard’sAuxiliary. May you have continuedsuccess supporting the Academyrecruiting mission.

LT Tyson Weinert and his wife, Nino,at Air Station Humboldt Bay, locatedin Northern California.

BY LT TYSON WEINERT, USCG

The Auxiliary-supported AIM program is arguably one of themost effective recruiting programs for the Coast Guard Academy.

I am confident I would not be where I am today had it not beenfor the support of San Diego County’s Al LaRue. His enthusiasm,resourcefulness, and positive attitude helped convince a slightlyunwilling 16-year-old California kid that giving up a week of fun inthe summer before my senior year of high school would actually bean investment in the rest of my life.

A Coast Guard lieutenant tells how the Academy Introduction Mission (AIM)Program — and supportive members of a flotilla — positively impacted his life.


opportunity to be on the receivingend of a message block. This is whenthe C-130 flies straight toward thefacility at an altitude that gets yourattention.

All students were amazed when thepilot asked the coxswain how high hisantenna was prior to his approach. Asthe plane passed over the facility a mes-sage in a plastic bag weighted withsand and attached to a kite tail wasdropped from the open bay door of theaircraft.

The intent was to drop the bag asclose to the vessel as possible and toretrieve it before it sank. All attemptswere close and all were retrieved inshort order.

After the C-130 exercise, Auxiliarists

continued teaching several plannedtopics. Putting the plotting to practicalapplication and proper anchoring tech-niques were two covered areas of inter-est.

Returning to the dock, the studentswere shown the correct way to fuel avessel. After which, there was a shortdebriefing and then moved to the busfor a 1500 departure.

Throughout the day the studentsparticipated in many drills, witnessingthe proper methods in conducting safeboating practices.

The planning and coordinating withthe Coast Guard, the high school andthe securing of Auxiliary facilities andpersonnel took more than a month tocome to fruition. This was a full day forbasically all of our coxswains, crew andinstructors who were available.

Each facility had to have a coxswain,

one or two crew depending on the sizeof the vessel, and an instructor aboard.One person, though they may havebeen qualified in several areas, couldserve in only one position during theexercise.

The eagerness to be a part of thisday was evident as some participantshad to reschedule prior engagementsto be included. But, that’s the wayFlotilla 16-07 has always been – active,eager, and always ready to serve.

The efforts of Flotilla 16-07 wererewarded the next day with a large pic-torial spread on the front page of theOuter Banks section of the VirginianPilot newspaper, and a report thatincluded student interviews on WITNtelevision.

This report ran many times through-out the day. The students and theirteacher gave us an A+ for the day!

LEARNINGcontinued from page 21

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Crew members aboard the Tom Cat go through a recovery exercise as part of the day’s demonstrations for students.


BY TISHA HELMERNC-D

Reflecting the ever-changing respon-sibilities of the Auxiliary in a post-9/11era, “Winds of Change” will be thetheme for NACON 2005, to be heldSept. 2-4 at the Rosen Centre inOrlando, Fla.

As incoming National CommodoreGene Seibert stated in his Coast GuardAuxiliary Direction Briefing, “TheCoast Guard Auxiliary will continue tomove into new and uncharted areas orresponsibilities.

“It will be up to the executive leader-ship of the Auxiliary to chart theseunknown waters and provide to ourmembership, the Coast Guard and thecountry, not just a continuation of thesuperior level of service that we haveprovided these past 65 years, but abold enhancement of that service toinclude an entirely new set of actionsand directions in support of America’sMaritime Homeland Security,” headded.

The National Conference will be theplace to get first-hand informationabout the Auxiliary’s upcoming mis-sions, and to meet your ExecutiveBridge, at the Rosen Centre.

The Rosen (www.rosencentre.com)is centrally located to all that Orlando

has to offer in the way of attractions.An hour’s drive will take you to spec-tacular beaches on the Gulf or AtlanticCoasts, and a visit to NASA’s KennedySpace Center will be a must duringyour stay.

Plan on bringing the kids or grand-kids for a family vacation before orafter the conference. There will evenbe some free time during the confer-ence to sample the sights and soundsof Orlando.

Once again, the National Conferencestaff will try to arrange for discounttickets to many of the local attractions.Transportation to the local themeparks, shopping malls and restaurantsis a snap because of the InternationalDrive Trolley that stops in front of theRosen Centre.

Keep your eye on the NationalWebsite (www.cgaux.org) for theNACON 2005 Icon where you will findthe latest information about the

upcoming conference. For your con-venience, you will be able to registerfor the conference and make hotelreservations online. Mail-in registra-tion will also be available.

If you have never attended aNational Conference you may not beaware that we have Exhibitors such asACR Electronics , Boat/US Insurance,Pacific West Marketing, Stearns,Watermark/SOS PFDs, Boat/USFoundation and more.

If that is not enough to tempt you,think of the entertainment of FridayFun Night, the Saturday Commodore’sBanquet and the Area HospitalityOpen House.

The National Conference Staff,District 7 and the local On-SceneConference Staff are all working hardto make this the best NationalConference yet. Make your travelarrangements now so you don’t missthe “Winds of Change.”

‘Winds of Change’ – NACON 2005Orlando, Fla. Will be the setting for the next National Conference — be there to get first-hand information about the Auxiliary’s upcoming missions.

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Don’t miss NACON 2005— to be held at Orlando’sluxurious Rosen Centrehotel. Photos by the Rosen Centre


AUXDATA

CGForces.

AUXDATA


BY MEL BOROFSKYDVC-AP

Auxiliarists from the United Statesand Canada once again met to exhibittheir skills in ISAR 2004 — theInternational Search and Rescue com-petitions — and share the fellowshipthat exists between these two greatorganizations.

Six U.S. and six Canadian teams com-peted Nov. 2, 2004 at Portsmouth, Va.Each team had four members, one ofwhich was designated as team coxswain.

The competition consisted of searchand rescue (SAR) planning, an on thewater SAREX, pump competition, splic-ing, heaving line, communications andmarlinspike. There were also three“mystery events” — damagecontrol/pipe patching, design andbuild a cardboard boat, and then racein that boat.

Best-selling author and Grand Bankscaptain Linda Greenlaw served as hon-orary grand marshall. She spoke at theSaturday evening banquet, telling ofher 25 years as a swordfish boat cap-tain and the many times she receivedcredit for being “lucky.” She dismissedthe luck factor.

“My training, my skills and my cau-tion have kept me alive these manyyears,” she said.

“After witnessing the competitionthis weekend I have a much greaterrespect for the Coast Guard and theAuxiliaries of Canada and the U.S.,”

she added. “A wide gap exists betweenthe commercial fisherman and theCoast Guards of our two great coun-tries. I hope my presence here thisweekend helps bridge that gap.”

Presentation of the category awardsby COMO Everette Tucker, theChairman of ISAR 2004, followed.

“Let me say that in my eyes all par-ticipants are here in Portsmouthbecause you are all winners,” he toldthose present. “There are no secondclass, or losers here. Remember thiswhen you return home.”

The 2004 Canadian NationalChampion was a tie: Team Quebec andTeam Pacific.

The 2004 U.S. National Championwas the team from District 9, WesternRegion.

The overall Champion of ISAR 2004was a surprise. “It’s a tie,” COMOTucker said. “Team Quebec and TeamPacific of Canada.”

For detailed coverage of ISAR 2004,visit SITREP at http://teamcoast-guard.org/2004/ISAR2004/ISAR2004.htm.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union.Alexandria, Va.; Bill’s Marine, Portsmouth,Va.; BoatUS, Virginia Beach, Va.; C&P Tugand Barge, Portsmouth, Va.; J&B CustomRods, Virginia Beach, Va.A; LighthouseTackle, Virginia Beach, Va.; LynnhavenMarine Boatel, Virginia Beach, Va.; MarinaShores Marina, Virginia Beach, Va.; Metro

Machine, Norfolk, Va., and Hampton RoadsChapter, Navy League of the UnitedStates, Norfolk, Va.

Also Oceans East 2 Tackle Shop,Virginia Beach, Va.; Olde Towne BusinessAssociation, Portsmouth, Va.; Sea TowServices of Hampton Roads, VirginiaBeach, Va.; Southwest Airlines, Columbia,

Md.; The Raven Restaurant, VirginiaBeach, Va.; Towne Bank, Portsmouth, Va.,and Troy Marine, Suffolk, Va.

Also Vanguard Industries East: Norfolk,Va.; West Marine, Virginia Beach, Va.;

Western Branch Diesel Inc., Portsmouth,Va.; Sister Cities Commission, Portsmouth,Va.; MRI, Don Chomeau; Ken McNeely,

ISAR 2004U.S., Canadian Auxiliarists Meet Again To Exhibit Skills

ISAR 2004 sponsors A special thanks to those who helped make ISAR 2004 happen.

A U.S. Auxiliary team competes in the ISAR 2004 pump competition. Photo by Mel Borofsky


Virginia Beach, Va.; COL James Haydon,Virginia Beach, Va.; Herb Gordon, Suffolk,Va., and George & Steve’s Steak House,Suffolk, Va.

Also Flotilla 51, USCGAUX, Portsmouth,Va.; Don Mooers Commercial brokerage,Jacksonville, Fla.; Cofer Auto, Smithfield,Va.; Mary Clifton, Circleville, Ohio; CoastalConservation Association, Virginia Beach,Va., and Kathyrn Campen, Portsmouth, Va.

Also CAPT John E. & Mrs. Margaret A.Nourie, Portsmouth, Va.; Studio Optix,Virginia Beach, Va.; Vel-Tye LLC, VirginiaBeach, Va.; Sonny’s Coins & Guns,Portsmouth, Va.; Backwood’s Leather,Portsmouth, Va.; Steve Hardy Serigraohs,Exmore, Va.; Stephanie Meade,Chesapeake, Va.; Dave SaundersTaxidermy, Hampton, Va., and BobHansbury, Chesapeake, Md.

Also Linda Phillips, Artist, Suffolk, Va.;Hoffman Beverage, Virginia Beach, Va.;Association for Rescue at Sea (AFRAS),John Chomeau; iBoat.com www.iboats.com;Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc., Rockville,Md.; The New London Day New London,Conn.; Hampton Roads Transit AuthorityPortsmouth, Va., Western Branch DieselInc., Portsmouth, Va., and Spatial IntegratedSystems Inc., Rockville, Md.

A Canadian Auxiliary team takes part in the charting competition, the prelude to the on-the-water Search andRescue competition. Photo by Mel Borofsky

Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.The Auxiliary Center9449 Watson Industrial ParkSt. Louis, MO 63126

Address service requested

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE PAIDPERMIT NO. 842JACKSONVILLE, FL.

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A northern California flotilla becamemodern-day lightkeepers in order to keep Point Cabrillo Lighthouseworking as a Federal Aid to Navigation.

STORY ON PAGE 12Photo by Bruce Lewis

Delivering the Message - CGAUX

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