UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARYauxpa.cgaux.org/Navigator/2004SUMMER.pdf4• Summer 2004 •...

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VOL. 31, NO. 2 — SUMMER 2004

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2 • Summer 2004 • NAVIGATOR

2004 EDITION

DEADLINESFALL EDITION

August 15

WINTER EDITIONNovember 15

Telephone numbers andaddresses of membersare protected by thePrivacy Act of 1974. Asa matter of policy, ros-ters of names, address-es and telephone num-bers shall not be madeavailable to the generalpublic or any outsideorganization. Privacy ofall rosters shall be safe-guarded and the pageclearly labeled. Thepublication of theserosters, addresses andtelephone numbers onany computer on-lineservice including theInternet is prohibited bythe Privacy Act of 1974.

Contents

Send submissions to Navigator

Mike Harris2924 Emerson St.Suite 200San Diego, CA 92106

[email protected]

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Sol Spiegel turns 100 3

Seattle Auxiliarists support

homeland security 4

Commodore Edgerton 6

Commodore Seibert 8

Commodore Larson 10

Commodore Reams 11

Captain Hill 13

CSAR conference 16

COVER STORY: Mess duty 22

Joining the jet age 26

Training for disaster 28

Hands across the water 32

Coast Guard future 36

Whale of a time 38

NationalCalendar

2004NATIONAL

CONFERENCE,September 2-4Costa Mesa, CA

ON THE COVERLanny Oakes serves the crew of the Kankakee. PAGE 22

VOL. 31, NO. 2 — SUMMER 2004

CORRECTION: In the article A day at the US Coast Guard Academy printed in theWinter 2003 edition of the Navigator, Raymond C. Birnbaum, DSO-CC 15R, was incorrect-ly identified as Russell White by the author. The Navigator regrets the error.

NAVIGATOR • Summer 2004 • 3

What a bash! District 7 celebrated

both the 100th birthdayand 65th anniversary of itsoldest active Auxiliarist attheir spring conference.Sol Spiegel, born May 6,1904, and his wife led thePledge of Allegiance toopen the district businessmeeting.

Spiegel started his boat-ing career when he was 14with his first boat, acanoe. By 34 he had hisfirst full cabin vessel built,the 30-ft Frimada I (acombination of his moth-er’s name Frimet and hiswife’s name Ada).

In the fall of 1939 aCoast Guard representa-tive spoke at the RiversideYacht Club, Passaic, N.J.,concerning the needs ofthe Coast Guard whichlead Spiegel and 12 othermembers to join the CGReserve (Temporary) unitand formed Flotilla 34 inthe 3rd CG District.Frimada was assignednumber 607 and was usedas a submarine huntingCG asset until 1941 at CGSTA FortNewark.

During his tenure as a TemporaryReserve, Spiegel attained the rank ofChief Petty Officer. He also performedthe duties of OD for Station FortNewark. In addition, Spiegel was thesmall arms instructor for the CoastGuard, Reserve and WAFS, womenpilots who ferried military aircraft.

During WW II, Spiegel skippered a

36-foot patrol boat for the Coast Guardoff New Jersey. The boat was armedwith a 30-caliber machine gun.Unfortunately, Spiegel was not provid-ed ammunition for the gun or a radiofor the vessel. In lieu of a radio,Spiegel and his crew were equippedwith carrier pigeons for communica-tions. He was also provided a handgunwith six bullets. The bullets werecounted at the end of each patrol. His

primary duties includedsubmarine hunting andpicking up debris thatcould indicate cargo andhelp to identify vesselsthat may have been torpe-doed.

Spiegel was activelyinvolved in on-the-wateroperations with theAuxiliary from 1939 toAug. 29, 2000. He movedto Florida in 1967 andjoined Flotilla 32 in Ft.Lauderdale. At age 80,Spiegel was one of thefirst Auxiliarists to com-plete the coxswain qualifi-cations program that start-ed in 1984. He held a six-pack license to operate afishing vessel for hirefrom 1941 to 1990.

Spiegel actively per-formed patrols until age98, sold Frimada IV andreverted to crew statusbecause he could not getaround his boat like heused to in rough seas.

Spiegel is noted for hiswit and anecdotes. Two ofthe most memorableSpiegelisms include:

● On why he joined the USCGR(T) -In 1945 the height requirement tojoin the service was 5’ 4”. I was 5’3”. A CG recruiter came to theyacht club to recruit volunteers forthe USCGR(T). “They were look-ing for small boat operators ... I fig-ured, I’m small, I’m a boat operator,

USCG Auxiliary - a key to longevity

Sol Spiegel honored on his 100th birthday

Sol Spiegel turned 100 years old on May 6. Photo by Karen Miller

SEE LONGEVITY PG. 5


In contrast, since Sept. 11, 2001,membership in the U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary nationally has grown by 10percent or almost three new mem-bers a day since the tragic attacks.The Northwest Auxiliary ranks haveseen their numbers swell by a similarpercentage, and these new membersare seeing a closer relationship withthe active duty Coast Guard than atany time in its history.

About a third of the 250 Auxiliaristsin the metropolitan Seattle area areboat crew and coxswains, trained andqualified to Coast Guard-approvedstandards. They are frequentlyrequested to deploy their own boatsunder official Coast Guard orders, fly-ing a special Coast Guard Ensign, forsafety patrols and to assist withsearch and rescue.

In the months following the attackson New York and Washington, theylogged hundreds of hours on “Noble

Eagle Patrols” on Puget Sound on anear daily basis. They provided addi-tional Coast Guard presence in localwaters and served as extra eyes andears, watching for anything suspi-cious or out of place around theports and waterways.

Early in 2003, Auxiliarists begantraining alongside the Coast Guard insupport of port security specialties.Since, they have been serving side-by-side with their active duty counter-parts assisting in critical maritimesecurity roles. They can be seen con-ducting vehicle patrols of shoresidefacilities and, occasionally, they assistwith cruise terminal security checks.Each day the dedicated volunteersmight participate in screening of for-eign vessels prior to their U.S. portadmission, fingerprinting merchantmariners as part of the licensingprocess or assisting with other portsecurity functions.

When security levels were elevatedduring Operation Iraqi Freedom andthe 2003 holiday season, Auxiliaristsprovided “surge capacity,” patrollingevery day and filling in for active dutyand reserve personnel who weredeployed.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is theall-volunteer civilian arm of the CoastGuard, supporting all the CoastGuard’s missions except law enforce-ment and military. Traditionally, theirrole primarily focused on recreationalboating safety.

Since 9/11, however, the Auxiliary’shomeland security tasks have rampedup right along with those of the CoastGuard.

For the Northern Area of CoastGuard District 13, the Auxiliary’sDirect Support Coordinator is MaryAnn Chapman, who as a civilian, is aSeattle marketing strategy consultant.Last year she logged in excess of1500 hours of volunteer time, mostlyin the homeland security mission.

She says several Seattlites whohave volunteered as part of theAuxiliary have worked more than1000 hours annually, though mostwere in the range of 50-300 hours.But she is emphatic in saying that the

Coast Guard Auxiliarists support homeland security in Seattle

SEE SEATTLE PG. 5

BY LT M. A. BILLEAUDEAUX13th Coast Guard District Public Affairs

Regional residents attending the town-hall style meeting at

Seattle University seemed to surprise the Excellence in

Government Panel by displaying little interest when asked if

citizens would volunteer to assist with homeland security.

is the official magazine of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

www.cgaux.orgEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

National Commodore

COMO E.W. (Bill) Edgerton, NACONational Vice Commodore-Chief of Staff

COMO Gene M. Seibert, NAVCO-COSNational Vice Commodore - Atlantic East

COMO Mary Larsen, NAVCO-A(E)National Vice Commodore - Atlantic West

COMO Stephen B. Reams, NAVCO-A(W)National Vice Commodore - Pacific

COMO Gail Ramsey, NAVCO-PImmediate Past National Commodore

COMO Viggo C. Bertelsen Jr.,IPNACOChief Director, Auxiliary

CAPT Barry Smith USCG

DIRECTORATE COMMODORES

National Directorate Commodore for Operations and Marine SafetyCOMO George E. Jeandheur, NADCO-OMS

National Directorate Commodore for Member ServicesCOMO Charles (Tony) G. Morris, NADCO-MS

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

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Department ChiefFred Gates, DC-A

Editor, NavigatorMike Harris, BC-APN

Copyright 2004Coast 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


so I joined up.”● During the ceremonies in

Washington, D.C., honoringSpiegel and another long-termmember of the Auxiliary, AdmiralJames Loy, then Commandant ofthe Coast Guard, presented thecertificates of recognition toSpiegel and the other Auxiliarist.Admiral Loy and both Auxiliaristswere on a stage in front of a gather-ing of dignitaries including thePresident and congressmen.Admiral Loy, who is 6’ 3” tall,shook Spiegel’s hand in congratula-tions and asked if he wished to saya few words. Spiegel, at 5’ 3”looked up at Admiral Loy and saidto the audience, “You know, when Ijoined I was that tall.” Spiegelbrought down the house.

Spiegel was presented with numer-ous letters of recognition which werearranged by CAPT James Maes,Commander, Group Miami. Afterbeing informed that Spiegel was goingto turn 100 this year, CAPT Maesbegan the process of contactingSpiegel’s Coast Guard and CoastGuard Auxiliary chains of commandand arranged the following letters ofrecognition for him:

● President George W. Bush -Commander-in-Chief

● President Bush and First Lady

Laura Bush also sent a birthdaycard

● Admiral Tom Collins -Commandant, United States CoastGuard

● Vice Admiral Thad Allen - Chief ofStaff, United States Coast Guard(plus a coin)

● Rear Admiral Harvey Johnson -Commander, Seventh Coast GuardDistrict (plus a Seventh DistrictCommander’s Coin)

● Captain James Maes - Commander,Coast Guard Group Miami (plus aGroup Miami Core Values Coin)

● COMO William Edgerton -National Commodore Coast GuardAuxiliary (plus a coin)

● COMO Dahlgren - AuxiliaryCommodore, Seventh District (plusa coin)

● Richard Leys - Division Captain,Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 3

To top it all off, Spiegel’s grandson,also an Auxiliarist, joined in the cele-bration.

It becomes quickly obvious once youmeet Spiegel that the Auxiliary is a bigpart of his life. He credits his love ofthe water and boating as well as thelove he gives and receives from hisfamily and friends as his key to a longand happy life.

(Lois Ann Hesser, John Rungo, Karen Millerand CAPT James Maes all contributed to thisarticle)

LONGEVITYcontinued from page 3

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commitment of even a few hours amonth is highly valuable.

“Supporting the Coast Guard is awonderful way for a citizen to helpkeep our region secure. Their effortsbenefit their families and friends inPuget Sound and around the country,”she said. “Any U.S. citizen who is 17or older can join. There’s an Auxiliarymission for everyone.”

The Auxiliary’s traditional role ofpublic education and recreational boat-ing safety has become even moreimportant as the Coast Guard’s focus

on homeland security has expanded.Essentially, the safer boaters are onthe water, the fewer search and rescuecases will have to be managed by theregular Coast Guard thereby allowingmore time for security missions.

Young people are particularlyencouraged to consider serving, aswell as retired military and policeofficers looking for an activity thatoffers excitement and intensity.Computer and office skills are alwaysneeded. Before Auxiliarists can par-ticipate in homeland security func-tions, they must undergo the samebackground checks as active duty“Coasties.”

SEATTLEcontinued from page 4

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COMMODORE

E. W. (BILL) EDGERTON

NATIONALCOMMODORE

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As Auxiliarists, volunteers, our only“pay check” is through recognition, atthe appropriate level, for his/her per-formance or contribution(s) to theprograms and/or missions of theAuxiliary. As we approach the elec-tion time of the year and possiblechanges in unit leadership, electedand appointed, it is the time to consid-er holding a pay day.

A recent study conducted by theLong Range Planning Committeenoted that there are sufficient levelsof individual and team awards avail-able to recognize performance abovethat level normally expected of anAuxiliarist. This performance couldbe as an elected or appointed officer,as a team working on a particularevent or project. It also could be anAuxiliarist taking an initiative to dothat little extra. The individualawards, as listed and described in theAuxiliary Manual, include theAuxiliary Meritorious Service Award(AMSA), the AuxiliaryCommendation Award (ACA), theAuxiliary Achievement Award (AAA)and the Auxiliary Commandant’sLetter of Commendation (ACLOC).The Coast Guard Meritorious TeamCommendation Award is available torecognize a team effort. Additionally,there are individual performanceawards that are supported by produc-tion as documented in AUXDATA.

How often have you heard that the

above listed awards are only availablefor and presented at the National andDistrict levels? These awards areavailable to be presented to anyAuxiliarist at any level.

Most Districts/Regions are goodabout recognizing performance at theDistrict level (members of theEXCOM and District Staff Officers).Often overlooked is the performanceof a division captain, who as a mem-ber of the district board, put forth thatextra effort to make a significant con-tribution to the district activities orimprove procedures. How about thatdivision captain that displayed excep-tional leadership in guiding his/herdivision during their term of office?

Recognition at the division andflotilla levels is usually limited toCertificates of Appreciation beingpresented to the vice Captain/Flotillavice Commander and staff members.While this level of recognition shouldnot be overlooked or ignored, itshould not be considered as all that isnecessary or appropriate. It is widelyrecognized that the work of theAuxiliary is performed at the ‘deckplate’ level. Unit leaders, specificallyat these levels, need to take the timeto ensure that the contributions thatlead to or result in performanceabove and beyond that normallyexpected is appropriately recognized:that the deserving Auxiliarist(s)receives an appropriate “pay check.”

Pay DayHave you “paid” an Auxiliarist for performance

above and beyond the normal expectations of their

assigned duties or qualifications?


This recognition could beearned/deserved by an elected orappointed officer that, through theirleadership and/or innovativeapproach had a positive affect on oneor more Auxiliary programs/missionareas. I am sure there have beenmany instances where a flotilla com-mander, as a member of the divisionboard, has taken that extra step andmade a contribution that had a signifi-cant impact on at least one divisionactivity or a flotilla staff officer thathas “turned a program around” with-in the flotilla.

It is not hard to imagine that manyaward recommendations are not sub-mitted because it is perceived asbeing just too much work and nobodywould pay any attention to it anyway.Actually, the procedure and paper-work are relatively simple. For allawards listed above, except for theAMS and the performance awards, allthat is required is a completed CoastGuard Award Recommendation (CGForm 1650) (available on-line fordownloading or in the AuxiliaryManual for reproduction) and a com-pleted draft citation or, in the case ofthe ACLOC, a draft letter. The cita-tion or letter, normally felt to be a‘back breaker,’ is not that hard.There are basically three sections:Section 1 is basic and reflects theAuxiliarist’s name and what he/she isbeing recognized for (Mr. W. T. Dooris cited for meritorious service whileserving as Flotilla Staff Officer -Public Education from 1 January to 1

November), Section 2 details theaccomplishments/activities that sup-port the recognition and Section 3 isthe boiler plate closing for all cita-tions (Mr. Door’s dedication anddevotion to duty are most heartilycommended, etc.). The requirementsfor submission of a Team Award arethe same except that only one citationneeds to be submitted and all teammembers need to be identified in the1650. Most Districts/Regions haveprepared and distributed guides forthe preparation and submission ofaward recommendation that containsample citations. FlotillaCommanders and above should haveaccess to this document or a CD thatcontains it. The AMS requires thesubmission of a “Summary of Action,”a detailed description of activities sup-porting the recommendation.

Changes of Watch present excellentopportunities to hold “pay days.”Recognition is good at any time butrecognition in front of peers is betterand may well provide an incentive forothers to put forth that extra effortknowing that their efforts will beappropriately recognized.

I cannot close this article withoutsaying that recognitions and awardsshould always be given in a timelymanner and when appropriate. Don’twait for a COW in November to rec-ognize an action taken in February.

Take the time to hold a “pay day”and recognize those extra efforts andyou may well be surprised at theresults. U

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COMMODORE

GENE M. SEIBERT

NATIONAL VICECOMMODORE

CHIEF OF STAFF

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Have you realized that in 18 years, adecision you made this year coulddetermine who the NationalCommodore will be?

That’s the kind of power you have.Yes, You.Elections are coming up soon and as

a member of the U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary, you have a vote. Dependingon what position you have, you mayhave more than one opportunity toelect tomorrow’s leaders. If that futureNational Commodore follows the elect-ed path, in all likelihood, they willserve two years each as vice and flotil-la commander, two years each as viceand division captain, two years as rearcommodore, two years each as viceand district commodore, two years asnational area commodore and twomore as the national vice commodore-chief of staff.

Electing leaders may not be as excit-ing as participating in those programareas that are of interest to you, butour elections are nonetheless one ofthe most critical things we do asAuxiliarists.

Why do our elections matter somuch?

We need to choose our elected lead-ers carefully for their one- or two- yearwatch can impact the direction andproductivity of a unit - now and infuture years.

Most of us have a limited hands-onconcept of how the Auxiliary - as awhole - works. We know and under-stand our own units and their leaders.When election time comes around, wevote for people, we think will do thebest job.

Or do we? Sometimes we simplyvote for the person who is next in lineas if we’re rewarding them for havingserved so far, or possibly because wesimply like a person better than anoth-

er. And of course there are times thatwe vote for a person because no oneelse is willing to run for a position.

I think we’ve all been there. But now I’m asking you to stop and

consider just how important it is thatwe choose wisely, pick those who havethe competencies of leadership andmanagement, who are risk managersbut also risk takers.

With the changing environment inpost-September 11, we are experienc-ing cultural shifts not only in the CoastGuard but the Auxiliary as well. Nowmore than ever, we need the right lead-ers to help chart our future course.

Fact: We’re not the same CoastGuard Auxiliary we were five yearsago, so selecting a visionary leader iseven more important now than ever.

Perhaps Albert Einstein hit the nailon the head when he said, “The signifi-cant problems we face today cannot besolved at the same level of thinking wewere in when we created them.”

It comes as no surprise to any of usthat we have experienced, are experi-encing, a cultural shift, which occurswhen a series of dramatic events are soimpacting that an organization cannotcontinue to operate the same way andexpect to achieve its mission.

There is simply no room for candi-dates who want to pursue business asusual. Moreover, we should not electsomeone to a leadership position sim-ply because it’s their turn to serve.The leaders we elect must be ready,willing and able to serve and notappear as simply a figurehead.

September 11 brought sweepingchanges to our operational environ-ment and these changes only reinforcethe importance that we must increaseinteraction and coordination betweenoperational Coast Guard commands,interagency partners and our units.

Leaders neededYour decisions chart the futurecourse of the Coast Guard Auxiliary


We need to bring a new focus to thevalues of planning and sustainment ofour operational readiness. We need torecognize fully that in a broad sense,all of our operational activities need tobe either focused on prevention of anincident through Operation PatriotReadiness, Maritime DomainAwareness, Recreational BoatingSafety and Community OutreachPrograms or in response to mitigatethe undesired effects of an incidentthrough our surge capabilities andcapacity under MARSEC 2 or 3 condi-tions, or if called upon to perform asearch and rescue mission.

I feel overall, our organization mustbegin the transformation in view ofwhat we know today. This can’t beignored. The results of the dramaticevents, the shift in Coast Guard andthe establishment of the Departmentof Homeland Security, and the chang-ing make-up of the recreational boater,all need to come into play as we moveour organization forward.

Today is the “New Normal”. We cannot become complacent; we must real-ize that things will never be like it waspre-September 11.

Now more than ever, we need to pro-vide our organization with the depthand breadth of operational, personal,team and strategic leadership that iscritical to our sustained success in thenear and long term.

See why your selection of this year’sleaders is so important?

Colin Powell, when he wasChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,referred to some critical success fac-tors as traits/characteristics of out-standing leaders. I suggest you usethe following traits as a sort of check-list in evaluating the candidates run-ning for officers in your flotilla, divi-sion, or district elections.

Visionary - A visionary leader setsgoals, looks ahead and sees what thechallenges are ahead of time (Powellcalls this seeing around corners). Avisionary leader plans now for tomor-row. They are proactive rather thanreactive. Lastly, a visionary leader

doesn’t accept the status quo as OK.Motivator/achiever - Leaders who are

high energy and are motivated to domore do better than what has takenplace in the past. They do not rest onthe laurels of previous accomplish-ments. More importantly, they havean ability to motivate others to buy intothis same philosophy. Successful lead-ers give 110 percent effort and are con-tinually striving for excellence.

Communicator - A leader must beable to communicate their ideas, val-ues, visions, and goals. A successfulleader’s decisions are crisp and clear,so everyone knows where the unit isgoing, and how they will get there.

Solutions oriented - You may haveheard the saying, if you are not part ofthe solution, you are part of the prob-lem? Successful leaders don’t simplysee problems as unsolvable; they workto find solutions. They use the KISSprinciple (keep it super simple), andhave a can-do attitude. They alwaysexhibit a situational awareness capabili-ty that enables them to think fast ontheir feet.

Perpetually optimistic - Leaders whoare perpetually optimistic have a rippleeffect on their organization. They seewhat can be done, as opposed to sim-ply seeing the roadblocks to progress.

Know how to have fun - Successfulleaders surround themselves with peo-ple who take their work seriously, butnot themselves. They know how towork hard and play hard and value thefourth cornerstone.

Leaders are willing to make thetough decisions - You’ve heard the say-ing, the buck stops here? Successfulleaders stand fast to this philosophy,even when it seems unpopular.

Therefore in this year’s electioncycle, no matter if you are electing aflotilla commander, division captain orany of the elected leadership, pleasechoose carefully; please choose wisely.

Like the ripple effect of the wakefrom a boat, the leadership choicesthat we make today will ultimatelyimpact the direction of the Auxiliary oftomorrow. U

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OperationBoatSmart:assessment and the way ahead

As we enter the fourth year of theOperation BoatSmart campaign, CDRKim Pickens who is responsible forthe program for the Atlantic area, hasdone a complete assessment for all ofthe partners. This summary is adapt-ed from her document.

Operation BoatSmart has as itsintent the reduction of boating acci-dents and fatalities. Five major goals,or performance measures, were estab-lished by the partners to accomplishthis when the program began in 2001and remain in effect today. The goalsare: an increase in observed PFDwear rates, an increase in certain PFDsales, an increase in the number ofboaters taking public education class-es, an increase in the number of ves-sel safety checks, and a decrease inthe number of fatalities involving alco-hol.

PROGRESS REPORT:

Numbers one and two: it was thedetermination of the partners that thesingle most important measure forsuccess would be independent obser-vation of increased PFD wear.Unfortunately, wear rate studies havenot shown a significant increase inPFD wear. This conclusion was basedon wear rate studies from 2000 to

2002. The results were somewhat sur-prising since the number of PFDssold showed a significant increase.Both production and sales of Type IIIand inflatables of all types hasincreased markedly over the past twoyears. This is especially significantsince boat and equipment sales havebeen flat over the same time frame.

Number three: we have seen anincrease in the number of boaters tak-ing public education courses. It isencouraging that some of thisincrease has been among the boatersconsidered most at risk for fatalities.

Number four: the total number ofvessel safety checks performed by allpartners (primarily Auxiliary, UnitedStates Power Squadrons and states)has increased nearly 50% since thebaseline year of 2000.

Number five: while we have record-ed a decrease in the number of acci-dents and fatalities where alcohol wasthe primary cause, at the same timethe percentage of fatalities where alco-hol was involved in any way hasincreased. The OBS partners sug-gested that this is an area that needsmore study.

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MARYLARSEN


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SEE LARSEN PG. 12

I wasn’t a member then, but that’show I’ve heard it described by somewho saw the Boat Crew QualificationProgram instituted in 1985. Therewere predictions of tremendous mem-bership loss, and protests that the newprogram was completely unnecessary.Yes, some members left because theywere unwilling to participate in thenew qualification process, but ouroperations are much safer and moreprofessional as a result.

Those predictions echo today as weimplement member suitability checks,and it’s our responsibility to make surewe don’t lose any shipmates unneces-sarily. When the program was firstannounced, we heard dire claims thatthe sky was falling, that memberswould never stand for the suitabilitychecks, and that we would lose mem-bership in huge numbers. During themonths since, the program has beendeveloped to minimize the impact onmember privacy and make the processas painless as possible.

A funny thing happened on the wayto the predicted member revolt. Therewasn’t one. In meeting after meeting Iattended, the overwhelming majority-all but a handful-said they agree withthe need for suitability checks on ourmembers. Filling out forms and gettingfingerprinted is a burden, to be sure,

especially for the direct-operations par-ticipants who will be filling out the longform. Auxiliarists who work withactive-duty commands in planning ourresponse to elevated maritime security(MARSEC) levels know that many ofthe details of those plans are classified,and the particulars of our participationare sensitive enough to warrant carefulscreening for all members involved.

There wasn’t a revolt, but there wasand still is a good-sized paperworkgap. There are many members whohaven’t responded to the initial ques-tionnaire, and we all need to work toget those replies back to the Directorof Auxiliary as soon as possible. Someare snowbirds and haven’t answeredtheir winter mail yet. Some probablytossed it out with the credit card offersand sale catalogs. Some laid it aside todo later, and some had questions theyhaven’t gotten around to asking. A fewhave serious misgivings about partici-pating, and nobody’s called to find outwhy.

Whatever the reason, we all need topitch in to keep our shipmates aboard.Scanning the response data in one dis-trict to try to understand what’s hap-pening, I made a listing by flotilla of

Meet the leadership challenge

What could they be thinking? It’s absolutely crazy! It will deci-

mate Auxiliary membership. People will vote with their feet!

SEE REAMS PG. 12

COMMODORE

STEVEN B. REAMS


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the response rate. Several flotillas had100 percent response, and severalmore were in the 90s. Most were inthe 70 percent range, and a few weredownright terrible. Checking againstthe activity level and overall health ofthe flotillas, guess what? Active unitswith good leaders had great response,and not-so-hot units had response ratesto match.

In short, units with good leaders aretending to have good response rates,which means that we can use our lead-ership skills to keep the people wehaven’t heard from. Here’s how:● Find out who hasn’t responded and

make a flotilla plan to reach everyperson on the list. Like everythingelse, the flotilla commander bearsultimate responsibility, but the flotilla

vice commander and the personnelservices officer have roles to play,too.

● Have a supply of the response formsat every flotilla and division meeting,and make sure every member inattendance has filled one out.

● In many cases, this isn’t too differentfrom the annual bug-a-thon to getthe dues collected. Make contact,and ask for the form. It’s availableon-line, so it’s easy to make more forthe people who’ve lost them. Followup, and follow through.

● Use a buddy system to pair non-responsive members with a friendwho can talk to them about the secu-rity checks and help them under-stand why they’re necessary.

● There will be some members whodon’t understand the program, orfeel they aren’t willing to participate.Let them know how important theyare, and answer their questions

patiently and respectfully. Feel freeto use your own experience as anexample.

● There are plenty of resources todraw upon if you get a question youcan’t answer. There’s a question-and-answer resource on the ChiefDirector’s web site, and your electedofficers up the chain can get theanswer to other questions.Like the Boat Crew Qualification

Program nearly 20 years ago, thesuitability check program poses arisk of membership loss. We mustrespond effectively, right now, to pre-vent members from departingthrough our own neglect. Directors ofAuxiliary will disenroll (or retire, ifeligible) members who haven’tagreed to participate in the suitabilitycheck program by the end of 2004.Keeping those members in theAuxiliary is a leadership challenge forevery one of us. U

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REAMScontinued from page 11

THE WAY AHEAD / FUTURE ACTIONS:

Number one: we need to redoubleour efforts to educate partners andthe public on the importance of wear-ing life jackets, at the same time mak-ing certain that the message is clear,concise and consistent. Our messageshould be “Wear your life jacket,” not“Make sure they are readily accessi-ble.”

Number two: we plan to educatesafety advocates and stakeholders at

the local level on the importance ofboating education, at the same timeadvising them on the range of cours-es available. Encourage all partnersto support the work of public educa-tion departments at the local leveland get the word out about upcomingclass offerings.

Number three: we plan to encourageall partners to work at the local levelto support their vessel examiners andwork to advertise and inform the pub-lic about VSC days and specialevents.

Number four: we need to get theword out at the local level to educatethe public on the relationship

between alcohol use and fatalities foroperators and passengers. The plaintruth is - all other factors being equal,impaired passengers are at much asrisk as impaired operators. So futurestrategies must be aimed at bothaudiences.

In summary the campaign has cer-tainly shown some results in the pastthree years. The downward trend inVSCs and attendance at boatingcourses has been slowed, evenreversed. With continuing emphasison the major goals, we should be ableto capitalize on the momentum andsee a reduction in the number ofboating accidents and fatalities.

LARSENcontinued from page 10

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State of the CoastGuard AuxiliaryReady, Reliable and Relevant

CAPTAIN

DAVIDHILL

CHIEF DIRECTOR U.S. COAST GUARD

AUXILIARY

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Upon reporting for duty as yourChief Director some three years ago. Iwas excited about taking on the pro-gram management of a highly valuedvolunteer force that was focused prima-rily on the most important duties ofand responsibilities of executing theRecreational Boating Safety mission.

Little did I, or anyone else for thatmatter, know that our maritime securi-ty environment was about the drastical-ly and dramatically change. Along withthat change was the program challengeto even better leverage the Auxiliarycapability and capacity in support ofCoast Guard missions, and to provideto the operational commanders at alllevels a ready, reliable and relevant vol-unteer force ready to fill in and supportas needed during maritime securitysurge operations. Working hand inhand with the Auxiliary leadership atall levels, I think we have made greatprogress towards attaining many newgoals and objectives.

I believe the Auxiliary is, in fact,more ready to support the Coast Guardand Nation. I believe the Auxiliary ismore relied upon by Coast Guard oper-ational commanders. And I believe theAuxiliary’s support is far more relevantto today’s mission set than ever before.From the program view, I can bestsummarize the state of the Auxiliary, in

four key areas:

1. Auxiliary Support to StrategicObjectives and Goals of MaritimeHomeland Security

● Operation Patriot Readiness (OPR)- Goal: Position the Coast Guard toExecute Maritime Security. TheOPORDER has been highly suc-cessful in accomplishing two pri-mary goals: it has provided moreopportunity for backfill supportalignment with active duty units,and it has prepared the Auxiliaryfor future potential MaritimeSecurity surge operations. OPRPhase III was implemented thispast spring, with the aim to furtherassist operational commanders inbest utilization of identifiedAuxiliary resources in support ofPorts, Waterways and CoastalSecurity missions. The focus ofOPR III has been to further embedthe Auxiliary capability into opera-tional planning for MaritimeSecurity operations and also tocommence development of anemerging role for the Auxiliary in aNational Maritime DomainAwareness capability.

SEE HILL PG. 14


● Contributions of OPR to NationalSecurity. Since the implementationof OPR, the Auxiliary has providedover 7.5 million hours in support ofCG missions. That supportincludes well over 1 million surfacepatrol and approximately 50K airpatrol hours, in support of Ports,Waterways and Coastal Securityoperations. Specific support toOperational Liberty ShieldMaritime Security surge operationswas a total 359K hours with 46Khours on the water and 2.7K hoursin the air. Specific support toOperation Noble Eagle was wellover .5M hours and included sup-port activities ranging from backfill-ing comms watchstanders to con-ducting load out security zonepatrols. The Auxiliary continues toprovide low risk, traditional andnon-traditional support to OperationNeptune Shield. The Auxiliarystands ready as a relied upon forceto support Maritime Security opera-tions through all levels.

● Auxiliary’s Role in a NationalMaritime Domain AwarenessCapability - Goal: Know MaritimeConditions, Anomalies, andThreats. In Winter 03, a plan waslaid down to develop initiatives tocombine recreational boating safe-ty programs with Maritime DomainAwareness public outreach activi-ties as a single, national strategy.Further plans were developed todefine a course of action for theoperational reporting of observa-tions in conjunction with otherAuxiliary operational activities.Most significant was the accom-plishment of a plan to roll out theWaterways Watch program in con-junction with the 04 boating sea-son. This Auxiliary program,which is the recreational boatingsafety part of the larger America’sWaterways Watch program, willenlist the assistance of tens of thou-sands of boaters to report suspi-cious activities on our nation’srivers, lakes, bays and coasts.

2. Moving the Readiness and

Capability of the Auxiliary to HigherLevels; Positioning the Auxiliary for theFirst Half of the 21st Century

The Auxiliary is charting a coursethat will lead the organization well intothe first half of the 21st Century. Thatcourse should also position theAuxiliary as the leading volunteerorganization in the Department ofHomeland Security. Here again, theoverall strategy has been to provide tothe operational commanders the bestvolunteer force possible, focused onon-the-water and in-the-air support toPorts, Waterways and Coastal Security,Marine Safety, Search and Rescue,Recreational Boating Safety, andMaritime Domain Awareness mis-sions. Supporting sub-strategies inresourcing, training, operations,administration, and legal areas havebeen developed and are tracking.Some examples of sub-strategy pro-grams and initiatives are listed below:

● Resourcing the Auxiliary. TheAuxiliary District recurring budgetmodel attained full funding statusat $2.9M. In view of a post-9/11security environment, and signifi-cantly increased Auxiliary supportlevels, work has already com-menced to build a new budgetmodel.

● Personnel Protective Equipment(PPE). The Auxiliary PPE distri-bution plan is based on the numberof qualified competencies per dis-trict/region, resourcing levels, andcold water/warm water policyrequirements. The requirementfor Personnel EPIRB (PEPIRB)distribution is one per facility. Todate, over 20% of operationalAuxiliarists have been outfittedwith PPE and, by 1 Jun 04, 100% ofsurface facilities have beenassigned PEPIRBs.

● Legal. A total of 4 LegislativeChange Proposals have eitherbecome law or are tracking forinclusion in CG Authorization Bills;all of which serve to help raise thereadiness and capability of theAuxiliary. A LCP, which providesdeath gratuity benefits toAuxiliarists who die while execut-ing operational orders, was incor-porated into law. A LCP regardingAuxiliary unit owned property cou-

pled with Federal Government lia-bility protection, which would pro-vide coverage to Auxiliary ownedsurface facilities in a Bravo orCharlie status, continues to track.A LCP regarding elimination of tax-ation of Auxiliary materials andunit owned property continues tomake progress. A new LCPregarding liability coverage ofAuxiliary privately owned vehicleswhen towing CG-owned trailersunder orders is being developed.

● Auxiliary E-learning. Advances inAux e-learning have gained highlevels of success. A dedicatedDistrict 7 Aux on-line testing centerhas been moved to a nationalAuxiliary-wide capability, providingweb based testing for nearly everyAuxiliary member course. Notonly is the testing completelysecure, but also “signed” coursecompletion certificates are auto-matically generated. This highlysuccessful system is currentlybeing investigated by G-WT forpossible CG implementation.Further, pilots for on-line courseshave been conducted with notedsuccess in terms of training com-pletion and dollars saved.

● Personnel Security. The impact ofthis major program will be signifi-cant in terms of enhancing opera-tional support to CG missions and,in the larger sense, volunteer sup-port to national security. A realbenefit of the program will beAuxiliarist eligibility for securityclearances, to facilitate volunteersupport in secure areas andspaces.

● Auxiliary Manual (AUXMAN). Acompletely overhauled AuxiliaryManual is ready for distribution.Over five years in the making, thisessentially new, world-class manualwill likely provide administrative,training, and legal policy to theAuxiliary for decades. It lays downthe policy which best facilitatesAuxiliary support to the CoastGuard. .

● E-Auxiliary. As a large, decentral-ized volunteer organization, theAuxiliary has promoted the E-Auxiliary concept at every turn.Major initiatives include the devel-

HILLcontinued from page 13


opment and implementation of theAuxiliary Data System (AUXDA-TA), the Patrol Order ManagementSystem (POMS). AUXDATA isalready a heavily relied upon andextremely valuable personnel man-agement data system, which willserve the Auxiliary for years tocome. Tied directly into AUXDA-TA qualifications tracking is thePOMS system, which ensures qual-ifications are met prior to theissuance of orders, files the ordersclaim following orders completion,and then automatically pays theAuxiliarist filing the claim. A pilotfor this program has been excep-tionally successful in several dis-tricts, and national implementationhas been announced by ALCOAST.

3. Traditional Mission SupportAreas, New Mission Support Areas:Expanding the Breadth of AuxiliarySupport

While the Auxiliary’s more recentfocus has been on the water and in-the-air support to CG Ports, Waterwaysand Coastal missions, support to othertraditional and new missions are rapid-ly growing. Some examples are listedbelow:

● Operations. The AuxiliaryCutterman’s Program has beeninstituted. This program providesAuxiliarists with opportunities toqualify in both inport and under-way watch positions, and also fillcutter Watch, Quarter and StationBill assignments. It additionallyprovides the opportunity to earn anAuxiliary Cutterman’s Pin. TheAuxiliary Operational ExcellenceProgram has also been institutedand serves to promote teamworkand overall proficiency of Auxiliaryboatcrews. An improved, saferAuxiliary Aviation program isgrowing by leaps and bounds.New valuable, innovative and rele-vant aviation capabilities are beinginvestigated.

● Marine Safety. Overall programsupport growth by 16% in one year.Explosive growth continues. TenAuxiliary Marine Safety qualifica-tion PQS programs and the TRI-DENT program have been institut-ed.

● Recreational Boating Safety. The

Auxiliary continues to promote theconcept that a strong RBS programis absolutely essential in preventingSAR, and keep scarce CGresources available for other mis-sion assignments. The VesselSafety Check program continues tothe mainstay of the RBS mission,along with a revised RecreationalBoating Safety Visitation Program.The Auxiliary welcomed, promotedand pushed for an initiative toestablish Auxiliary positions underCOTPs to provide leadership toRecreational Boating SafetySubcommittees as part of HarborSafety Committees. Pilot programsin three ports are underway.

● Recruiting. The AIM program con-tinues to enjoy great and longstanding success. Auxiliary sup-port to the recruiting mission isessential to program goal accom-plishment.

● Interpreter Corps. The AuxiliaryInterpreter Corps continues to besuccessful, with close to 250 lin-guists available on a 7X24 basis,covering nearly 50 languages.Significant accomplishmentsinclude ongoing, deployableRussian language interpreter capa-bility on WHECs.

● Health Care Support to CG Clinics.The Director of Health and Safetyhas implemented a program to pro-vide Auxiliarist health careprovider volunteer support at CGclinics. The initiative now has over50 dentists, physicians, EMTs andnurses ready to or actively provid-ing volunteer support at severalCG clinics. This volunteer supporthas proved to be exceptionally ben-eficial in conjunction with clinicbackfill and direct support forReservist recall to active duty phys-icals.

Auxiliary Global Reach: SupportingRegional Stability, Increasing SARCapability

An Auxiliary international engage-ment plan has been implemented, witha focus on developing partnerships andSAR capability in the Caribbean andalong the shared U.S. and Canadianborders.

An initiative to stand up an existing

Caribbean volunteer SAR organizationpartnership, with the idea of assistingother Caribbean basin countries intheir initiatives of establishing likecapabilities, is well underway. Thestrategic objective of this initiative isto strengthen security and stabilitywithin Caribbean nations through thedevelopment and operation of volun-teer maritime organizations that con-duct SAR, disaster recovery opera-tions and information sharing in coor-dination with Caribbean governmentmaritime organizations. The focus ison helping nations establish and standup volunteer SAR organizationsthrough sharing of best practices and,accordingly, increasing the overallSAR capability in the Caribbean. Thefirst U.S. sponsored, U.S. SOUTH-COM supported CSAR Conference,was held in Miami during December02. Over 80 representatives repre-senting a total of 26 nations including19 Caribbean nations attended. Nineof those countries have since stood upnew organizations, adding to thoseare already established. A secondconference was held in Miami thispast May.

Canadian Coast GuardAuxiliary/International SARCompetition. The partnershipbetween the U.S. and Canadian CoastGuard Auxiliaries continues to enjoy aprofound level of success. AU.S./Canadian International SAR com-petitions program, with four held sofar, continues to strengthen that rela-tionship and, as such, the shared bor-der SAR capability. The next competi-tion is scheduled to be held in earlyNovember, in Portsmouth,

Ready, Reliable and Relevant - that’stoday’s Auxiliary.

This is my last Navigator article, as Iam about to head over to the NationalDefense University as the Coast GuardChair. This has been a great job. I’veenjoyed working with the Auxiliaryleadership, the District Directors, andthe all the Districts staffs. Most enjoy-able has been meeting and talking tomany of you. CAPT Barry Smith isgoing to have a great tour of duty asyour new Chief Director. Keep up thegreat work out there - the Coast Guardand the Nation need you more thanever before. U

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BY JEREMY SMITHBC-APR, National Press CorpsPhotos by Mel Borofsky

They came from all over the

world - some from as far away

as Australia and the United

Kingdom - and others from as

close to the United States as

Canada, Costa Rica and the

island nations of the

Caribbean.

Clearly, the Caribbean VolunteerMaritime Search and RescueConference (CSAR) had become aninternational bellweather for these sea-faring nations committed to improvingsafety of life at sea.

Building upon the success of twoprevious CSAR conferences(Dominican Republic in 2000 andMiami in 2002), this year’s conferencein Miami May 14-15, increased partici-pation of 80 delegates from 26 differentcountries. The conference was hostedby the Coast Guard AuxiliaryInternational Affairs Directorate inconjunction with the U.S. SouthernCommand and the U.S. Coast Guard. Itwas attended by representatives fromthe USCG, USCG Auxiliary, Caribbean

Nations, as well as representativesfrom other countries and internationalorganizations.

According to Commodore EveretteTucker, past National Commodore andDirector of the International AffairsDirectorate, the purpose of the confer-ence was to “enhance the security, sta-bility, and safety of life at sea in theCaribbean Region through the estab-lishment and development of volunteermaritime search and rescue (SAR)

organizations and the strengthening ofexisting volunteer SAR organizationsthat could assume SAR operations,thus releasing the government forcesto focus on security, counter-drug,migrant interdiction, and other lawenforcement missions.”

A number of international volunteerand government SAR organizationsparticipated by making presentationsand conducting workshops at the con-ference including the Citizens Rescue

So that othersmight liveCSAR conference brings Caribbean nations together

Lt. Douglas Archer, Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard, makes a point ata workshop discussion.


Organization in Curacao (CITRO), theTurks and Caicos Rescue Association(TACRA), the Grenada Coast Guard,the Search and Rescue Organization inGrenada (SARA), the InternationalLifeboat Federation (ILF), the VirginIslands Search and Rescue (VISAR),the Association for Rescue at Sea(AFRAS), the Bahamas Air-SeaRescue Association (BASRA), theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution(RNLI), the French Maritime RescueCoordination Center (MRCC), and theSociété Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer(National Society for Safety at Sea -SNSM). Additionally, representativesfrom several non-Caribbean countriesalso presented and actively participat-ed at the conference.

The agenda covered a broad rangeof topics including preventive SAR, thetraining of SAR crews and coxswains,mass casualty rescue operations,

enhancing fundraising results andmany other initiatives that will aid inthe establishment and development ofvolunteer SAR organizations.

Delegates were officially welcomedto the conference by CAPT WayneJustice, Chief of Staff, 7th Coast GuardDistrict. In describing the importanceof the participants’ contributions tosafety at sea, the Captain cited a famil-iar axiom by the distinguished anthro-pologist, Margaret Meade: ‘Neverdoubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed citizens can change theworld. Indeed, it’s the only thing thatever has.’ ”

“For these next two days, as a smallgroup of thoughtful and committed cit-izens, you and those you represent,can change the world - or at least theCaribbean region - in terms of safety oflife at sea. As we open this conference,I hope that we will find creative ways

to strengthen the SAR capabilities inthe Caribbean through the establish-ment and employment of volunteerSAR assets and organizations,” Justicesaid.

He also recognized the enormouscontributions of the U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary on every level. “The CoastGuard is extraordinarily proud andappreciative of our relationships withour volunteer organization: the CoastGuard Auxiliary. In my district alone,more than 5,832 Auxiliarists with morethan 758 surface facilities and 59 avia-tion facilities contribute more than100,000 annual hours of service. Thesehours of service run across the fullspectrum of Coast Guard missionareas.”

Klaus Baumann, Deputy Director of

SEE CSAR PG. 18

Osmond Griffith, Assistant Superintendent, Grenada Coast Guard, tries on inflatable PFD while Jean Claude VanRymenant, St. Martin, French Antillies and USCG Auxiliarist Mark Roth look on.


the International Affairs Directorate,reminded attendees of the reason thatthey were in involved in SAR. “Why arewe doing this? So that others mightlive!”

Adriaan van der Hoeven, President ofCITRO, presented a case study on theCitizens Rescue Organization, based inCuracao. Among the many challengesfaced by his organization since itsfounding 25 years ago is that it is com-prised entirely of volunteers andreceives no government subsidy.Instead, CITRO relies upon annualdonations of about $30,000.Occasionally, CITRO also receivesolder boats donated by the Royal DutchLifeboat Organization (KNRM). Theboats are manned by CITRO’s civilianvolunteers, but rescue operations arecoordinated by the Netherland AntillesCoast Guard.

Dudley Been, presented a case studyof the Turks and Caicos RescueAssociation (TACRA). Been began bydescribing some of the adverse condi-tions in this remote island nation of26,000 that precipitated the formationof TACRA. Notably, until TACRA wasformed in 1991, there was an absenceof any government SAR organizationand very little attention paid to boatersafety regulations.

To address this deficit, several boatowners, fishermen, and ham radiooperators united to become affiliatedwith other volunteer SAR organiza-tions. In particular, the volunteers cred-ited the Fisheries Department and theCommissioner of Police with assistingtheir efforts to become a viable volun-teer SAR organization

Even basic safety equipment is notcompulsory on fishing boats in theTurks and Caicos. TACRA is seekinglegislation to change this situation.Despite setbacks, the organization iscurrently seeking to establish a base ofoperations and is in need of boats,radios and personnel. The conferenceprovided delegates from TACRA withtheir first opportunity to meet repre-sentatives from their neighboring vol-

unteer SAR organization in theBahamas (BASRA), as well as otherestablished Caribbean government andvolunteer organizations, Been said.

Roland Baldeo, a volunteer with theSearch and Rescue Association inGrenada (SARA), described a similarstage of development for his organiza-tion in Grenada. Unlike the Turks andCaicos, however, safety equipmentaboard fishing vessels in Grenada isstrictly regulated. Minimum safetyequipment includes a compass, a GPSunit, a VHF radio, flares and PFDs.Further, fishing vessels must pass asafety inspection for their owners tobenefit from fuel and duty-free conces-sions. Perhaps the strongest advocatefor volunteer SAR support in Grenada,however, is CDR Osmond Griffith,Assistant Superintendent of theGrenada Police/Coast who has an ini-tiative underway to create a volunteerCoast Guard Auxiliary in Grenada.

Gerry Keeling, CEO, InternationalLifeboat Federation (ILF), describedthe major developments of the ILFsince its founding in 1924. Two years

ago the organization created ProjectGenesis, an initiative whereby the ILF isable to offer a wide variety of differentSAR models to foreign governments.“The idea was to try and come up witha consistent approach (to SAR) that allILF members could adopt,” Keelingsaid. In this manner, the ILF hopes tofoster a greater global awareness of thecauses and trends of loss of life at sea.

During his workshop session,Keeling had the attendees divide upinto their respective Maritime RescueCoordination Center (MRCC) regionsand assess the safety of life at sea intheir area. While the conclusions wereunverified, it appears that the loss oflife at sea in the Caribbean Region isover 1,000 each year without consider-ing the loss of life at sea by migrants.Many of these are believed to be U.S.boaters.

Despite the diversity of languagesand cultures represented at the confer-ence, there was a surprising communal-ity of problems that became apparentonce the delegates were divided intoindividual discussion groups. The

CSARcontinued from page 17

Commodore Everette Tucker, Director, International Affairs Directorate, U.S.Coast Guard Auxiliary presents a team commendation award for work at the2002 Caribbean Conference to Gerry Keeling, CEO, International LifeboatFederation and Alex Hewitt-Jones, Executive Administrator, Virgin IslandSearch and Rescue.


opportunity for the attendees to talk toeach other, in most cases for the firsttime, was another outcome of the con-ference that fosters a regional approachto information sharing in the Caribbean.

Andy Whyte of the Royal NationalLifeboat Institution and LTJG TheresaGrano, USCG, served as moderatorsfor a very interactive and useful break-out discussion on the challenges oftraining SAR coxswains and crews.Among the problems common to all ofthe organizations were a lack of fund-ing, a need for standardized trainingand the commitment of volunteers toundergo advanced training.

Solutions to funding problems rangedfrom lobbying influential governmentofficials, exerting public and mediapressure on local governments andseeking foreign aid from governmentorganizations such as IMO, SOUTH-COM and USAID. Further, the integra-tion of regional training centers wassuggested as a means by which volun-teers could gain access to advancedtraining without having to leave theCaribbean. The SAR models of the ILFand the USCG/USCG Auxiliary werealso credited for their contribution tostandardized training. Finally, the adop-tion of uniforms was thought by someto help foster a sense of achievementand self-worth among the volunteers.

CAPT Steve Sawyer, Chief, Searchand Rescue, USCG, and Ms. AlexHewitt-Jones of the Virgin IslandsSearch and Rescue conducted a work-shop on the subject of mass casualtyrescue operations. The delegates wereasked to identify how their respectiveSAR organizations might respond to anoverloaded ferry sinking in bad weath-er near nightfall within two miles of ahostile shore. Given the number ofrefugees regularly transiting theCaribbean, the scenario underscoredthe need for increased SAR capabilitiesand training in the region as well as acontinuing regional exchange of ideasand experiences.

Dick Clinchy, Department Chief,Public Education, USCG Auxiliary,introduced the delegates to the needfor preventative SAR and the availabili-ty of electronic boating courses, suchas the Auxiliary’s popular America’sBoating Course (ABC). A key compo-nent is its adaptability to foreign lan-guages and regional boating condi-tions. Commodore Dennis Lightbourn,Bahamas Air-Sea Rescue Association,Nassau, said ABC had already beenmodified for instruction specific to hiscountry.

CAPT Barry Smith, InternationalPrograms, USCG, described the inter-action between the delegates at the

conference in terms of a “multi-lateralinternational engagement.” CAPTSmith will relieve CAPT David Hill,USCG as Chief Director of the USCGAuxiliary this summer. “You are doingwonderful things. You are doing inter-national engagement at the best levelpossible. That’s the word I’ll take backwhen I go to Coast GuardHeadquarters,” he said.

As the conference drew to a close,CAPT Mark Kern, USCG from U. S.Southern Command, expressed hisdeep appreciation and support for theimpressive efforts of COMO Tuckerand the distinguished CSAR partici-pants.

“Just recently, COMO Tucker and Ihad an opportunity to talk to some ofthe senior leadership at the U. S.Southern Command and to share withthem what this conference is all about.They were totally blown away by every-thing you people do - and do so well!”

Governments represented● ANTIGUA & BARBUDA● GRENADA● SAINT VINCENT & THE GRENADINES● AUSTRALIA● JAMAICA● BAHAMAS● NETHERLANDS ANTILLES ● SOUTH AFRICA● BARBADOS● ARUBA● TRINIDAD & TOBAGO● BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS● BONAIRE● TURKS & CAICOS● CANADA● SABA● UNITED KINGDOM● COSTA RICA● SAINT EUSTATIUS● UNITED STATES● DOMINICA● SAINT MARTIN● PUERTO RICO● DOMINICAN REPUBLIC● SAINT KITTS & NEVIS● U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS● FRENCH WEST INDIES ● SAINT LUCIA● MARTINIQUE● SAINT MARTIN

Jeff Mahl, DC-Id, USCG Auxiliary instructs Alex Hewitt-Jones of VirginIsland Search and Rescue on the use of the Centra system.

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Conference attendees

2004 Caribbean Search


and Rescue Conference


MESS DUTYon the USCGC Kankakee

The Kankakee is a 75-foot Class riverbuoy tender, commissioned in 1990,and homeported at Group LowerMississippi River, Memphis, Tenn.

The cutter services the LowerMississippi from mile 813 in the northto mile 683 in the south, as well asMcKellar Lake. Her primary mission ismaintaining and repairing the numer-ous aids to navigation located in itsarea of responsibility. The Kankakeecan also serve as a search and rescue

platform, if need be.The routine is one week in port, one

week on the river. The normal riverrun is south past Tunica, MS andnorth to Caruthersville, MO Of coursesister ships are in and out of servicetoo, so the Kankakee sometimes goesfurther north and south to cover.

The Kankakee’s cook was due someleave, and with the Coast Guardstretched even thinner after 9/11,there was not a readily available food

service specialist to fill the slot.I met with their regular cook, Chief

Brady, earlier in the week. He showedme the galley, and we worked out theweek’s menus. At the time, thisseemed like a blast. All I would have todo is cook for the crew, and in myspare time, I would be on theMississippi River watching theKankakee crew service the buoys,lights and dayboards that make up theMississippi ATONs.

1945 SUNDAY, MARCH 14

I report aboard the Kankakee onSunday night to familiarize myself withthe cutter, and to avoid an early morn-

BY LANNY OAKES, FC, 89 D8E

I like to cook, which is good, because I like to eat. That’s

how I ended up on the USCGC Kankakee (WLR-75500).

USCG Cutter Kankakee. Photos by Lanny Oakes


ing drive on Monday. Several of thecrew had done likewise, so I met someof those I would be feeding the nextfour days.

2045 Sunday, March 14

Reality sets in. Cooking for my wifeand me is a snap compared to this.Tomorrow morning I do not havebreakfast to cook since that is getting-under-way time. But dinner and supperfor 12 hungry Coasties are staring mein the face (and that is just forMonday).

Tuesday through Thursday I’ll havethree meals times 12 crew members toprepare. The challenge seems simple:do what I usually do for my wife andme, then multiply it six times over. Itell myself to get some sleep. The ves-sel gets underway at 0600.

0415 Monday, March 15

Silly me: I brought an alarm clockand set it for 5:30 a.m. so I could watchthe getting-underway procedures. Thecrew fired up the diesel generator, and

switched off the shore power at 0415.Of course that is the small diesel.When they fired up the two 1,000-hp.main engines, the whole cutter rum-bles, groans and vibrates. Forget sleep-ing!

I go on deck and immediately find aplace out of the way. All 10 (we willpick up the 11th crew member onTuesday) of the crew are busy withgetting underway. So many systems toset, adjust and monitor. After all, this isa self-contained village that must sup-ply all the needs of the crew, the boat,and the mission.

By 0630 we are on the Mississippijust south of the “old” Memphisbridge. The engines slow, and sudden-ly the boat is quiet ( or relatively so).On the bridge, Chief Frascella movesthe boat into position, all the whilekeeping one eye on the computer-gen-erated GPS superimposed river chart.His other eye is on the crew down onthe barge deck, and somehow alsokeeps track of the Kankakee’s move-ments.

Over the PA I hear a voice yell,“ready on deck!” Then I hear Chief

Frascella yell, “set it!” This is followedby a huge splash as a buoy and anchorgoes over the side.

Crew accommodations are spartanby civilian standards, but not bad formilitary. Master Chief Rahilly gets themaster’s quarters, which includes adesk, locker, sink and two windows.He shares a head with two otherchiefs. Everyone else bunks two to aroom ( twin bunks, a small desk, andeven smaller locker/storage space.

Since Master Chief Rahilly is onleave this week, along with the cook, Iget the master’s quarters. I wonder ifI’ll get to keep this luxury suite afterthey sample my cooking!

Four really big cables lash theKankakee to the 110-foot-long servicebarge. It has a lower deck full of equip-ment, parts and general storage.

Forward of the workshop on themiddle third of the barge, inboard, is ametal rack with several rows of redand green buoys. Each buoy weighs475 lbs. (can) or 485 lbs. (nun).Outboard on either side of the buoyracks are concrete anchors stackedthree high. Each anchor weighs 1,500lbs. The forward third of the bargecontains a crane, the work area, andthe buoy launch and retrieval area. It isa busy place.

Setting a buoy involves placing theconcrete anchor on a spring loadedlaunch platform, placing a coil of cable(60 to 150 feet long) on top of theanchor, and placing the buoy besidethe anchor. Then a crew signals thepilothouse “ready on deck.” Upon thecommand “prepare to set” from thepilothouse, a crewmember plays outthe cable. Two more lift the end of thebuoy, and a forth crewmember standsby with a foot on the launch lever ofthe anchor launcher.

When the pilothouse yells “set,”buoy and anchor go over the side andthe crew jumps back to avoid gettingsoaked.

Meanwhile, back in the galley, I’ve

SEE MESS DUTY PG. 24

MK3 Zawaski, MK1 Grijalva, DC2 Noell and MK2 Morton in the mess.


been fixing ribeye steaks, baked pota-toes, green beans, and salad.

At 1100 here they come, and by 1130there they go. Crew members washtheir plates and utensils, grab a candybar or some cookies, and head back towork. I wash the pots and pans, andload the plates and utensils into thesanitizer (or heavy-duty dishwasher.

They did not throw me overboard,so now I get to explore more of theship, ask lots of questions and try tostay out of the way.

By 1430 I am back in the galleyworking on supper. Tacos and all thetrimmings, refried beans, Spanish rice,and corn. Supper is ready at 1730 andserved until all the crew eats. This isgoing on at the same time theKankakee is pushing in for the night.

With about 30 minutes of light leftthe Kankakee looks for suitableovernight docking space. We need sixfeet of water as close to the bank as wecan get it, and a couple of stout treesfrom which to cable off. She eases upto the bank with a crewman fore andaft yelling out depths ( just like MarkTwain would have done).

The crew puts the barge nose intothe bank, with tender stern out atabout a 30-degree angle. The pilothouse signals “barge spike down.” Acrewman releases the cable holding asquare steel shaft about 50 feet long.The spike drops straight down to themuddy Mississippi bottom.

Cables off the bow and stern arethen run ashore to trees, tighteneddown, and the Kankakee is secure forthe night. With supper finished, thecrew goes for ice cream floats andwatches a little TV. I clean up the gal-ley, then retire to the master’s quar-ters for a hot shower and some read-ing.

The rack monster gets me quicklyafter the shower. Next thing I knowthe ship’s lights have all gone red andthere is a diesel generator hummingaway somewhere in the bowels of thisriver beast.

I turn over for what seems like just aminute, when a female voice says “Mr.Oakes, it’s 0400. Chief Brady alwayswants us to get him up an hour before

reveille so he can catch the early news.Do you want to get up now?”

The Kankakee is the only co-ed boaton the western rivers system. Fourfemale Coast Guard personnel walkthe decks of the Kankakee.

0400, TUESDAY, MARCH 16

I’m in the galley cooking bacon andsausage, getting a head start on frying

some eggs. Now for the pancake bat-ter! The floor starts to vibrate ( musthave fired up the main engines). Imust not forget to get the chicken andhamburger out of the deep freeze, andline up the other ingredients for dinnerand supper.

0505 TUESDAY, MARCH 16

I’m wide-awake now, no time for that

MESS DUTYcontinued from page 23

SM Giles, SM Budzikm and SA Basler launch a buoy.

Chief Frascella at the helm of the Kankakee.


first cup of coffee. Two over easy, ashort stack and some bacon (or wasthat sausage)? By 0530 the crew hasbeen fed, and Chief Frascella is up inthe pilot house giving orders to cast offfrom the shore. By 0600 the dishes arein the sanitizer, and the galley is clean.Now to plan dinner and supper.

I’ve got a couple of hours before Ihave to start dinner preparation, so Itake a quick trip to the pilot house tosee where we are.

Chief Frascella patiently answers myquestions as he explains the ship’s con-trols. Then he turns and says “Want totake her for a while?”

Suddenly I’m behind the wheel (orstick in this case). I place one hand onthe tiller, and the other on the throt-tles. Wow, 200 feet of boat and bargeand 2,000 horses at my command. Sheis very responsive and does exactlywhat I tell her to. If only I knew what

to tell her to do!“Okay,” Chief Frascella says, “run

the reds, set up on that red buoy andline up the next one beyond it.Remember the stern will come aroundso you want to hold the line until thestern is clear (okay – a little close tothe buoy, watch it)!”

Too late do I remember I have 200feet of ship under me! The buoy passesthe stern, but not before the cable iscut. Thank goodness the propellershave hardened steel leading edges!

“It happens all the time,” he says, ashe orders the barge deck crew to pre-pare to retrieve a stray. The chiefbrings the Kankakee’s barge nose tostation about four feet from the straybuoy (my stray buoy). A crewman las-sos the stray, and it’s winched aboard.

“You cut it, you get to set it!” saysChief Frascella. I take the helm, powerdown and start watching the

chart/GPS. Slowly the Kankakee iconmoves back up to the buoy mark icon.When the two icons are together onthe chart/GPS I yell through the miketo the barge crew “set it” and over theside it goes.

With that Chief Frascella suggestsit’s time for me to start dinner, so backto the galley I go!

The days pass quickly, and thenights even quicker. Sun up to sundown, set, retrieve, make cable har-nesses, move buoys, move anchors,clean the ship, eat, tie up to shore,sleep, and start all over the next day.

I have a newfound respect for thecrew of the Kankakee. They keep asection of the Mississippi River open tocommerce and recreational boating.After spending four days on the river Ihave a greater understanding for howmuch river activity there is. What anadventure!

Sunrise from the bridge of the Kankakee. Photos by Lanny OakesU

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One of those calls was to Coast GuardAuxiliary Flotilla 6-12 in Houston, Texasfor the use of its aircraft.

One aircraft was especially suited tothe task, belonging to the on-dutyAuxiliary aviator for the day, Patrick J.Moran: his 1974 Cessna Citation CE-500 LW (long wing).

The plan was to have the Citation jetfly multiple trips to the search areabecause of its speed and load carryingcapability. The first NASA security per-sonnel arrived at the Air Station andboarded the aircraft. Coast Guard“Rescue 500EL” was airborne at 1430 to

Jacksonville, Texas Cherokee CountyAirport, the center of the search area.

The first flight proved tricky.As soon as the Citation was clear of

Ellington’s airspace, Houston Approachcleared “Rescue 500EL” for an unre-stricted climb to the requested altitudeof 16,500 feet and expedited the flightthrough Houston’s airspace.

As the flight neared the search area,it was handed off to Fort Worth Center.But the center had not gotten the mes-sage about the rescue flight.

After a brief period of confusion,George M. “Buddy” Roberts, the

Division 6 Air Operations Officer, wasable to get Fort Worth to contactSoutheast Air Defense Command andverify the proper clearances. The flightwas instructed to contact “Roper 87” thecoordinating military command aircraft.Unfortunately, the Citation does nothave the military UHF capability.

Finally, Fort Worth Center was ableto create a radio crosspatch fromRescue 500EL to “Roper 87” for finalapproach clearances.

Special cautions were in order, as alarge cloud of debris was in the airbetween 9,000 and 16,000 feet, andapproximately six F-16 and F-15 fight-ers, and two Air Force tankers, wereacting as a combat air patrol over thesearch area. There also were additionalsheriff and forestry aircraft in the area.

The Citation and crew landed atCherokee County Airport only 35 min-utes after departure from Houston’sEllington Field, a distance of approxi-mately 190 miles.

After handing off the NASA security

Coast Guard Auxiliary joins the

jet age

Ready to depart — Aircraft commander “ Buddy” Roberts, Aircraft owner Pat “Guts” Moran and two NASA securitypersonnel prepare to depart.

BY ROBERT L. KORYCIAKFSO-PA 6-12, 8CR

As the nation on Feb. 1, 2003, was just hearing the news of the

tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the crew of seven

brave astronauts, telephone calls were quickly being made to

locate aircraft and equipment to respond to the disaster.


personnel to agents of the Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms, “Rescue500EL” made an immediate departureback to Air Station Houston to preparefor additional transports.

The Citation is proving to be a wel-comed asset for the Auxiliary.

The Citation’s story began in 2002when the Auxiliary took a progressiveleap into the new century with nationalapproval of the first turbojet aircraftoffered for Coast Guard use.

It is the first turbojet aircraft clearedfor Coast Guard use, and received finalapproval as an operational facility inOctober 2002.

The Citation enhances the missionreadiness for complex assignments andtransport missions, and is equippedwith some of the most modern electron-ics available on the civilian market.

For example, the cockpit panel hastwo Garmin 430 color GPS/movingmap communication radios, colorweather radar, a Stormscope lightningdetector, a back-up triple IFR GPS sys-tem and a radar altimeter. A marineband radio rounds out the onboard elec-tronic equipment.

The aircraft is capable of carryingseven persons, at speeds of up to 340knots, and has a range at high altitudeof 1,200 miles, depending on the pay-load. This gives the Coast Guard an air-craft that can fly non-stop from Houstonto Washington D.C., or direct from theWest Coast (Los Angeles to Houston) injust over three hours.

Aside from emergencies such as theShuttle disaster, the aircraft will be usedfor executive transport of Coast Guardadministrative staff to different bases;something about which owner/operatorPatrick Moran has a fair amount ofexperience.

In civilian operations, Moran’sCitation has transported formerSecretary of State Madeline Albrighton a speaking tour of the country, andthe Texas Comptroller, CarolStrayhorn, throughout Texas.

However, the unique ability for thisaircraft, a quick dash out into Gulf ofMexico to find a lost boat, is a missionthis bird is competent of handling.

Moran did just that with a mission inthe summer of 2001, when he and hisflight crew assisted with a medical evac-uation 160 miles offshore of SabinePass in the Aerocommander.

The Citation Jet is literally in a classby itself. The Coast Guard had to cre-ate a new reimbursement structure, list-ing the Citation as a “Class 9” aircraft.The major benefit to the Coast Guard isthat the Cessna Citation offers signifi-cant cost savings.

The Falcon jets that the Coast Guarduses cost approximately $2,200 an hourto operate. Moran estimates that thecost to the Coast Guard for the use ofthe Citation will be about one quarter asmuch.

A special aircraft needs a special crewto do its duty.

George M. “Buddy” Roberts, the

Division 6 Air Operations Officer, willbe in charge of training the second-in-command pilots. Roberts brings to theflotilla more than 35 years of flyingexperience from two tours of duty inVietnam as an Air Force combat pilot,several years as a corporate Citationpilot, and has just recently retired from17 years as a first officer for ContinentalAirlines, flying MD-80s.

Even though the aircraft is certifiedto operate under single-pilot rules, itwill only be flown on Coast Guard mis-sions with another IFR/Multi-enginepilot in the right seat that has beentrained in the aircraft systems.

Coordinating training is Flotilla 6-12Training Officer Dan Illerich’s job. Hebrings extensive experience as a flightinstructor into the mix. Illerich retiredfrom flight instruction at Hobby Airporta few years ago. His aviation experi-ences go back to World War II, when,as a young USAF radio operator and topturret gunner, he was forced to bail outof a B-24 Liberator bomber overBorneo, after the aircraft was hit bygunfire from a Japanese battleship.

The person who makes this facilityavailable is special in his own right.

Moran began his flying career while inhigh school. He is a commercial multi-engine-rated pilot with more than 1,800hours of flight time, from April 1995,(when he decided to keep a record). Hehas flown a variety of high performanceaircraft, including the L-39 Albatross,Pilatius PC-9 turboprop, the FrenchFouga Magistre, the F-4 Phantom, theBritish Hawker Hunter and even theLockheed F-104 Starfighter.

Due to his friendship and internation-al connections in Europe, he has flownwith the Ukrainian Air Force on a num-ber of occasions. He has experience fly-ing some of the most advanced fightersto come out of the Russian Federation,including the MIG-21, 23, and 29, andthe Sukhoi’s SU-24, SU-25 and SU-27UB.

When Moran is not flying for theCoast Guard, you might find him at hishanger at Hooks Airport, in Tomball,Texas, where the Citation shares spacewith his other Coast Guard-approvedflying machine, a twin Aerocommander,and his “toys” ( four ex-military T-34trainers he leased to “Texas Air ACES”Air Combat School).

Mission planning — Robert Koryciak leans over map as he and John Edel,VFC, Doak McBryde, FSO, Chuck Horowitz, observer, and G.M. “Buddy”Roberts, Aircraft commander, study charts to determine usable airfields forthe citation, based on the flight path of the Columbia.

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BY VICTOR BEELIK SO-PB 11NR

A suspicious life jacket exploded onthe main deck of the Lake Tahoeexcursion boat, the Tahoe Queen. Theexplosion maimed and injured a num-ber of passengers and filled the maindeck with choking smoke.

This simulated disaster kicked offone of the largest emergency drillsever held on Lake Tahoe, a 240 squaremile lake high in the mountains on theborder between California and Nevada.

The focus of the drill, organized byBMC Raymond Holcombe,Commanding Officer and his crew ofthe U.S. Coast Guard Station onTahoe, was aimed to exercise and

coordinate emergency action of morethan a dozen government agenciesfrom the State of California, the Stateof Nevada, four different counties, theU.S. Forest Service, the U.S. CoastGuard and the USCG Auxiliary, as wellas the resources of the Naval AirStation in Fallon, NV.

Members of DIV. 11, 11NR, U.S.Coast Guard Auxiliary, participated inthe exercise and engaged in traininglaw enforcement agency personnel innavigation and search and rescuemethods during the weeks before thedrill.

Jack Leth, Flotilla 11-1, trained thecrew of Washoe County Sheriff boat inthe use of GPS and SAR procedures.Vic Beelik, Flotilla 11-4, instructed the

members of Tahoe Douglas FireDepartment and the crew of theDouglas County Sheriff ‘s patrol boatin the use of GPS and basic navigation.

The emergency drill was triggeredby setting off a smoke generatingmachine on the main deck of theTahoe Queen, a tour boat which was atthat time located a few miles north ofher south shore base. More than twodozen volunteers from local highschools and the Tahoe CommunityCollege acted as the injured, moaningand some of them hysterically scream-ing aboard the Queen.

Injuries were simulated by makeupapplied to the victims which was sorealistic that one of the first membersof the Emergency Medical Team land-

Training for disaster in a high mountain lake

ABOVE: Navy corpsman comesto the aid of simulated victimsaboard the Tahoe Queen.


ing on the smoke filled deck andalmost burst into tears exclaiming, “Ohmy God! Oh my God!” Some of the vic-tims had bad burns others had foreignobjects implanted in their bodies fromthe force of the simulated explosion.One person even had his intestinesexposed screaming, “Please help me!I’m going to die!”

The “explosion” promptedskipper/port captain Chris Gallup ofthe Queen to declare an emergencyand called MAYDAY on the VHF emer-gency channel. Station Tahoe respond-ed to the call and took control of thedisaster exercise and dispatched oneof their boats to the scene. Boats fromother government agencies around thelake were put in motion to aid in rescu-ing victims.

Fire departments from DouglasCounty, Nevada were alerted and theirboats with paramedics aboard depart-

Scene of the disaster training, the Tahoe Queen.

Triage aboard the Tahoe Queen.SEE TRAINING PG. 30


Rescue vessels race to simulated accidents on Lake Tahoe.

Participants hold a de-briefing following the simulated accident.

Rescuers help a “victim,” earlierpulled from LakeTahoe, ashore formedical evaluation.

ed for the scene of the accident. To complicate the situation the

Queen lost its radio communicationcapability. This was rectified by thearrival of the first rescue boat whichgave the Queen an emergency VHFtransmitter. The On-the-SceneCommand was taken over by the crewof the Coast Guard vessel soon after —her arrival on the scene. In the meantime, the South Tahoe Fire Chief estab-lished an Incident Command post onshore near an appropriate landing placefor rescue boats evacuating the injured.

Members of the Coast Guard,dressed in survival suits, were put inthe 50°F water of the lake to act as vic-tims in the water. This provided a reallife rescue situation for rescue boatsand aircraft.

The injured on the Tahoe Queenwere triaged by Dr. Al Jones, Flotilla11-04. As the rescue boats arrived, theinjured were evacuated, some on a

TRAININGcontinued from page 29


The smoky interior of the Tahoe Queen adds to the realism of the drill.

Wounded were movedfrom ship to shoreduring the successfulrescue drill.

Auxialiarists trainmembers of localsheriffs boat crew inthe use of basic navigation, GPS andSAR procedures.

stretcher, others walking, onto the wait-ing sheriff and fire department boats.The fire was put under control by thecrew of the Queen and aided by arriv-ing members of fire department per-sonnel

Through the whole exercise mem-bers of the Auxiliary, from Flotillas 11-1, 11-3 and 11-4, were acting asobservers ready to intervene in case ofany mishap or unsafe conduct.

Three sheriff and a U.S. Navy heli-copter arrived on the scene to help withthe rescue operation. The helicoptersevacuated Coast Guard volunteers act-ing as victims from the water and fromthe Tahoe Queen. Victims swimming inthe water were plucked from the frigidwaters, with the aid of divers jumping inthe water from the rescue choppers andhoisting the injured onto the aircraft.

The On-Shore Incident Commandestablished a triage and first aid per-sonnel dispatched the injured to thelocal hospital by ambulance andbuses. Others were flown by medicalevacuation helicopters to Carson Cityor Reno, Nevada, hospitals. U

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BY GLEDE HOLMANFlotilla 16-6 8WR

For most members of the

US Coast Guard Auxiliary,

the opportunity to interact

with mariners from places

other than North America is

rather remote, but that is

exactly what happened to the

members of Flotilla 16-6 in

Oklahoma City, Okla.

Song Gi Kim, an inspector with theKorean Maritime Police Agency, is astudent pursuing a master’s degree incriminal justice at Oklahoma CityUniversity. A recognized leader withgreat potential, Kim’s educational expe-rience at OCU has been fully funded bythe Republic of Korea.

As part of his program of instruction,Kim needed to participate in an extern-ship. After numerous “dead end” tele-phone calls, it appeared as though anaquatic-related law enforcement experi-ence was not going to work out. After

all, what Coast Guard resources couldbe found in the middle of “landlocked”Oklahoma?

That is when District CommodoreDiane Williams received a phone call.

Literally within minutes, Kim, hissupervising professor, and a localAuxiliarist, who, luck would have it, isalso a staff member at Oklahoma CityUniversity School of Law, participated

in a meeting to determine how theUnited States Coast Guard Auxiliarycould be of assistance.

Since that initial meeting, Kim hasparticipated in numerous trainingopportunities with both the silver andgold sides of the Coast Guard. There isnothing similar to American recreation-al boating in the Republic of Korea, soKim did not have a great deal of famil-


Hands across the water

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary assists in education

Kim from South Korea - Song Gi Kim on patrol on the Mississippi River withThe St. Louis Gateway Arch in the background. Photo by Len Schulte

iarity with smaller vessels. Back home,his regular patrol vessel is a shipapproximately 300 feet long. As aresult, his first task was to participatein the Boating Safely Course.

To learn as much as possible aboutour organization, Kim has also takenthe Auxiliary AdministrativeProcedures Course, and participated inVessel Examiner training, successfully

completing the examination and assist-ing with inspections of over 30 vessels.At the time of this writing, Kim isstudying the Good Mate Course andIntroduction to Marine Safety andEnvironmental Protection.

Regarding operations, Kim crewedalongside Coxswain Kitty Nicolai andher crew aboard an Auxiliary facilitydetailed to support a multi-organization-

al waterborne task force under thecommand of MSO St. Louis during theopening ceremonies of the Lewis &Clark Bicentennial.

As a result, he was able to experiencethe excellent working relationshipbetween the Auxiliary and the activeduty Coast Guard.

On the gold side, Commander GregOmernik, who will assume the dutiesof DIRAUX for 8WR this summer, tookcharge. With the assistance of severalother Coast Guard officers, hearranged for Kim to visit Group Miami,Air Station Miami, and Air StationClearwater.

Additionally, this visit to Floridaafforded Kim the opportunity to partici-pate in a Falcon LE Flight out of Miamiand visit the Coast Guard CutterFarallon. The close ties between theactive Coast Guard and the Auxiliarywere once again demonstrated asAuxiliary Aviation provided transporta-tion between Miami and Clearwater.

Kim was due to graduate in May witha master’s degree and then return hometo the Republic of Korea. Kim’s introduc-tion to the Auxiliary, along with his visitswith active Coast Guard units, openedhis eyes to the excellent benefits gainedfrom a strong cadre of volunteers.

When asked if there is a Koreancounterpart to the Coast GuardAuxiliary, Kim smiled and quickly said,“Not yet.”


“Kitty Cre” - Prior to getting underway Left to right: Len Schulte; Song GiKim; Diana Arisman; Robert Arisman; Kitty Nicolai. Photo by Glede Holman

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BY ANTHONY A. LORENCDVC-BS

The United States Coast GuardAuxiliary Public Education (PE)Department, in partnership with theBoating Department, has put in placea web-based server notificationprocess for all boating safety educa-tors.

The program encompasses not onlythe Auxiliary instructors but anyonedealing with recreational boating safe-ty and the boating public, whetherthey are volunteer or commercialorganizations.

The computerized approach willhelp the educators stay current withtheir respective states changing boat-ing laws, as well as any other distribu-tions, that a given BLA would like toshare with their states recreationalboating safety advocates. All therecreational boating safety advocatehas to do is register on the Auxiliarywebsite. On the other hand, all theBLA needs to do is to electronically

forward the information to theAuxiliary computer server and theAuxiliary will distribute it to thoseregistered.

At the 2002 NASBLA (NationalAssociation of State Boating LawAdministrators) Conference, a num-ber of administrators brought to theAuxiliary’s attention that some of ourpublic education presentations werenot entirely consistent with currentstate laws. It became obvious thatthere was a problem with informationflow, despite every state having a website with all the critical information.

The solution required two tools toremedy the distribution of informa-tion. Tool one is the Boating LawAdministrator (BLA) server. Tool twois a server for the registration of therecipients of the BLA information.Both tools are simple and easy to useand, in the case of the BLAs, all thatneeds to be done is type in a message.For example; important informationhas been added to our web site.Please click on the url to get the

specifics, please incorporate this inyour boating classes and hit thereturn key.

The USCGAUX list server will auto-matically forward the BLA’s messageto all registered participants.However, it’s important to note thatthe recipients will not be able to sendany messages back to the BLA.

Registration is very simple and allthat the prospective recipient of theBLA distribution needs to do is go online and type in the URLhttp://www.cgaux.org from thereclick on members deck and thenagain on departments. Once you havethe listing of departments, click on E.Education. At this point you’ll see abutton for State Database Sign Up,click on it and here is where you willdo your registration for your state(s),by clicking on “Go To Form.”

Fill in the blanks and select thestates about which you want toreceive statutory/regulatory updates.

Since April, the system containsover 2,500 registrations.

Auxiliary connects State BoatingLaw Administrators with boatingsafety educators, advocates

● Knowing your boat● Types of boats● How to file a float plan● Fueling and maintaining your boat

● Navigation rules● Navigation lights● Operating your boat safely● Casting off and docking

● Anchoring● Legal requirements● What to do in emergencies

Boaters who have taken a boating safety class dramatical-ly increase their odds of surviving a boating accident.

U.S. Coast Guard statistics confirm the importance of

boating education to boaters’ survival. Approximately 80percent of all reported fatalities occurred on boats wherethe operator had not received boating safety instruction.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS YOU CAN LEARN IN A BOATING CLASS:

For more information on boating classes, call the Boating Safety Courseline at 1-800-336-BOAT (2628), or the U.S. CoastGuard Infoline at 1-800-368-5647. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the United States Power Squadrons(r) also offerboating safety classes. Remember, You’re in Command. Boat Safely!

- U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety

Boaters with class


Reality checkSometimes, knowing the cold, hard facts can help us. The U.S. Coast Guard hopes that the

latest boating accident statistics will convince boaters of the need to boat more safely. We offer

these facts in the hope of reducing the number of accidents and fatalities on the water.

U.S. COAST GUARD 2002 STATISTICS:

● Boating fatalities were up from 681 in 2001 to 750 in2002, reversing a downward trend.

● 85 percent of persons who drowned in 2002 were notwearing their life jackets.

● Boating fatalities involving alcohol use rose to 39 per-cent in 2002, up from 34 percent the year before.

● Approximately 80 percent of all reported fatalitiesoccurred on boats where the operator had not receivedboating safety instruction.

● 28 children, age 12 and under, lost their lives in 2002,compared to 26 children in 2001. Nearly 40 percent ofthe children who died in 2002 were not wearing life jack-ets.

● More adults between 30 to 39 years old died than anyother age group, accounting for one fifth of the totalfatalities.

● The most common boats involved in reported accidentsinclude open motorboats (41 percent), personal water-craft (28 percent), and cabin motorboats (15 percent).Increases were seen in the number of reported fatalitiesinvolving open motorboats from 2001.

● An estimated 85 percent of all drowning-victim incidentsinvolved boats less than 21 feet long. [EDITOR’SNOTE: This statistic can be removed or added dependingon the publication, i.e., type of boat featured]

These facts show that accidents can and do happen, andthat hundreds of boaters have lost their lives because theydidn’t wear their life jackets from the start of their trip. Withtoday’s lighter, more comfortable, and attractive life jackets,including inflatables, there’s no reason not to wear one.Remember, You’re in Command. Boat Safely!


Up the odds you’ll surviveThink you’re safe

enough when you head

out on the water? Here’s a

quick checklist from the

U.S. Coast Guard Office

of Boating Safety of easy

steps you can take to

increase the odds you’ll

survive a boating mishap:

● Never boat alone● Always file a float plan● Carry a noise-producing device attached to your life jacket● Wear a life jacket that has reflective tape or a mirror attached● If you fall in the water, stay with your boat or a floating object, if at all possible● In colder weather, wear as much warm clothing as possible, covering head,

neck hands and feet (it’s always a good idea to carry extra clothing regardlessof the season)

● While afloat, do not attempt to swim unless it is to reach a fellow survivor orfloating object

● Float as still as possible with legs together, elbows close to side and arms fold-ed across the front of your life jacket

● Keep a positive attitude about your survival and rescue● And remember always wear a life jacket!

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that accidents can (and do) happen in a splitsecond. Hundreds of boaters have died because they aren’t wearing their life jack-ets from the start of their trip. With today’s lighter, more comfortable, and attrac-tive life jackets, including inflatables, there’s no reason not to wear one.Remember, You’re in Command. Boat Safely!



BY DELBERT MCEWEN,DSO-PN 11N

Unmanned search and rescue heli-copters appear to be part of the U.S.Coast Guard’s future, and that suitsShelagh Bennett of Riverbank, Calif.,just fine.

The Beyer High School juniorwants to focus on aviation and/or gov-ernment if accepted into the U.S.Coast Guard Academy next year.

“I think it’d be a lot of fun, and Ihave always wanted to serve my coun-try in some way,” Bennett said afterlistening to the basic boating safetyand AIM (Academy IntroductionMission) lecture.

She and her mother, Katie Bennett,were aboard the 378-foot U.S. CoastGuard Cutter Sherman (WHEC-720)as part of San Ramon Flotilla 12-91’sannual Boats ‘n’ Kids kickoff inFebruary. “I love boating and I likethe water. It’s fascinating to me,” theyounger Bennett said.

AIM is a one-week summer pro-gram for high school juniors interest-ed in engineering and the CoastGuard.

LTJG Adam Koziatek of the USCGCutter Morganthau (WHEC-722) grewup in a town nearly 30 minutes awayfrom the New London, Conn.-basedCoast Guard Academy. Aboard theSherman to discuss AIM and theAcademy, Koziatek told Ms. Bennettand the rest of the nearly 25 attendeesseated in the Sherman ward room

about three ways to become involvedwith the Coast Guard: Auxiliary,reserve and active duty.

Active duty includes officers andenlisted personnel. Officers attendeither the Academy or OfficerCandidate School (OCS).

Lest anyone think of the CoastGuard Academy as an easy ride, heassured the attendees otherwise.

“It’s up there with all the other mili-tary academies, West Point included.We do the exact same things. It’s just

as hard,” Koziatek said. “The AIMprogram helps those who are consid-ering the academy to experience whatacademy life is like. It’s not the ‘wimp’academy.”

And as far as watching favorite TVshows? Forget it.

“I didn’t watch TV for four years,”he added.

Excellent academic programs, astructured military regimen and com-petitive athletics await those enteringthe academy. Founded in 1876, the

Coast Guard futureincludes unmanned helos;and possibly Shelagh Bennett

Shelagh Bennett (left) and her mother listen while touring the USCGSherman. Adam Koziatek LTJG, of the Morganthau (far left) led the tourPhotos by Victoria Hudson 12-91 D11N


Coast Guard Academy is the smallestof the five federal service academies,but one of the hardest to enter. Only300 of the more than 6,000 applicantseach year get accepted, the lieutenantsaid.

“It’s the second-hardest college toget into, behind Harvard.”

The first seven weeks of academyfreshman life, what’s known as ‘SwabSummer,’ starts in July.

An invigorating period of physical,military and leadership training, thoseweeks “are like boot camp,” Koziatekexplained. “The majority of peoplewho leave, leave in the first couple ofweeks of Swab Summer. The AIMprogram helps give you a taste of it.”

Bennett and her mother initiallylearned about AIM and the Academyat a boat show held shortly before theBoats ‘n’ Kids event. Auxiliarist Stu

Langs with Flotilla 12-5 “was veryhelpful,” Katie Bennett said. “He gaveus a lot of information.”

Besides being raised in a family ofboaters, Ms. Bennett enjoys partici-pating in a variety of activities. She isa member of Future Farmers ofAmerica (FAA) and is a shot put anddiscus athlete on her school track-and-field team in Modesto, Calif.

“I’ve always been independent,strong and never let anyone push mearound,” she said.

Her attitude will come in handy dur-ing AIM week and at the Academy,where competition to enter is strong.Applications must be received by Jan.31 of the year prior to entrance intothe Academy. AIM applications areaccepted December through March.

For those students interested in moreinformation on the U.S. Coast GuardAcademy, call toll free (800) 883-8724.For an online visit, go to www.cga.edu

From the left, David Kroening, LTJG, of the U.S. Coast Guard CutterSherman discusses event logistics with crew members Anthony Hendricksand Charles Froberg (both E52C) and Timothy Wellen, BM2.

Aboard the USCG Boutwell, ShelaghBennett (right) and her motherwatch the SAR demonstration.

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BY GREGORY D. CLARKBC-APB, National Press Corps

“NOW, set the LE Bill!” These words evoke feelings of

excitement mixed with danger andeminent risk. They are not words oftenassociated with USCG Auxiliary. TheLE Bill is the Law Enforcement poli-cies, persons, and preparations set bythe U.S. Coast Guard Active DutyForces. Most associate it with mar-itime counter drugs, fisheries, alienmigration, pollution, and safety viola-tions.

While Auxiliarists are not officiallyassigned to support the ‘LE’ missionsof the Coast Guard, they are notexcluded from direct involvement incases such as this one.

This year’s major whale event cen-tered around efforts to free“Kingfisher,” off the shores of Florida.Kingfisher is the name given to theNorth Atlantic Right Whale by theUSCG Cutter Kingfisher (WPB-87322),Mayport, FL. Kingfisher fell victim tofishing nets somewhere off the coastnear Mayport in March 2004. Severalagencies were set into action, workingtogether to free the whale once arecreational boater spotted him.

Recognizing the situation, a boaterimmediately attempted to contact theUSCG on VHF channel 16 for assis-tance. Don Lewis, NOAA ShippingLiaison, overheard the call and startedthe action to save the whale. Membersfrom Florida Marine ResourcesInstitute, the Center for CoastalStudies, NOAA-Fisheries and the NewEngland Aquarium initially worked tosuccessfully attach a VHF and satellitetracking tag to the entangled lines andgear.

Dr. Charlie Mayo, “Stormy,” director

of the Center for Coastal Studies(CCS), headed the project. The follow-ing day, the team decided to call on theUnited States Coast Guard to assist inthe rescue efforts.

The process of disentangling a whaleis always a dangerous project andKingfisher was no different. The firstday was the most productive as a fewlines were removed, and the whale wasbetter assessed for developing theoverall plan.

As the whale continued to travelnorth, the Coast Guard transferred thetask to assist from the Kingfisher to theUSCGC Yellowfin (WPB 87319) basedin Charleston, South Carolina.Commanding Officer, LT A. BrianCaudle was briefed on the situationand accepted the task at hand. As noto-riety and press coverage grew, theassociated risks and complexity ofassisting became more precarious.Caudle briefed the crew on the poten-tial hazards and limitations of the mis-sion.

The Yellowfin departed GroupCharleston for Georgetown. The fol-lowing morning, radio and TVreporters appeared before sunrise.The deck on the fantail was clutteredwith NOAA gear, an inflatable boat andmotor, reporters, news teams and themembers of the disentanglement team.The pilothouse was crammed with TVcameras and radio booms as the teamdiscussed the expectations of the daywith Caudle. Laptop computers wereon every table and flat spot availableand the ringing of cell phones wasalmost overwhelming.

Caudle set out the parameters of themission. He made clear to the crewand visitors the risk assessments andoperational guidelines that would befollowed including who could be on

deck, safety gear, mustang-suits,underway rules, communications, andmore. Caudle then requested that anyunnecessary crew remain below.

The Yellowfin headed for the whale’slast known position. Everyone aboardstared out over the water in hopes tobe the first to spot Kingfisher.Optimism turned to discouragement asthe day progressed. NOAA’s satellitetracking center was having difficultyacquiring a signal and the true locationwas becoming increasingly uncertain.The disentanglement team positionedmembers on both the bow and the fan-tail to scan with VHF antennas asCaudle tuned the Yellowfin’s radiodirection finding equipment. At thenorth end of the AOR, Caudle contact-ed Group Charleston for orders.Permission to continue the searchbeyond the standard range was givenand the search continued.

As spirits were fading among the vis-itors and crew, a faint call on the VHFradio was heard on the bridge. “U.S.Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin, this isAir 5...” Everyone’s hopes rose withthe plane as the Yellowfin responded tothe call. The spotter plane searched forthe whale from its advantage point. AnAuxiliarist onboard the Yellowfinacquired the plane on radar and theentangled whale was soon spotted 20miles ahead.

However, the rising seas soon damp-ened the excitement of the discovery.The two- -to-three foot seas hadswelled to five feet with a decreasingperiod that made launching the smallboat high risk. The concern was notcapsizing or a man overboard but therisk of a disaster as the crew attemptedto ‘notch’ the small boat.

Everyone expressed concern as seaconditions worsened. Alicia Windham-Reid and Dr. Mayo described howKingfisher attacked the NOAA smallboat in the Gulf Stream during theirlast encounter. Having alreadyrammed into their inflatable boat,Kingfisher had then decided to cata-pult all three crew, boat and motor 10-20 feet in the air. As Stormy describedthe incident, Caudle’s expressionrevealed his concern.

The Yellowfin maneuvered into posi-tion maintaining a safe distance fromthe whale. With the whale off the stern

A whale of a time

and everyone hustling to determine ifa small boat approach would be safe,the VHF radio rang out again. It wasthe secure channel 23A, “Yellowfin,Group Charleston...F18 down...” Thepilothouse was silent.

Caudle made the pipe to warn thatthe ship was turning about. He thencontacted the EPO and requested engi-neering status and fuel onboard. TheYellowfin steamed toward the downedF18. Although disheartened, theguests onboard accepted theYellowfin’s first priority. In solemn com-pliance everyone stared in silence gaz-ing from Kingfisher fading off thestern to the horizon and back again.

Soon the call to stand down soundedon the VHF. Coast Guard and MarineCorps assets closer to the F18 crashwere responding.

Caudle gave the order for the smallboat detail to man their stations andarrangements were made to transporttwo NOAA officials to the whale. Thewhale’s tracking equipment wasassessed, then the appearance of the

whale’s health and ability to survive.Dr. Terri Rowles, NOAA FisheriesChief Veterinarian onboard theYellowfin recommended that a biopsybe secured using a bow and arrow.

The coxswain of Yellowfin 1 andcrewmember felt the fear of themoment as the whale surfaced behindthem. Without warning, Kingfisherdove beneath their small boat -Kingfisher, having catapulted theNOAA small boat the day before addedto their apprehension. Mission accom-plished, the small boat returned along-side the Yellowfin. Yellowfin 1 wasordered to return for a second biopsy.The results were encouraging.Kingfisher’s maneuvering and speedconcurred with his ability to surviveanother day without being freed fromthe lines that bound him.

The Yellowfin returned to the dockand a large reception by CNN live.Caudle and the disentanglement teamwere debriefed under the bright spot-lights and cameras before calling it along day. Double watches were set

throughout the night as Caudle contin-ued to maintain situational awarenessfor the ship as well as the valuabletrailers and news equipment on thepier. The following morning theYellowfin returned to Charleston leav-ing the whale and news teams to ven-ture north.

Unfortunately, sea conditions didnot improve. As Kingfisher roundedthe treacherous waters off CapeHatteras, the efforts to follow himwere transferred to satellite tracking.He continued northward to Canada,maintaining a steady track until, justoff the coast of Cape May, NJ anunfortunate encounter with a charterfishing boat resulted in the loss of thetracking device. Debriefing the captainof the fishing vessel later concurredwith the erratic movements recordedby satellite ending the tracking ofKingfisher.

(A full chronological account of thewhales tracking can be found on the webat http://www.coastalstudies.org/res-cue/kingfisher.htm)


Dr. Charlie Mayo, from the Center of Coastal Studies, at the right in a NOAA boat, gets a close-up look at the tangled whale. Photo by Alicia Windham-Reid

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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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Attending the 2004 Caribbean Search and Rescue Conference in Miami were delegatesfrom 26 countries. Hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary International AffairsDirectorate, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Southern Command, it was attended by rep-resentatives from the USCG, USCG Auxiliary, Caribbean nations as well as representativesfrom other countries and international organizations. / STORY ON PAGE 16 Photo by Mel Borofsky, USCG Auxiliary

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