Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Commander selection on the ADPL
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
I knew the message with O-5 selections was near as a couple of people I know received phone calls last week. (For those that don't know, when a Coast Guard officer is not selected for promotion, or passed over, he or she gets told either in person or by phone from someone in their chain of command, somebody who knows them. This makes it so when the message hits the street, they're not blindsided). Well, it's out.
I went looking for the Precept and Commandant's Guidance, which is on the Personnel Command's website, but my ADD kicked in and I found myself looking at the O-4 Register of Officers for 2008. And I was suddenly struck that, while the message said the selectees were listed in ADPL order, the order (at least at the top of the list) didn't seem to match what was on the Register of Officers. Looks like there might have been some re-ordering. Anyone care to offer some insight?
As to the PY09 Commandants Guidance to Boards and Panels, I did finally find it, having followed the bright shiny things for only a couple of minutes...
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Old News Lingering: An official response from CG-9
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
I appreciate that you pointed out to readers of the CG Blog that you only had one source for your recent posting about the 123' patrol boats. I hope the post didn't cause any anxiety amongst our Coast Guard crew members about their safety. Anytime you have questions about Coast Guard information, feel free to contact us here at public affairs. We'll be happy to find the information.The full story from CG-9.
Here are the facts--
In response to your statements about inward opening doors to machinery spaces on the 123' patrol boats, this is not a design flaw. The hatches on both the 123' and 110' patrol boats are in compliance with specifications.
During a fire response on both the 110' and 123' patrol boats, a personnel muster would be taken and the Commanding Officer would ensure 100% personnel accountability prior to authorizing Halon or CO2 activation. Crews would secure a series of louvers in the ventilation system. These louvers are secured from outside the space. While the louvers provide enough closure to allow the suppression agents such as Halon or CO2 to work, they are not air tight enough to create the positive pressure that would prevent the doors from being opened from the inside, thereby impeding egress. In addition, there is an escape hatch in the overhead of the engine room that opens outward. So, in the improbable circumstance that a member had not exited the engine room prior to CO2 or Halon release, the space is not pressurized, so he or she would be able to exit by one of the doors or the escape hatch.
We would appreciate you posting a correction to your original post.
Laura Williams,
Communications Director for the Coast Guard’s Acquisition Directorate
My thanks for the clarification.
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Direct from Training Center Cape May: Second installment from Christiann Conover
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
I apologize for not getting this up in a timely manner. Things have been haywire between the new addition to the family and everything else. Be that as it may, Mr. Conover, now on the downhill side of basic training, hasn't forgotten his readers.Sunday, 10 August 2008, 1030
This past week we've been doing some interesting things. On Monday, we went to the shooting range, which was a lot of fun. I'd never shot a pistol before, so I didn't qualify, but I was only a few shots away. It's gotten a little less intense with our company commanders since our physical fitness assessment, since most of the company passed. This past Friday, we took our mid-term, so we'll be moving on to more exciting hands-on parts of training.
This coming week we'll be in seamanship training. I've already done the seamanship stuff at Mass Maritime, so I should have no problems with it. I'm looking forward to it, and expect that this week should go by quickly.
We're moving to a new barracks this week, from James Hall to Healy Hall. It's annoying because we'll have to pack all our stuff up and unpack again. We'll only be there for three weeks until we graduate, so it's not bothering me too much.
Beyond the usual expected bood camp routine, not much else is happening. If you have any questions, feel free to write.
Semper paratus!
SR CONOVER, C. H.
CHARLIE 180, HEALY HALL
USCG TRACEN
1 MUNRO AVE
CAPE MAY, NJ 08204-5083
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Hitting the service like a Coast Guard-blue tsunami
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
If you haven't yet read it, see Art Pine's article, Admiral Allen's Blue Tsunami, in the August issue of the Naval Institute's Proceedings.
I heard from someone (I can't remember who), that Admiral Allen called the piece "the best balanced piece on modernization" yet published.
I, of course, am particularly found of this bit:
Expectedly, the massive revamping, which is hitting the service like a Coast Guard-blue tsunami, is causing some angst among more senior ranks -- flag officers, captains, commanders, and some civilian workers -- particularly at the Coast Guard's dowdy headquarters building at Buzzard Point on the Anacostia River in Washington, where insiders say the change-fatigue is palpable. Even so, Allen remains a popular figure among rank-and-file Coasties of all stripes, and both Coast Guard personnel and outside critics appear to be largely behind the new Commandant, applauding his drive for change.
Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Monday, August 18, 2008
Still more questions on the U.S. Navy SEALs and USCG DOG mix
Posted by Ryan R. Erickson
It’s amazing that the news of Coast Guard members being able to attend the U.S. Navy SEAL training hasn’t gained more traction as far as the web community is concerned. Taking a look over at Fredsplace or USMILnet, it’s almost not existent. Though if you want to know about the battle of ‘should we call ourselves Coasties or Guardians?’ Fredsplace is abuzz.
My first take on the matter of the SEALs and CG members is most likely the reason there isn’t much talk about it- none of us really know what to think of it, though it's pretty cool. Jim Dalbow, asking on behalf of An Unofficial Coast Guard Blog (thank you Jim) was part of the phone interview with ADM Atkin of the DOG. The general tone of the questions being asked were on the lines of “what is this going to do for the Coast Guard mission?”
Hmm, I’ve been wondering the same thing. ADM Atkins answered a question along the same lines with
...the folks coming back are going to provide for us is just a little better competency level. They're going to be more specialized. The other thing they're going to be able to bring back is a esprit de corps that you learn within the SEAL community. We don't always have that.1Still, what is this going to do for the organic Coast Guard? Even more questions arise when you throw into the mix what ALCOAST 367/08 says:
PERSONNEL WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE SEAL TRAINING CAN EXPECT TO BE ASSIGNED TO NAVAL SPECIAL WARFARE FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS, WHICH COULD INCLUDE THREE TO FIVE OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS.Oh man, so now we have Coasties (Guardians?) who are to be specifically assigned to NSW for five to seven years? I really wished this would have been addressed in the interview. So for now we will have to speculate.
Upon completion of their required time with the Navy, our members are to come back (maybe?) over to do their jobs in the Coast Guard and will be, albeit permanently, assigned to the Deployable Operations Group. With only 28 people (four per year) attending BUDS/SEAL training, this is looking like a long-term deal. The only thing I can really think of happening here is these selected individuals will be the ones who go around to other DOG units and tell everyone how to have ‘esprit de corps,’ as we seem to lacking this. (no, I'm not putting down the deal, keep reading)
Anyways, it still begs the question, what is the goal here of only sending 4 (2 officers, 2 enlisted) people a year? I’m not questioning this, I just want to know where they got this number.
So now that we have even more questions than what we started with, let’s start with the opinion part of the post. I, as a former Army type, have a great admiration and clear understanding of the teamwork involved in work and play alike within the SOCOM world. When you start to compare our "teams" that is, the MSST's and the likes to Rangers, SEALs , or even Para-Rescue... we, my friends, are way off. Not so say our service isn't capable of doing their assigned tasks, but the mentioned 'esprit de corps' is, and rightfully stated by the ADM, not their.
I've gotten my share of an ear full from fellow Coasties about the "long work hours," and the "always training" aspect of these jobs, and it's far more common at the MSRT as I'm told. My answer to this? Suck it up! The MSST's and the MSRT are in place to do a job at our nations worst times. Though I realize out MSST's are always deploying to other parts of the US for security details, this, in my opinion is not what they were originally designed for and can be chalked under training... I digress.
The teamwork issues at hand can fall into this little phrase "your mission family is just that, family- eat, sleep, and play as a family and you act as one- you train to do your job, until that 'job' arises, training is your job, and it shall be done as a family."
So back to where the SEAL training comes into place. It is my speculation, again, speculation, that someone up top saw this problem coming, and had to come up with a motivator and a plan on how the USCG's DOG 'should' be conducting business. Now isn't that simple? It's laid out: 'You (DOG types) want to be considered the best of the best? These (Coasties > SEALs) are the ones who were selected to show us how it's done... now listen up!'
On an end note I got to say I feel luck to be part of the Coast Guard during these times. With news like this, OPCOM, and future missions capabilities, the Coast Guard is going to be an interesting place to work.
1 http://www.defenselink.mil/dodcmsshare/BloggerAssets/2008-08/08150815330220080815_RearAdmAtkin_transcript.pdf
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008
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World War II activity was closer than many think in the Gulf of Mexico
Posted by Jim Dolbow
Everyone along the Gulf Coast in the spring and summer of 1942 knew how serious the U-boat situation was, especially the fishermen. Debris from sunken ships, stories along the waterfronts, calls for help on the radio and new restrictions on travel, especially offshore, confirmed the suspicions of those who were doubtful.
CGBlog.org salutes the members of the Navy-Coast Guard team that defeated the German U-boat menace.
Posted on Monday, August 18, 2008
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Sunday, August 17, 2008
The Long Road to the USCG-Navy SEALS Partnership
Posted by Jim Dolbow
... I don't know if we ever tried it before. I don't know if we ever thought of it before. So I really can't answer that question. What I can tell you is how we look at it today... And it's something that came up about a year ago. And we said, why not? This makes sense. This is the best way we help support the nation, both from our Title 10 and our Title 14 hat. It makes sense from the maritime strategy where we have -- the maritime strategy signed out by the CNO, the Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Commandant of the Coast Guard, where we want to be more integrated and more interoperable. So the timing is right for what we need to do as a nation in this new world order in which we're operating. So I can't tell you why we haven't done it in the past, but it makes sense for today.
Posted on Sunday, August 17, 2008
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Saturday, August 16, 2008
Debunking Myths about the USCG-Navy SEALS Partnership
Posted by Jim Dolbow
is what Rear Admiral Tom Atkin, USCG, did during yesterday's DOD Bloggers Roundtable.
myth #1:This new partnership represents DHS mission creep.
Atkin: We're both a Title 14 and a Title 10 service. In other words, we're both a military service and a law enforcement service at the same time at all times. We wear both hats and we've worn them --both hats -- for 218 years. So within the Coast Guard, we've always been participating in military operations as well as law enforcement operations. I really -- this is not really mission creep. We have a military mission. We have a counterterrorism mission. We have an anti- terrorism mission. And we also have a mission to conduct high-end specialized lawenforcement operations both in the Caribbean, western Pacific -- or I should say eastern Pacific -- as well as around the homeland to protect our folks. So what this does do is provides us better capability, increased competencies, more experience and greater knowledge to do the things that we're already doing today.
Myth #2:The Coast Guard will assign its SEALS to our southern border.
Atkin:I don't really see it as a threat. They're maritime experts, not land-based experts. Atkin concluded the roundtable by saying, "It's been a great conversation. I'd love to do it again any time." Full Transcript and MP3 here.
Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2008
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Unprecedented: Ways of business we likely would not have seen before
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
Modernization is not just about re-organizing the service or acquiring new platforms or tools. Modernization is also about becoming more transparent, opening up, and embracing learning and knowledge sharing. This message, about the Coast Guard's progress with the required environmental analysis for the modernization effort, is just one more example that things are changing, for the better.
Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2008
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Friday, August 15, 2008
Admiral Allen on leadership, change, and blogs
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
Just a snippet from Admiral Allen's keynote address at the Florida Sterling Conference this past May.
The full video is here.
I will likely be post additional snippets over the next little bit.
Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008
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Breaking News: USCG Reservists Can Apply to Become U.S. Navy SEALS
Posted by Jim Dolbow
Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008
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Bringing Back Old News: Revisiting the 123s
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
From what he said, the 110’s have an installed halon firefighting system in the engine room. During the 123 upgrade the halon system was changed out for a CO2 system. He said that when he walked onto the first 123, he noticed right away a design flaw: installed CO2 systems require that hatches open outward so that someone who is trapped in the space when the CO2 goes off can get out. The space becomes pressurized and the air becomes unbreathable. If the hatches open inward, as they did, it would impede egress from the space.
When he pointed out the design flaw to his superiors, he was told that he hadn’t been brought to the boat to look for issues like that. They didn't want to hear about it.
I asked if the hatches had been corrected so that the were in compliance with requirements and specifications, and he said he wasn’t sure. He’d been on three of the 123’s, and each had the same problem.
Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008
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Thursday, August 14, 2008
UAV Pilots: Who's got the joy stick?
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
We’ve previously discussed the Coast Guard’s use of UAVs. Clearly, UAVs are headed to the Coast Guard. Whether they can be launched from a cutter is another issue; at the “worst” we’ll have land-based UAVs. Some UAVs can stay aloft for quite a while, and some have some decent legs, so land-based UAVs would certainly be a help, particularly in maintaining Maritime Domain Awareness.
Sandra Erwin has an interesting article in August’s National Defense: Cultures Collide: Drones in the military – Infatuation or true love? One of the primary points that Ms. Erwin raises is one that we’ve mentioned here previously merely as an aside: Who flies the UAV?
Notes Ms. Erwin,
The Air Force assigns only commissioned aviators with previous cockpit experience to fly the Predator and Global Hawk. And the service so far has been adamant that the practice continue. . . . the Air Force has been crediting UAV hours toward pilot’s flight pay calculations to improve both compensation and morale . . . In the Navy, Army and Marine Corps, drone pilots are often drawn from the enlisted ranks.She also notes that the U.S. has also used civilian contractors to pilot UAVs.
What tack is the Coast Guard going to take? Will we contract out the piloting of land-based UAVs to some Beltway Bandit? Will we have enlisted members in a current rating pilot UAVs? Will we create a new rating, and bring back enlisted pilots? Will we have commissioned officers who are qualified pilots to man the joystick?
I suspect that we’ll have a mix. I could see land-based UAVs piloted by contractors. And, I could see us using enlisted members to pilot cutter-based craft, and perhaps even land-based UAVs.
Any of you gentle readers have either good gouge or good speculation? We’d love to hear it; comment below.
Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008
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Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Thankfully, much ado about nothing
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
Update on the situation we’ve been tracking: the member’s spouse is okay. Her attorney advised her to go silent, so she shut down all her electronics including cell phone and Internet. She’s okay, and still to ground, and still confused about the Coast Guard’s actions or inactions with this case.
The member has been convicted in New Hampshire on three counts and sentenced to three years in the big house, and evidently there are two warrants for his arrest from California, one of which is a felony count; there are half-a-dozen or more arrest warrants in Connecticut. The confusion is this: officials with the Coast Guard are not openly communicating with the member’s family; they will not ensure that the member doesn’t bolt and follow through on his multiple threats. They seem to be hiding behind the “we’re investigating” and “that’s a privacy issue.”
Ah well, the good news, at least tonight, is that the spouse and daughter are safe and miles away from South Carolina.
Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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Trivia: …and that authority came from where?
Posted by Ryan R. Erickson
Where does the U.S. Coast Guard get its authority to have a helo rescue swimmer program? Yes, we actually get our authority from somewhere to have a swimmer program. So… what’ the answer?
Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Let's hope this is all much-ado-about-nothing: An update on the domestic violence situation we've been tracking
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
A comment on this blog:
Ms.R-better known as K, has now been gone for 2 days. Her friends and family have not heard from her by way of telephone or email. K if your reading this and you're ok please call us. We're worried about you. Heres a message to the coast guard: you better pray to god she's ok.An email:
hey This is Dan Ruggiero, Kay's brotherinlaw. I got a new email thanks to my a****** brother. Have you heard from Kay lately? We're scared she made a deal with the devil. nobodys heard from her in two days. if you've heard from her can you give me a shout. DanA fragment of an email from a retired senior chief:
[She's apparently] missing and has been for two days, with no emails or phone calls.. In case Lant Area doesn't know, you might want to advise them. All I can say, "Oh! Shit." This is going to hurt the CG badly, if she is hurt.Let's hope this is all an over-reaction and the wife has just gone further to ground of her own volition.
If anyone has any information about this apparent disappearance, please post a comment here.
Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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Pretty soon they'll be giving them away: Tucked ODUs
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
Okay, probably not, but the new four-for-one deal is pretty good.
From ALCOAST 381/08, OPERATIONAL DRESS UNIFORM (ODU) SALE:
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE UNTUCKED VERSION OF THE ODU, THE UDC IS OFFERING CERTAIN SIZES OF THE CURRENT TUCKED ODU AT FOUR-FOR-THE-PRICE-OF-ONE. INVENTORY LEVELS OF CERTAIN SIZES MUST BE LIQUIDATED TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO STOCK THE UNTUCKED ODU SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN SEPTEMBER.For details on how to order, cost, and available sizes, see the Uniform Distribution Center's website.
This offer for tucked ODUs applies to both the "coat" and the pants. The tucked ODU may be worn through CY 2012.
Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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Are we engaged, or not? Anyone headed to the GEOINT Maritime Communityof Practice Conference?
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
I stumbled across an announcement for the first annual Maritime Community of Practice Conference (enabling communication and collaboration) being held at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in Bethesda on 10-11 September. What's the conference about? "Anything to do with maritime." Okay, that's pretty broad; note that the conference is being held at the TS level, so that ought to give some indication as to who can even attend, and it's sponsored by the NGA, which is interested in geospatial information and geospatial intelligence, so that ought to provide some topical boundaries for the conference.
At the moment, I believe there are no Coasties signed up to participate. I would think this would be of interest to Coasties who are part of the IC, perhaps Coasties at the IIP or the R&DC, Coasties who work in waterways management, maybe even planning, response, and prevention.
The keynote speaker is Rear Admiral Chris Andreasen (NOAA retired), the Chief Hydrographer in National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s Office of Global Navigation, Analysis and Production Directorate. He is currently the Geospatial Intelligence Officer for Maritime Affairs, Office of Global Navigation, and the U.S. Defense representative to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). He has expertise in multi-beam surveys, mapping and charting, photogrammetry, and nautical charting research and development.
What is the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and why would Coasties care about a "maritime community of practice" for the Intelligence Community? From the National Academies Press website:
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) was established as the National Imagery and Mapping Agency in 1996, and the current name was adopted on November 24, 2003. The agency absorbed in entirety the former Defense Mapping Agency (DMA), the Central Imagery Office, the Defense Dissemination Program Office, and the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC). The agency also incorporated elements of the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The 1996 reorganization recognized that the mapping tradition of DMA and the imagery analysis and interpretation capabilities of the IMINT (imagery intelligence) agencies were merging as a consequence of digital transitions in image processing and geographic information management. Consequently, the 2003 renaming of the agency recognized the emergence of geospatial information as an intelligence source in its own right, now termed GEOINT. NGA defines GEOINT as “the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activities on the Earth.”I'm figuring there's at least a sord of Coasties who are not only interested in GEOINT, but would find great benefit in participating in this conference.
I'd go ("right" said with a sarcastic tone), but I'll be at the WIRe and ICES Enterprise 2.0 Conference which is being held the same week in Laurel, MD.
Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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Search and Rescue or Law Enforcement- who wins in today's world?
Posted by Ryan R. Erickson
I've been thinking about this for some time know, even before I left Sector Seattle as an LE type to my new home here as a D5/LANT SAR controller-to-be; In our ever changing Coast Guard where the mission of law enforcement was all but a part of the CG you could fit into a large broom closet (so far as the public would care) to where we sit today; who is going to win the battle? I'll explain...
Today the USCG is nearly a 50/50 split on LE and SAR, and before the public floggings begin I do not have any factual numbers to back that up... it's how I view it. At any rate, the LE world is gaining fast on the SAR world as a major player in the funds for the Coast Guard. But you already knew that for the National Security Cutters weren't named the National Search and Rescue Cutters were they?
Back to the battle groups- in the dynamic world of search and rescue (SAR) and the high demand on law enforcement operations- who is to be the winner in a massive attack (resulting in a Mass Rescue Operation) on the United Sates as we saw on September 11, 2001? But lets say it's water side... This isn't as easy of a question to answer as you may think. As 99.8%* of past and current SAR controllers will state: 'SAR will always take precedence;' however, on the flip side of the coin you have the DOG units (i.e. MSST, PSU's, and the likes) who will, and I've overheard it myself, tell a SAR unit/controller to "shove-off" when it comes to a possible conflict. In their (LE) mind there is no conflict- it an LE world.
Whoa... so, who wins? This is a tough call. As the Command Centers around the country are being staffed to pull a dual mission of SAR and Homeland Defense (a.k.a. LE) the pull is going to be at the shirt tails of the Sector/Group (yes, there as still a few) Commanders. Within these sectors (and even districts) the game is the same, SAR over LE... LE over SAR. No Sector Commander is going to side with LE over SAR, and we know it; that is until it's used as a diversionary tactic. Then what?
So I ask you, our loyal readers, especially those who have a vested interest in this topic one way or another- what do you think? Me, I'm not sure- but I am preparing to become a SAR controller...
*No, it's not an actual figure.
Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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One Coast Guard, One Team
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
For as many years as I can remember, I've participated in discussions about the relationship between reservists and active duty Coast Guard members. Sometimes that relationship is great; sometimes it's not.Yesterday was the first day back in the office for me since the birth of Henry George (aka Chewbacca) Stinson. I was blessed with visits from two shipmates and colleagues. Both are reservists; both are sometime bloggers. One visitor was John Massingill who pinned on O-3 just last week. He was very pleased that the office in which he serves made an effort to have a formal pinning ceremony, complete with a cake. He asked me, "When was the last time a reservist got a cake?"
The picture with this post is a Coast Guard photo by Adam LeMere. The cutline reads:
Clarksville, Va., native promoted to Lt.While there's certainly a big push to get reservists trained for mobilization, it's nice to see that some facets of "integration" are growing stronger, at least in pockets.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Coast Guard Lt. John S. Massingill, a Clarksville, Va., native, receives his new shoulder boards from Lt. Cmdr. Shawn S. Koch and Lt. Cmdr. George M. Bruhl during a promotion ceremony at the Atlantic Area headquarters here, Aug. 6, 2008.
In addition, Massingill was awarded the Coast Guard Achievement Medal for outstanding service as a search and rescue controller for the Coast Guard Atlantic Area, which spans from the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf and encompasses 42 states and more than 14 million square miles.
During this time, Massingill oversaw the execution of more than 150 search and rescue cases throughout the Atlantic Area, resulting in 38 lives saved, 23 lives assisted. He also improved communication with foreign rescue coordination centers by creating templates for messages and correspondence in six languages, which greatly facilitated cooperative rescue efforts.
Massingill currently resides in Smithfield, Va., and serves as an intelligence officer at the Atlantic Area headquarters.
Perhaps if we had more true "integration" -- more cakes, if you will -- then we'd have a Reserve workforce that gave us reason to truly celebrate.
Congratulations to Lieutenant Massingill and everyone else who's been promoted and advanced this summer.
Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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Monday, August 11, 2008
A day in the life: At Coast Guard Station Atlantic City
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
Great feature article (sometimes referred to as a "puff piece") by Elaine Rose in today's Press of Atlantic City: It's a mix of duty, down time for always-ready Coast Guard. Her lede:
As tourists pour into town for a weekend at the beach or in the casinos, a crew of 12 men and women at the U.S. Coast Guard station spend Friday afternoon getting ready for mishaps on the water. They will be on call until Monday morning.Ms. Rose has captured "a day in the life." This is a must read for anyone interested in joining the Coast Guard. Great pictures, too.
For now, all is quiet.
Christopher Moore, just seven days out of boot camp, sits in the communications room and learns the ropes of being a watchstander.
That is the first step in the Coast Guard experience, said Boatswain's Mate Second Class Jeremy Gourde, one of two officers-in-charge for the weekend. It takes two weeks to memorize about 200 landmarks in the ocean and back bays so the watchstander can direct crews to an emergency.
Posted on Monday, August 11, 2008
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