United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District

Breeze
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District
http://www.cgaux7.org/
Volume LVI
Number 3
Winter 2010
Winner of the
National Public Affairs
Publications Contest
District Newsletters
2009 & 2010
Above: ORLANDO, Fla.– Sep. 23-25, Bruce and Stacey Wright
brought their “Operation WEAR IT Life Jackets for Life” campaign
display to DCON. The two were honored by the Past Division
Captains Assoc. for their tireless activities this year.
Photo by Vicki Aponte
Front Cover: MIAMI- July 24– Aviation Survival Technician
Chief Miles Beardsley, USCG Air Station Miami, prepares to dunk
Sandra Shofner from FL 69 Opa Locka, Fla., for the third time
during an AUX AIR training and recruiting exercise. The recruits
are strapped into a seat with a five point harness, and while wearing a helmet, are flipped upside down. They must then release
their harness and swim out through the ‘window’. Photo by Brian
Lichtenstein, FL 38
Left: DORAL, Fla. - Julian Corrales, Flotilla 67, spends a few
minutes informing a solider about the many missions of the Auxiliary during the Coast Guard Day celebration at SOUTHCOM
Headquarters on Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Photo by Christopher Todd, DVC-AP. Story on page 22.
Back cover: GRAND HAVEN, Mich., August 7, 2010: Members
of the United States Coast Guard Pipe and Drum Band from District 7 pose for a group photo at the Grand Haven Coast Guard
Festival. The city takes pride in its self-proclaimed title, "Coast
Guard City, USA". The members are from left, front row: M. L.
Loudermilk, Pipe Major (Flotilla 29), Laura Farmer (FL 14-2), Max
Adelson (FL 38), Susan Southerland (FL 67), Pamela Wright (FL
67), Betty Rogers (FL 36), Bob Miller (FL 22), Jaqueline
Southerland (applicant) and Andrew Anderson, Drum Major (FL
38). Rear Row, from left: Michael Carr (USCGR), John L. Quinn
(FL 29), Chuck Farmer (FL 14-2), B. J. Ferguson (FL 22), Tracy
Alderman (FL 36), Jack T. Pierce (FL 29) and Steve Rogers (FL
36). Photo provided by Chuck Farmer
Division Commanders 2010
Is the official publication of the
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
7th District
Volume LVII
Number 3
Fall/Winter
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
District Commander:
RADM William B. Baumgartner, USCG
Director of Auxiliary District 7:
CDR Donald L. Winfield
Operations Training Officer:
CWO2 Ursula Walther
U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
District Commodore
COMO Donald L. Frasch
Email: d7dco@aol.com
District Chief of Staff
COMO Walter Jaskiewicz (DCO-e)
Email: captwrj@aol.com
Immediate Past
District Commodore
COMO Allen Brown
Email: allenbrown902@aol.com
Division 1……………….. ….Osvaldo Manuel Catinchi
Division 2…………………….….……....... David Fuller
Division 3…………………….……... J. P. Feighery, Jr.
Division 4………………………..........… Frederick Hill
Division 5………………………..…….. Wilson Riggan
Division 6………………...……….….…..Judith Hudson
Division 7……………………...…...……Amos Johnson
Division 8……………….....……….…......Braxton Ezell
Division 9…………………..…………...….. Louis Conti
Division 10……………………....….... William Capitan
Division 11………………..………...… Melvin Manning
Division 12………………………….. Robert Weskerna
Division 13……………….... Russell (Dewey) Jackson
Division 14………………..……...…….. Jesse Stevens
Division 15…………………………. Lawrence Berman
Division 16…………………...….…James “CC” Kreglo
Division 17………………………………....Nevin Lantry
Logistics
James E. Dennen, Directorate Chief
Email: jimdennen@gmail.com
Prevention
Bruce Lindsey, Directorate Chief
Email: blind21414@aol.com
Response
Richard Leys, Directorate Chief
Email: rjleys@bellsouth.net
District Captain - East (DCAPT-E)
Dan Jacquish
Email: djacquish@aol.com
District Captain - West (DCAPT-W)
John Tyson (DCOS-e)
Email: jtyson0906@aol.com
District Captain - North (DCAPT-N)
Reginald Hollar
Email: snoopy@sccc.tv
Editor & Publications Officer
Dorothy Joan Riley
dottieriley1@verizon.net
The D7 PB Team (ADSO-PB Staff Officers):
James Dennen, Content Editor
Gary Barth, ADSO-E
Susan Carty, ADSO-N
Karen Miller, ADSO-W
T. J. Kerbs, Pre-Press & Printing
BREEZE is the official and educational tool of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District and is intended as a publication to keep the membership apprised of the activities of the Auxiliary. All articles and photographs submitted must be consistent with the policies of the Coast Guard and
the Auxiliary and may not be returned.
Personal information of members is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. The use of these rosters, addresses and telephone numbers on any
computer or online service including the Internet is prohibited by the Act.
Comments are encouraged and may be sent to the above named Publication Officer. Articles in the BREEZE may be reprinted provided credit is
given and a copy is sent to the above Editor and Publications Officer.
Do not send changes of address to the BREEZE. You can obtain a change of member information report (7028) from your Materials
Officer and submit it through channels.
Volume LVII
Bridge and Staff
Number 3
Fall/Winter 2010
A Word From the Editor:
District Commodore ....................................................3
District Chief of Staff....................................................4
Immediate Past District Commodore ……..…..….......5
District Captain North …..............................................6
District Captain East ……...........................................8
District Captain West ….............................................10
Directorates
With the new year upon us and the appointment of staff officers at flotilla and division levels, I will repeat a message
from a previous issue of the Breeze:
•
Newsletters are important tools for building and maintaining member morale.
•
Newsletter articles about our members’ efforts convey a
sense of recognition and appreciation. While none of us
volunteer for this great organization in order to be rewarded, it can sometimes be disheartening when our
hard work is not acknowledged.
•
Newsletters pay tribute to our members for their contributions of time and energy in a tangible form that can be
shared with family and friends or printed and used as
recruitment tools.
•
Besides serving as effective tools for morale building,
newsletters chronicle our activities and serve as important historical records.
Logistics, DDC-L…... …………………...…..…….…...12
Prevention, DDC-R…..………………………...…........14
Response, DDC-P ……….………...………..…...…...16
Articles
Lagoon Keepers …………………………………..…...11
NACON: Mummy Mountain..………………………….18
DCON– Motivating Experience………………………..20
SOUTHCOM CG Day Celebration……………………22
USCGC Eagle…………………………………………..23
Admiral for Lunch……………………………………….26
Division 14 Honor Guard……………………………….28
Team Coast Guard……………………………………..30
TV-Semper Paratus…………………………………….32
Kings Bay Exercise……………………………………..33
Big Pine Beachcombers………………………………..34
AUXAIR Communications……………………………..35
Life Jackets for Kids…………………………………….36
Rescue of a Different Feather…………………………38
DCON Mardi Gras photos……………………………..39
Flotilla Factors in Fun and Fellowship………………..40
Responding to the Call…………………………………42
“Guard Your Own”
Give generously to the Coast Guard
Mutual Assistance Program.
http://www.cgmahq.org/index.htm
Newsletters are a big job! Why not appoint a publications
team? This will help spread the load. Some of our best newsletters use this approach to publication.
Once appointed, please support your publications officer by
reminding staff officers to forward copies of their reports and
by encouraging the members to forward photographs and
information for inclusion in your newsletter.
Above all, remind your publications officer to avail themselves of the resources and assistance available to them
through the Publications Department.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Joan Riley
DSO-PB D7
Page 3
From the Bridge
Commodore Donald Frasch
I can't believe I’m coming to the end of my two year watch already! It has been a fantastic
journey filled with great successes, unexpected interruptions and unbelievable activity. Now
I know why Sandy didn't want me to become a District Commodore (DCO) until I retired. I
could never have even begun to keep up with it and be employed at the same time.
As I said, it’s been an unbelievably high-tempo two years. When you see the numbers,
you‘ll know what I mean. On top of that, we lost our Operations Training Officer in January
‘09 to training and deployment in Bahrain and CWO2 Walther didn’t come on board until the
last week in August. Our Director left in May and his replacement was only with us for six
weeks before she was reassigned to Africa. CDR Winfield reported for duty the last week in
September of 2009. Obviously, we have had our difficult times, but we always got through
them a bit wiser and more prepared for the next challenge. Everyone stuck with it and you
all did whatever you could to help out. That was a tremendous effort and I most sincerely thank you all for it.
In my almost two years as your DCO, we have put together some amazing numbers. For instance;
• We went from a low of about 5,100 members in January 2009 to just over 6,000 today.
• With modernization and our effort to better support the Sectors by organizational restructuring, we added one new
division and seven new flotillas for a total of 17 divisions, and 106 Flotillas. DCOs in other districts are absolutely
blown away by that (and we are still growing).
• We contributed 67,635 total hours of operations, surface and air.
• We performed 34,142 Vessel Safety Checks.
• We completed 35,869 RBS Program Partner Visits.
• We conducted 417 Commercial Fishing Vessel Exams.
• We presented 1,023 Public Education Courses.
• We inspected 9,135 Federal and Private Aids to Navigation.
• We saved 49 lives.
Our Operations Missions have integrated into the Active Duty units like no other district in the nation. Some call this
“Mission Creep” with a somewhat negative connotation. Of course, that isn't true because we have also continually increased our Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) efforts along with it. Today, we lead the nation in jointly planning our
support of the Sectors via the Standard Operational Planning Process (SOPP) and are the benchmark for everyone else
to follow. Those efforts have been recognized at senior command levels in the Coast Guard resulting in their field operational commanders directed to do the same.
All of this moves us in a direction we must go: "Sector Centric." We have to continue to focus the planning and execution
of all our operations and support with the Sectors and the units under their command. You have all done a marvelous job
of supporting that initiative. You have done everything I have asked of you, and done it to perfection.
What makes my departure as DCO a bit easier is knowing that your new DCO, Commodore Jaskiewicz, and his new
bridge are fully up to speed on where we are going and what we need to do. He will do a great job of moving D7 forward
in showing the rest of the nation how to be the best USCG Auxiliary ever. Please give him your total support.
I could not be more proud to have been your DCO these last two years, but more importantly, more proud of all of you
and what you have accomplished to support the Coast Guard and help make our nation safe. You are truly amazing!
Semper Paratus
Page 4
From the Bridge
Commodore Walter Jaskiewicz,
District Chief of Staff (DCO-e)
The leadership of our 7th District Auxiliary is the result of a democratic voting process.
Our members are represented by their elected Division Commanders; individuals in
whom you have entrusted the leadership and the destiny of our organization, and to
stand watch at the bridges of our 17 divisions, 106 flotillas, several detachments and our
great AuxAir crews. Together, they bring 7th District membership close to 6,000 strong.
My commitment to you is to stay focused on our core values and missions, understanding
we are not an independent entity, and that we are required by both oath and by law to
follow and comply with the policies established by the Commandant of the United States
Coast Guard. Throughout the years of war and peace, since 1939 the Auxiliary has kept its word.
We believe in serving the Coast Guard and our great country with extreme pride. We have accepted
new challenges as "Unformed Opportunities" to create, to re-invent and to excel. ‘Impossible’ and
‘undoable’ are words we do not frequently use. Our language has a different vocabulary: “Yes, we
can,” and “I know we can,” or, “Let’s try.”
To our new bridge and leadership: I task you all to begin your stand at the bridge alongside me with
a vision that will embrace changes and that will bring our
members together as a team to work boldly and decisively
together, and to execute professionally what lies before us.
The winds of change will not alter our course if we recognize
the wisdom and knowledge that lies within the folds of our
members. This will be the prevailing winds that will fill the
sails of our ships, and enable us to complete our missions
and tasks.
When the roll call is taken, let us all roll up our sleeves and
say, “Present,” for we have been entrusted to carry the baton
of the Auxiliary nation. I am committed to demonstrating that
we are all professionals in the execution of our missions and
that we are accountable.
I cannot ask you to do more than our resources allow, but I
will ask that we all do our best. We offer "Uncommon
Strength" and "Unwavering Service."
So, let us all continue to think innovatively and to act with
conviction in all we do as part of Team Coast Guard.
Thank you for your trust in my leadership,
Semper Paratus Ω
ORLANDO, Fla.– Newly frocked COMO Walter Jaskiewicz, (DCOe) and John Tyson, District Captain-West and District Chief of Staffelect (DCOS-e) at the formal banquet held on Sep.24, 2010. The
two will assume leadership of USCG Auxiliary District 7 in January
of 2011. Photo by Dottie Riley
Page 5
From the Bridge
Commodore Allen Brown,
Immediate Past District Commodore
It doesn’t seem possible that fall is here already. In the larger scheme of things, just yesterday it was 2009 and tomorrow will be 2011. Much has happened in this in-between period
and the majority of us are eagerly looking forward to the future.
Many changes have transpired within the Auxiliary during our time together. The majority of
these changes are gathered together under the name “modernization,” and we are well on
our way to seeing these actions completed. But there will be more. Congress must act in
several areas before many of the final steps may be completed. In the interim, we must indeed remain “Paratus,” for as members of the Auxiliary, we endeavor to carry out our dual missions of safety and security.
District Seven has always been on the cutting edge nationally. Your commitment and responsibility as a member is absolutely essential in a changing and growing organization. For many readers, you have assumed the mantel of elected and/or appointed office, and you have done so
proudly. For these actions you are to be commended. Our leadership needs to be dedicated and
committed not only to the Coast Guard, but also to each Auxiliary member. A good leader is committed to the development of everyone, not just self.
In summary, I think that it is worthy to note that in all organizations, a perfect leader does not exist. Nowhere is this truer than in the voluntary organization – the care and feeding of the volunteer is essential. Now is the time for each of us to reassess and rediscover our commitment to
“Semper Paratus.”
Bravo Zulu to each of you for all you have done and continue to do. May you all have fair winds
and following seas in the days and years ahead. Ω
Allen COMO Allen Brown, IPDCO-7
ORLANDO, Fla.: Past
District 7 Commodores Mary
Larsen and Allen Brown
dine together at the
formal banquet held Friday,
Sep. 24, 2010 at the District
Conference in Orlando.
Photo by Vicki Aponte
“...Our leadership
needs to be
dedicated and
committed not only
to the Coast Guard,
but also to each
Auxiliary member.”
Page 6
District Captain North
Reginald Hollar, DCAPT-N
After almost two years served
as District Captain-North, I
can look back in awe at the
incredible accomplishments
of “Team North.” It would take
a large library of documents
to mention everything that
has been accomplished. Most
important is that teamwork from all of the staff and membership made this incredible record possible. As this will
be my final report for the “Breeze” as DCAPT-N, I will try
to highlight some of the accomplishments of “Team
North.”
First, we will take a look at Division 2, which covers the
interior Lakes of Georgia. An expansion of the Division 2
area of responsibility (AOR) has greatly increased the
visibility of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. In just the past
year, two new flotillas have been chartered. The first was
Flotilla 23, which is in northeast Georgia and borders
North Carolina. This is in a generally mountainous area
and the visibility of Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary was almost non-existent. The second flotilla to be
chartered was Flotilla 27, which covers Lakes Sinclair
and Oconee, located south of Athens, Georgia. Most of
Division 2 is located many miles away from Sector
Charleston, S.C. With this in mind, the Division has set
up really great working relationships with multiple agencies such as the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Power
Squadron, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
(GDNR), local law enforcement, and emergency medical
services. With extensive ongoing training and operations,
the division is educating the boating public on water
safety and the protection of our environment.
Division 4 in Central Florida is in an aggressive building
mode to recruit new members and expand their operational capabilities. About a year and half ago, Division 17
was formed by splitting up Division 4 and adding a flotilla
from Division 14. This greatly reduced the size of Division
4 but gave them better control to serve Coast Guard Station Ponce de Leon Inlet and the boating public in central
Florida. In August of this year, a new Auxiliary detachment was formed at Welaka, Florida. This detachment is
located on the St. Johns River and is miles from Station
Ponce. This area now has weekend patrols by the Auxiliary in the high boating traffic area. Division 4 and Division 14 are supplying weekend crews for patrol with the
boat furnished by the Coast Guard. Member Training and
Public Education classes are on the front burner with ongoing activities. Aggressive recruiting is steadily adding
members to the roster in Division 4.
Division 10 is located in coastal and inland South Carolina. This area includes the busy Port of Savannah and
ever important Air Station Savannah. U.S. Coast Guard
Air Station Savannah responds to search and rescue
cases from Titusville, Florida to the North Carolina line.
Operational support to Air Station Savannah is an ongoing, weekly priority of Division 10, and the division’s operational facilities are involved heavily in working with the
Air Station. As with the Auxiliary, the ‘regulars’ have to
maintain their currency maintenance and the platforms
supplied by the Auxiliary help with this task. The division
supplies weekly patrols to support Marine Safety Unit
Savannah and Station Tybee. As we move farther south,
the Brunswick, Ga. Auxiliary supports Coast Guard Station Brunswick. The division is involved in many high profile Public Affairs events including the St. Patrick’s Day
celebration when the Savannah River is dyed green.
Now we take a look at Division 12, which covers coastal
and inland South Carolina. The area of responsibility for
Division 12 begins along the coast just north of Hilton
Head Island and ends at the North Carolina line. The
area also moves inland to Lake Murray, which is west of
Columbia. South Carolina has three major inland lakes.
Lake Murray is the western most lake, then Lake Marion
and Lake Moultrie. Just last year, Flotilla 12-1 was chartered on Lake Marion. This lake has hundreds of miles of
shoreline and almost countless marinas and ramps. This
new flotilla is serving the area well with ongoing patrols,
Boating Safety classes and Public Affairs events. An Auxiliary presence here is very important as Sector Charleston is many miles away. Division 12 can also brag about
the Citadel Detachment. This is one of a kind, and much
credit is due to Bill Riley, Immediate Past Division Commander, for its formation. Here, cadets receive seamanship training from the Coast Guard and Flotilla 12-8
Charleston.
Another detachment will soon become a flotilla in Socastee, S.C., an area between Georgetown, S.C. and
Myrtle Beach on the Intracoastal Waterway. To reach this
area by boat or by highway from Coast Guard Station
Georgetown, takes at least 45 minutes. In the summer,
Page 7
with the influx of tourists, the time may double. Numerous
personal watercraft rentals and the high volume boating
traffic makes this a congested and dangerous area, especially during tourist season. When chartered in early
2011, this new flotilla will be a huge benefit to the Coast
Guard and the boating public.
All of Division 12 has been running aggressive Public
Education classes and the numbers reflect the efforts.
Operations are ongoing in all of the flotillas and several
lives were saved this year. Joining forces with multiple
agencies is paying big dividends in South Carolina. With
personnel cuts in South Carolina Department of Natural
Resources, the Auxiliary is continually stepping up operations. From support for the Army in their parachute drops
to numerous safety patrols, the Division 12 Auxiliary is
highly visible.
On the North Coast of Florida we find Division 14. Space
will only permit me to mention a few of the major happenings. Division 14 primarily supports Sector Jacksonville
and Coast Guard Station Mayport. Just over a year ago,
Division 14 lost a flotilla to Division 4 when the new Division 17 was chartered. Already though, the membership
that was lost is recovering due to aggressive recruiting
efforts. Presently, the Division is up to over 400 members.
In August of this year, Flotilla 14-7 was chartered at
Green Cove Springs, Florida. This flotilla is located on the
St. John’s River south of Jacksonville and is a far reach
for Sector Jacksonville. Through extensive planning and
hard work by many Auxiliarists, this new flotilla is very
healthy and providing needed support to the community.
Bob Funk, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator, has worked extensively with Sector Jacksonville in relaying the Sector’s
needs to the Auxiliary.
Division 14 recently dedicated a memorial to pay honor to
all the members within the division who have crossed
over the bar. This memorial and the granite stones are
located at Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) Station Jacksonville. David Green, Division Vice Commander, is to be
commended for his countless hours of hard work and
dedication in putting this together.
Division 14 now has thirty-five members providing operational and/or administrative support to Sector Jacksonville
and ANT Jacksonville. Through extensive training and
practice, the Division 14 Honor Guard is in the public’s
eye all over Jacksonville and the surrounding areas. This
is truly a professional group of Auxiliarists and their visi-
bility speaks highly of the Auxiliary and the Coast Guard.
Division 17, The Space Coast, was chartered just over a
year ago. Since that time, this Division has moved ahead
in all Auxiliary programs. This Division supports Coast
Guard Station Canaveral and the USCGC Confidence
stationed there. Early in the year, the division set their
Strategic Business Plan and stated their goals and objectives. Nevin Lantry, Division Commander, has carefully
tracked the plan in the combined programs of Public Education, Vessel Examination, Public Affairs, Program Visitor, and Marine Safety. This has resulted in an unprecedented success for Auxiliary participation throughout Brevard, Orange, and Osceola Counties. Many of the Personal Qualification Standards (PQS) given to the Auxiliary by the Coast Guard have been accomplished.
For starters, we will take a look at this: Five Auxiliarists
completed the “Uninspected Passenger Vessel” USCG
Qualification, eleven completed the “Life Raft” USCG
Qualification, two completed the “Commercial Fishing
Vessel Inspection” USCG Qualification and one Auxiliarist completed the Auxiliary Administration (AUXADMIN) PQS.
In early November, the Auxiliary Chef (AUXCHEF) Training Program will begin at Coast Guard Station Canaveral.
All seats have been filled for this program and the participants have taken their hepatitis A shots at Air Station
Clearwater. Members Ronald and Virginia Ellis from District 5 will be facilitating the class. After successful completion of the class, Auxiliarists will be certified as food
service (FS) technicians. They will be able to plan menus,
cook, etc., at Coast Guard Stations and on Coast Guard
cutters. It is a good possibility that they may even serve
on cutters during tours of duty. Hopefully, this program
can span out in the District as it will be a huge benefit to
the Coast Guard and free their FS people for other duties.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere appreciation
for all of the support that each and every one of you has
given me in the past two years. I am truly humbled and
honored to be a small cog in the gigantic gear of the
Coast Guard Auxiliary. Wishing you calm winds and gentle seas. Ω
Vignette: Division 14 Honor Guard at the opening of the General
Assembly at DCON, Sep. 24, 2010 in Orlando.
Original photo by Vicki Aponte
Page 8
District Captain East
Dan Jacquish, DCAPT-E
The “East” area of District 7 is an immense area stretching from Sebastian Inlet in Division 5
in the north, all the way south through Ft. Lauderdale and Division 3, through Miami and Division 6, to the end of the Florida Keys and Division 13. It also encompasses Puerto Rico and
Division 1 plus the U.S. Virgin Islands and Division 16.
In the last two articles, I recognized our outstanding personnel who serve in various National
positions from Division 3, 5, 6, and 13. Today, I would like to recognize the many achievements of our people in Puerto Rico and Division 1 and Division 16 in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Puerto Rico is a beautiful place served by Division 1. With its varied geography and nine flotillas,
they provide direct operational and administrative support to Sector San Juan as well as Air Station
Borinquen.
Division 1 has produced some of the most innovative programs for Safe Boating Week, setting the
standard for many of those activities. Osvaldo Catinchi serves as both the Division Commander and
the Auxiliary Sector Coordinator for Sector San Juan.
Not far away, and still serving Sector San Juan, is Division 16 in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by
James Kreglo, Division Commander and Lee Elvins, Division Vice Commander (VCDR), Division 16
has been on the move. They recently expanded with the addition of Flotilla 16-3 in St. John.
Cheryl Boynes-Jackson, Flotilla Commander (FC) 16-3, contributed to the “Commercial Fisherman
Survival Kit Program” by partnering with Home Depot to provide buckets to hold survival supplies.
Lee Bertman, an aircraft commander, initiated a program whereby Auxiliary aircraft remain at the air
station on weekends, making them immediately available for mission support. Working in tight coordination with active duty personnel, it has become a very productive initiative.
Duane Minton worked with active duty personnel, government agencies and Lee Elvins, VCDR, to
produce an outstanding Safe Boating Week Program throughout the islands.
Chief Lawrence O’Bry has demonstrated how to combine the Gold & Silver sides by creating joint
patrols and training opportunities. He regularly attends meetings at the flotillas and has truly established the “Team Blue” concept and knitted the Coast Guard family together.
Duane Minton, Division Staff Officer for both Operations and Member Training has dedicated untold
hours to making the programs successful. He has traveled endlessly between the islands, Puerto
Rico and Florida, most times at his own expense, in order to further the combined missions and develop new capabilities to enhance Coast Guard programs.
Art Wollenweber, Flotilla Commander 16-1, led the effort in his first year as FC to increase community participation in the “Boating Responsibly” program. He leveraged cooperation with the Diagio
Corporation to enhance the program.
There are so many people involved in all the programs that it is almost unfair to single any out for
special recognition, but some go so far enough above the call of duty. Doug Hanson, the Auxiliary
Air Coordinator; Chuck Fischer, Aircraft Commander; Klaus Willems and John Graves; John Melucci, Flotilla Vice Commander (VFC) 16-2 and so many others. The islands are a tightly knit community and our flotillas demonstrate time and again what a pleasure it is to be a part of the Coast
Guard Family.
Page 9
And finally, I must say what a pleasure it has been to serve as District Captain-East. I did not
seek re-election since I felt it more important for the position to be filled for two years by the next
person. It is such a large area and the responsibility to our people so great, that I felt the next
person should have two years to serve in order to perform at his/her peak.
I answered the call to fill a one year term. I have left the area, I hope, better than I found it, that
being the responsibility of every leader. I leave it in the capable hands of Pat Feighery, who was
elected as the new District Captain-East. Knowing Pat as I do, he will do an excellent job of serving the area with distinction.
I thank all of you for all you have done for this great organization. Your individual efforts do not go
unnoticed, and as an organization, you lead the way.
Team East-Where the sun rises and falls in District 7! Ω
Dan Jacquish,
DCAPT-E
ORLANDO, Fla.-The current and future face of District 7’s eastern area of operation leadership share a table at the
Friday night formal banquet at DCON in September. Dan Jacquish, DCAPT-E sits beside Pat Feighery, current Division Commander 3 and DCAPT-E (elect). Photo by Dottie Riley
Page 10
District Captain West
John Tyson, DCAPT-W (DCOS-e)
As I near the end of my term as District Captain-West, I take this opportunity to thank our exceptional team in the west for their hard work, dedication and friendship. This has been a
year of many challenges and accomplishments, and without the exemplary effort put forth by
“Team West,” Division Commanders Louis Conti, Braxton Ezell, Amos Johnson, Melvin Manning and Lawrence Berman, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator Donald Hoge, and Auxiliary Aviation Coordinator David Lemon, the results for 2010 would be far less. They, and the Division
Vice Commanders are an extraordinarily talented group of leaders, and behind them is an allstar cast of more than 600 flotilla and division officers who perform admirably in carrying out
their duties. Together, they are the folks who make the district leadership’s dreams become
reality, and through their exceptional work they make us all very proud. To the nearly 2,000 men and
women of “Team West,” and the more than 6,000 Auxiliarists in District Seven, thank you, thank
you, thank you for your continuing hard work and selfless dedication to the Coast Guard Auxiliary,
United States Coast Guard and the boating public.
As we approach the annual Change of Watch at our flotillas and divisions, let’s make every effort to
use this time honored event to recognize those who have provided exceptional work. Anyone may
recommend another member for a personal award, and information on how to do that can be found
in the Auxiliary Manual and on the District Seven Auxiliary web site. Templates for award citations
and a transmittal form (CG1650) are also available on the District Seven Auxiliary and Chief Director’s web sites. This year, make someone smile by seeing that they are recognized for their hard
work and valuable contribution to our success.
Looking ahead, I am excited by the opportunity to support Commodore Jaskiewicz and the 20112012 District Strategic Plan, and to doing all I can to assist our exceptionally talented district staff. Ω
John
John Tyson
ORLANDO, Fla.–
John Tyson receives help adjusting his new dress
aiguillette from the
newly frocked
COMO Walter
Jaskiewicz and
Dan Jacquish,
DCAPT-E, after the
formal ceremony on
Sep. 24 at DCON.
Photo by D. Riley
Page 11
MaKing A Difference: Lagoon Keepers
Article and photos by Otto Spielbichler, Flotilla 54, Delray Beach, Fla.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Marine
Safety and Environmental Mission has a
broad scope, and like other Auxiliary missions, individual Auxiliarists contribute to
making boating safer, especially for recreational boaters. One Auxiliarist in Palm
Beach County Florida has gone beyond
the expected standards of service and
has formed a non- profit organization devoted to cleaning up and protecting the
marine environment.
twenty volunteers. With the support of
volunteers, grants and the generosity
of local marinas and towing companies, Lagoon Keepers has, in the past
four years, removed four hundred forty
one derelict vessels along with hazards to boaters like parts of damaged
boats, docks, telephone poles, pilings,
tree stumps, step ladders, shopping
carts and debris that harm the marine
environment.
Lagoon Keepers is best known for the
debris it removes from local waters.
Less well known are the individual efforts devoted to obtaining funds for the
Greg Reynolds, founder of the notfor-profit organization known as
organization and the work that the vol“Lagoon Keepers.”
unteers do, not only to convert recreational vessels to work vessels, but to
On September 11, 2001, Reynolds completed the Boatmaintaining them. Additionally, the time, equipment and
ing Skills and Seamanship program at Flotilla 51 and
personnel donated by other organizations in order to
joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary the same day. In the
transfer marine debris from waterways to a disposal site
years following that memorable date, he began to remove
are also not well known by the boating public. The behind
marine debris from local waterways on his own. It quickly
the scenes contributions of these individuals and organibecame apparent that he needed more resources to do
zations enable Lagoon Keepers to function effectively.
the work necessary to clean up the waterways. Lagoon
Besides the daily task of cleaning waterways, Lagoon
Keepers was created as a result of that need for reKeepers has organized volunteers for clean ups such as
sources. The organization became a reality when ReyThe Great American Cleanup and the International
nolds purchased the first vessel used for clean up with
Coastal Cleanup. Lagoon Keeper volunteers have also
his own funds.
participated in environmental construction and enhanceToday, Lagoon Keepers has a fleet of five boats and
ment projects sponsored by Palm Beach Environmental
Resource Management. Coast Guard volunteers from Station Lake Worth Inlet have participated along with Lagoon Keepers in order
to make the waterways cleaner and safer to
navigate.
The Lake Worth Lagoon Environmental
Defense Fund, the legal name of the nonprofit organization, is better known by the
name it does business: Lagoon Keepers.
The Coast Guard Auxiliarist that organized Lagoon Keepers is Greg Reynolds.
Other Auxiliarists and boaters have also contributed to maintaining clean water. Boaters
who want to help should consider the following advice from Lagoon Keepers. “If you see
things in the water that do not belong there,
remove them. If you cannot remove them, call
the Coast Guard.”
That is good advice. Remember it. Pass it on.
Ω
Lagoon Keepers volunteers refloat a sunken vessel. The derelict boat will then be moved to a
dock, lifted on to a trailer and hauled off to a
dump.
Page 12
Logistics Directorate
James Dennen, DDC-L D7
The District Conference (DCON) is likely the only opportunity that a Directorate Chief has to meet
with their staff, so when health reasons prevent a director from attending DCON, it can represent a
loss to the entire department.
These meetings are very important, not just for sharing information about program changes or resolving problems, but for the face-to-face time that promotes a sense of appreciation and feelings of support. While other directors were meeting with their staffs in conference rooms, this year, the
Logistics Directorate held a ‘virtual’ meeting via the Internet. I would have much preferred
being there in person, but this was the next best thing that I could do to provide my staff the
Logistics:
opportunity to meet with me, and especially to get to know each other a little better. All that
was needed was a room with a Wi-Fi connection, a laptop, a camera, and the meeting was
Communication
on. The entire Logistics staff and a couple of interested guests participated.
Services
Human Resources
Information
Services
Public Affairs
Publications
Materials
I have written about my staff in my column before. They are among the brightest and most
competent people in District 7. Everyone in D7 is familiar with Angela Pomaro, District Staff
Officer-Human Resources, and her ability to solve seemingly insurmountable problems
getting new members onboard. Terry Barth, District Staff Officer-Materials, keeps her department running like a well-oiled machine, while Tom Brickey and the D7 Materials Center
under Walter Jaskiewicz, Chief Of Staff, have done amazing things to revamp the store
and process orders at unprecedented speeds.
Nestor Tacoronte, District Staff Officer-Communication Services and Webmaster for D7,
built and maintains a website that is second to none within the Auxiliary. Dave Hastings, his
Assistant District Staff Officer built and maintains several active duty Coast Guard websites, while Susan Hastings does an amazing job keeping all of D7’s information up to date.
Page 13
The accomplishments of Dottie
Riley, District Staff OfficerPublication speak for themselves. For the second year
straight, the Breeze earned first
place in the national Public Affairs district newsletter competition. Karen Miller, my assistant,
proofreads every copy of the
Breeze and has done a wonderful job making certain that
the final, published copies of
both the Breeze and the D7
Connection, edited by Angela
Pomaro, are as error free as
possible.
Lastly, there is Tom Loughlin,
District Staff Officer-Public Affairs. Tom seems to have his
fingers into everything, or at
the very least, on the pulse of
D7. Little happens that Tom
does not know about, or that he and his staff are not directly involved with. His direct involvement in
and planning of National Safe Boating Week events has set the standard for the rest of the Auxiliary to
follow.
The group really surprised me when they presented me with the “Watch Keeper”, thoughtfully selected
by the staff from a number of Dottie Riley paintings, to express their appreciation for my leadership and
support of their efforts. Without
my knowledge they ‘conspired’
to do this before DCON and
made the presentation during
our virtual meeting.
How does one adequately say
‘thank you’ to such a wonderful
and thoughtful staff? Ω
Photo facing page: Jim Dennen
confers with the Logistics Directorate staff officers via the Internet.
Photos this page top: From rightNestor Tacoronte, David Hastings,
Sue Hastings, and Vicki Aponte.
(Vicki works at DIRAUX in Miami.)
Right: Dottie Riley holds up the
painting presented to James Dennen during the Logistics Directorate
meeting. Behind her from right are
David Hastings, Vicki Aponte and
Diane Riggans.
Photos by Gary Barth
Page 14
Response Directorate
Richard Leys, DDC-R D7
Survival Vests for our Airborne Guardians
By Barbara Burchfield, SO-PA 12
Photos by Bob Hastie, ADSO-AV 10-2
Getting off the ground with the best aviation equipment possible, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Air 7th District (D7) took delivery of specially designed life vests on October 16, 2010, at Air
Station Savannah, Georgia.
The equipment upgrade is led by Bob Hastie, Assistant District Staff Officer-Aviation and
Aircraft Commander, Flotilla 10-2 Savannah, Ga., with oversight from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah. The initial 104 survival vests, now the standard safety equipment, were ordered for members of
the Auxiliary Air Group at the four District 7 Air Stations. Commander Winfield, Director of Auxiliary
District 7, procured funding and support for the equipment which is nearly identical to Coast Guard
equipment. Setting new aviation equipment standards, Hastie says, “We will replicate and conform to
active duty procedures as much as we can.”
The aviation survival vests meet specific requirements to provide life support and survival in the most
demanding situations, like aircraft ditching in the ocean in event of an emergency. Having recently
seen a passenger aircraft make an emergency landing in the Hudson River reminds us that Auxiliary
Air does not serve without the potential for danger.
To ensure that the maximum effort for survival is met, the new vests are designed to carry Auxiliary
Aviation standard safety equipment and most items are included in the vest distribution. Each air facility will be assigned one vest containing a personal locater beacon (EPIRB).
The vest is fitted with an Aviation Life Preserver System (ALPS) which is essentially a bladder that can
be orally inflated or by activating a CO2 cartridge to inflate it within 30 seconds. It will elevate a person’s head above water and will right an unconscious person in the water.
Response:
Perhaps the biggest change is that each crew member will now have an individual single life raft assigned, replacing the heavier 4-person life raft on each air facility. Previously, the crew member seated
behind the Aircraft Commander and Co-Pilot would be tasked with making sure the 4-person life raft
made it out of the plane in an emergency ditching. According to Hastie, “The single person
life raft assigned to each crew member is not only smaller, but easier to get into from the
water. Its light weight and small packaging makes it more portable, a real survival advantage to the crew.”
Navigation
Services
Operations
Qualification
Examiners
Aviation
Communications
Chief Petty Officer Mike Gall, USCG, Air Station Clearwater, Fla., served as advisor for the
project. Auxiliary team members from Air Stations Savannah, Ga., Miami, Fla., and Clearwater, Fla., tested the vest in the water and in the aircraft, providing critical operational
evaluation.
At Air Station Savannah, the delivery and buildup of the survival vests in October included a
very precise inspection procedure before distribution.
Giving Auxiliary Air the best tools available for survival makes the air patrols and search and
rescue missions much safer for everyone. Ω
Page 15
Left: Freddie King, Auxiliary Air
Copilot, Flotilla 10-2, proudly
sports the new survival vest and
single person life raft being distributed within District 7.
Right: Aux Air survival vests are designed
to carry standard safety equipment in easily accessible places.
Photos by Bob Hastie, ADSO-AV, 10-2
Note: For more happenings specific to the
Response Directorate, see “...Kings Bay”
on page 33.
Page 16
Prevention Directorate
Bruce Lindsey, DDC-P D7
Thanks to all who attended the Prevention seminars at the District 7 Conference. It
was great meeting you or seeing you again and sharing your ideas. As we wind into
the fourth quarter of 2010 and the downturn in most recreational boating for the year,
we still have boating safety challenges for the remainder of this year and planning for
next.
At the beginning of this year, the National Auxiliary Bridge made a five-year commitment to have an impact on boating safety. As a part of the national goal, the District 7
Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Team was formed with the Public Education (PE),
Vessel Examination (VE), Program Visitor (PV) and Public Affairs (PA) District Staff
Officers completing an RBS Tactical Plan to set District goals. The national goals have
just been re-emphasized by our new National Commodore, Jim Vass, who stated,
"We need to recommit ourselves to improving recreational boating safety and making a serious
dent in reducing the recreational boating death growth rates.” He elaborated, “2009 saw an increase of 3.8% in recreational boating deaths because people fail to wear life jackets, are inattentive, and consume alcohol while operating boats. Nearly 75 percent of the 736 people who died in
boating accidents in 2009 drowned, and 84 percent of those victims reportedly were not wearing a
life jacket. Our waterways should be fun, not places where you lose your life….” Unfortunately, at
this point 2010 looks like a repeat of 2009.
The District 7 RBS Plan has been published and distributed through Command, PE, PV, VE and
PA staff channels. The Auxiliary goals are very achievable, and impacting recreational boating
safety is also doable. If you are not familiar with the plan, please ask for it through your staff channels.
Prevention:
Marine Safety
This brings us to what can yet be done this year, what to plan for or assist your successor with, if
you are in a staff position and will be passing it on. The heaviest volume of Vessel Exams has
probably already been done, and our Public Education class schedule for the year is most likely
over. But there are indoor activities that can be ramped up and transitioned to next year. Externally, Program Visitation is still open. Visit dealers and discuss plans and support for upcoming
boat shows and marine events that will be occurring with the start of the New Year. If possible, have PE leadership develop a class schedule for the first part of next year and have
printed copies for dealer racks and boat shows. How about PE Gift Certificates to go under
the tree with other boating accessories? PV qualification is still possible for new members
this year, and remember that if you are close to the 120 points for the RBS award this year,
PVs may be the best option.
Member
Training
Public Education
Program Visitor
State Liaison
Vessel
Examinations
Internally, since boating safety activities are decreasing and our on-the-water experiences
are fresh, this is a great time for Member Training activities. Auxiliary Operations (AUXOP)
courses are often neglected, but with the new AUXOP criteria that become effective on
January 1st, there are qualification options that should be of greater interest to more of our
members. Marine Safety training was highlighted in the summer issue of the Breeze, and
additional information will be available soon.
Coming back to the RBS plan, this is the time to assist members with obtaining new qualifications as Instructor, Program Visitor and Vessel Examiner so they will be ready to use
their new skills early next year.
I want to thank the Prevention Directorate Staff, Tom Hayden, DSO-MT, John SpragueWilliams, DSO-MS, Ruth White, DSO-PE, Ronnie Merritt, DSO-PV, Bill Grizwold, DSO-SL,
Page 17
Chuck Kelemen, DSO-VE, and their ADSOs for all of their efforts and accomplishments this
year.
Thanks to all of you for a great year. From the recreational boating safety statistics and your personal experiences, you know that your services are needed and appreciated.
Semper Paratus Ω
Is It Too Late to Take a Boating Safety Course?
LAKE MARION, S.C.- Both Lake Marion and Lake Murray, Columbia, S.C. have reported more personal boating accidents this year than in past years. The incident pictured above occurred on Saturday,
July 31, 2010, in front of Scarborough’s Landing on Wyboo Creek in Santee. A pontoon boat with no
running lights was being towed at night by another pontoon boat - with this result! The photo was taken
the following morning. Surprisingly, considering the amount of damage done, only one person was reported to have sustained minor injuries. Accidents like this should serve as a reminder that we have so
much more to do to educate the public about Recreational Boating Safety.
Photo by Perry Moses, III FC, Flotilla 12-1, Lake Marion.
Page 18
The Shootout on Mummy Mountain
Commodore Frasch Elected to Serve as DNACO and
D7 Dominates National “A” Directorate Awards for Second Straight Year.
By Christopher Todd, DVC-AP
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. – At the foothills of Mummy
Mountain above the J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn Resort
& Spa lies a cookout area with building facades reminiscent of a Wild West town. Signs that say “Sheriff” and
“O.K. Corral” sway in the wind as a light coating of dusty
desert sand chases away rattlesnakes and scorpions.
Just down the trail from here is where it all happened.
Like the marshal in a old western movie with his deputy
riding shotgun, Commodore Donald Frasch, District Commodore 7, rode into town with Walter Jaskiewicz, District
Chief of Staff 7, and laid down the law at the Coast Guard
Auxiliary National Conference (NACON). For the second
straight year, the Seventh District captured a lion’s share
of national awards as they gunned down the competition
at almost every corner.
It all started on Friday, August 27 just after the NACON
opening ceremonies and the official roll call. It was time
for the national elections and Frasch defeated two challengers on the first ballot – almost unprecedented – to
become the Deputy National Commodore, Atlantic Area
East and Operations (elect). He will serve in this capacity
for the 2011-12 term.
Soon after, Commodore David A. Elliot, Chief Response
Department and Assistant National Commodore for Response and Prevention – and member of Stuart Flotilla
51 – was awarded the Auxiliary Meritorious Service
Medal for his work from November 2008 to August 2010.
Rear Adm. Brian Salerno, Deputy Commandant for Operations, presented the award.
In the second session, Wilson Riggan, Division Commander 5, received the Auxiliary Achievement Medal for
his work as Chief, Response Air Operations Division from
September 2008 to August 2010. Salerno and Rear Adm.
Kevin Cook presented the award. Riggan’s wife Diane,
Flotilla Commander 59, accompanied him to NACON.
As the sun broke over Camelback Mountain on Saturday,
August 28, the towns folk scattered as tumbleweeds blew
through the streets. The D7 posse had their six-shooters
loaded and was ready for a fight. It was time for the prestigious national public affairs, photography, and publications awards.
The first category up was photography, with First Place
awards going to Albert Bidwick, Flotilla Staff OfficerPublic Affairs (FSO-PA) 86 for the Operations category,
his wife Judi Bidwick, Flotilla Staff Officer-Publications
(FSO-PB) 86 for the Public Education category, and
Christopher Todd, Immediate Past Flotilla Commander 611 for the Vessel Examination category. Todd won this
category for the second consecutive year. The shootout
was underway.
Morris Harvey, FSO-PA 15-1, received First Place for the
Flotilla Public Affairs Project category for the National
Safe Boating Week activities by his Dunnellon, Florida
flotilla. This was also the second consecutive year in
Page 19
total team effort and I want to
thank the many contributors
from throughout the district
who all played a role in making this happen.”
PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz.– Commodore Donald Frasch is joined at the National Conference in
Arizona by CWO Ursula Walther, Operations Training Officer, D7, his wife, Sandy, and CDR Donald Winfield, Director of Auxiliary, D7. Photo by Christopher Todd, DVC-AP
which Seventh District units claimed first place in the
Public Affairs category.
Around high noon it was time for the final showdown; the
publications category. Duane Ising, FSO-PB 98 Charlotte
Harbor, claimed First Place for the Flotilla category for his
Harbor Light newsletter, beating out competitors from
throughout the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
With the anticipation building into a near frenzy, the First
Place winner of the District Publications category was
announced. Dottie Riley, DSO-PB, had claimed the
crown for the second year in a row thereby demonstrating
the dominance the D7 BREEZE maintains as a marquee
publication within the Auxiliary.
Later that evening, Frasch
and is wife Sandy were
seated at the head table for
the Commodore’s Banquet.
After dinner came the
“frocking ceremony” in which
Mrs. Frasch, accompanied
by Commander Donald
Winfield, Director of Auxiliary
District 7, replaced the onestar shoulder boards on
Frasch with new two-star
boards. Frasch then took the
oath of office for his new
elected position.
The marshal blew a smoke trail away from the tip of the
barrel on his Colt, while the deputy placed the Winchester
repeating rifle back in the saddlebag. A drink seemed to
be in order. Soon, the marshal will be overseeing a much
larger territory, while the deputy is the top candidate to
take over the marshal’s old job.
As the sun began to set in the Arizona territory, both
Frasch and Jaskiewicz were last seen loading their loot
into an old stage coach for the trip back to Orlando and
formal presentation at the Seventh District Conference in
late September. The “Super Seventh” had done it yet
again! Ω
“I am absolutely thrilled,” said Riley. “This was another
National Awards presented to District 7 at NACON
National Public Affairs Award – First Place Flotilla – Morris Harvey, FL 15-1
First Place Photography – Public Education – Julia Bidwick - FL 86
First Place Photography – Vessel Examination – Christopher Todd - FL 6-11
First Place Photography – Operations – Albert Bidwick – FL 86
Flotilla Publication – First Place -“Harbor Light’ - Duane Ising, Editor, FL 98
District Publication – First Place – District 7 “Breeze” - Dottie Riley, Editor, FL 79
2010 Best Of The Web – Division 17, District Seven
Page 20
DCON: What a Motivating Experience!
By Dottie Riley, DSO-PB and Thomas Loughlin, DSO-PA
ORLANDO, Fla.- Unless you are a division or district officer, there is no reason to
attend the District 7 Conference (DCON) right? If you are under this impression
then read on, because you would be very
wrong!
The D7 Material Store- Jacob McCullough, Brenda Burger, John Curtis and Tom Brickey
The District 7 Fall conference was held
September 23-26 at the Florida Mall Hotel
in Orlando, Florida. Each year, DCON follows a general format that adapts to
changing needs and objectives.
In truth, only the first day, the Thursday of
each DCON session is primarily for the
district’s “high ranking elected officers”.
A crowded General Assembly
Sep. 23, 2010
Sep. 24, 2010
Photo by D. Riley
and soft drinks and a variety of pizzas to suit
anyone’s pizza preferences.
Photo by Vicki Aponte
This is the only day that the District 7 Executive Committee (EXCOM) reserves to
themselves for closed door discussions and
planning meetings. While they are in their
meetings, the general membership is just
arriving, registering, visiting tabletop displays, visiting local attractions, shopping in
the D7 Materials Store, shopping in local
stores and just generally relaxing and taking the opportunity to meet other members
from throughout our district.
Thursday lays claim to one other event that
members generally arrive in time to enjoy:
the Commodore’s Reception. The food and
drink at this event are always free. This
year, the members were treated to wine
The training sessions begin on Friday and continue through Sunday morning. A sampling of
this year’s offerings included the Flotilla Leadership Course, Incident Command System (ICS)
210, sessions on how to write awards, process
grants and donations, how to complete various
Human Relations forms to include the 7029 and
the 7030, courses in Marine Safety and Recreational Boating Safety, how to apply for a CSchool, counter terrorisms training, and how to
wear the uniform correctly. This brief list includes
more than a few topics of interest to both new
and seasoned members!
Training– CFV Examiner, BM1 Pete Nelson and John Sprague-Williams
Sep. 25, 2010
Photo by Dottie Riley
Page 21
Tabletop displays:Toni Borman, Ruth Ann
White and Lee Waters
brought an amazing variety of life jackets and
brochures promoting recreational boating safety.
Sep. 23, 2010
Photo by Dottie Riley
The general meeting, which includes annual elections
modore in a silver lame jacket dancing with his lady.
and award presentations, is conducted on Friday afterThere was no way one could have attended and not ennoon, and Friday night boasts the formal banquet where
joyed oneself.
the newly elected officers are ‘frocked’. Leading
Formal Banquet—Expressing Appreciation to COMO Frasch, Sep. 24, 2010
the new District Bridge will be Walter Jaskiewicz
with John Tyson as District Chief of Staff as his
second-in-command. The remainder of the
Bridge consists of the all-important regional District Captains. The 2011-2012 District Captains
are Mel Manning-District Captain West, Pat
Feighery-District Captain East and Bob
Weskerna-District Captain North. Congratulations to all!
Saturday and Sunday morning is more training,
with Saturday night being the most popular
event of all: Fun Night. This year’s theme was
Mardi Gras. On this night, the members “let
down their hair” and party! The costumes were
humorous and gaudy befitting a good Mardi
Gras party. A good example was our new ComFun Night– CWO Ursula Walther with some of our Mardi Gras revelers.
Photo by Vicki Aponte
Unless you have attended one of these
conferences, you can’t possibly understand and feel the sense of camaraderie
and pride that one experiences when attending DCON. We truly are an amazing
and dedicated group of people! As CDR
Donald Winfield, Director of Auxiliary District Seven (DIRAUX D7) remarked, he
cannot comprehend why so many people
willingly volunteer their time and shoulder
the financial burden for membership in
this great organization. We know why,
but if you ever question that yourself, attend a district conference!
Semper Paratus! Ω
Sep. 25, 2010
Photo by Dottie Riley
Page 22
D7 Auxiliary Recognized at SOUTHCOM During Coast
Guard Day Celebration. By Christopher Todd, DVC-AP
DORAL, Fla. – Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel
from Divisions 5 (Palm Beaches and Treasure
Coast) and 6 (Miami-Dade County) teamed up with
active duty counterparts from Station Miami Beach
and Tactical Law Enforcement Team South for a
comprehensive Coast Guard Day celebration at the
U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) Headquarters on Wednesday, August 4.
USCG RADM Steven H. Ratti, SOUTHCOM Director of
Operations, was joined by COMO David A. Elliot, Assistant National Commodore for Response and Prevention
and member of Flotilla 59, for a special cake cutting ceremony before SOUTHCOM leadership to mark the 220th
Anniversary of the Coast Guard.
RADM Ratti displayed immense pride as he spoke to the
audience about the various missions of the Coast Guard,
and then asked the Auxiliary members in the room including Wilson Riggan, Division Commander 5, and Judith
Hudson, Division Commander 6, to stand and be recognized for the amazing work they perform on behalf of
Team Coast Guard.
The organizer of the Coast Guard Day event, CAPT
Michael B. Christian, was thrilled with the Auxiliary
turnout. “Last year the Coast Guard Day celebration
at SOUTHCOM consisted of a message on the bulletin board. This year, we had a real event,” he exclaimed. “My thanks to the Auxiliary for joining with
us to make this a very special day.”
SOUTHCOM is one of ten unified commands within the
Department of Defense. Under the leadership of a fourstar commander, SOUTHCOM is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations, security cooperation, and U.S. force protection for Central and South
America and the Caribbean.
As a joint command, SOUTHCOM is comprised of more
than 1,200 military and civilian personnel representing
the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard,
and several other Federal agencies. Ω
Outside in the raging South Florida summer heat, Division 5 personnel were proudly displaying their Mobile
Communications Rapid
DORAL, Fla. - CAPT Michael Christian confers with COMO David Elliot and Wilson Riggan, DCDRResponse Team consist5, both of Flotilla 59, Charles Reiner, Flotilla 51, and William Tejeiro, ASC Miami, Flotilla 6-11, about
ing of truck, trailer, and all
the Mobile Communications Rapid Response Team exhibit during Coast Guard Day at SOUTHCOM.
Photo by Christopher Todd, DVC-AP
-terrain vehicle. Nearby,
members of Division 6
were staffing an information kiosk offering information about the Coast
Guard Auxiliary and recreational boating safety.
Security was not much of
a problem on the site, but
just in case the TACLET
South trailer had just
about every type of
weapon in their mighty
arsenal on display including the cannon-like Barrett
50 caliber rifle. Behind
them, Station Miami
Beach was displaying a
25-foot SAFE boat which
SOUTHCOM personnel
were having fun climbing
into.
Page 23
During the month of July, the USCGC
Eagle made several port calls throughout District 7: Tampa –July 10th, Port
Everglades - July 23rd, and
Savannah - July 30th. Members
from many Auxiliary divisions and
their Auxiliary facilities enjoyed
the opportunity to both escort
and tour this beloved tall ship.
The love for, and interest
expressed in this historic
barque, motivated the editor to ask Alejandro de
Quesada, a worldrenown historian (and
member of Flotilla 79
in Tampa), to share
with our readers a
glimpse into this
vessel’s lesser
known past. His
account is
found on the
following
pages.
The USCGC Eagle in Tampa, Photo by Valerie Fernandes, FL 78
Page 24
The USCGC Eagle: A Brief History
By Alejandro deQuesada
The USCGC Eagle (WIX-327) is the seventh ship of the
Coast Guard or Navy to bear that name. The Eagle has a
standing crew of six officers and 56 enlisted; on training
missions, she carries on the average a complement of 12
officers, 68 crew, and up to 150 cadets. Each year, she
takes one long training cruise to the Caribbean, the Pacific Coast, or Europe, and two shorter cruises along the
U.S. East Coast. During her many years of service, Eagle
has traveled to ports throughout the world. Among her
various cruises, Eagle has participated in various Tall
Ship races and events including the various incarnations
of Operation Sail, most notably the American Bicentennial OpSail '76. In September 1987, she undertook a
yearlong cruise to Australia from her homeport. In 2005,
as part of the Trafalgar 200 International Fleet Review in
the Solent off Southern England, Eagle was one of a
number of tall ships from several nations to be reviewed
by Queen Elizabeth II.
Later that summer, Eagle returned to Bremerhaven for
the first time since World War II, to an enthusiastic welcome.
Amazingly, all of the ships of the Gorch Fock class survived the postwar years and
are still around to
this day - with the
exception of the
unfinished SSS
Herbert Norkus
that was scuttled
after the war.
The SSS Gorch
Fock was taken
by the then Soviet Navy and
renamed
the
Tovarisch. After
the collapse of
the Soviet Union
she was returned
to Germany where she was
The USCGC Eagle’s original namesake
r e n a me d
the
was of a martyred NAZI storm trooper,
Gorch
Fock
and
Horst Wessel, who was killed by
communists during Germany’s political
serves as a muturmoil during the Weimar era. He
seum ship. The
wrote the song “Die Fahne Hoch” that
SSS Albert Leo
would become the official anthem of
Schlageter is now
the NAZI party. (Author’s Collection)
Grossadmiral Karl Dönitz and Reichsjugendführer Arthur Axmann reviewing Hitler Youth Sea cadets aboard the SSS Horst
Wessel. (Bundesarchiv)
serving the Portuguese Navy as the NRP Sagres after
serving with the Brazilian navy. The Mircea is still serving
with the Romanian navy. The West German navy built
the SSS Gorch Fock II based on the improved designs of
the SSS Horst Wessel (USCGC Eagle) in 1958.
There are few reminders of the Eagle’s service with the
German navy that are still visible - just so slightly that is.
The Original figurehead of the Eagle once bore a swastika within the wreath whereby it was replaced with the
seal of the United States Coast Guard. The original now
resides in the Coast Guard Museum on the grounds of
the Coast Guard Academy along with other artifacts pertaining to the ship.
Below: The original builder’s plate can be found in the
wardroom. (Author’s Collection)
Page 25
and life at sea and they are tested and challenged,
often to the limits of endurance. Working aloft, they
meet fear and learn to overcome it. The experience
builds character and helps future officers develop
skills of leadership and teamwork that prove valuable
assets throughout their careers. Ω
Below: The decks of the Eagle hark of another time.
(By the Author)
The Eagle’s figurehead on its bow proudly bears the seal of
the United States Coast Guard. (By the Author)
A faithfully copied duplicate figurehead now adorns
the bow of the sailing ship. Aboard the ship are hidden reminders of its past such as the name plate of
the Horst Wessel in the recreation room, a builder’s
plate in the wardroom, and a water faucet still bearing
the German words for hot and cold. On deck the
ship’s
wheels
still
bears
the
name
“SEGELSCHULSCHIFF HORST WESSEL” but hidden under another plate bearing “USCGC EAGLE”.
Today, the USCGC Eagle continues serving the
United States Coast Guard, and along with the USS
Constitution, is the only commissioned sailing ship in
our armed forces. On the decks and in the rigging of
Eagle, young men and women get a taste of salt air
Recommended Reading - The following sources are recommended for those wishing to learn more about the USCG
Barque Eagle:
Drum, Russell. The Barque of Saviors: Eagle’s Passage from
the Nazi Navy to the U.S. Coast Guard. New York: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 2001.
Puget, Ollivier. The World’s Great Sailing Ships. New York:
Barnes & Noble Books, 1998.
Tall Ships of Germany: Pamir, Potosi, Preußen, USCG Eagle,
Moshulu, Gorch Fock, Herzogin, Cecilie, Parma, Pisagua, Passat, Sedov, Krusenstern. Memphis, TN: Books LLC, 2010.
Villiers, Allen. “Under Canvas in the Atomic Age”. The National
Geographic Magazine, Volume CVIII, Number One (July 1955):
49-84.
The ship’s wheel has brass plates bearing the name “USCGC
EAGLE” screwed over the previous name and thereby hiding the
ship’s former service with the Hitler’s Kriegsmarine during the
Second World War.
(By the Author)
Walle, Heinrich. Fünfzig Jahre Segelschulschiff Gorch Fock.
Hamburg,
Germany: Koehlers Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, 2008. Ω
Page 26
Flotilla Hosts Admiral Baumgartner for Lunch
By Diane Riggan, FC 59
STUART, Fla.- Division 5 is unique in that its over 400
members support two busy small boat stations, Coast
Guard Stations Ft. Pierce and Lake Worth Inlet. In July,
BOSN David Ladomirak, Ft. Pierce Station Commander,
told the members of Flotilla 59 that on August 12th,
USCG 7th District Commander, RADM William
Baumgartner would tour both stations.
On August 10th, Ladomirak forwarded the finalized
schedule to Diane Riggan, Flotilla Commander 59. The
itinerary showed the Admiral would arrive at Station Lake
Worth Inlet by car. He would then travel via a Coast
Guard small boat between stations with a transfer at the
mid-point of Division 5, Sandsprit Park in Stuart, which
happens to be home to Flotilla 59. There were no lunch
arrangements indicated on the itinerary for the Admiral
and his party. Flotilla members conferred with Wilson
Riggan, Division Commander 5, and offered to host the
Admiral for lunch at the flotilla’s facility.
Early on Tuesday, August 11th, Ladomirak emailed, “He
liked your idea, lunch at 59 is on!” A five page guideline
from the Admiral’s aide, LTJG Ladyga, arrived via email.
It covered everything from meal preferences to transportation protocols, and specified that ODUs would be the
uniform of the day. Not knowing if there would be two
boat crews to feed or just a few people, a few members
of the host flotilla were contacted to help.
It all seemed to be coming together until Ladomirak
called to ask if we needed anything. “Do you have a twostar flag for the Admiral’s visit?” That was something we
hadn’t thought of and the answer was ‘no.’ He assured us
he would arrive early and would make sure we had a
proper flag.
At 8:45 the next morning, Dan Jacquish, District CaptainEast, was at CG Station Lake Worth Inlet. He called to
tell Diane Riggan that RADM Baumgartner was ahead of
schedule. Also, since BOSN Mullinax, CG Station Lake
Worth Commander mentioned to the Admiral that Division 5 had a mobile communications unit listed in the station contingency plan; the Admiral had expressed interest
in seeing it. Jacquish asked if we could we have it onsite
when the Admiral arrived. We told Jacquish that we
would give it our best shot.
At 9:00 a.m., lead mechanic and driver Danny DiLorenzo
was about to have his first cup of coffee at home when
Diane Riggan called to ask if it was possible for him to
pick up and deliver the Communications Unit, parked a
few miles away, to the flotilla building. DiLorenzo only
asked, “By when do you need it?” Riggan explained, “The
Admiral arrives in 90 minutes, do what you can.” Riggan
continued to assist with the final arrangements at the flotilla building.
Page 27
manship of the flotilla facility. Complete
with a radio room, member training
room and public education room, it has
stood in this location since the early
1980’s.
Hal Harger, Vice Commander 59, Bob Davis, Flotilla Staff
Officer-Operations 59, Paul Horbal and Gary Barth, Vice
Commander Division 5 set up the buffet lunch. Vince
Whalen and COMO David Elliot had the flags up and the
radio room humming when the 30 foot long Mobile Communications Rapid Response unit arrived with time to
spare! DiLorenzo and Paul David went to work raising
antennas and setting up the unit’s radios, tables and
chairs.
At approximately 11:20 a.m., Vince Whalen, radio Watchstander, called out from the flotilla radio room that the
Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement boat (SPC-LE)
from Lake Worth Inlet was 10 minutes out. Jacquish had
just arrived, and Barth headed out to the ramp to take
photos. The Response Boat-Small (RB-S) from Ft. Pierce
was at the boat ramp. Ladomirak brought the flag to raise
for the Admiral’s arrival.
The temperature was already close to 100 degrees. The
boat ramp was close, but time was short. COMO David
Elliot, Assistant National Commodore for Response and
Prevention and the Communications Staff Officer for 59,
was standing by to transport the Admiral and CMC Mello,
who traveling with him.
As CWO Mullinax docked and the Admiral stepped onshore, and over the radio we heard “Seventh Coast
Guard District Arriving”. DiLorenzo hoisted the Admiral’s
flag. Moments later, RADM Bill Baumgartner entered the
Flotilla 59 building and everyone snapped to attention. He
immediately put everyone at ease, shaking hands and
greeting each person warmly and enthusiastically.
“What an honor to have you here Admiral,” Riggan offered and introduced her staff. He seemed truly impressed with the magnificent location and quality of work-
The Admiral was surveying the square
footage and joked that he could set up
his office and move right in! He mentioned that many of his meetings are
now in the form of video conferencing,
so we suggested that with COMO Elliot’s 35 years in broadcasting, we
could make web-casting work for the
Admiral. He could gaze out at the St.
Lucie River and the passing boats and no one know that
he was not sitting on the 9th floor in downtown Miami.
Lunch conversation covered topics ranging from the Admiral’s love of sailing to the flotilla’s effort in public education and vessel exams, to a brief history of the unit. Elliot
observed that we teach a boating safety program every
month, and that, “every boater in the class has the potential to save 3-5 lives when taking into consideration how
many passengers they take with them every time that
boater goes out”.
At the conclusion of lunch, Admiral Baumgartner graciously signed a photo for the flotilla’s collection as well
as the guest book that dates back to 1983. We accompanied the Admiral outside while he inspected the Communications Unit. He thanked everyone for their efforts.
Elliot transported the Admirals’ party back to the boat
ramp while DiLorenzo stood by to lower the Admiral’s
flag. The crew of the six passenger 33-foot SPC-LE boat
was ready to get underway. Next stop for the Admiral:
Coast Guard Station Ft. Pierce. As he boarded the craft,
we heard, “Seventh Coast Guard District Departing”, and
with that, DiLorenzo lowered the two-star flag. Ω
Captions, Left Page: Flotilla 59 members pose with the Admiral
inside the flotilla’s building. Back row from left: Dan Jacquish
DCAPT-E, Paul David, Danny DiLorenzo, Hal Harger VFC 59,
Paul Horbal, CMC Mello. Front row left to right: Diane Riggan FC
59, COMO David Elliot ANACO-RP, RADM Bill Baumgartner, Bob
Davis FSO-OP, CWO David Ladomirak and Gary Barth, VCDR 5.
Above: RADM William Baumgartner greets Flotilla 59 members
Paul Horbal , Diane Riggan FC 59, Hal Harger, VFC 59 and
Danny DiLorenzo. Photos by Paul David
Page 28
Division 14 Honor Guard: Standing Watch With Pride
By William Sekeres, FC, Flotilla 14-2, Arlington Jacksonville, Fla.
impressive.
The family started arriving in the parking lot. We
don’t like to be seen “out of character,” so we moved
to the small room where we dressed. The family
wasn’t sure the funeral home was able to get an
Honor Guard for the evening. It wasn’t until they fully
arrived that they were told that their loved one would
be paid the respect of an Honor detail. They were
thrilled and waited anxiously for us to appear.
At 6 p.m., the three Honor Guardsmen exited a distant room, came to Parade Rest for just a moment,
and on command, straightened to Attention, and with
a hushed Forward March made their way down a
long hallway towards the viewing room. The hallways were filled with friends of the family who had
come to say goodbye to the deceased and to comfort the family. As one, then two, then three, then
more of those gathered caught us in the corner of
their eyes, they knew something important was happening: the Coast Guard had come to pay its respects. The folks in the crowded hallway parted as
we moved through them and we turned to enter the
viewing room. There, more visitors who had not yet
realized that something special, something ‘military’
was about to happen clogged the isle.
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla.: We got the call late
Tuesday evening. A funeral home in Jacksonville wanted
to know if we could provide an Honor Guard at their location Thursday evening to pay tribute to a deceased retired Coast Guardsman.
Of course, we jumped into action. Within minutes, we had
enough members of the Auxiliary Division 14 Honor
Guard to commit to the service. We’ve done it before and
were proud to be called upon again.
Arriving early allowed us time to “visit” with our departed
shipmate and study his past; a past evidenced by his
shadow box of memorabilia on display near the casket.
He began his career as a Seaman Recruit and worked
his way up the chain to Lt. Cmdr. Inside the shadow box
were his ribbons and medals, patches and collar devices
of every rank he ever held, and a folded American flag;
With one guard stationed outside the room, two
more occupied the aisle in the back of the room, motionless and quiet. We would not proceed to the front
until all those assembled realized the Coast Guard
had arrived. One person tapped another on the arm
then another on the shoulder; they whispered to others,
and those to even more. Suddenly, some moved left,
some right and the aisle was clear. There was no movement and there was absolute silence. In a hushed, respectful tone, the words Forward, March were spoken,
and in a slow, deliberate pace to the front, the Coast
Guard was on the move. The guards halted at the front
and delivered that slow salute displaying reverence to
their fallen brother. One of them took up the Watch while
the other saluted again, executed an About Face and exited the room.
Without exaggeration, the room remained silent for a very
long time. The family and visitors were mesmerized.
Those gathered had just witnessed how the military, specifically the Coast Guard, honors one of their own. And so
it went, every twenty minutes for two and one-half hours.
Page 29
Each time the guard was changed, the room became
silent again. As some friends left and others arrived, another Change of Watch took place and another aisle full
of those who had come to pay their respects moved
aside because the Coast Guard was paying Honors.
During one watch cycle I overheard a friend of the family
tell another, “It’s nice they do this”. Of course he meant it
was nice of the Coast Guard to have one of their Honor
Guards present.
These ceremonies are always so rewarding. Not only do
they produce a very proud feeling within us to show respect for, and become one with a fallen comrade, but we
also bear witness to the family that we are there to honor
someone whom they love.
realize that it doesn’t matter that a Coast Guardsman is
sworn in under a Chain of Command and an Auxiliarist
under a Chain of Leadership; the public sees us as a single branch.
When you question whether or not your ODUs can be
worn one more time before washing, the answer is you
can’t. If you’re trying to decide if your dress shoes need
to be shined yet, they do. When you’re in public and
someone looks at you, and you know they’re sizing you
up, remember you’re representing all the “Coasties” who
brave the rough seas and stand the midnight watch that
keep our country safe. You also are dressing for all of
those who can no longer do so. Ω
The Division 14 Honor Guard participates in many different kinds of events, from parades to the presentaPhotographs- Left page: William R. Sekeres, Flotilla
tion of the Colors. One that is particularly rewarding
Commander 14-2, Director, Division 14 Honor Guard stationed outside
a viewing room door.
is the Posting of Colors for Naturalization Ceremonies conducted by the Immigration and NaturalizaBelow: Paul Davis, Flotilla Commander 14-4 prepares to stand watch in
tion Dept. of the Department of Homeland Security.
front of the casket during a memorial service.
We are proud of them all, however, the opportunity
to pay final tribute of a member of the US Coast
Guard or the Coast Guard Auxiliary makes us especially proud. It is the embodiment of that part of our
mission statement which sets our level of commitment at its highest level.
Most importantly, we are considered worthy of the
title of Honor Guardsmen because our preparation,
pride, respect and military bearing is evident and
appreciated by the family and friends of those who
are left behind, because one of their own- one our
own has “crossed the bar.”
The District Seven, Division Fourteen Honor Guard
has been through so much. We have endured unbearable heat in our Dress Blues, frozen in our
ODUs during practices; we have given hundreds of
hours to a cause we believe in, and our families
have been willingly inconvenienced because they
believe in us. Our pride and passion have made us
a family and we are extremely proud to say that
Sector Jacksonville claims us as a worthy addition
to their operation. That is another aspect of the described evening that needs to be shared.
Those at the viewing of our fallen fellow Coast
Guardsman didn’t notice that there was gold on one
uniform and silver on others. What they saw was
the United States Coast Guard. It’s important to
Page 30
“Team Coast Guard” Helps Station Fort Lauderdale
Earn #1 in the USA. By Marie Duda Flotilla 38, Plantation, Fla.
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.: USCG
station Fort Lauderdale earned
#1 in the U.S.A. for the number
of vessel boardings completedthanks to the contributions of
Auxiliary member, Marie Duda.
In August 2009, LTJG Megan
Naughton, Executive Officer,
Station Fort Lauderdale, requested help from the Auxiliary
for someone to enter boarding
information into the Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) system. This
is a data base that requires meticulous transfer of details from
the “4100” form used by boarding officers when inspecting recreational boats. Charlie Baggett,
Marie Duda enters data from a form 4100 into the MISLE system. A new laptop in the Galley
Auxiliary Liaison Officer to Staserves as Duda's "office." Previously, she shared whatever
tion Fort Lauderdale, asked
computers were available..
Marie Duda if she would be interested in volunteering. She
immediately said, “Yes,” since her professional backAssistant Operations Officer at Ft. Lauderdale, to have
ground was a good match for this type of work, and
started the next day.
BM3 Irad Delgado trained Duda on this complex system,
working with her three days a week for most of the day.
The 4100 form contains approximately 50 items that
need to be transcribed into the appropriate MISLE dropdown menus. Before they can be entered, specific items
must be on the form including the date and time of boarding, the vessel’s Florida registration number, hull identification number (HIN), latitude, longitude, and specific details about the type of boat, just to name a few. If one of
these is missing, the boarding officer is required to correct and return it.
Additionally, the 4100 information must match the Boarding Log which is entered by the Radio Watchstander for
that day. The Boarding Log, in the form of an Excel
spreadsheet, contains necessary entries for MISLE input.
The boarding officer is required to make sure it is complete and accurate.
At first, it took approximately one-half hour to complete
one MISLE entry, but after four months of experience,
Duda was able to complete an entry in 15-20 minutes.
After that, she was authorized by BM1 Matthew Parker,
Page 31
BM3 Ryan Andersen (kneeling) and
BM1 Joshua Peelman from Station Fort
Lauderdale check lines prior to deployment. The two Guardsmen are members of the Station’s boarding teams
and helped in achieving the goal of 100
boardings that earned Station Ft.
Lauderdale first place in the nation.
Photo by Marie Duda
less to say, this was an incredibly
busy but very rewarding time for all!
her own direct access to MISLE.
Once the MISLE report was finished, the status was
changed to “Closed – Agency Action Complete” and reviewed by LT Douglas Watson, Commanding Officer,
Station Fort Lauderdale, on a weekly basis for documentation and reporting purposes.
Now, here is where “the numbers” come in! On June 10,
2010, Duda received an email
from LTJG Naughton with an
attachment showing the current number of boardings completed by all of the stations
within the Coast Guard. Station
Fort Lauderdale was number
one with 70 per week. This
inspired an even greater goal
of 100 boardings.
In July, GM1 Tajuana Usry
advised that Sections Port and
Starboard were planning a
“contest” to see which team
could do the most boardings.
Each boarding had to be submitted promptly and closed in
MISLE. The winning team received two days leave. Need-
Previously, all boarding officers
were required to complete their
MISLE reports immediately upon
returning to the Station. Now, with
the data entry taken care of, they
had more time to do the important
things, as well as for taking some well-deserved time off.
What motivated Duda to take on such an incredible challenge?
On 11 February 2001, Ms. Duda’s late husband, Aubrey
Motz IV, was honored to receive a Burial at Sea from
Station Fort Lauderdale. Duda and her late husband,
Motz, were very active in many Auxiliary activities and
their most cherished times were those spent at the Station. Prior to Motz’s passing, CAPT James O. Fitton
(RET) of Sector Miami was Commanding Officer at the
Station. He offered to perform the burial. This was an
honor Duda could never repay, so when the opportunity
presented itself to work on the MISLE system, LT Watson, LTJG Naughton and Ms. Duda agreed that this
would be the perfect way to “give back.”
It has truly been a win-win for all! Duda was able to express her gratitude to the Station, and Station Fort
Lauderdale earned first place in the number of USCG
boardings in the country. Ω
Center: The new 45 foot Special Purpose Craft– Law
Enforcement (SPC-LE) recently arrived at Station Fort Lauderdale. It is more powerful and versatile, allowing boarding officers
and boarding team members to more efficiently carry out their
mission. Photo by Marie Duda
Page 32
Turn on the TV! It’s Time for “Semper Paratus!”
By Tom Hayden and Robert Conklin, Flotilla 14-1 Amelia Island, Fla.
Coastal Georgia Film Alliance, Hayden was able to
secure all the talent he
needed to make the pilot.
Main character roles are
being played by Auxiliary
members, seven local actors, and extras from the
southeast
Georgia/
Northeast Florida area.
The ‘stars’ of the proposed TV series, “Semper Paratus” are shown aboard Topcat6. From left: Tom
Hayden, Dustin Vaught (actor), Maggie Martin (actor) and Peter Mallory. Hayden and Mallory are
members of Flotilla 14-1, Amelia Island, Fla. Photo by Eric Lund, cameraman.
AMELIA ISLAND, Fla.-Coast Guard Auxiliary member
Tom Hayden, a motion picture producer, was on location
in St. Marys, Ga., and Fernandina Beach, Fla., during
June and July filming a television pilot tentatively titled,
"Semper Paratus," the United States Coast Guard motto
which means, "Always Ready." August was devoted to
editing, mixing and adding music for the proposed TV
pilot.
Hayden and co-writer Mark Hildebrand of Adelphi, Md.,
developed a script that focuses on USCG Sector Jacksonville and United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (Flotilla
14-1, Amelia Island, Fla.), and their experiences on local
waterways. Hayden plays a Division Commander while
Heinz Fridrich is cast as the Flotilla Commander for Flotilla 14-1. Hayden and Fridrich’s boats, TopCat6 and
Swabia, are the featured operational facilities in the pilot.
The film crew began shooting the television pilot in June
at the Riverview Hotel and Seagle's Restaurant in St.
Marys, Ga. They then moved to the Intracoastal Waterway for on-the-water scenes with Flotilla 14-1 members
and their boats, along with professional actors and other
civilian boats.
According to Hayden, the USCG is very interested in the
project and is providing technical support and will review
the finished TV pilot before final approval.
As a result of an open casting call facilitated by the
The story begins with a
safety patrol on the Intracoastal Waterway where
they advise a novice
boater on safety regulations. Later, during another
patrol, they help rescue
bikini-clad ladies aboard a
boat with engine trouble.
During night training, two
of the Auxiliary vessels approach two civilian boats with
no lights under tow, and the civilian boats fire at the Auxiliary vessels. One of the boats then one makes a run for it.
The Auxiliary crew notifies Sector Jacksonville, which in
turn calls the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department. The
sheriff's office just happens to have two sheriff boats in
the area and they take on the chase. Sector calls the Auxiliary vessels and tells them to break off all activity with
suspected possible drug runners. The Auxiliary does not
engage in law enforcement activity.
Future episode story lines will feature oil spill disaster activity; a mass casualty accident (commercial airplane in
the water); a missing vessel search and rescue; a safety
cordon for a space shuttle launch; and Coast Guard Auxiliary activities relating to Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, Kings
Bay Submarine Base, Maritime Force Protection Unit,
training with Auxiliary units, USCG Criminal Investigative
Service and more.
The production of a pilot for a full television series is the
first step in selling a TV series. There has never been a
television series about the USCG or the USCGAUX, and
Hayden is counting on getting the pilot marketed as the
first one.Ω
Coast Guard Auxiliary Assists in Kings Bay Exercise
Page 33
By Tom Hayden, DSO-MT
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla.The US Coast Guard and the
Navy conducted a joint exercise called Resolute Guardian,
September 8, 2010, in the Intracoastal Waterway on Cumberland Sound off Fernandina
Beach, Fla., and Cumberland
Island, Ga.
While the USCG has the mission to escort Navy ships to
and from Kings Bay Naval
Base, Ga., this exercise was to
test the Coast Guard’s ability to
detect, deter, and disrupt any
interference to the movement
of Navy ships by recreational
boaters.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla
14-1, Fernandina Beach, Fla., Tom Hayden on board TopCat6 during the exercise on Sep. 8, 2010 dubbed “resolute Guardian.
played a major role by providPhoto by Bill Kelly
ing vessels for the exercise to
simulate ‘realistic’ encounters with civilian recreational
established around any warship on the water. Additionboats that could have interfered with transit. While some
ally, USCG Sector Jacksonville broadcast on Marine
Auxiliary vessels played the role of recreational boaters,
Channel 16, the USCG operational channel, a
other Auxiliary vessels provided security zones. They
“SECURITE” message every 30 minutes to advise all
handed out flyers to recreational boaters coming from
boaters about the exercise being conducted in the area.
Fernandina Beach, Fla., and St. Marys, Ga., advising
Flotilla 14-1 provided radio watchstanders for the duration
them to avoid the area. A press release and flyers
of the exercise as well as vessels.Ω
warned boaters about the 500 yard mobile security zone
Move over, Tom Hayden! You are not the only film maker in town!
Coming soon to theatres near you*: Officer Snook at DCON
Starring: William Tejeiro (FL 31) as Officer Snook
Wardrobe: Gary Barth (FL 58)
Camera: Terry Barth (FL 58)
* Pure whimsy
Page 34
Big Pine ‘Beachcombers’ Prove to be Good Stewards.
By Jan Kittsmiller, FL 13-3, Big Pine Key, Fla.
Left: Ted Giesbrecht and Don
Kittsmiller (background) haul
bags of garbage from the beach
during the International Coastal
Cleanup Day on Sep. 25, 2010.
Below: Donna Moore lead the
group of volunteers in the
cleanup campaign on Big Pine
Key. They collected over 120
bags of garbage– enough to fill
the beds of two pick-up trucks!
Photos by Jan Kittsmiller
BIG PINE KEY, Fla.-Contrary to the stereotype we often
have of beachcombers, those tanned and leathery foragers can be good stewards. The members of Flotilla 13-3
in Big Pine Key, Florida are proof of that!
On September 25, 2010 at 8 a.m., a group of ‘merry
beachcombers’ from Flotilla 13-3 met at the Big Pine
Fishing Lodge to participate in the 2010 International
Coastal Cleanup sponsored by Ocean Conservancy.
The members chose the very
back and the hardest to
reach corner of the beach.
The tide was not too cooperative, but these brave souls
trudged into the muck and
cleaned up over 120 bags of
garbage, lugged them out
from the marshy beach and
deposited the trash bags in
the spot designated by the
International Cleanup Committee, enough to fill up two
pick-up truck beds!
Leading the cleanup campaign was Donna Moore and
assisting her were Luke
Moore, Don Kittsmiller, Jan
Kittsmiller, John Hedberg,
Bob Eichholtz, and Ted Giesbrecht.
They were blessed with a slightly cloudy sky and wonderful breezes for this international clean-up event, and afterward, Moore provided a wonderful lunch for the group.
They not only enjoyed the camaraderie during the
cleanup project, but also thoroughly enjoyed the lunch
and socializing afterward. Ω
Page 35
AuxAir Secure Communications
Story by Barbara Burchfield, SO-PA 12 and Ken Plesser, FSO-PA 12-3
Can you Hear Me Now?
The Commandant has directed that operational communications be encoded
or encrypted whenever possible in order
to enhance security of U.S. Coast
Guard operations, including Auxiliary air
and surface facilities.
For District 7, compliance began when
CDR Winfield, Director of Auxiliary District 7, tasked Cecil Christopher, District
Staff Officer Aviation (DSO-AV) to establish a team to investigate the integration of digitally compatible communications into all Auxiliary Aviation (AuxAir)
facilities. This is the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 Command and Control system
and is a top priority for 2010. Supporting
this priority, District 7 has offered surplus EFJ 5100 handheld radios to AuxAir for this purpose. As the role of the
Auxiliary changes and expands, the
need for secure communications becomes more significant.
Filing flight plans for the secure radio operations evaluation (flight test) at Coast Guard
Air Station Miami are from left : Dan Ochsenschlager, Flotilla Vice Commander and Air
Observer, Flotilla 69 Miami, Fla., Jorge Sanchez, First Pilot, Flotilla 69 Miami, Fla.,
Fred Ross, Aircraft Commander, Flotilla 69 Miami, Fla., and Chuck Riedl, Aircraft
Commander, Flotilla 15-8 Hernando Beach, Fla. Photo by Ken Plesser
In February 2010, the AuxAir Radio Evaluation Team was
created. Christopher chose team members Ken Plesser,
Aircraft Commander, Flotilla 12-3 Lake Murray S.C. as
Technical Lead and Fred Ross, Aircraft Commander, Flotilla 69 Opa Locka Fla., as Operational Evaluation Lead.
Other team members are John Roderick, Assistant District Staff Officer Aviation (ADSO-AV) and District Flight
Safety Officer (DFSO), Flotilla 14-7 St. Augustine Fla.;
Chuck Riedl, Aircraft Commander, Flotilla 15-8 Hernando
Beach Fla., and Jon Hersey, USCG Senior Chief Avionics
Electrical Technician, USCG, Air Station Miami Florida.
The team was tasked by Christopher with investigating,
studying, evaluating, reporting and recommending to the
Coast Guard and to the Auxiliary a plan for integrating
secure communications between AuxAir and active duty
air, surface and ground facilities. A target date was set for
August 2010, with the final report to be presented at the
District 7 Conference in September 2010. Once approved, Initial Operational Capability (IOC) could begin as
early as December 2010.
The inherent complexity of the project involved detailed
and technical topics, such as analog versus digital communications, avionics installation and configuration options, electromagnetic compatibility, encryption manage-
ment, and logistic support. Federal Aviation Administration regulations, District 7 policies and Coast Guard policies and directives are also taken into account.
Between February and June, with the support and assistance from D7 AuxAir and Coast Guard personnel from
South Carolina to Puerto Rico, the study and analysis
portion of the project was completed.
All along the way, radio checks were conducted between
air and surface units to confirm and evaluate radio communications. The final Operational Evaluation (flight test)
was held July 21-23 in Miami. Auxiliary air crews and two
air facilities were recruited from Miami and Clearwater for
the flight testing to evaluate the signal strengths, audio
intelligibility and interference with other aircraft systems.
All data and analysis is included in the team’s detailed 58
page report, which may well become a valuable reference tool for AuxAir members nationwide.
The Coast Guard secure communications are compliant
with the nationwide suite of standards for emergency
communications among public safety agencies and first
responders. With this project, the Auxiliary Aviation becomes another link in this vital connection. Ω
Page 36
Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 43 Makes Life Jackets
Available For Lake County Children. By Carol Weber Thomas
LEESBURG, Fla.-Children boating in Lake County can
be made even safer on the water today, thanks to Coast
Guard Flotilla 43, which has purchased 90 life jackets to
be used as loaners.
The jackets come in three sizes, infant, children 30 to 50
pounds and youth 50 to 90 pounds. They are being issued by Flotilla 43 to Lake County Sheriff’s Department
marine patrol units and also will be available at a number
of marinas, beginning immediately.
Eighteen of the blue and white jackets were delivered to
the sheriff’s department on Friday, Aug. 6, 2010, at the
marine patrol headquarters at Hickory Point in Tavares.
Members of the public interested in hearing more about
the life jacket loaner program were invited to attend.
Florida law mandates that children under six wear a life
jacket while boating, and a recent study shows that there
is almost 94 percent compliance with that law.
However, many times children wear jackets that don’t fit
properly or aren’t fastened. Some boating families also
find themselves without proper jackets for youngsters
visiting on vacation, so they either ignore the law or aren’t
able to take the kids out for a boat ride.
“Our mission is to help assure that children are trained at
an early age on the importance of wearing life jackets so
that they become used to them and will wear them as
they get older. It can save their lives,” said Scott Smith,
vice commander of Flotilla 43. He is overseeing the
loaner program.
The importance of life jacket wear is stressed repeatedly
by the U.S. Coast Guard, which points to a 2008 study by
JSH Research & Training Institute showing that out of
510 boater drowning deaths in that year, approximately
90 percent of the victims (459) were not wearing a life
jacket.
The Coast Guard cautions on its web site that “adultsized life jackets will not work for children … To work correctly, a life jacket must be worn, fit snugly, and not allow
the child’s chin or ears to slip through.”
Life jacket wear is a big issue on Lake County waterways. “In one recent weekend, three people drowned in
our lakes, none of whom were wearing life jackets,” said
Sheriff Gary Borders. “This really drives home the importance of wearing life jackets while out on the waterways.
Flotilla 43 is providing a wonderful service to the community in an effort to save the lives of children, and we are
thrilled to be a part of it.”
The safety of children was a major issue for Shirley
Gagnon, a Flotilla 43 member who died of a brain tumor
in the summer of 2006. Gagnon is remembered for assuring that packets of coloring books, crayons and safety
information were available for children when Flotilla 43
made appearances at various boating functions. She was
always the one to stay behind at an elementary school
when a child had “just one more question” at the end of a
safety presentation.
It is in Shirley Gagnon’s memory that the life vest loaner
program was developed by Flotilla 43 and presented to
the National Water Safety Congress in a grant request
last year. The NWSC awarded the flotilla $1,000 toward
the cost of purchasing the jackets. Flotilla members also
donated, and Flotilla Commander Bill Griswold wasted no
time getting the jackets on board.
“With over 18,000 registered boats in our county, the
need to educate the public about properly fitted life jackets is a priority,” said Griswold. “Our loaner program will
certainly help the children of Lake County enjoy our waters.”
Here’s how the loaner program works:
The Coast Guard-approved blue and white vests – one of
each size – are being delivered to marinas and clubs
likely to serve boaters with children. To date, 69 vests
have been distributed to 23 locations, including Venetian
Cove Marina, Eustis Marina and a number of on-thewater parks where adult residents might not otherwise
have access to children’s vests. The flotilla will keep three
vests for safety demonstration purposes.
The vests have ID tags that explain they are being provided by Flotilla 43 through the Shirley Gagnon Memorial
Fund and detail how they can be returned. Each venue
will have a vest sign-out sheet so that the flotilla can keep
track of the vests.
Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Units will have jackets on their inservice boats. They will ask that loaners be returned to
them at their Hickory Point headquarters, 27341 State
Road 19, Tavares.
Flotilla 43 Coast Guard Auxiliarists will inspect the vests
Page 37
Partners in the Life
Jackets for Kids Loaner
Program pose with some
of the blue and white life
jackets made available to
Florida boaters. From left:
Scott Smith, Flotilla Vice
Commander 43,
Donald Proscia,
Immediate Past Flotilla
Commander 43,
Roland Gagnon, Staff
Officer– Vessel Examinations Division 4,
William Griswold, Flotilla
Commander 43,
Sheriff Gary Borders,
Lake County Florida
SGT. Robert Hornsby
CPL Len Wilkerson
Officer Matt Farmer.
Photo provided by Bill
Griswold, photographer
not identified.
on an annual basis to make certain they remain in good
condition.
“The cooperation between the organizations involved in
this venture has been outstanding,” said Sheriff Borders.
With boating season now in full swing, there could be no
better time to have these life jackets on hand and available for children who need them.”
A key player in the life vest program is Shirley Gagnon’s
husband Roland, also a member of Flotilla 43. The day
before he was to have eye surgery, Roland was on the
road delivering the vests to marinas.
“The other day, I was cleaning house and found two of
the boxes of crayons that Shirley had gathered to give
out to kids,” Roland said. “It reminded me again of how
important children’s safety was to her.
“She would be embarrassed by the attention,” he said.
“But, she is the one who deserves the credit for this program.” Ω
In addition to supplying the Lake County
Sheriff’s Marine Patrol Unit, Coast Guard
Flotilla 43, District 7, has delivered
children’s life jackets to the following
locations to be used as loaners:
Shangri La-by-the-Lake, Bonfire, Wintons,
Haines Creek RV Village, Gator Bay
Marina, Tara Village, Grand Isle Resort,
Lake Griffin Harbor, Lake Brittany Estates,
Venetia Cove Marina, Holiday Travel,
Hawthorne, Nelson’s Outdoor Resort
(Marion County), Lake Eustis Marina, MidFlorida Lakes Boat Club, Harbor Oaks, Fox
Run, Banana Cove Marina, Imperial Terrace
(East and West), Dead River Marina, Royal
Harbor, Banana Cove Marina.
Page 38
Rescue on Tampa Bay of A Different Feather.
By Paulette Parent, VCDR 8
Marine Laboratories, knew something was wrong.
The pelicans did not fly away or attempt to evade
the oncoming boat.
Upon closer examination, he noticed that the birds
were wrapped up in monofilament fishing line and
were, in fact, literally tied together. They could not
maneuver or fly and were adrift in the shipping
lanes. Obviously unable to feed, the pair was in
danger of starving to death. Alerting the coxswain
of the situation, the boat was brought alongside
the birds in distress all the while trying to keep
them out of the shipping channel.
Gzyl was able to use a boat hook and bring the
pair aboard. He untangled the one bird and let it
go, but noticed that there were two fishhooks in
the other bird’s leg. Gzyl was able to remove the
hooks and determined that the bird did not appear
to have any other injuries. The second pelican
soon joined his fellow pelicans and was now able
to feed, fly and survive another day.
Fortunately, the two photographers onboard were
happily clicking away and recorded this avian rescue on Tampa Bay. Ω
Left: Roman Gzyl carefully removes the monofilament
line from a pelican. Below, Gzyl holds up the line and
hook removed from one of the two pelicans. The rescue likely saved both birds’ lives.
Photos by Dick Sammartino
TAMPA BAY, Fla.-In nature, birds of a feather flock
together, but this situation was a little too close!
Tuesday, October 5 was a windy day with a heavy
chop on Tampa Bay. The Flotilla 84 Operational Facility “Sea Searcher” had been on patrol for awhile and
was heading west towards the Skyway Bridge. Onboard were three Coast Guard Auxiliarists, Roy Bellas,
coxswain, Flotilla 84 in Sarasota, Fla., Roman Gzyl,
crew, Flotilla 86 in Venice, Fla., Drew Hodge, crew,
Flotilla 85 in Palmetto, Fla., and two civilian photographers (with signed waivers), Dick Sammartino and Pat
Astore.
The patrol approached the midpoint of the bridge and
the busy Tampa Bay shipping channel. Gzyl was keeping a lookout and spotted two pelicans floating nearby.
Gzyl, who has been involved with pelican care at Mote
Page 39
Is there such a thing as ‘too much’ fun? Apparently
not, to which these photographs attest! Saturday,
Sep. 25th was set aside to celebrate to a Mardi Gras
theme. Some people know how to ‘do it up right!’
Even Officer Snook showed up and took a turn on
the dance floor. Needless to say, he was the hit of
the party.
Photos by Vickie Aponte
Terry and Gary Barth, FL 58
Vickie Aponte, FL 6-11
COMO Peter Fernandez and his wife Pat
Angela Pomaro, FL 51 and William Tejeiro, FL 6-11
Page 40
Flotilla 12-8 Factors in Fun and Fellowship!
Article by Barbara Burchfield, SO-PA 12 and Alan Miles, FC 12-8
Photos by Alan Miles, FC 12-8
tailgate service and chairs for
the outdoor setting which featured the beautiful Charleston
harbor.
Joining in the fellowship event
was Coast Guard Station
Charleston personnel, the
crews of USCG Cutters Chincoteague (WPB-1320) and Anvil (WLIC-75301), and air crew
of Coast Guard Dolphin Helicopter HH-6510 from Air Station Savannah, Ga.. Several
guests and prospective Auxiliary members who attended
could see for themselves how
the Gold and Silver work and
play together well.
CHARLESTON, S.C.- Flotilla 12-8 added fun and fellowship to their monthly meeting by hosting a southern barbeque tailgate party to the meeting agenda on September 8, 2010.
Low Country pulled-pork barbeque attracted nearly 100
Auxiliarists
and
Coast Guard members to the meeting,
held on the pier at
U.S. Coast Guard
Station Charleston,
S.C.. Alan Miles, Flotilla Commander 128 Charleston, and his
wife, Lynn Miles,
planned the event
and
even
slow
cooked 25 pounds of
pork to the perfect
tenderness for the
party. Flotilla members were assisted
by the Citadel Detachment 12-8A in
doing
a
security
sweep of the area,
and setting up the
As Miles put it, “As everyone
knows, the three primary missions of the Auxiliary are
Member Services, Recreational Boating Safety and Operations/Marine Safety. A fourth mission is Fellowship. It
is the glue that helps hold us together. We just like adding
a little more glue in 12-8. It makes us stronger as a unit.”
Page 41
Lt. Jacobs, LTJG Drake, and Aircraft
Maintenance Technician 1 (AMT1) Sanchez. With the opportunity to share information and ideas, the air crew briefed the
participants about the complexities and
challenges of working with surface units
and boat crews.
Evening Colors were observed at the
close of business on the pier as the sun
set slowly into Charleston Harbor. With
the last of the remaining daylight, the
helicopter lifted off from the pier and did
one last flyover for the group before literally ‘heading into the sunset’.
On the serious side, two special events took place during
the meeting.
Miles presented the “Flotilla Auxiliarist of the Quarter
Award” to Bob Mathewes for “selfless performance of duties beyond all others”. Mathewes, a 16 year member,
has exhibited outstanding support of the Auxiliary and
Flotilla 12-8 in his roles as Division 12 Staff OfficerMember Training, Flotilla Staff Officer-Member Training,
Publications and Information Services this year.
William Meehan, Laura Meehan, James Byrd, and Pamela Bray were sworn in and welcomed as new members
at the meeting. Lt. Jacobs and LTJG Alex, the helicopter
crew, administered the oath to the new members in the
unforgettable setting on the Coast Guard pier with boats,
a helicopter and the large crowd framing the occasion.
New members William Meehan and Laura Meehan are
father and daughter, another notable feature.
Following the meeting and tailgate party, everyone benefited from an exclusive tour of the helicopter air facility by
Fellowship and camaraderie play a key
role as one of the four cornerstones of
the Auxiliary. Lead by Miles, Flotilla 12-8
champions how it’s done “Southern Style” with enthusiasm and success. Bravo Zulu! Ω
Captions: Page 40, top: James Byrd, Pamela Bray, Laura
Meehan, and William Meehan are sworn in as Flotilla 12-8
Charleston S.C. new members in a dockside ceremony during
the meeting at USCG Station Charleston.
Bottom: US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-8 Charleston S.C.
hosts a Tailgate Barbeque party on September 8, 2010, for
Coast Guard personnel and Auxiliary members.
This page, top: Alan Miles, Flotilla Commander 12-8 Charleston
S.C., and his wife, Lynn Miles, prepared Southern slow cooked
barbeque pork for about 100 people at the Tailgate Party.
Page 42
Responding to the Call: Assisting the Coast Guard at
the Florida Peninsula Command Post.
By Audri Amoro, USCGAUX Public Affairs Officer, 6-11
MIAMI - On April 22, 2010,
an explosion sunk the
“Deepwater Horizon” transoceanic drilling rig in the
Gulf of Mexico, resulting in
what would eventually become the largest oil spill
ever recorded in U.S. territorial waters. Immediately, the
Coast Guard was called into
action. Unbeknownst to almost everyone then, was
the size of the crisis and the
amount of effort required to
respond.
Soon after the scope of the
disaster became apparent,
the Coast Guard 7th District
was called in to establish
the Florida Peninsula ComA dream come true - a chance to help their country. Ruben Bruno (left) and Audri Ivery Amoro from
mand Post (FPCP). LoFlotilla 6-11 Miami, Fla. work on their assignment July 17, 2010 at the FPCP (Florida Peninsula
cated in downtown Miami,
Command Post) set up in Miami by the Coast Guard 7th District to monitor the Deepwater Horizon
the FPCP was one of sevspill. Both Bruno and Amoro were volunteers, along with Stephanie Gallagher (not pictured), from
Flotilla 6-11’s Auxiliary Public Affairs Detachment (AUXPADET).
eral command posts set up
Photo by Jose Acosta - FSO- Public Affairs, Flotilla 6-11
in and around the Gulf of
Mexico to monitor the
Deepwater Horizon spill. The mission of the FPCP was to
Public Affairs Detachment (AUXPADET [formerly MEcoordinate response activities across the State of Florida
SEMIA - Media Services Detachment-Miami]) as the prishould they be needed.
mary Auxiliary unit for coordination of the requested augLCDR Matt Moorlag, Public Affairs Officer (PAO), 7th District Public Affairs Office, was appointed as the Lead Public Information Officer at the FPCP’s Joint Information
Center (JIC). After the first few weeks, Coast Guard public affairs resources throughout the Nation were taxed to
capacity. Moorlag realized that the Coast Guard would
need support from the Auxiliary if this response were to
continue much longer.
Moorlag contacted Christopher Todd, Assistant District
Staff Officer – Public Affairs for the 7th District Coast
Guard Auxiliary, and requested a stand-up of support for
Auxiliary augmentation to help respond to the many media inquiries and other needs of the JIC operations, as
well as possible public affairs support for Coast Guard
Sector Miami.
Upon receiving the request from Moorlag, Todd developed a response plan using Miami Flotilla 6-11’s Auxiliary
mentation. Several AUXPADET members volunteered to
spearhead this effort, including Audri Amoro, Auxiliary
Public Affairs Officer (PAO) 6-11. Also assisting from Flotilla 6-11 were Ruben Bruno, Operations, and Stephanie
Gallagher, PAO.
Arriving at the JIC on Saturday, July 17, Amoro was welcomed by two friendly Coast Guard Reservists who informed her of the strict protocols under which they were
operated. In addition to saving pertinent electronic files
and emails in a folder specifically entitled “MC252” (an
abbreviation for the ruptured well, Mississippi Canyon
Block 252.)
Shortly thereafter, Amoro was given a tour of the JIC and
the Command Center. “While touring the facilities, my
attention was drawn to several people who were intensely examining computerized maps of Florida. It
looked as if they were possibly studying the trajectory of
the oil,” Amoro said.
Page 43
“I observed different television screens with cameras
trained on the leaking well, formulas written on windows,
electronic maps of the Gulf and dozens of people scurrying about. There were contractors, BP employees, representatives from the Coast Guard, National Fish and Wildlife Association, Florida Department of Environmental
Protection and others. While I didn’t know what each person was specifically working on, they all appeared to be
very focused on getting their jobs done,” she stated.
Amoro’s assignment that day, along with Bruno and Gallagher, was to search Florida newspapers, both in hard
copy and online for media clips about the spill as it related to the Florida Peninsula. They also participated in
conference calls with other JICs. She says she was most
impressed with the synergy and organization at the command center and how “by the book” everything worked.
“Many of the people I came in contact with wore vests
that identified their titles and this seemed to fall exactly in
line with some of the organization charts referenced in
the online Federal Emergency Management Training
(FEMA) classes I’d taken,” Amoro added. “Because I had
taken these courses, I was able to get a good snapshot
of how everyone there fit into their roles.”
Amoro’s stint at the FPCP turned out to be a short one,
but for good reason. BP soon announced plans to begin
testing a new well cap. This was potentially good news,
but required a ‘wait and see’ approach regarding staffing
the FPCP. Thankfully, the well cap set in place appeared
to be holding and containing the spill. This meant the JIC
operation could start to wind down
While short, Amoro claims that her experience at the JIC
was positive, and hopes that her presence was helpful to
the Coast Guard. She claims she will gladly respond the
next time she is needed.
“This is exactly why I joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary,”
Amoro said. “I want to help when my country needs
me.”Ω
MIAMI - Sep 14, 2010 - PA2 Nick Ameen (left) discusses a new project with Bill Swank, Coast Guard Auxiliary Public Affairs Officer for
Division 6 in Miami-Dade County. Swank augments active duty forces at the 7th District public affairs office on a weekly basis.
Photo by Christopher Todd, DVC-AP
District Staff Officers
Past District 7 Commodores
Prevention Department
2007-08…………………………....Allen Brown
2005-06…………...………….Peter Fernandez
2003-04 ……..…………..……... Jay Dahlgren
2001-02………...…….…...…...….. Mary Larsen
1999-00………………….……... Helmut Hertle
1997-98…………………….….. E.W. Edgerton
1995-96……………...…. George E. Jeandheur
1993-94……………......…. Joseph E. Norman
1991-92…………………..…… Walter W. Bock
1989-90…………...………. Guy R. Markley, Jr.
1987-88………………………. Rene E. Dubois
1985-86……………….... Robert B. Waggoner
1983-84………………….…… John C. King, Jr.
1981-82……………….… William J. Callerame
1979-80……………………… Bolling Douglas
1977-78…………………...………. James Titus
1975-76……………………….... Newton Baker
1973-74…………….. Lawrence G. Danneman
1971-72……………...…… Dr. Elbert C. Prince
1969-70……………….….. George B.M. Loden
1967-68……………....…….. Ernest A. Baldine
1965-66………….……..…..…….. Roland Birnn
1963-64…………….…...… Miguel A. Colorado
1961-62……………….…..... E. E. Vanderveer
1959-60……………………… Richard L. Smith
1957-58……………….….……. Herbert L. Lutz
1956…………………….… A. Harlow Merryday
1954-55…………………….... Stanley W. Hand
1952-53………………………... N.J.M. McLean
1951-52…………………... Fred T. Youngs, Jr.
1950…………………….... Guersey Curran, Jr.
1948-49…………………... Charley E. Sanford
1946-47……………….…….… W. N. Mansfield
1939-45….….. No DCOs yet, DCPs governed
John Sprague-Williams …….………....DSO-MS
Tom Hayden ….…………..……………DSO-MT
Ronnie Meritt ..…………………………DSO-PV
Ruth Ann White…………………………DSO-PE
William S. Griswold……………………..DSO-SL
Chuck Kelemen ……..…....……………DSO-VE
Response Department
Rodney “Rocky” Reinhold……..………DSO-NS
Cecil Christopher..………….…...……..DSO-AV
Joseph Colee, Jr. ……………..………DSO-CM
Janee Henderson ...……...………….DSO-OP
Jerry Henderson …………….…QE Coordinator
Logistics Department
Nestor J. Tacoronte …………...……...DSO-CS
Susan Z. Hastings …………….…...…...DSO-IS
Thomas A. Loughlin ………….………..DSO-PA
Dorothy J. Riley…. ……………………..DSO-PB
Angela Pomaro .……...…….…….…... DSO-HR
Terry Barth …… …………..……...……DSO-MA
Nestor Tacoronte ………………….. Webmaster
Lillian G. GaNun ……………...……….DSO-SR
Kevin McConn ………………………..…..DSSO
John Roderick . ..………………………….DFSO
Andrew Anderson………….………….DSO-LP
Antoinette Borman………………….……....D-LL
William Malone ....…………..…………DSO-FN
Gwendolyn S. Leys ……...………….PPDCPA
Karen L. Miller …………...………………Grants
Peter Fernandez……………...Plan Coordinator
Thomas Brickey .……. District Materials Center
District Administrative Assistant & Aide
Auxiliary Sector Coordinators
Carolyn R. Hooley ……………..…...…......D-AD
Ronald Goldenberg...………………..……..D-AA
Elaine J. Cornell …………………………...D-AA
Rosalind M. Lucash…. …………………….D-AA
COMO Mary T. Larson …………..…...Advocate
Ronald Goldenberg …. ASC Sector Charleston
Donald C. Hoge .... ASC Sector St. Petersburg
Robert Funk ……...… ASC Sector Jacksonville
R. Dewey Jackson ..….. ASC Sector Key West
Osvaldo M. Catinchi…... ASC Sector San Juan
William V. Tejeiro………….. ASC Sector Miami
District 7: From where do our stories come?
13.
12.
10.
11.
9.
7.
8.
1.
6.
5.
2.
4.
3.
Our district covers a large area: from the Carolinas south to
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This map shows the
approximate location of each article in this issue. In January
and February our northern-most flotillas experience frigid temperatures, ice and snow while our southernmost flotillas enjoy
warm, balmy weather. Get your activities on the map!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
DCON D7, Orlando, Fla….………………………page 20
Pelican Rescue, Division 8……………………….page38
Beach Clean-up, FL 13-3………..…………..…..page 34
FPCP Assistance, FL 6-11 ……………………...page 42
CG Day at SOUTHCOM, Divisions 5,6………...page 22
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Lagoon Keepers, FL 54……………………..…..page 39
Station Ft. Lauderdale #1 ……………….……...page 30
Admiral Visits FL 59……………………………...page 26
Life Jackets for Kids, FL 43………………….…..page 36
Division 14 Honor Guard …………….……...…..page 28
Semper Paratus TV Pilot ………………………..page 32
Fun and Fellowship, FL 12-8…………………….page 40
AUX AIR Secure Communications*………...…..page 35
(*Submitted by Div 12)
Homeland Security
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
DSO-PB D7
1630 Wakefield Drive
Brandon, FL 33511-2325
OFFICIAL BUSINESS
PENALTY FOR PRIVATE USE $300
PRSRT STD
POSTAGE AND FEES
PAID
U.S. COAST GUARD
PERMIT NO. G-157