Topic: Coast Guard feats and events

[oldcoastie6468]

Building the national security cutter: Christening
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Monday, October 28, 2013

The service’s first three national security cutters – Bertholf, Waesche and Stratton – have stood watch for the past three years as sentinels of the sea; but there’s about to be a new cutter on the pier, one with a very familiar name.

During a ceremony this weekend, Alexander Hamilton, the service’s fourth national security cutter, was christened. This christening marks a significant step in the Hamilton becoming an official Coast Guard cutter.

“I’m very proud to be joined today by Linda, my wife and the ship’s sponsor, as we both christened Cutter Hamilton,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp. “The christening ceremony marks an important milestone in the creation of a national asset that is designed and uniquely equipped to provide a persistent water-borne presence, ensuring maritime security far from our shores.”

We last brought you the story of Hamilton when it was just 100 tons of steel. But what once started as just the backbone of the ship is now a full-fledged vessel capable of protecting Americans well into the Coast Guard’s third century of service to the nation.

Widely known as the founder of the Revenue Marine, precursor to the United States Coast Guard, Alexander Hamilton was our nation’s first secretary of the treasury. It was Hamilton who advised Congress to establish “a few armed vessels” and it was Hamilton who set the stage for the Coast Guard’s core values as he directed his newly-appointed Revenue Marine captains to “always keep in mind that [their] countrymen are freemen.”

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/10/building-the-national-security-cutter-christening/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.lOCYvNMW.dpuf

[Libertas]

 “always keep in mind that [their] countrymen are freemen.”

Some need constant reminding of that...most of them reside in DC and in major metropolitan areas!

Good name.

But golly...90 day patrols?!  Maybe I did a stint in the wrong outfit?  We did two 90 day stints just on-station on 7-8 month deployments! 

Oh well, water under the bow...

Sail on!   

[oldcoastie6468]

Different services, different rules and deployments.

[Libertas]

Different services, different rules and deployments.

I know...just yankin' chains!   

[oldcoastie6468]

I thunk I felt sumtin' on muh leg!

[Libertas]

It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews!  (Thank God!)

       

[oldcoastie6468]

It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews!  (Thank God!)

       

There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.

[Libertas]

It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews!  (Thank God!)

       

There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.

I already feel sorry for the forest...   

[oldcoastie6468]

It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews!  (Thank God!)

       

There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.

I already feel sorry for the forest...   

Why? Natural fertilizer!

[Libertas]

It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews!  (Thank God!)

       

There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.

I already feel sorry for the forest...   

Why? Natural fertilizer!

The toxicity could be strong!  But, no pain no gain.   

[oldcoastie6468]

Securing the shared northern border
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Written by Lt. j.g. Michael Barker.

U.S. and Canadian law enforcement officers move as one unit aboard a Coast Guard vessel as they move alongside a fishing vessel with three people aboard. “We are conducting a boarding to ensure your compliance with all applicable federal laws,” states the Coast Guard officer. The team boards the ship, where the Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers explain to the crew why they are aboard: to check all paperwork, safety of the vessel and all associated equipment.

This boarding, and others like it, is part of an integrated cross-border maritime law enforcement operation known as Shiprider. Coast Guard Station Eastport, located near the Canadian border in northeastern Maine, works with international law enforcement partner The Royal Canadian Mounted Police to conduct these boardings and secure the northern border.

In 2009 the U.S secretary of Homeland Security and the Canadian minister of public safety signed the framework agreement on maritime law enforcement operations between Canada and the United States, which allows the Coast Guard and the RCMP to work side-by-side enforcing laws in U.S. and Canadian waters.

These operations represent a truly cooperative approach to combating cross-border crime on the shared waterways of Canada and the United States. Shiprider removes the international maritime boundary as a barrier to law enforcement by enabling seamless continuity of enforcement and security operations across the border.

The joint operations offer more flexibility to conduct law enforcement operations, creating a significant impact in the area. With this program in place, criminal activities can be reduced significantly allowing more flexibility to board vessels on both sides of the border with qualified personnel.

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/securing-the-shared-northern-border/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.zZqKtWAO.dpuf

[Dan]

So they made it another 4th Amendment free zone?

[Pandora]

So they made it another 4th Amendment free zone?

Looks like it.  And they always rationalize it as "crime fighting".

[Septugenarian]

I've been boarded by the CG twice on the great lakes and stopped by a couple of Ontario agencies.  They are both safety and law enforcement along with numerous others.  In our border area we dealt with both U.S. & Canadian Coast Guard, Border Patrol of both, Immigration of both, State Department of Natural Resources, Provincial Ministry of Natural Resources, Local Sheriff's Dept., Tribal Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Mounties, etc, etc, etc.

[Libertas]

I've been boarded by the CG twice on the great lakes and stopped by a couple of Ontario agencies.  They are both safety and law enforcement along with numerous others.  In our border area we dealt with both U.S. & Canadian Coast Guard, Border Patrol of both, Immigration of both, State Department of Natural Resources, Provincial Ministry of Natural Resources, Local Sheriff's Dept., Tribal Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Mounties, etc, etc, etc.

With that much goobermint traffic I could almost walk across the lake without getting my feet wet!   

[oldcoastie6468]

Adm.Papp visits Emerald Isle partners
Posted by Christopher Lagan, Monday, November 25, 2013

Written by Cmdr. Rick Wester.

During an official visit to Ireland last week, Coast Guard Commandant Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp’s met with maritime leaders from the Irish Coast Guard, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Irish Naval Service and Irish Air Corps to gain insights into how they work together with other agencies to ensure their nation’s maritime safety, security and prosperity.

While the primary national defense role of a country’s navy is fairly consistent among nations, the role and authority of a country’s coast guard is not. Many countries don’t even have a coast guard. Instead, the same wide variety of missions that we associate solely with the U.S. Coast Guard is often carried out by the navy and a variety of agencies in other countries.

Ireland has a coast guard with a more focused mission, search and rescue. Their singular-mission focus has helped foster improved maritime safety and the Commandant saw several examples during his visit with the Irish Coast Guard.

“Heroic rescues are an important part of our shared culture, but preventing maritime mishaps from occurring in the first place is paramount,” said the Commandant. “The Irish Coast Guard takes this prevention concept a step further, closely analyzing mishap data to find trends and tailoring their public education programs to reduce mishaps. It is very impressive.”

The Irish Coast Guard was known as the Coast and Cliff Rescue Service until 1991. It’s main role is to rescue people from danger at sea and it is responsible for inland-SAR involving mountains and caves. While the U.S. Coast Guard is assisted in many ways by the all-volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary, all Irish lifeboat stations are manned almost entirely of volunteer RNLI boat crews “24/7,” presenting unique challenges to maintaining proficiency.

Seeing different ways of doing the same mission provides the Commandant with unique insights that may apply to the U.S. Coast Guard. Such outreach was described by the Commandant at the outset of his tenure – one of his four guiding principles is “Strengthening Partnerships.”

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp meets with members of the National Maritime College of Ireland, Nov. 18, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.
Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp meets with members of the National Maritime College of Ireland. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Annie R. B. Elis.

“Under the leadership of the Irish Coast Guard, wearing lifejackets is now mandatory for passengers and crew on boats seven meters in length or less in Ireland, which has significantly reduced casualties,” said the Commandant. “It was enlightening to hear how this law was implemented and is enforced.”

While the Irish Coast Guard is focused on SAR, Ireland still needs to carry out other maritime governance functions. To do so, Ireland’s navy, called the Irish Naval Service, conducts fisheries enforcement and maritime domain awareness coordination. The Irish Air Corps conducts fixed wing maritime patrols and other agencies carry out marine safety-related missions.

This multi-agency collective approach and the U.S. Coast Guard’s all-in-one approach each has its own strengths, but the Commandant observed that both countries benefit by sharing lessons learned and best practices.

“Good ideas, good solutions and good policy do not have a nationality.”

Here are some pics I took of an Irish Coast Guard vehicle, an Irish Coast Guard boathouse and an Irish Coast Guard boat during our trip to Ireland 5 years ago.







http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/11/adm-papp-visits-emerald-isle-partners/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.u91oY7nE.dpuf

[Libertas]

Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two!   

[oldcoastie6468]

Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two!   

Well, I know that WE did!   

[AlanS]

Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two!   

For some odd reason, that was the first thing that came to my mind.

[Libertas]

Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two!   

For some odd reason, that was the first thing that came to my mind.

All I remember is the magic word..."LIBERTY"!

 

Where da booze?!  Where da women?!  Get outta my way!!!