It's About Liberty: A Conservative Forum
Topics => Military News/Veterans => Topic started by: oldcoastie6468 on October 30, 2013, 11:03:24 AM
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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 (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)
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“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! ::thumbsup::
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Different services, different rules and deployments.
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Different services, different rules and deployments.
I know...just yankin' chains! ;)
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I thunk I felt sumtin' on muh leg!
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It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews! (Thank God!)
::laughonfloor:: ::rolllaughing:: ::hysterical::
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It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews! (Thank God!)
::laughonfloor:: ::rolllaughing:: ::hysterical::
There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.
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It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews! (Thank God!)
::laughonfloor:: ::rolllaughing:: ::hysterical::
There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.
I already feel sorry for the forest... ::unknowncomic::
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It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews! (Thank God!)
::laughonfloor:: ::rolllaughing:: ::hysterical::
There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.
I already feel sorry for the forest... ::unknowncomic::
Why? Natural fertilizer!
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It wasn't Obama..or Cwissy Maffews! (Thank God!)
::laughonfloor:: ::rolllaughing:: ::hysterical::
There'd be a body to drag out into the woods.
I already feel sorry for the forest... ::unknowncomic::
Why? Natural fertilizer!
The toxicity could be strong! But, no pain no gain. ;D
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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 (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)
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So they made it another 4th Amendment free zone?
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So they made it another 4th Amendment free zone?
Looks like it. And they always rationalize it as "crime fighting".
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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.
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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! ::)
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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://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/IRELAND/DSCF1571.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/IRELAND/DSCF1789.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v645/lowfreeboard/IRELAND/CGRescueBoat.jpg)
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 (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)
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Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two! ::beertoast::
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Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two! ::beertoast::
Well, I know that WE did! ::beertoast::
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Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two! ::beertoast::
For some odd reason, that was the first thing that came to my mind.
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Hope thay had time to stroll into local pubs and have a wee dram or two! ::beertoast::
For some odd reason, that was the first thing that came to my mind.
All I remember is the magic word..."LIBERTY"!
::whoohoo::
Where da booze?! Where da women?! Get outta my way!!!
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Coast Guardsmen assist in tornado cleanup
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Tuesday, December 3, 2013
A version of this story originally appeared at Coast Guard Heartland and was written by Petty Officer 2nd Ayla Kelley.
When dozens of tornados tore through the Midwest mid-November, the Coast Guard joined fellow responders with the National Guard and other state and local agencies to help the impacted communities.
The six members of Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Peoria, Ill., are usually responsible for inspections and investigations activities along the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. For the last two weeks, however, they have been going above and beyond their normal duties to help those in need.
The team has been working with impacted communities to salvage household goods while also volunteering in donation shelters and other government-run response sites.
“We first had to escort water into one of the first shelters as there was a concern about looters,” said Alan Guedesse, a civilian marine inspector.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Cody McLaughlin worked with a joint information center set up in Washington, Ill., answering phone calls from the public and updating social media sites with critical response information.
With the arrival of donated food and clothing at the East Peoria Event Center in East Peoria, Ill., Guedesse has spent the last few days assisting with the distribution of goods along with Petty Officer1st Class Johnathon Lowman.
“I’ve been at the shelter for three days sorting and distributing clothing, household supplies, food and hygiene items. We are receiving from Wisconsin, Iowa and even New York,” said Guedesse.
The detachment members also leant a hand to members of the Coast Guard Family. A Coast Guardsman previously stationed in Peoria still has a mother in the area whose home was severely damaged by the storm. Lowman and McLaughlin, along with Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Owens and Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Johnson, moved their the Coast Guardsman’s mother’s belongings and undamaged property to a relative’s home in Peoria.
“It’s terrible that we have to be out here to do this, but we are glad we can be here to help. This is what we do,” said Chief Warrant Officer Harry Guntheroth.
As residents are able to return to their homes to assess damage and take care of belongings, members of the unit will be helping the Illinois State Police and other local authorities escort people in and out of buildings that are structurally dangerous.
“What we’re doing is taking groups out to their property and helping them look for personal belongings. We’ve been successful with some,” said Lowman. “We only allow 30 minutes for safety and time to help everyone have a fair chance to get their stuff.”
Guntheroth anticipates he and his crew will be volunteering as needed for the next couple of weeks.
“It’s rewarding to be able to help the community any way we can and to hear some of the stories. It’s amazing some of these people even survived,” said Lowman.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/12/coast-guardsmen-assist-in-tornado-cleanup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.MqmaUCrA.dpuf (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/12/coast-guardsmen-assist-in-tornado-cleanup/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.MqmaUCrA.dpuf)
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::USA::
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Having seen a post-tornado site more than once...it is the closest thing to a war-zone many people will ever see.
Most communities (especially in the more rural areas) pull together, but there is so much clean up and general assistance needed, these volunteers are more than needed and much appreciated.
::USA::
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Thanks. The Coastguardsmen are just doing their jobs, and will get very little credit for that.
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Mountainside rescue
Posted by LT Stephanie Young, Thursday, December 19, 2013
The crew of a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescued a man who fell more than 100-feet from a mountainside in Yauco, Puerto Rico, yesterday.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a request for assistance from Yauco Municipal Police for a Coast Guard rescue helicopter to hoist the 60-year-old man, who reportedly sustained multiple injuries after being kicked-off the side of a mountain while handling a goat.
The aircrew from Air Station Borinquen arrived on scene and deployed their rescue swimmer to receive the injured man from local emergency management rescue crews.
“Our junior co-pilot did an outstanding job working with an experienced flight mechanic and rescue swimmer to maneuver the helicopter in close proximity to the steep terrain in order to complete this demanding rescue,” said Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Dill, the aircraft commander.
Lt. Min Kim, the co-pilot who had just finished his vertical surface qualification last week, utilized his new training to safely maneuver the helicopter into position. Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Bayne and Petty Officer 2nd Class Ray Rivera-Rodriquez managed the hoist and provided first aid to save the man’s life.
“It is a testament to the standardization and quality of our unit’s training program and the professionalism of our watch standers that we were able to work together to save this man’s life,” added Dill.
The man was stabilized and hoisted from the mountainside – just as a rainbow developed on the mountainside ridge. The aircrew transported him to a nearby field, where he was transferred to awaiting emergency medical service personnel. The patient was transported to a Yauco hospital to receive further medical care.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/12/mountainside-rescue/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29 (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/12/mountainside-rescue/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29)
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::USA::
........who reportedly sustained multiple injuries after being kicked-off the side of a mountain while handling a goat.
The goat must not have like how he was being "handled". ::exitstageleft::
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2013 Videos of the Year: Breaking Ice
Posted by PA2 Kelly Parker, Monday, December 23, 2013
The second video finalist features Coast Guard Cutters Tackle and Shackle as they break ice along the Penobscot River in Bangor, Maine. These crews regularly break ice along Maine’s rivers to keep the waterway open for commercial traffic and to prevent flooding.
The 2013 Videos of the Year began yesterday, with voting open through Jan. 4, 2014. Continuing through New Year’s Eve, Coast Guard Compass will publish one of the top 10 videos each day.
Make sure to watch the videos as they are posted on Compass, Facebook and YouTube, and then cast your vote!
To vote for your favorite videos, click “like” on the Coast Guard’s Facebook page or on the Coast Guard’s YouTube 2013 Videos of the Year playlist. You can also see a highlight compilation of the top 10 videos.
http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/12/2013-videos-of-the-year-breaking-ice/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.WVNNDGzm.dpuf (http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/12/2013-videos-of-the-year-breaking-ice/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCoastGuardCompass+%28The+Coast+Guard+Compass%29#sthash.WVNNDGzm.dpuf)
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That team's going to have to up the ante. I've seen way cooler vids with cutters breaking ice. ::snoshovel::
Is it just me or does it look pretty chilly there?