BOSTON — The Coast Guard Cutter Spencer crews hosted a local Boy Scout Troop 127, from Lincoln, Mass., at Base Boston, April 29.

The in-depth guided tour was part of Troop 127’s visit to Coast Guard Base Boston. The tour also included a presentation on Coast Guard missions and capabilities, a tour of the Sector Boston Command Center, a 45-foot Response Boat-medium, a 25-foot Response Boat-small and the Coast Guard Cutter Flying Fish.

Scouts got a chance to look at some of the inner-workings of the ships navigation system on the bridge of the Spencer. Lt. j.g. Matt Malacaria, Spencer's public affairs officer, showed the scouts the correlation between how Coast Guard vessels use navigation on the water and how they might use navigation on land.

From the bridge, the scouts were taken outside to view some on the external workings of the ship.

Petty Officer 2nd class Ron Rosko, a Spencer gunner’s mate, gave the scouts a tour of the ship’s weapon and damage control systems.

"Boy Scout Troop 127's trip to Coast Guard base Boston was a great success", said Will Bursaw, a Boy Scout Troop 127 spokesman. "All around the Coast Guard personnel were very friendly and accommodating, several we encountered were Eagle Scouts."

As the scouts saluted the national ensign and disembarked, they left with a new found understanding and appreciation for the men and women of the Coast Guard, and their shared commitment to service others, said Malacaria.

NEW YORK, NY – Few events are as frightening and as demanding as an emergency afloat.

One of an owner/operator’s most immediate priorities is to broadcast a distress call seeking Coast Guard assistance. Under the stress of the moment, a voice call can be garbled, incomplete or wrong. When minutes count and lives are in danger, lack of information or poor data can delay the Coast Guard’s ability to rapidly reach a mariner in distress.

Fortunately, there is a tool available that can instantly broadcast the right information. This tool is Digital Selective Calling (DSC), similar to an electronic maritime pager, which is triggered by a simple button on marine radios accepted since June 1999. When the button is depressed for 3 seconds, and if the system has been properly programmed, an alert is automatically broadcast. But, just like any tool, DSC has to be used and cared for properly to be effective.

A recent incident here in New York illustrates what can go wrong:

                *At 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 4, 2011, the Coast Guard Sector New York Command Center received a DSC alert via a communications tower at a remote location. A DSC alert is transmitted as a digital data stream.

                *The only information contained in the alert was that which comprises a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI). Maritime Mobile Service Identities are nine-digit numbers that specifically identify vessels. (If a GPS is hooked into the DSC-equipped radio, precise location data will also be transmitted.)

                *The command center developed a search area based on a probable location and in order to launch aviation units. Within the search area,  a search pattern was also established for the Coast Guard helicopter that would be used in an initial search. Simultaneously, the command center researched the MMSI data to identify the registered owner, who was contacted. A short time later, the search was stood down.

Why? What did the Coast Guard learn that caused it to cease efforts before ever launching a search and rescue helicopter?

When the registered owner was contacted, he stated that he had sold the boat 4 years prior. After further research, the Coast Guard was able to contact the second owner. He had sold the boat a week before. Finally, the current owner was found. When questioned, the current owner admitted that in the course of changing the battery, cleaning and checking equipment, he had inadvertently triggered the DSC distress alert. He also admitted that he had little idea of what DSC was or how it worked.

The potential harm is fairly obvious.

When search and rescue aircraft are launched, it costs several thousand dollars per hour to operate these craft. On a bogus search, that is taxpayer money burned up for no good reason.

When Coast Guard aircraft and boats are fruitlessly engaged in a search triggered by a false alarm, they are not immediately available for a real emergency. People in imminent danger of death or injury and needing assistance right away may have to wait longer than they would if an unnecessary search was not underway. 

An owner/operator who triggers an unnecessary search, even by accident, is liable to civil and criminal penalties that may include jail time, civil and criminal fines that can total thousands of dollars, and reimbursement of search costs, more thousands of dollars. A recent search in the Sandy Hook area cost the Coast Guard nearly $90,000.

However, the Coast Guard’s preference is not to punish but to educate.

Responsible owner need to know what to do and how to do it.

Step one comes when you purchase a boat. Buy a marine radio, equipped with DSC. Then you need to register your MMSI data. The web links below will guide you through that process. It doesn’t take long and it could be the difference between being found right away in case of an emergency at sea and not being found until it is too late:

BoatUS: http://www.boatus.com/mmsi/instruct.htm

Seatow: http://seatow.com/boating_safety/mmsi.asp

U.S. Power Squadrons: www.usps4mmsi.com

FCC Online Licensing System: https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp

Remember, the last owner’s MMIS data leads to him, not to you, in case of emergency.

The second step is to understand DSC, your equipment and how to use it.

A Boater's Guide to VHF and GMDSS: http://goo.gl/oencz

Yachting and Boat World DSC - Digital Selective Calling: http://goo.gl/rXmxN

GMDSS for Recreational Vessels Using VHF Radio: http://goo.gl/q4mwv

To remind yourself, post these instructions near your radio:

*When testing on the exclusive DSC distress and safety calling frequency 2 187.5 kHz should be avoided as far as possible by using other methods.

*Test transmissions on VHF DSC calling channel 70 should be made to another VHF DSC radio by using a routine individual call to their Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI). 

*For VHF DSC radios equipped with the Test Call feature, test transmissions should be made to the US Coast Guard MMSI 003669999 to receive an automated VHF DSC test response.  Individual calls to this address will not receive an automated response.  For older radios not having a test  call capability, testing can only be performed by using a routine individual call to their Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI).

*Under no circumstances shall a DSC distress alert be sent to test your radio. It is a violation of the rules and can result in heavy fines.

*You will need to consult your owner's manual for the proper operation of your radio.

 If you do accidentally trigger a distress alert with DSC, take the following steps:

 (1)    Reset the equipment immediately,

 (2)    Tune for radiotelephony on the associated distress and safety frequency in each band in which a false distress alert was transmitted, and

 (3)    Transmit a broadcast message on Channel 16 to “All Stations” giving the ship’s name, call sign, time the alert was transmitted and MMSI, and cancel the false alert on the distress and safety frequency in each band in which the false distress alert was transmitted.

One of the Coast Guard’s oldest and most honored missions is rescue of those in peril on the sea and from the sea.  Every rescue is a race against time, a contest not just with the hostile elements but with a clock that counts down tick by potentially deadly tick.

Don’t make that contest tougher than it has to be.

Do your part to save your own life.

Give the Coast Guard the information it needs to find you as quickly as possible.

Learn how to use your equipment.

And, most of all, don’t trigger a false alarm; someone’s life may depend upon it.

U.S. Coast Guard story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

In 1786, a group of visionaries gathered at a Boston tavern with the shared goal of reducing the loss of life at sea. America's first maritime lifesaving service was born of their initiative, called the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The practices of this agency were used in the creation of the federalized U.S. Life Saving Service, which merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to become the Coast Guard in 1915.

One of the first successful Coast Guard air stations was also established in Mass., utilizing a Vought UO-1 seaplane (borrowed from the Navy) at Ten Pound Island in 1925. The Coast Guard had successfully tested aircraft for search-and-rescue (SAR) purposes as far back as 1915, but hadn't yet been able to get the funding to put them to use. These days, Coast Guard aviators in the region fly out of Air Station Cape Cod.

I had the privilege of deploying to this hot spot of lifesaving practice and tradition on Aug. 27, 2011 to document the arrival of Hurricane Irene. When word came that the storm would hit Mass. on the 28th, the Coast Guard was ready with the wisdom of centuries, satellite imagery and established agency partnerships. Weathering storms in the Northeastern United States is in our services ancestral DNA. 

As Irene struck the coast a single watch stander at Air Station Cape Cod , Lt. Adam Burda, intently monitored phones and the VHF marine band radio, a paradigm of the service's ageless devotion to the call for help. Reports began to come in. Flash floods had driven people onto rooftops in Connecticut. Power outages were widespread throughout the Northeast.

"I have stood my fare share of operations duty officer watch, and that was the most hectic, but rewarding duty I've had yet," said Burda. "Literally, the phone did not stop ringing for over 24 hours." Weekend watch standing duty at Cape Cod is 8 a.m. to 8 a.m., Sunday to Monday in this case, and Burda stood the entire watch as normal. 

Men of the 'old guard' had a saying, "We have to go out, but we don't have to come back." The romanticized statement stood as a noble reminder of the potential martyrdom of SAR jobs. These days we say, 'risk assessment.'

Risk assessment is an outlined process that basically weighs the peril of the person that needs saving versus the peril of the crew going to save them. It helps determine what the best vehicle, action or agency may be. National Guard troops, or local responders could have more applicable capability to perform a rescue. It isn't about being a hero as much as making sure everyone gets to go home at the end of the day.

"One of my biggest concerns is putting my crew in harm's way, so we really urge folks to heed the warnings of their local authorities," said Lt. Cmdr. Curtis Brown, an aircraft commander and pilot at the air station. Brown spent a large part of the hurricane laying out charts and determining if our guys should launch. As the risk became acceptable, assets began to hit the tarmac and crews began to suit up.

The first aircraft to depart was a Coast Guard HU-25C Falcon with a five-man crew, and your writer as a passenger. A brief call for help had been reported with no further attempts to communicate, referred to as an uncorrelated mayday. No assumptions can be made when the Coast Guard receives an uncorrelated mayday. As likely as it is to be nothing, is the likelihood that a person was only able to get out one call for help prior to their boat sinking or loss of power and communications.

Lt. Ashley Lovejoy was one of two pilots assigned to the first flight. "I recently transferred from Air Station Miami about a month prior. The night we flew was my second duty night in Cape Cod," said Lovejoy. "Besides pop up thunderstorms and large systems, flying in Miami is very mild compared to Cape Cod."

Lovejoy described the overall feeling as excitement mixed with a little trepidation, "I've flown in similar conditions only once before during Hurricane Ike, but never anything as extreme as that night. Despite the weather and my little time at the unit I was confident in both the crew and aircraft's ability."

The Falcon crew screamed down the runway and hit the sky with wings dipping dramatically as it was blasted by Irene's fury. The crew's manner was calm and confident. Not a visible hint of fear. As the aircraft took flight the wind gusted at 62 knots, or just slightly over 70 miles per hour.

The plane pushed into a thick ceiling of clouds with rain tracing the window frames, and after a very long moment, the cockpit emerged into daylight. The crew protected their eyes as the sunlight streaked through the reliable HU-25C's airframe. "Breaking through the clouds definitely made me feel better, but I also knew we had to fly back into it to get to the search area," said Lovejoy.

Weather had improved by the time we reached the sea and conditions were acceptable for flying low search patterns. Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Stanberry, an aviation electrical technician at Cape Cod, called out for vessels in distress on marine band VHF frequency. Co-pilot Lt. Phillip Wade and 3rd class aviation maintenance technician petty officers Ryan King and Jason Zeddies searched the sea for any signs of vessels in distress, but after extensive efforts the search was suspended.

Accompanying the strange feeling of suspending the search, was an odd realization. "The area that we were flying is perhaps some of the busiest airspace in the country maybe even the world, but we were literally the only plane in the sky," said Lovejoy. "Air Traffic Control, New York Approach, Boston Approach, New York Center, we were literally their only customer. We didn't know for sure which airports were open or providing fuel service. They kept us informed of changing weather conditions, airport closures and any other info we asked about."

As the Falcon crew prepared for the return trip radio traffic began to ramp up. Through the increasing activity, another rescue call was heard. A vessel in distress was calling for help, and this one was unmistakable.

The crew was quickly able to locate the 2nd vessel, which had been grounded on rocks and was taking on water. They identified a small life raft departing the vessel and making its way safely towards shore. The coordinates and information were relayed back to Coast Guard operations centers and, after doing a few circles, the Falcon departed the scene to refuel.

Landing and taking off during the gusting winds was another memorable evolution. A third search was conducted for an inflatable boat reportedly drifting in Norwalk River, but nothing was found. After the search we landed at Boston Logan Airport to wait for winds to subside. The international airport was practically empty of aircraft and personnel, another eerie moment. The crew finally ended up spending the night in Boston to wait out the storm, and I departed by rental car back towards Cape Cod.

A report came in at approximately 3:30 a.m., Aug. 29th, that waves had swept a man and woman from rocks at Narragansett Beach, R.I. Reports stated that the man had made it back to shore, but the woman was still at sea. An MH60T Jayhawk helicopter crew was sent to assist.

In the world of SAR, strange stories are relatively common. Reports that would be hard to make up are abundant. We sometimes call them sea stories, as the tales get taller and taller. The below, hard to believe account, is a true sea story.

The Jayhawk crew located the person in the water and lowered a rescue swimmer. When he reached her, the swimmer was notified by the young lady in the cold, pre-dawn, post hurricane, Atlantic Ocean, that she was in no need of assistance.

The determination was made to conduct the rescue, and she was resistantly taken aboard the aircraft to be transported to a nearby hospital. A strange judgment call made under extreme duress by a young rescue swimmer. The rescued person turned out to be intoxicated and her impaired decision to remain at sea could have cost her life.

Capt. David Throop, Commander of Air Station Cape Cod expressed that following the storm one of the biggest things would be assessment of the ports. Other agencies would be depending on our 'eyes in the sky' to determine what areas would need aid and how to prioritize those needs. "This activity would be essential to things returning to normal," said Throop.

At about 5 a.m. the sun began to rise. The first Jayhawk helicopter had returned from its rescue mission, and a second was on the tarmac getting ready to fly. Stars in the west submitted to the rising sun in the east with a cloudless sky between. Birds and insects remained strangely silent. I remember thinking how strongly the environment contrasted the roaring winds of the day before. 

The assessment helicopter picked up Congressman Tim Bishop, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Capt. Joseph M. Vojvodich, Commander of Sector Long Island Sound. The crew, passengers and I flew along the Sector Long Island Sound area of operations where neighborhoods had become inaccessible, flooded and lost power.

"Overall, my impression of the south shore of Long Island and its bays was that we weathered the storm pretty well," said Vojvodich, whose area of responsibility includes all of the coast and navigable waterways of Connecticut, Long Island Sound itself and the coasts and back bays of Long Island. 

"I noticed some surge waters in some communities in the northern portions of the Great South Bay and Moriches Bay, but you could already tell that the water was receding, said Vojvodich. "I was concerned about any breaches along the south shore of Long Island and excessive shoaling of the inlets, but we weathered the storm pretty well."

He went on to say that, "In the end, our ability to invoke a confidence in our waterways for recreational boaters, commercial operators, and the maritime industry, especially when a crisis occurs, is the true value of the public service that the Coast Guard brings to the table."

Air Station Cape Cod was commissioned on Aug. 29th, 1970, celebrating its 41st birthday the afternoon following the storm. It is the Atlantic Coast's only Coast Guard aviation facility north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and its area of responsibility spans Northern New Jersey to the Canadian Border.

In Mass., early notifications had not been ignored. When the storm arrived, airports were like ghost towns and many neighborhoods had been evacuated. In the region that gave us SAR, Hurricane Irene was a case study of preparedness. Another storm for the books, to test our skills, crisis communications and the effectiveness of our programs.  

To the Coast Guardsmen on watch it was a day representative of the reasons we join the service. As a new response crew replaces those that stood the hurricane watch, the same ritual is being conducted at stations up and down the coast. Tales of the previous day are passed to the new ready crew, and those lessons become part of the Coast Guard's ongoing story.

U.S. Coast Guard story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

About the aircraft

The HU-25 Falcon Aircraft: 

The HU-25 Guardian (Falcon) is a medium-range surveillance fixed-wing aircraft. It is a military derivative of the Dassault Falcon 20 business jet, of which more than 500 were built for worldwide use. The HU-25 performs search and rescue, law enforcement such as migrant and drug interdiction, marine environmental protection and military readiness.

The first of 41 HU-25s was delivered in February 1982 and deliveries were complete by December 1983. The HU-25A and HU-25D are 56 feet three inches in length (the HU-25C is 57ft 6 inches), with a wingspan of 53 feet six inches and height of 17 feet seven inches.

The service ceiling is 42,000 feet, though current avionics restrict operations to 28,000 feet and below. Maximum cruise speed at altitude is 420 knots (about 470 miles per hour), with a maximum operating speed of .855 Mach. Sea-level maximum airspeed is 350 knots (about 400 miles per hour).

Key features of the Falcon include its dash speed and capable mission sensors. The three models of the HU-25 (-A, -C, and –D) are distinguished by their sensor complement. The HU-25A has an APS-127 surface search radar. The HU-25C has an APG-66 air-to-air/surface search radar, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, and tactical workstation. The HU-25D has an APS-143B multi-mode radar, EO/IR and tactical workstation.

A sensor upgrade program in 2002-03 improved capabilities in HU-25Cs and reconfigured 6 HU-25As into HU-25Ds. An avionics upgrade in 2005-06 upgraded the navigation system with modern equipment common to the HH-65B.

The MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter:

The MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter is a medium range response asset designed for offshore operations, capable of providing shore-based aviation surveillance and transport. It is the workhorse helicopter of the Coast Guard and its predecessor, the HH-60J, was originally fielded over 17 years ago.

The upgraded model is a very capable aircraft for any law enforcement, surveillance or search and rescue mission.

The common avionics architecture system (CAAS) in the cockpit, provides fully integrated flight and mission management capabilities. Using five multi-function display screens, aircrews can display radar and forward-looking infrared data, monitor the traffic collision avoidance system and view imagery fed into the cockpit from the rescue hoist camera.

The Airborne Use of Force (AUF) equips the aircraft with a 7.62 mm machine gun for firing warning shots and a .50-caliber long-range rifle for precise targeting, such as disabling the outboard engines on a non-compliant go-fast boat.

A fully integrated electro-optical/ infrared sensor system (ESS) with Trakkabeam searchlight is permanently mounted outside the pilot’s door. ESS provides aircrews with enhanced capabilities to locate, identify and track surface targets day or night, which is a critical capability for both search and rescue and law enforcement missions.

Other capabilities include the Helicopter Integrated Data Storage (HIDS), which stores information from the ESS system, and the Helicopter Airborne Video System (HAVS), which records audio and video from the ESS and the hoist mounted camera that covers the hoisting area.

The history of Air Station Cape Cod:
(From the Coast Guard Historian Office) 

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod was established on Aug. 29, 1970 when the Coast Guard Air Station at Salem, Mass., and the Coast Guard Air Detachment at Quonset Point, R.I. were consolidated, providing a much greater degree of efficiency in the maintenance and operations of the Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guard and the Grumman HU-16E Albatross. These two versatile amphibians served at the air station until they were replaced by longer-ranged aircraft in the early 1980’s.

In Dec. of 1976, the Liberian freighter Argo Merchant broke up after running aground on Nantucket Shoals. The disaster brought marine environment protection to the attention of the nation.

The cargo carrier Eldia went aground on one of the Cape’s outer beaches in early spring of 1984. An Air Station Cape Cod HH-3F helicopter crew safely evacuated the fifteen-man crew of the Eldia in winds in excess of 40 knots when the ship was in danger of breaking up.

Probably the air station’s most famous rescue occurred in 1987. In March of that year, the Soviet Motor Vessel Komsomolets Kirgizzii sank 200 nautical miles south of the Massachusetts coast. Three of Air Station Cape Cod’s helicopters rescued the 37-man crew from the Russian ship in 20 foot seas an winds gusting to 50 knots with no major injuries. For their extraordinary efforts, the air crews were invited to the White House by President Ronald Reagan to be honored in a Rose Garden ceremony.

On Dec. 28, 1988. The 256-foot container vessel Lloyd Bermuda capsized in 35-foot seas throwing its crew into the icy waters. An HU-25A Falcon jet and two HH-3F helicopters set out in 50 knot winds and poor visibility to locate the survivors. Working with limited fuel in the worst of conditions, the crews successfully rescued six men, four of which survived. When it was all over with, the crew of one helicopter had logged 9.7 hours in the demanding flight conditions. 

Cape Cod is the Atlantic Coast's only Coast Guard aviation facility north of Atlantic City, New Jersey, and its area of responsibility spans Northern New Jersey to the Canadian Border.

U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders train to master VMS

A NOAA chart showing enforcement zones

GLOUCESTER, Mass. – In a small, dimly light conference room, U.S. Coast Guards watchstanders are huddled around a table with pen in hand. Scribbling notes down about the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). A system they know, but want to master.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) held the VMS training at their National Marine Fisheries Service facility in Gloucester, Mass., to expand communications with the Coast Guard by increasing the knowledge of the system and how it works.

Watchstanders from the 1^st District Command Center use the system often to monitor local fishing vessels. The system can aid with search and rescue and fisheries missions.

The training consisted of becoming familiar with how the system works and hands on experience with some of the equipment fisherman use on a daily basis.

“It’s nice to have a view of how it (VMS) exactly performs,” said Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Petrarca, a 1^st District Command Center response coordinator and one of a dozen watchstanders attending the training.

VMS, created in 1998, is used on commercial fishing to allow environmental and fisheries regulatory organizations to monitor, minimally, the position, time at a position, and course and speed of fishing vessels. They are a key part of monitoring control and surveillance programs at the national and international levels. VMS may be used to monitor vessels in the territorial waters of a country or a subdivision of a country, or in the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) that extend 200 nautical miles from the coasts of many countries.

William Semrau, a retired Coast Guard captain and northeast VMS program manager, fed Coast Guard watchstanders information on how the system works with satellite technology and global positioning systems. He went through slides during a presentation showing the actual program the Coast Guard and NOAA use on an everyday basis.

“We want to have everyone understand and feel comfortable with the program,” said Semrau. “Training the Coast Guard helps make them smarter with the system and it’ll help us. I think it’s very important to know how to use this tool.”

After several hours of training, watchstanders discussed the VMS program and why using it would benefit the maritime industry. A few hours of training can aid monitoring organizations for a lifetime.

GLOUCESTER, Mass. – U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders, from the 1st District Command Center, conduct Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) training at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service facility in Gloucester, Mass., March 9, 2011. The training consisted of becoming familiar with how the system works and hands on experience with some of the equipment fisherman use on a daily basis. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Luke Clayton.

U.S. Coast Guard holds Women's Leadership Symposium

Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz, the director of Coast Guard reserve and leadership, spoke to the 2011 Women's Leadership Symposium attendees about personal experiences in the Coast Guard and the meaning of being a leader, March 24, 2011. Over 100 Coast Guard men and women attended the symposium. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Luke Clayton.

 

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- U.S. Coast Guard personnel throughout the 1st Coast Guard District attended a Women’s Leadership Symposium at Portsmouth, N.H., March 24, 2011.

The event was held to bring Coast Guardsmen from the various units throughout the 1^st Coast Guard District together to learn about networking, mentorship with others and the role of women throughout Coast Guard history.

Attendees were also educated on Coast Guard women statistics, history, the sexual harassment policy and mentoring opportunities.

“They get to meet as many female guardians as possible for any support they may need and we hope the women here leave feeling a part of an organization,” said Lt. Cmdr Cynthia Kane, the chaplain for Sector Northern New England.  “The event was put together because there are very few opportunities for Coast Guard women to get together. We hope to decrease the feeling of isolation,” said Kane.

Rear Adm. Sandra L. Stosz, the director of reserve and leadership for Coast Guard Headquarters, attended as the guest speaker and shared her personal experiences.

“You learn so much from the people you’re mentoring; we need to give back and share forming that unity," said Stosz.

 

The program is structured to enable the attending women to communicate with each other, including those from other units.

“It’s good to see different perspectives from various units, cutters, and sectors,” said Lt. Hillary Allegretti, a marine inspector from Sector New York.

There was a wide range of personnel and a very diverse group of presenters.

“I got to make a lot of good contacts, and it’s good to hear about the different women succeeding”, said Seaman Charyl Borges from Station Portsmouth Harbor.

 

Rear Adm. Sandra Stosz, the director of Coast Guard reserve and leadership, answers questions during the 2011 Women's Leadership Symposium, March 24, 2011. Over 100 Coast Guard men and women attended the symposium. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Luke Clayton.

 

Story and photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Belson

There is the boss, and then there is the Boss.

 Coast Guard Petty Officer 1^st Class Peter Thurston had a chance to meet his Commander-in-Chief, Tuesday, March 8 when President Barack Obama visited Massachusetts and spoke at the Tech Boston School.

Thurston and other local firefighters, EMTs and police officers were invited to meet briefly with the president during his visit.

Recently, the 36-year-old Thurston, from Montpelier, Vt., was notified that he had been selected as the 2010 Enlisted Person of the Year for the First Coast Guard District and invited to meet the president.

Thurston was selected out of 11 fellow active duty enlisted members within the First Coast Guard District nominated for the Enlisted Person of the Year award. Similar nominations and selections were made throughout the remaining districts around the country. Those selected will compete for the Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year award. The opportunity is also open to reservists who are nominated for the Reserve Enlisted Person of the Year award.

Thurston has been in the Coast Guard for more than nine years and says he was motivated to join the service after the terrorist attacks during 9/11. During his Coast Guard career Thurston spent much of his service aboard 110-foot patrol boats and is currently a member of the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sanibel, home ported in Woods Hole, Mass. Typically there are two Boatswain’s Mate 1^st Classes aboard the Sanibel, however, due to crew turnover Thurston has been handling the responsibilities for both positions in the operations department and the deck department.

In supporting his nomination for the Enlisted Person of the Year award Thurston’s commanding officer Lt. Kathryn McCormack highlighted in the citation his: “selfless personal sacrifices, exemplary performance and commitment to the Coast Guard.” McCormack emphasized Thurston’s willingness to take on additional duties on the boat. As a mentor to junior petty officers and the unit’s training petty officer, Thurston was praised in his commitment to develop the skills and confidence of his shipmates. As the unit’s health coordinator Thurston was recognized for his desire to improve the health and wellbeing of the crew and even working with a shipmate to lose weight in a healthy process to conform to the services weight standards.

“It’s definitely a huge honor and I am flattered that my command would put me in for this [award],” said Thurston.

When it was announced the president would be visiting the region, Thurston was given permission to travel to Boston for the event. At the school, Thurston and the other guests waited in a room for the president to arrive. When President Obama entered he greeted everyone individually.

“He just thanked me for my service,” said Thurston. “It was definitely cool and a good trip.”

The final award winners of the Coast Guard 2010 Enlisted Person of the Year and Reserve Enlisted Person of the Year will be announced this spring.

Boatswains Mate 1st Class Peter Thurston, 36, from Montpelier, Vt., is the 2010 Enlisted Person of the Year from the First Coast Guard District. Thurston is currently serving aboard the CGC Sanibel, home ported in Woods Hole, Mass. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer First Class Matthew Belson

By Petty Officer First Class Matthew Belson

When Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Paul Wells took command of Station Provincetown, Mass., in  October 2009 one of the first orders he gave to the crew was to “shut the lights off” at night. Wells was determined to reduce the energy consumption and associated costs of the station located at the very tip of Cape Cod in addition to keeping the life saving skills of the crew proficient.

“I had this [energy conservation] idea in my head before I came here,” said Wells, and making sure  watch standers at night turned the lights off in unused common areas was a first step.

His next move was to schedule a free energy audit by the Cape Light Compact, an inter-governmental organization for Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, whose missions include promoting local energy efficiency initiatives and green power options for residents, businesses and organizations.

“We went through space by space [of the station],” said Wells about the thoroughness of the energy audit.

The findings from the audit found a number of improvements that could be made inside and outside the buildings that would help to lower energy usage and costs. Better still, Wells said the costs to implement the improvements were covered by grant monies the Cape Light Compact administers.

Inside the main building and the engineering facility motion sensors were installed in rooms including office spaces, hallways, workout room, locker room  and bathrooms that turn the light on when someone walks in and turns them off after after a set period of time, usually 15 minutes. Wells was quick to mention that in some spaces some of the  lights can also be turned on by clapping (in case someone is in there a little longer). Incandescent light bulbs were replaced with longer lasting and more energy efficient LED ones. There are even sensors on the soda machines that turn them off at night.

In the parking lot light sensors were also fitted to the streetlights.

Stretching out from the station to the rescue boats is a quarter mile-long pier with 36 lights and Wells questioned the necessity of always having all 36 lights on at the same time.

As part of the energy efficiency improvements  sensors were fitted to the pier lights and they were linked to a computer program that controls the number of lights to be lit and for how long.

“We still have plenty of light for safety and security,” said Wells.

Additionally, a new electric meter was installed at the station  that Wells can monitor on his computer to look for any spikes in energy consumption. Over a 14 month period ending in November of 2010 Wells said the energy efficiency measures had saved about 56,322 kilowatt hours and $9,000.

Water conservation measures have also been implemented at the station such as the installation of new shower heads and faucets. Wells said he would also like to improve the insulation of the buildings to reduce heating costs.

All told the energy efficiency improvements costs, including labor and parts, was about $27,000, all of which was covered by public grant monies administered through the Cape Light Compact, said Wells.

“For such a small unit I think we're doing pretty good,” added Wells.

Elsewhere across the region energy conservation measures and “green” initiatives are also being undertaken by the Coast Guard, including Sector Southeastern New England, based in Woods Hole, Mass., whose operational area includes Cape Cod and the Islands, and Rhode Island.

Philip Wolf, the environmental protection specialist for the sector, said Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., has directed  the service to reduce its energy costs by 10 to 15 percent.

At the sector, Wolf said many of the same energy efficiency measures undertaken at Station Provincetown are being mirrored by other local units.

“At Woods Hole it's just on a larger scale,” said Wolf, of the base which is home to several cutters, an aids to navigation team, small boat station as well as a sizable engineering facility for boat maintenance.

Like Station Provincetown, Wolf said an energy audit was conducted for all of the buildings and many of the same energy conservation measures instituted such as replacing light bulbs and installing light sensors.

Recycling is also important at the base were materials such as paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, used aerosol cans, waste oil, anti-freeze and used batteries are collected. The latter is especially important as batteries are replaced on boats and aids to navigation.

“Ten years ago all of these things were going into a landfill,” said Wolf.

To help spread the word through the sector about energy conservation and recycling efforts a volunteer group of Coast Guardsmen and Coast Guard civilian employees (including Wolf) have set up a group called “The Green Team.”

Coast Guard Lieutenant Maureen Olsen is in charge of a group of 10 volunteers that meet every month to discuss ways units and individuals can do things to help the environment. A quarterly electronic newsletter called the “Green Team Bulletin” is sent out with helpful tips people can use in their daily routines.

Olsen said the bulletin includes suggestions like shutting down computers opposed to letting them sleep which still draws power.

Annual beach clean-ups on the Cape are also organized and the group is looking to participate in the “Adopt-a-highway” clean-up program.

“People want to do the right thing,” said Wolf. “They just need the right tools to do it.”

Chief Petty Officer Paul Wells, the officer-in-charge for Coast Guard Station Provincetown, Mass., inspects one of the light sensors installed on one of the large street lamps in the station's parking lot. The sensors are just one of the many energy saving improvements undertaken at the station. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Matthew Belson

This photo shows a close up of a light sensor on one of the 36 lights along the quarter-mile long pier at Coast Guard Station Provincetown. All of the lights have a sensor and are linked to a computer program that personnel at the station can use to regulate how many lights are lit and for how long to help reduce electricity use at the station. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer First Class Matthew Belson

In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, the members of the Coast Guard Cutters hockey team in South Portland, Maine, pose for a photo after a game Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011. Team members are comprised of Coast Guard active duty, auxiliary, friends and spouses. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ayla Kelley.

Most every unit in the Coast Guard has morale functions. They can be Coast Guard day picnics, fishing trips, or a sports team comprised of its members. At the Coast Guard base in South Portland, Maine, there is a hockey team known as the Coast Guard Cutters. For six months out of the year the team gets together on the ice for a game of intense exercise and fun.

The Coast Guard Cutters is a team comprised of members of the Coast Guard family including active, auxiliary, and some spouses and friends. They play in division three in the Greater Portland Industrial Hockey League (GPIHL), which reorganized in 2008. The league aims to “craft an adult hockey experience that promotes the sport of hockey by providing an environment that stimulates a fun, enjoyable, and competitive experience for all skill levels,” according to the leagues website.

The Coast Guard Cutters were first formed in 2005 and played till 2007. The team gets its name from the original Coast Guard hockey team that played during World War II out of the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Md. The South Portland team reformed with the GPIHL in 2009 due to an increased interest at the units and is now in their second season.

“Being stationed in the Northeast, hockey is very much part of the local culture," said the team's captain, Cmdr. Brian Downey. "Many Coasties grew up playing and showed interest in playing in the industrial league. We thought it would be a good morale enhancing activity that would bring positive attention to the Coast Guard.”

Because the team is open to all members of the Coast Guard family, there are no formal try-outs.

“We match up players on each line to balance skill levels," said Downey. "Our philosophy is that as a morale function, it is more important to provide the opportunity to be on the team than it is to have a winning season.”

The season runs from October to March with one game a week on either Sunday or Tuesday nights. Practice is done mostly in the beginning of the season and on voluntary bases for each member. The jerseys and socks for the team were purchased with morale funds, but each player is responsible for the fees due to the league.

First season member Justin Coleman, a second class petty officer at Sector Northern New England, said it’s a lot of fun learning a new sport and loves playing on the team.

The Coast Guard Cutters plays eight other teams in their division.

 “The teams we play are sponsored by local businesses which comprise the GPIHL,” Downey said. “The competition is pretty high with most players being very seasoned and have often played together on the same team for years.”

Frank Orr, an auxiliarist, has played in adult hockey leagues and has been on the Coast Guard Cutters team for the past two years. He said he enjoys learning and teaching new things to those of different skill levels.

What is so special about the Coast Guard Cutters is what they are doing during the day before a game. Unlike many of the players of the opposing teams, this team’s members are carrying out Coast Guard missions and duties.

“Five hours earlier many [players] were conducting a coastal search and rescue case, organizing an ice breaking evolution or dispatching oil spill responders to protect the environment," said Downey. "We have different challenges than other teams as we have players who may be deployed or underway or standing command center duty.  Other teams don't have the same challenges."

When these men take the ice, they bring with them the Coast Guard’s core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty. While they don’t have the best winning record in the league they are still out there giving their all for the love of the game.

“They’re out there for fun and camaraderie" Downey said. "Rest assured though, they play for keeps in their day jobs."

In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class James McClearn, the Coast Guard Cutter's goalie, blocks a shot by the opposing team during a game in Portland, Maine Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011. The Coast Guard Cutters play one game a week in the Greater Portland Industrial Hockey League. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ayla Kelley.