Coast Guard News

[mike220]

I LOVE PA. Tons of things to do. Hike, camp, fish, hunt, what else do you need? Different strokes I guess.

I never got out there to do that. Maybe I should remedy that this August when i come up there. I always went to Baker, the Sisters or Sauk.

[BuoyJumper]

By the way, the photo of the CG helo flying over the Aircraft carrier is not a photo of the actual event. It looks photoshopped. According to the pilots, the deck was clear add to that the fact it was nearing nighttime when it happened.

Okay Keith, you caught me. 
But in fairness, I did say at the bottom of my post that it was a comp for dramatic effect.
Now that I know it was close to dark and the flight deck was clear perhaps this one is more to your liking.  

   

[sardaddy]

Beautiful. 

[BuoyJumper]

Alaska Native Receives CG Award
May 7, 2008
U.S. Coast Guard

SAN FRANCISCO - U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Willard Milam, (pictured below) an aviation survival technician from Soldotna, Alaska, was awarded the Admiral Chester R. Bender Award on May 2, 2008 for his participation in the rescue of four fishermen on Feb. 9, 2007.

Stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, Milam was a key part of the HH-65 Dolphin crew that responded to the call from fishing vessel Illusion off Unalaska Island, Alaska at 1:00 a.m. Despite a low cloud ceiling, near zero illumination and winds up to 35 knots, the flight crew was able to navigate the helicopter to the scene of the distressed vessel.


Petty Officer Willard Milam answers questions from students participating in the Trio Talent Search
Aviation Camp as they explore a Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. Aviation Camp allows
students to spend three days with professionals that work in the field of aviation and earn college
credit. USCG photo by Petty Officer Paul Roszkowski.

Despite surpassing weight limitations on the helicopter's engines, the crew managed to retrieve all four fishermen from the arctic waters and navigate safely back to Dutch Harbor where an ambulance was waiting to treat the survivors.

The entire mission was flown at the performance limits of the crew and helicopter without the assistance of a cover aircraft. The aviators demonstrated selflessness during the rescue as they forfeited their own survival suits to protect the exposed mariners, and risked damage to their aircraft by pushing the limits of the HH-65 Dolphin engines.

Milam worked tirelessly to rescue the panicked fishermen, even as his dry suit began to fill with icy water. During the flight back to Dutch Harbor, Milam faded in and out of consciousness, and was taken to a waiting ambulance upon arrival.

Milam graduated from Valley High School in 1984. His wife, Deborah Milam, resides in Soldotna, Alaska.

The Admiral Chester R. Bender Award, named after the fourteenth Commandant of the Coast Guard, recognizes Coast Guard members for heroic efforts.

Original Article

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AP

Coast Guard takes delivery of first
National Security Cutter
Thursday May 8, 4:49 pm ET
By Dan Caterinicchia, AP Business Writer

Coast Guard takes delivery of first National Security Cutter
under troubled Deepwater program

WASHINGTON (AP) -- After repeated delays and cost overruns, the Coast Guard on Thursday accepted the first in a series of massive ships built by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman that are the cornerstone of a multibillion-dollar fleet modernization.



But at least one lawmaker immediately expressed concern about the decision, citing a U.S. Navy inspection last month that found numerous problems with the vessel. The Coast Guard itself acknowledged that some issues with secure communications and other systems still need to be resolved on the Bertholf cutter.

In March, Coast Guard officials said tests of the ship's systems identified problems with safety, launch and recovery applications and communications. Until some of those glitches could be fixed, the agency had delayed acceptance of the 418-foot, 4,300-ton National Security Cutter currently stationed in Pascagoula, Miss.

Now that the Bertholf has been accepted, the agency will run operational trials for up to 24 months.

"I am greatly concerned that the (material inspection and receiving report) would be signed in spite of ... several deficiencies that have been 'starred' by U.S. Navy ship inspectors due to their potential to significantly impair the ship's operation," said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the House subcommittee on Coast Guard and maritime transportation.

Navy inspectors identified eight issues to be specifically addressed, including those with the computer system that enables automated operation of the ship's main propulsion and electrical systems, maintenance and realignment of the bearings that support the ship's propellor shafts, and assorted flight deck deficiencies.

Jan van Tol, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and a retired Navy captain, said none of the issues appeared to be major, although the hardware and software modifications needed for automated operations could be tricky. "It's when fixing one component reveals trouble in another serially that timelines start to extend," he said.

The Coast Guard faces ample challenges either way -- by its own assessment, but said the remaining six significant issues identified by the Navy inspectors would be fixed by the end of the month.

Elsewhere, some classified communications systems may not be certified before the cutter leaves the shipyard in mid-June, so temporary systems will be used, Rear Adm. Gary Blore said Thursday.

It will be "several months" before all of the communications, surveillance and reconnaissance systems are certified and no systems will be operated with classified information until that happens, said Blore, assistant commandant for acquisition.

In about a year, following resolution of all identified deficiencies and contract liens, final acceptance of the Bertholf will occur, he said.

The agency last summer acknowledged that the combined cost of the first two cutters more than doubled to roughly $1.14 billion. The first of the eight planned ships cost over $640 million. The second cutter, which is expected to cost $495.7 million, had been slated for acceptance in October, but also is being pushed back as lessons learned from the first ship are applied, agency officials said in March.

"Given the millions of taxpayer dollars that have already been wasted on the Deepwater project, I will be closely watching to ensure that the Coast Guard addresses these serious deficiencies while also encouraging (the Coast Guard Commandant) not to move to final acceptance of this vessel before all outstanding deficiencies are resolved," Cummings said Thursday.

Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp., was awarded the original Deepwater contract in 2002, but has been criticized for its role in the delays.

ICGS spokeswoman Megan Mitchell on Thursday said it was an "exciting day" for the companies and the agency, and "we look forward to seeing Bertholf in the service of the U.S. Coast Guard and our nation for many years to come."

While ICGS in January said it was open to negotiating a refund for faulty ships they provided the Coast Guard, it did not agree with the $96.1 million the agency has requested. The Coast Guard last May revoked its acceptance of eight 123-foot patrol boats due to hull buckling. A month later, problems also were identified with other equipment and systems.

The Coast Guard does not yet have a refund but said Thursday that negotiations continue.

Northrop Grumman builds the ships while Lockheed Martin provides communications equipment and other technology.

The eight ships were removed from the waters off Florida in late 2006 and permanently decommissioned in April 2007. Some electronics issues on them were first identified in 2003 by Michael DeKort, a former Lockheed Martin employee, who later chronicled his complaints in a YouTube video.

DeKort, who testified before Congress about Deepwater issues last April, on Thursday said that more testing of Bertholf's classified systems for another two years is just a convenient way to appease critics and defuse scrutiny. "Things are going to get worse," he said.

The Justice Department, which is investigating the Deepwater contract, has told the contractors not to destroy certain documents, and the companies have said they are cooperating.

The 25-year, $24 billion Deepwater program will modernize 91 cutters, 195 aircraft, computer and communication equipment, and integrated logistics capabilities.

Original Article

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Press Release
May 2, 2008

Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau Receives
Operational Readness Award



ALAMEDA, Calif.- The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau, homeported here, was awarded Tuesday the Operational Readiness "E" Award  for  excellent performance during Tailored Annual Cutter Training April 29, 2008.

 The Operational Readiness Award is based on the TACT cycle and is also divided into individual training area awards.  Morgenthau received awards in navigation and seamanship, damage control, medical, engineering and combat systems, earning crew members the operational readiness "E" ribbon as well.

"Although the crew is certainly deserving of this outstanding recognition, the TACT cycle is really a validation of our training and readiness that we have maintained over the entire year, thus evidenced by the crew's superb record of accomplishments out on patrol where it really counts," said Capt. Kevin O'Day, Morgenthau's Commanding Officer.

The cutter's primary missions are maritime law enforcement and national defense throughout the Pacific basin, but its foremost mission is safety of life and property at sea.  With a flight deck capable of landing a Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a state-of-the-art communications and sensor suite, and extended endurance, Morgenthau is a floating command center capable of coordinating ships and aircraft for search and rescue or responding to natural and environmental accidents and disasters.   

Underway for the next six months, the Morgenthau is scheduled to participate in international training exercises Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and South East Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEA-CAT) 2008.

The departure Monday of the 378-foot high endurance cutter represents the 14th time the U.S. Coast Guard has participated in these bilateral training exercises.   From 1995 to 2001, the Coast Guard provided support with deployed teams to provide maritime law enforcement and search and rescue training to the host nations.   

This year, CARAT will be hosted in the countries of Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The Morgenthau will serve as the lead unit for most of the security boarding team events that include visit, board, search-and-seizure exercises, and legal discussions.  The intent is to foster cooperation between the various nations' naval and Coast Guard forces.

Morgenthau is a high endurance cutter with a crew of 179.

Original Article

[BuoyJumper]

Community profile: Attu Station
Last Modified: May 13th, 2008 12:55 AM



ATTU STATION

POPULATION: 20 (2006)

LOCATION: On the northeast coast of Attu Island, in the Near Islands group, on the far western end of the Aleutian chain.

DESCRIPTION: A U.S. Coast Guard outpost with a key military history. All Coast Guard personnel live in group quarters; no families live on the island.

HISTORY: The Aleutian Islands were historically occupied by the Unangas. Attu was called St. Theodore by Capt. A.I. Chirikov in 1742. The first landing on the island appears to have been in 1745. The Aleut name was early transcribed by the Russians as "Ostrov Attu," spelled "Atakou" by Capt. James Cook in 1785. Attu was listed in the 1880 census with 107 people, 101 in 1890, 29 in 1930 and 44 in 1940. Attu and Kiska islands were occupied by Japanese forces in June 1942 during World War II. Attu was virtually destroyed in 1943 when the U.S. Army mounted a successful offensive against the island from Adak.

[BuoyJumper]

The Barnstable Patriot

Helping to rescue Coast Guard’s Cape heritage     
Written by John Watters     
May 16, 2008 

Museum hopes aerial demonstration May 17 will draw interest
 
For more than 200 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has had a strong presence on Cape Cod, from light ships to light houses, life boat stations to cutters, all the way up to the Jayhawk helicopters at Air Station Cape Cod. From Woods Hole to Provincetown, Chatham to the Cape Cod Canal, the "Coasties" have always been ready for missions of rescue or law enforcement.

Because of the intimate relationship between the Coast Guard and the Cape, this is a perfect place for a museum honoring the service's rich local past.


FAMILIAR SIGHT – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Point Bonita, now
retired, patrolled the waters off Cape Cod in the 1980s. One of its
chief engineers, Bill Collette, is president of the Coast Guard Heritage
Museum at the Trayser in Barnstable.  (USCG Photo)

“It's a gem, waiting to happen," said Coast Guard veteran Bill Collette, president of the Coast Guard Heritage Museum at the Trayser. "We have grown every year since we opened four years ago. Last year, we had over 1,500 visitors. I think the more people know about us the more they will come."
 
Housed in what was once the county Customs House on Route 6A in Barnstable Village, the museum offers an assemblage of artifacts, marine art, and models, along with a collection of clothing and gear it has grown into a treasure trove of Cape Cod Coast Guard history.
 
"It seems every day somebody comes to the museum with an artifact to drop off,” said Collette. “We are very fortunate to have so many people with Coast Guard artifacts living on the Cape."
 
Some of the pieces in the collection tell tragic stories. There is the lantern from the Vineyard lightship, which sank during a hurricane in 1944. Twelve men died on duty; those who were on leave were known forever as “the lucky 5.”
 
This is a crucial year for the museum’s survival. Over its first four years, the Town of Barnstable has subsidized a portion of its rent and utilities for the town-owned building, which has served at other times as the village post office and a historical museum. To keep it going, Collette is hoping help from the community.
 
"We have asked for very few donations, but it would help a great deal if anybody wants to help out our cause," he said.
 
Another need, according to Collette, is a volunteer curator.
 
"We have a great group of volunteers that help us keep the museum open Tuesdays through Saturdays from May to October,” he said. “We are looking for someone to help us out in that regard."
 
On May 17 at Mill Way Beach on Barnstable Harbor, the museum will host a demonstration of a staged search and rescue mission by a HH60 Jayhawk Helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod. At approximately 10:30 a.m., weather and official Coast Guard operations permitting, the Jayhawk will locate a person in distress, drop a rescue swimmer, and proceed to pluck them from the water and lift them into the hovering helicopter.
 
Following the demonstration, the museum will host a cook-out free of charge on its grounds.
"This will be the kick-off of our 2008 season,” Collette said. “I hope we get a great turn-out at both the beach and the museum.”
 
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum at the Trayser, 3353 Main St. in Barnstable, is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is $4; no charge for children 10 and under as well as active Coast Guard members.

Original Article

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CAPITAL CITY NEWS

PUBLISHED: 5:44 PM on Wednesday, May 14, 2008

USCG cutter HEALY arrives in Juneau



JUNEAU - The nation's largest icebreaker, USCGC HEALY, commanded by Capt. Ted Lindström, arrived in Juneau Sunday. HEALY was stopping for liberty on her return from the first Arctic West Summer 2008 Deployment, which had the cutter in the Bering Sea for two months. During the deployment, HEALY traveled over 7,000 nautical miles and conducted over 1,100 individual science evolutions in the course of completing two separate science missions.

HEALY's missions this spring were part of the National Science Foundation's Bering Ecosystem Study (or BEST) and the North Pacific Research Board's Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program.

HEALY scientists conducted a suite of studies to provide insights about how marine microorganisms, plants and animals, including fish, marine mammals, and birds, as well as local human communities, will be affected by the on-going changes in the region. The two chief scientists who coordinated the missions explain that this work at the ice edge used different sampling strategies, but focused on a common goal of improving the ecological understanding of the Bering Sea. HEALY is the newest and largest of the nation's three heavy icebreakers and the only one with extensive scientific capabilities.

The 420-foot cutter was commissioned in 2000 and has a permanent crew of 80. Scientific support is her primary mission, but as a Coast Guard Cutter, HEALY is also a capable platform for supporting other potential missions in the Polar Regions, including logistics support, search and rescue, ship escort, environmental protection, and the enforcement of laws and treaties.

Original Article

[BuoyJumper]

Coasties cruise into town for a little tear and repair
CINTHIA RITCHIE
May 15, 2008 at 1:25PM AKST



Walking onboard the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley on April 25 was like entering another world.

There was little color or ornamentation. Everything was compact and narrow. Even the sleeping berths were functional, with scratchy-looking, no-nonsense blankets.  I felt slightly claustrophobic. I worried about emergency exits. I wondered what would happen if I had to go to the bathroom.

But a half hour later, drinking orange juice in the officer’s room with operations officer Glen Moscatello, executive officer Anthony Williams, Seward Coast Guard flotilla representative Sue Lang and Capt. Kevin Jones, the cutter began to make sense. There was something inspiring and slightly romantic about men and women patrolling the Alaska seas and performing rescue operations.

Williams assured that it wasn’t like that at all. The ship was a job, a type of moving corporation if you will, and that added up to long and often grueling hours.  “We do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “We need a rotation of three to four people for each job. Someone is always getting up when someone else is going to bed.”

The Alex Haley was in the process of “walking the blocks,” which meant that the captain checked that the cutter was properly and safely positioned at dock.  “She” was going into dry dock for 11 weeks, at which time the crew would perform in-depth repairs, cleanups and all the gnarly jobs they didn’t have time to tackle while at sea.

“It’s not fun,” Williams said. “You’re docked but away from home. But these things have to be done.”

The captain put into clearer perspective.

“When you’re at sea with 300-foot waves and 100 miles per hour winds, you want to know that your equipment is up to par.”

The Way It Was

The way it was the cutter wasn’t always Alex Haley. It used to be the USS Edenton and was one of three rescue and salvage ships built for the U.S. Navy. Commissioned in 1971, it was  decommissioned in 1996 after 25 years of service.

A year later it was transferred to the Coast Guard for an 18-month, $20 million overhaul. This so-called makeover included navigational upgrades, flight deck installations, removal of diving and salvage equipment and extension of the flight deck.

The ship weighs in at approximately 3,000 tons and is 283 feet, which classifies it as a medium cutter. It was named after the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of roots Alex Haley, who was the first bona fide Coast Guard journalist.

Based out of Kodiak, the cutter performs search and rescue operations, homeland security and fisheries enforcement in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea and North Pacific.

How it is now

The Alex Haley sports eight engines, all named after female pirates.
“It personalizes the ship for us,” Jones said. “You’re on this ship so much you need to make it feel like home.”

The crew is onboard about 200 days a year. Patrols typically last six weeks, though they’ve been known to stretch three months. There’s little free time away from port.
“There’s never a time when you feel rested,” Jones said. “You never recover from the 30- and 40-hour shifts.”

But there’s a plus side to all of that hard work.

“You don’t have enough time to get lonely,” Moscatello said. He paused in thought for a moment. “It’s really scary for a young person coming on, I was scared out of my mind. But it was exciting too.”

The ship is wired with Internet and satellite TV, which helps the crew stay in touch with family and friends. This, according to Jones, is both a blessing and a curse.

“It connects you to your family and helps alleviate the loneliness,” he said. “But you can’t really do anything if, say, your mother is sick and you hear about it when you’re out at sea. There’s nothing to do but try not to worry.”

Touring the ship

While the Alex Haley is classified as a medium-sized cutter, the Coast Guard crew considers it as a type of luxury boat in comparison with smaller vessels.

Still, it offered a tight fit. The hallways were narrow and painted a grayish white, and I had to be careful to pick up my feet when entering rooms or risk tripping over the upraised doorframe. There was a constant hum of machinery; fire equipment and survival gear hung from the walls.

According to Moscatello, who led my tour, every available inch of space must be used to its maximum potential.

Such compactness gave off a snug and homey feel, especially in the captain’s room, which sported leather chairs and sofa, maps over the walls and a prehistoric phone called the squawk box. The 1950s intercom system is still in use, Jones admitted rather sheepishly, though it’s being phased out with more up-to-date communications.
In the pilot house, the bridge was manned with electronic charts, a huge Global Positioning System and an honest-to-goodness helm, which was still in use.  “Someone has to be driving the ship at the wheel helm at all times,” said Henry Yrjana, electronics technician chief.

He explained that less than a dozen of their ships still rely on helms.
“It’s unique,” he said. “It’s quite a change.”

Especially when coming from ships with more modern steerage, he added. But it’s all part of changing vessels, which typically takes place every two years.

“You have to get used to the intricacies of a new ship,” he said. “You start to feel comfortable when you know all the niches.”

Then it was down steep metal steps, past the medical station, laundry room and ship store, to where some of the crew hung out in the lounge. They looked endearingly young and freshly shaved. The girl had her hair pulled back into a crisp ponytail. They were arguing good-naturedly about a movie.

“I know it was because  … .” the girl said.

“No, no, the other guy,” a young man said. “He came in at the last scene and …”
“Hey, this tastes like a Twinkie,” another interrupted, holding up a glass of pale yellow beverage.

“Remember those little cakes, not Twinkies but … ,” another said.
Outside, the wind blew and the rain came down. But inside the Alex Haley, 100 “Coasties” it felt right at home.

Original Article

[EX-CG-GM]

“When you’re at sea with 300-foot waves and 100 miles per hour winds, you want to know that your equipment is up to par.”

Yep, them 300 foot waves will ruin your day!   

I kinda get the impression the author hadn't been on a ship before.......

The Alex Haley sports eight engines, all named after female pirates.

And that's kinda weird!   

[BuoyJumper]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed 300-foot waves EX and that's a quote supposedly from the CO.  ....... 

I can't imagine what he meant by that.  A 300-foot wave would be a tsunami wouldn't it?  

[Salba]

I sniff a typo in the artilce Buoy... .suspect the Co said 30 but the author decided to add an extra 0... 

Best Wishes

[EX-CG-GM]

I sniff a typo in the artilce Buoy... .suspect the Co said 30 but the author decided to add an extra 0... 

Best Wishes

Probably so, unless he was messing with her head!   

[BuoyJumper]

Coast Guard cutter Valiant returns to Miami
Associated Press - May 17, 2008 9:54 AM ET



MIAMI (AP) - The crew of the Coast Guard ship Valiant has returned to its home port of Miami after a seven-week deployment in the Florida Straits.

The ship returned Friday. During its deployment, the ship rescued 14 Cuban migrants and a suspected smuggler from a capsized vessel. In total the ship provided food, water and any necessary medical attention to a total of more than 190 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica and Guyana that it stopped.

Valiant also transferred 13 suspected smugglers over to Customs and Border Protection for investigation.

Original Article