40 years ago.

[CGRDCS]

This week marks the anniversary of a very important event.

No, I'm not talking of the Moon Landing, although even I will admit to listening and being amazed.

July 16th, 1969, I stood on the flight deck as RADM Ross Bullard (then CCGD8) gave the order to set the first watch aboard CGC RUSH, and she was placed  IN COMMISION SPECIAL,  

RUSH  is the last of the original 9 SECRETARY class 378's. Being aboard a 378 having come from a 255, was like going to sailor's heaven in creature comforts. Of course there were the punch list of items not completely finished upon acceptance. Can't tell you the number of times the missing grout was reported in the deck tiles of the OPS Starboard 10 man head., or the number of knife tips stuck tween the tiles to prove a point.

Or the number of times the ENG Dept, just had to sound the fuel tanks, just before the CO's inspection.

But she had her moments. In GITMO Capt Randy Ross, swearing from the bridge wing to the Navy craftmaster of the tug that was to nudge us into a 400 ft spot of the pier tween two tin cans. The Navy craftmaster didn't know we had a bow thruster. The air was a bit blue that morning.      Listened to the Moon Landing, moored in GITMO, correcting charts in CIC..  Or the drag race bet between Capt Ross and the Tincan skipper in San Diego.

The Vietnam deployment and the joint Navy/CG missions with first CGC SHERMAN, and then CGC MORGANTHAU that sank two large steel hull trawlers, attempting to smuggle arms and supplies into South Vietnam.    The Naval Gunfire support missions against the enemy, in support of US and friendly forces.

Mellon was the first 378 in the Pacific, but she was in HONO, RUSH played show and tell big time with the haze gray bunch Stateside . Busy time that first year, From New Orleans to Gitmo, to Baltimore, to the Canal, to Costa Rica, to Mexico, to Long Beach, then to San Francisco and formal commissioning. Then to San Diego for Shakedown, prep for first OSN, then OSN, home, another OSN, then Fleet Ops in Pearl, Home and then prep for West Pac and Vietnam. Lotta sea under the keel.

To me, she was then and will forever be my best CUTTER. I was very lucky to serve two tours aboard at different times in my career. As a junior Petty Officer and then as Chief. A great SHIP with great crews.

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!    USCGC RUSH (WHEC-723)     40 years and still going.

Hawk  

[EX-CG-GM]

Jack,

It's hard to believe that the ships you and I served on in Nam were damn near brand new and state of the art at the time......and are now 40+ years old.  Absolutely boggles my mind.  I was so proud to be on the Mellon!  My God, the 378's were absolutely stunning in both appearance and performance back then!

And then the CG sat back and didn't build a new WHEC type ship until the Bertholf!     What the hell were they thinking?   

[GreenET1]

Jack,

It's hard to believe that the ships you and I served on in Nam were damn near brand new and state of the art at the time......and are now 40+ years old.  Absolutely boggles my mind.  I was so proud to be on the Mellon!  My God, the 378's were absolutely stunning in both appearance and performance back then!

And then the CG sat back and didn't build a new WHEC type ship until the Bertholf!     What the hell were they thinking?   

The USCG was trying to get Congress to look at these issues in the early 1990's. So what was Congress thinking?

[EX-CG-GM]

Jack,

It's hard to believe that the ships you and I served on in Nam were damn near brand new and state of the art at the time......and are now 40+ years old.  Absolutely boggles my mind.  I was so proud to be on the Mellon!  My God, the 378's were absolutely stunning in both appearance and performance back then!

And then the CG sat back and didn't build a new WHEC type ship until the Bertholf!     What the hell were they thinking?   

The USCG was trying to get Congress to look at these issues in the early 1990's. So what was Congress thinking?

For a start, by then the ships were already 20 years old or so.  They should have started knocking on the door in the mid 80's.  It would have taken them at least 5 years to get the funding, start design work and then begin a build.    And secondly, Congress won't give you money unless you are really able to convince them you need it.  I believe that was a failure on the part of the CG.  All part of the "we can do more with less" philosophy.

Now they are sending crews to sea on ships that have all the potential in the world to suffer some sort of failure that will jeopardize the crew. Just like the fire we had on the Barataria in the late 60's did.

[BuoyJumper]

Thing of it is Stan ... it's not just the 378's. 
The 210 WMEC's were all built in the early to mid 1960s, so that fleet is turning 50+ years of service and should have already been replaced.

[CGRDCS]

Stan,
RANT  WARNING            RANT WARNING                 RANT WARNING
I am of the opinion that the CG has NEVER been in the mind set of advanced planning.  Remember that the 378's were to have been 34, but with the cut off of the Ocean Station program, that construction program was stopped.  The 210's were built during that time basically to replace the 125 and 165, that had been in service since PROHIBITION.  The 210's were never going to ocean station, while there was supposedly space and weight reserved, the class has never had, nor will have (IMHO) an air search radar.      
I will not even begin to discuss the fiasco of the 270 program.  What with design, construction and ultimate usage.

Other that those of us that worked in JOINT MILITARY OPS, the idea that the US COAST GUARD is a military service, is only given again LIP SERVICE.

ADM Yost gets Harpoon missiles on the class, the Next Comdt not only takes them off, but then removes the sonar, kills the St and FT rating and we go to R2D2 and the gum drop gun, and now we have gone even smaller to the ju ju be gun mount now on the largest cutter in the fleet.  The 378's should have been built with 5'54" and then upgrades with new guns.  The NSC should have the new automated 5" class.    THESE Are US Naval vessels.  THE BREAKERS SHOULD BE RE ARMED AND THE HELL WITH THE NSF.  If we don't get on the stick real soon the Arctic going to blow up in our face.

CGC BOUTWELL, just returned from OPS that included anti pirates ( Good Heavens, what were they thinking, Puddle Pirates against real pirates  BIG Grin,          When is national talk like a pirate Day again?_
IF there had been troops on the ground, the Boutwell would not have been able to support those troops, with NGFS, because as I understand it the MOUNT is not certified by the Navy to do NGFS/Danger close.    Think of all those NGFS Missions we did in the NAM  Wonder what Song AN DOC would have looked like with out Coast Guard 5'38" NGFS

It is my opinion, that the largest classes of ocean going cutters have about much business in a Naval formation, or Naval Ops, as a little old lady has in a bar fight.  SHE'S only going to get hurt.    378's and the NSC  lack even WW1 underwater sound detection, NO HYDROPHONES, BIG PRETTY WHITE  TARGET.  IT'S NOT THE FAULT OF THE CREW.  IT"S THE HIGHER COMMAND THINKING.

The Coast Guard of today is set up as a police force, fully equipped with all the DOG/MSST/SWAT units you could want.  Yet +HDQTRS apparently has forgotten that Military Preparedness, trumps  maritime law enforcement.

RANT OFF

Hawk  

[GreenET1]

CGRDCS

That was not a RANT.  It was a summary.

And a very good summary at that.

Claude

[EX-CG-GM]

Hey Jack.....go check out the thread I started on mil.com today.  The Future of the CG.  I agree with you on everything you have posted.  

In the past I have pointed out that today's CG ships could get their butts kicked by a pre-FRAM 378, a WW II destroyer or a patrol boat that some countries have now.

Join in over there. It could get to be VERY interesting.  

Why do we need the Bertholf?  If we are not going to arm our ships in a way that allows them to protect themselves than why do we need ships that can go to the Persian Gulf, where they need to rely on the Navy for protection?  

If the CG doesn't get it's head out of its fundamental orifice they are going to discover that much of their role is going to be shifted from the CG to one of the Customs organizations.  The CG could end up with small boat stations, patrol boats and aviation for SAR, A to N....and not much else.

[Gorilla24D]

UH.... ....What the hell is  "sound the fuel tanks"

[EX-CG-GM]

UH.... ....What the hell is  "sound the fuel tanks"

No gas gauge.  Sounding the fuel tanks was basically measuring how much fuel was in each tank. As I recall they used a glorified measuring stick.

[Gorilla24D]

Ignorance is bliss... .......

[CGRDCS]

A Glorified Measuring stick

That dripped fuel oil all over the freshly buffed decks, just before the CO's Inspection.

Kinda like a engine mech, comming in to the Orderly room, and dripping engine oil on the floor, just before a a major inspection of quarters.  repeatly.

Hawk-

[Gorilla24D]

  .......Now the picture is clear.....

[BuoyJumper]

UH.... ....What the hell is  "sound the fuel tanks"

No gas gauge.  Sounding the fuel tanks was basically measuring how much fuel was in each tank. As I recall they used a glorified measuring stick.

LIKE THIS RILLA ..... 


EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN--Fireman Apprentice Marissa Massey and Fireman
Apprentice Valentine Votinov diligently take fuel sounding samples while the
USNS Tippecanoe pumps fuel on the upper deck of Morgenthau on May 17th.
Crew members were required to dip the sounding tape into the fuel tanks to
measure fuel levels every five seconds. (Photo by PO3 Angela Henderson)

[EX-CG-GM]