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Feature Release
Date: April 16, 2010
Contact:  District 11 Public Affairs

A Surfman's legacy
Perils and rewards of the daily life of the U.S. Coast Guard.
By PO3 Levi Read

BODEGA BAY, CA. — When someone trains for anything in life, they train to be ready when it really counts.  When it counts, when a life is on the line, everybody wants a hero that has trained in that exact scenario.   For this reason, Coast Guardsmen train in real-life situations so they are ready when it really counts.  When your training ground is as vast and as powerful as the ocean, every training operation can turn into a life and death scenario.

 

Late last year, a boat crew, from Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay, found itself in this type of training scenario.  During a session aboard a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat, the crew was training in surf conditions that consisted of 15-foot breaking waves.  One of these waves caused a knockdown of the boat. Soon the crew  was surrounded by the roaring water and were in a perilous position as the ocean pounded its cold, brute force down upon them. But the cool hand at the helm and controls saved his crew and his own life by skillfully maneuvering out of harm’s way.

The Coast Guard is best known for its member’s legendary status as search and rescue heroes – saving more than 1 million lives.  An elite community within the Coast Guard with a legacy that may be second to none has played a big part in that number. These men and women have earned the title of Coast Guard surfmen.

There are only 20 designated surf stations in the Coast Guard, of which 15 are located on the West Coast.  Surf stations are designated in areas where surf greater than eight feet occurs ten percent or more days during a calendar year (36 days) averaged over a minimum period of five years.  At these stations reside some of the best and most experienced small boat operators, designated as surfmen because of their ability to operate motor lifeboats in the maximum weather conditions the boats were designed for.  The 47-foot MLB is designed to operate in up to 30-foot seas, 20-foot surf and 50-mph winds.  The 52-foot MLB is designed to operate in up to 35-foot seas, 25-foot surf and 80-mph winds.

“The best of the best boat operators are surfmen,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jay Nilles, surfman #338 and law enforcement officer at Station Bodega Bay.  “I believe the surfman program compares favorably to the Navy’s Top Gun program.”

Surfmen are trained on the job through hands-on experience. The most important job a surfman has is the responsibility to keep him and his crew safe.  For this reason, every member of the boat crew must wear helmets, dry suits, lifejackets, and other safety gear including signaling devices. The crewmembers are strapped into the boat by clips that are connected to a heavy-duty belt that is worn tightly around the waiste.                                                              



When a wave approaches, the MLB should be positioned facing into the wave. The boat operator controls the throttles in various ways depending on the type, size, power and position of the wave.  On many occasions, the crew is staring up at a wave as the boat maneuvers into and through it.  The crew must brace itself for the impact of the cold, salty water as it crashes upon them during the descent down the back of the wave.

“Surfmen make up an elite and tight community that only grows stronger each time one of us goes out with our crews to rescue sailors in peril,” said Chief Petty Officer Erik Watson, surfman # 336 and executive officer of Coast Guard Station Bodega Bay.  “My family gives me the strength to do what I need to do, to come home safely. Search and rescue only counts if everyone comes home safely.”

The National Motor Lifeboat School, in Ilwaco, Wash., near the mouth of the Columbia River, is an ideal training ground for future surfmen. The NMLBS is the only school in the world for rough weather surf rescue operations.  The area around the Columbia River’s entrance into the Pacific Ocean is known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific," because more than 2,000 ships are known to have sunk in the area. The area is an ideal rough weather training environment because of the river’s deep water channel, rock jetties, coastal surf zones, and waves that can often exceed 20 feet. Although there is no school that can certify a person as a surfman, up to 150 students attend courses at the NMLBS every year. In addition to U.S. Coast Guard students, the Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, Norway, and other countries have sent students through the course.   Wreck Map

There are many characteristics that a surfman must have to be successful including humility, courage, and dedication.  Becoming a surfman takes years of apprenticeship. The average surfman apprenticeship is five years, starting from the time they become a coxswain to when they are pinned a surfman.  The process starts by first becoming boat crew qualified, which on average takes about six months.  Then they train for another six months to become coxswain qualified.  After the coxswain qualification, they will train to gain a heavy weather qualification, along the way to earning the surfman qualification.            

“The pinning of the surfman is the start of the learning process not the culmination,” said Watson.

Earning the certification of surfman is a long and difficult process, but with it comes respect from leaders and peers alike.

“The day you put that pin on is the day you start earning the respect that comes with the pin,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Bill Armstrong, surfman #351 and operations officer at Station Bodega Bay.

Surfmen are a special class of people that live by a creed which resides within them. The creed states the purpose and legacy of every person who calls themselves a surfman.



It reads:

I will, to the best of my ability, pursue each mission with the commitment, compassion, and courage inherent in the title of “Surfman.”

I will endeavor to reinforce the worldwide reputation of our forefathers in the Lifeboat Community.

I will maintain a guardian’s eye on my crew at all times, and keep a cool, yet deliberate, hand on the throttle.

I will give of myself, and my knowledge as those who gave to me; so as the line of Coast Guard Surfman will live forever.

I will ensure that my supervisors rest easy with the knowledge that I am at the helm, no matter what the conditions, I will never unnecessarily jeopardize myself, my boat, or my crew; But will do so freely to rescue those in peril.

I will strive with dedication and determination to bring credit upon Coast Guard Surfman, past and future.

“The creed tells us of the history,” said Nilles. “There is a bit of nostalgia that comes with reading it.”

One of the first great rescuers that gives this creed the historical value was Capt. Joshua James (1826-1902) in the photo above right. He performed rescues in the unforgiving surf of the Massachusetts seaboard as part of the Lifesaving Service. The Coast Guard’s biography on James states that he served for nearly 60 years. He participated in his first rescue at age 15, receiving his first medal of many at the age of 23. In 1876, he was made Keeper of four U.S. Life Saving Service Stations including Point Allerton, Mass. He was 62- years-old at the time and rules requiring his retirement, because of his age, had to be waived by an act of congress. During his career, James was credited with saving more than 600 people and has been touted as the world's most celebrated lifesaver by historians. James trained and performed rescues until the day he died. He died after conducting surf training drills with his crew shortly after losing seven of his men during a rescue attempt.

“The East Coast may be the birthplace of surfmen, but the West Coast is the home of surfmen,” said Watson. “I have been a surfman on both coasts and there is a need on both, but storms seem to have a greater impact out here on the West Coast.”

A recent assessment published in the journal “Coastal Engineering” concludes that the highest waves in the Pacific Northwest may be as high as 46 feet.

Surfmen and their crews take a beating not only during rescue operations but also during training. It is common for surfmen to have chronic back and leg injuries caused by the jarring their bodies take while operating in a surf zone. Because of the physical and mental challenges of their jobs these men and women have a great respect for the ocean. These boat operators have to constantly be able to analyze the situation in order to keep themselves and their crew safe.

“You have to be a consummate boat driver on and off the water,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jessica Shafer, surfman # 390 and operations officer at Station Golden Gate.  “The ability to multi-task and remain calm when reason tells you not to be is more important than any boat driving skill one might have.”

Along with Joshua James, there are many names, both past and present, which are at the tip of many a surfman’s tongue when asked about their heroes. Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas McAdams (USCG service 1950-77) is one legendary name that always comes up in conversations about heroes of the surfman community. Just as James made a name for himself on the East Coast, McAdams made his name on the West Coast where he spent most of his career and still resides.

The Coast Guard’s biography on McAdams states he participated in more than 5,000 rescues and was credited with saving more than 100 lives.  He survived nine "rolls," in which his boat momentarily capsized due to the large swells, along the coasts of Oregon and Washington. He spoke about one of those times: "In one operation while in charge of a 44-foot MLB . . . my two-man crew and myself were pitched-pulled, that is, end-over-end, by a large breaking swell.  We were pushed down for approximately 40-some seconds.  We were strapped in, but were outside and had to hold our breath while the tons of water cascaded over us. We hung precariously upside down till the MLB righted itself again."

Today’s surfmen speak highly of those who preceded them.


In this photo above left, a surfman's check is presented to retired Master Chief Boatswains Mate Thomas D. McAdams at Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, Newport, Ore., Friday, May 1, 2009. The Surfman's check is issued to Coast Guard members who qualify as coxswains authorized to operate surf boats in heavy surf. Members from all over the Coast Guard attended the ceremony honoring one of the Coast Guard’s most famous surfman.  Above right, Petty Officer 1st Class Bill Armstrong, a surfman at Station Bodega Bay, surveys the surf near Salmon Creek State Beach Jan. 20, 2010. Station Bodega Bay is one of 20 surf stations who's crews specialize in operating in adverse weather and sea conditions. USCG photos by PO3 Levi Read.


“When I hear the names of surfmen past, I think of them as the forefathers that the creed speaks of,” said Nilles.  “These men are pioneers and we still use their same practices today.”

Surfmen are not household names to most Coast Guardsmen or the general public because they were not boastful said Armstrong. They came to work and did their job. Some surfmen just don't like to talk about the things they have done.

“Surfmen and the crew we respond with are the epidemy of what it means to be a Guardian,” said Armstrong. “There is a rumor out there that says ‘Surfmen’ are arrogant. Our lives are based on doing good; we have no room to be arrogant.”

Surfmen are listed on a registry maintained by the commanding officer of the NMLBS.  Each member of this elite group is assigned a number and each number is issued in consecutive order beginning with the number one. In an effort to recognize those who came before, the number one is reserved for all men and women who, from the shores of our nation, have rendered aid to those in peril upon the sea. And the numbers two through 45 are reserved for those who served in the United States Life Saving Service (1871-1915). All other surfmen have been issued a number that has come next in chronological order. There are currently 442 names on the surfman registry. Of those there are less than 120 active qualified surfmen watching our surf zones.

Today’s surfmen can’t be defined by the lives they save. The historical legacy of being a surfman is more defined than that. The legacy is about representing the Coast Guard on and off the boat, keeping themselves and their crew safe, saving lives that are in peril, building upon the past, and preparing the foundation for those that follow.  A true surfman is not a hero for themselves, but a hero for others. That is the legacy.

Original Feature Release

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I have an incredible sense of appreciation for those crazy S.O.B.'s.   

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Petty Officer 1st Class Bill Armstrong

Most recently got his anchors 

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Petty Officer 1st Class Bill Armstrong

Most recently got his anchors 

Tell him to get a haircut!  Damn hippies......

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I have an incredible sense of appreciation for those crazy S.O.B.'s.   

So do I Stan.  Some of the stories my grandfather Harold Wilkins would tell me of serving in the USLSS and USCG on the Jersey coast were amazing.  I often times wondered how he and his mates weren't killed just doing drills.

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I have an incredible sense of appreciation for those crazy S.O.B.'s.   

So do I Stan.  Some of the stories my grandfather Harold Wilkins would tell me of serving in the USLSS and USCG on the Jersey coast were amazing.  I often times wondered how he and his mates weren't killed just doing drills.

I hear ya' Ron.  My niece's husband (now ex-) was one of the instructors at Cape D. 

I ain't into small boats.  Prefer ships.  I can ride through about anything on a ship but I think the reason I never liked the whole small boat thing was my basic inability to swim.   

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Feature Story Release
Date: October 01, 2010
Contact:  District 11 Public Affairs

San Diego drill targets nuclear terrorism
Story and photos by PO2 Henry G. Dunphy


Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Pierce, a member of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) 91109 San Diego, and San Diego Lifeguard Sgt. Bob Albers compare results on a handheld radiation identifier as part of a vessel sweep in Mission Bay, Calif., during the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office's Boat Mounted Detector Drill, Sept. 23, 2010. Federal, state and local agencies worked together during the drill to detect, locate and identify nuclear materials in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay. (USCG photos by PO2 Henry G. Dunphy)

SAN DIEGO, CA. — San Diego’s mild climate and plentiful moorings make it an ideal destination for boaters, but the high volume of small vessel traffic and proximity to the international border also make it a potential pathway for smugglers seeking to bring illicit cargo into the United States.  This creates a unique challenge for the law enforcement officers whose mission it is to protect the American people.

U.S. Coast Guard members and other federal agencies came together with state and local authorities for an exercise Thursday, Sept. 23, that was designed to validate training, equipment and procedures and demonstrate their ability to detect radiological and nuclear materials in a maritime setting. This drill, and a similar one held in the Seattle region Sept. 16, targeted smuggling aboard small vessels, the movements of which are less regulated than large vessels.

The potential exists for someone to bring a nuclear or radiological device into the U.S. and deliver it direct to target into one of the Nation’s ports, said Army Lt. Col. Kevin Hart, Deputy Assistant Director for Pilots and Experimentation Division in the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.

The scenario developed for the San Diego drill was that radiological materials had been smuggled into San Diego via small boats for distribution to terrorist cells. An incident command was stood up and a plan devised to sweep several marinas in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay using boat-mounted and handheld radiation detectors.

Law enforcement vessels equipped with boat-mounted detectors operated by the California Department of Fish and Game and San Diego Lifeguards officers searched along the matrix of finger piers in Mission Bay, while detector-equipped boats operated by the San Diego Harbor Police swept marinas along San Diego Bay’s Shelter Island. Detector operators focused on discerning the spike that would indicate a possible threat source against the signature of naturally occurring background radiation.

“Radiation is all over the place,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Eric Cooper, commanding officer of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) 91109 San Diego. “For example, it can be found in bananas, pottery and clay, and it’s used for medical and industrial purposes. In a situation like this we are looking for that needle in the haystack that could represent a threat to the American people.”


Above left, Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Pierce, a member of Maritime Safety and Security Team
(MSST) 91109 San Diego, and Justin Sandvig, California Department of Fish and Game warden, sweep a
vessel for a source of radiation in Mission Bay, Calif., during the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office's Boat
Mounted Detector Drill, Sept. 23, 2010.  Above right, Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Pierce, a member
of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) 91109 San Diego, uses a backpack-mounted radiation
detector to scan a vessel in Mission Bay. (USCG photos by PO2 Henry G. Dunphy)

Once the boat-mounted detectors located a possible source of radiation, a team composed of MSST members and other regional stakeholder agencies including San Diego’s Hazardous Incident Response Team (HIRT) and the California National Guard’s 9th Civil Support Team moved in to pinpoint and identify the radiation.

“We come in with different equipment to determine if the source is legitimate or illicit radioactive material,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Christopher Pierce, an MSST San Diego member who has undergone training to identify radiological and nuclear material. Pierce said they capture a digital fingerprint of the radioactive emissions and send it to subject matter experts onshore for near-real time analysis. They also do additional surveys of the vessel to make sure smugglers are not masking an illicit source with a legal one, Pierce said.

 Though no nuclear devices were involved there, terrorists have used small watercraft in attacks before, such as the 2000 attack on the USS Cole while moored in Yemen and the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India.

Inter-agency cooperation is key to preventive detection and interdiction of radiological and nuclear threats, Hart said.

“We had the whole gamut of federal, state and local agencies working together for this exercise,” Hart said.

“This is the first time in the San Diego region that we’ve put this all together end to end,” Hart said, “from initial detection using boat-mounted detectors, to locating and identifying the potential threat sources. This exercise showed that we can certainly perform this mission in the San Diego area.”

Original Story

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Feature Story Release
Date: December 02, 2010
Contact:  District 5 Public Affairs
Story and photos by PO3 Robert Brazzell

Volunteering – The heart of the service


Senior Chief Petty Officer Jeffery Dietzman above left, the command senior chief for Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, leads many volunteer efforts by coordinating with agencies and finding new opportunities to serve the community. From his hometown in Delhi, N.Y., Dietzman grew up helping his neighbors; a trait that has stayed with him all his life.  Petty Officer 1st Class Dexter Johnson holds an award given to the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin from the Northern Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce for their devoted support to educational excellence. The Rankin's crew volunteers their time mentoring children, offering educational field trips aboard their cutter and visiting schools to read with children. (USCG photos by PO3 Robert Brazzell)

As a military service with unique missions, it is no stretch to say that many men and women in the Coast Guard are brought together because they share a common desire to serve their fellow Americans. For many, this desire doesn’t end with the work day, but continues in their personal lives. As individuals or entire units, Coast Guard members serve those in need. Often times the same hand that reaches for a distressed boater is the same that offers up a warm meal to a family, turns a page while reading to children or gives a gift to a child on Christmas.

“I think that being in any military service takes a certain type of person,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Lord-Flynn, a marine science technician at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. “The obvious connection between people who volunteer and people in the Coast Guard is the desire to serve.”  

Recently, Sector Baltimore recognized Lord-Flynn as the Enlisted Person of the Quarter for his exceptional performance both on and off the job. Donating more than 1,000 hours in 2009, Lord-Flynn said his desire to serve others started in his youth. Growing up in Spokane, Wash., Lord-Flynn attended various mission trips with his church and saw firsthand the affect he could have on another person’s life.

“I have a passion for running,” said Lord-Flynn. “So much of my time is dedicated to running that I feel like it might as well serve a purpose other than to benefit myself. So I started looking for avenues to do that.”

That avenue turned out to be a non-profit organization that helps homeless individuals in Baltimore by promoting self sufficiency. Known as Back on My Feet, the program encourages homeless men and women by having them run as a means to build confidence and self-esteem.

“We teach them to make goals and follow through with them,” said Lord-Flynn. “We tell them that if they can run a mile, they can run two miles. If they run two miles, they might be able to run towards a new job or going back to school."

Today Lord-Flynn leads his own team with a local homeless shelter.  Each member receives running shoes, shirts and other team gear. “When we run down the street, no one can tell who’s homeless and who’s not.”

Lord-Flynn recalled a story of a homeless man he mentored named George. “He started running and he could barely run a block. He’d run a block and stop, run a block and stop, so he decided to stop smoking to continue to run,” said Lord-Flynn. “Now he can run three or four miles.” Another man named John was able to stop drugs. “We’re not just out there to run with them, we’re out to change their lives,” said Lord-Flynn. “Each day we’re just thankful that they showed up because that’s another day that they’re not hitting the pipe or drinking.”

“I think volunteering is fun, with anything you’re doing, if you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong,” said Lord-Flynn. “If you feel called to do something bigger than you, get out and volunteer.”

Petty Officer 1st Class Dexter Johnson, a crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin home ported in Baltimore, recalls a similar story of when he started volunteering. “It started with my children,” Johnson said with enthusiasm. “The first step was church, soup kitchens, just a call to help out our neighbors.”


Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Lord-Flynn above left, a marine science technician at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, along with members from Back On My Feet, gather for a group huddle following a morning run through the streets of Baltimore, March 3, 2010. Back On My Feet is a non-profit organization that helps homeless men and woman build self-esteem and confidence by engaging them in running. The Back On My Feet program works with partnering agencies to give job training and offer assistance with education and housing expenses.  Petty Officer 3rd Class Alexander Lord-Flynn above right, a Marine Science Technician at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, gives an encouraging high five to Back On My Feet participants as they complete a run through the streets of Baltimore, March 3, 2010. Lord-Flynn has volunteered more than 1,000 hours in the last year to helping homeless people in Baltimore change their lives through the Back On My Feet program. (USCG photos by PO3 Robert Brazzell)

After reporting aboard the Rankin, Johnson found ways to meet the needs of the community and began to encourage his shipmates to join in. So far, Johnson’s encouragement has had a positive effect on his shipmates. More than half of the unit, including the captain, volunteers their time. The crew of the Rankin began completing projects like painting an American flag over a graffiti-covered bridge, mentoring elementary school children and volunteering their boat to local schools looking for educational field trips. They also received an award of appreciation from Northern Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce for devoted support to educational excellence in May, 2009.

“It starts with the individual, and if you really believe in it and you do it, you can get more people involved,” said Johnson. “When you lead by example, they jump on board. Especially when you have a positive attitude, you’re nice to people and give them respect; then they tend to just want to do it.”

Johnson also explained the impact that volunteering has on his crew. “It builds comradery with your shipmates when you get out and affect your community,” said Johnson. “It improves moral. You’re getting out together as a unit and you’re also giving back.”

Coming from the small town of Delhi, N.Y., Senior Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey Dietzman, the Command Senior Chief at Sector Baltimore, said that he learned long ago the meaning of helping others. Nearly 20 years ago, Dietzman learned the Coast Guard’s core values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty.

“I feel that volunteering is in alignment with our core values,” said Dietzman. “It’s a mentality to want to help other people; since our primary mission is to help those in need.”

Dietzman leads many volunteer efforts for Sector Baltimore, organizing initiatives like providing Christmas presents for children of low-income families or coordinating events to honor veterans. “It brings the Coast Guard and the community together, to see us as human beings and not just people in blue uniforms,” said Dietzman.

The Coast Guard regularly works with organizations such as Partnerships in Education, Habitat for Humanity and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. It also helps countless charities and non-profits that assist homeless, mentor youth and work with veterans.

“Volunteering is always a new experience,” Johnson said. “When you do something selflessly for someone else, it enhances you, it makes you feel better about yourself and it gives you a sense of accomplishment. I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t do it.”

This is the heart of the Coast Guard. A proud service made up of people brought together for the purpose of serving a nation. From individuals to entire units, to the very core values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty, the message is clear; to volunteer is to serve, and in order to serve you must volunteer.

Original Story