Breeze Summer 2012

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th DistrictBreeze Volume LVIII Number 2 Summer 2012

http://www.cgaux7.org/


UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

District Commander:RADM William D. Baumgartner, USCG

Director of Auxiliary District 7CDR Jose’ Quinones

U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

District Commodore COMO Walter Jaskiewicz

District Chief of Staff John Tyson

Immediate Past District CommodoreCOMO Donald L. Frasch

District Captain NorthRobert Weskerna

District Captain West Melvin Manning

District Captain East

Judith Hudson

BREEZE is the offi cial and educa onal tool of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District and is intended as a publica on to keep the membership apprised of the ac vi es of the Auxiliary. All ar cles and photographs submi ed must be consistent with the policies of the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary and may not be returned. Electronic submissions are encouraged. Personal informa on of members is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. The use of these rosters, addresses and telephone numbers on any computer or online service including the Internet is prohibited by the Act.

Comments are encouraged and may be sent to Dorothy Riley, Editor (District Offi cer-Publica ons) at: do [email protected]. Ar cles in the BREEZE may be reprinted provided credit is given and a copy is sent to the above Editor and Publica ons Offi cer.

Do not send changes of address to the BREEZE. You can obtain a change of member informa on report (7028) from your Materials Offi cer and submit it through channels.

Auxiliary Sector Coordinators

ASC Sector CharlestonReginald B. Hollar

ASC Sector St. PetersburgDonald C. Hoge

ASC Sector JacksonvilleDavid C. Cawton

ASC Sector Key WestR. Dewey Jackson

ASC Sector San JuanOsvaldo M. Ca nchi

ASC Sector MiamiWilliam V. Tejeiro

Division Commanders 2011

Division 1……...........…………………Angel BeneroDivision 2….….......…..……....... Loren R. Emery IIDivision 3….….........….……….. Samuel E. DudaDivision 4………..........William J. Sorren no, Sr.Division 5……….…............…….... Gary P. BarthDivision 6……..........……….…….Thomas R. Walker Division 7…..............…..…...….. J. Michael SheaDivision 8……........................... Paule e ParentDivision 9……….....…….....….. David C. Crockwell Division 10………….............…..Warren M. WilsonDivision 11……..............………….. Jimmy R. RyderDivision 12…………............……….Vito W. GiardinaDivision 13…………….............. Jeff ery A. BronsingDivision 14…….…….................…Henry T. HaydenDivision 15……….............……………….. Craig ElliotDivision 16……….......................…... Lee E. ElvinsDivision 17……..............……....…..... Carl D. Motes

District 7 Directorate Chiefs

Logis csJames Dennen, DDC-L

Preven onDavid M. Fuller, DDC-P

ResponseDonald A. Zinner, DDC-R

Is the offi cial publica on of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

7th Districth p://www.cgaux7.org/

Volume LVIII Issue 2 Summer 2012

District Staff Offi cers

Preven on DepartmentLyle E Le eer …….................................DSO-MS Frank R. Lann ….………...................…..…DSO-MT Ronald D. Foreman……………..............….DSO-PVDavid M. Wall....……..……...............……..DSO-PEWilliam S. Griswold……..…..............…..…DSO-SLChuck Kelemen ……....................…………DSO-VEDavid Cawton …………………....................DSO-NS

Response DepartmentCecil Christopher..…………..….................DSO-AV Harry S. Reynolds…..…...…...............…..DSO-CMDudley W. Davis .....……………..................DSO-OPJerald Henderson.……......................…..Chief QE

Logis cs DepartmentDavid Has ngs....…...……...............……...DSO-CSSusan Z. Has ngs……...……...…................DSO-ISAlejandro M. de Quesada.......................DSO-HisConstance O. Irvin...…………...............….DSO-PADorothy J. Riley…. ……………................…DSO-PBAngela Pomaro .…..…...….............….…..DSO-HRTerry Barth ……………...…...............……..DSO-MARichard J. Leys………...............…………....DSO-DV

OtherLillian G. GaNun …….……………................DSO-SRThomas Brickey....................................DSO-MCDouglas Hanson..…...….…..……..................DSSODouglas Hanson..…………................……..….DFSOAndrew Anderson………….............….…….DSO-LPAntoine e Borman………….............….……....D-LLJames Mayer.......…………................…..…DSO-FNRichard Leys………..….………....................PPDCPAPeter Fernandez……................Plan Coordinator

District Administra ve Assistant & AideCarolyn R. Hooley ……...…..........................D-ADElaine J. Cornell ……………………..................D-AABarbara Jaskiewicz.....................................D-AACOMO Mary T. Larsen ...………............Advocate

h p://d7materials.org/index.phpThe center is now open

Monday & Thursday 1000-1600You can reach the center by phone

during these hours at:(727) 535-2593

mailto:[email protected]


Volume LVIII Issue 2 Summer 2012 1

2 From the Bridge: Commodore Walter Jaskiewicz

3 From the Bridge: John Tyson, DCOS

4 District Captain North Robert Weskerna, DCAPT-N

6 District Captain West Melvin Manning, DCAPT-W

8 District Captain East Judith Hudson, DCAPT-E

10 Clearwater: Florida’s First Coast Guard City Karen Miller, ADSO-MT D7

11 Coastie: Clearwater’s ‘First Dog’ Karen Miller, ADSO-MT D7

12 Ocean Festival Key West Dorothy Mattern, SO-PA Division 13

14 Vessel Safety Day M.D. Schlitt, FSO-PA Flotilla 98

16 Keeping our Hawk Eyes Open Jeffery Carrier, Flotilla 13-3

17 Sea Cadet Mission GAR a ‘Go’ Andrea Rutherfoord, Flotilla 36

18 AUXCHEFs in Training Paulette Parent, ADSO-HR/AUXCHEF

20 District Directorate Chief-Prevention David M. Fuller, DDC-P

23 What’s the Weather? Judi Bidwick, FSO-PA 86

24 District Directorate Chief- Logistics James Dennen, DDC-L 24 Historical Coast Guard Sites: Baltimore, Md. Alex deQuesada, District Staff Offi cer- Historian

27 District Directorate Chief- Response Donald Zinner, DDC-R 29 WWII Cutter to be Sunk Off Sanibel Island Constance Irvin, DSO-PA D7

30 Service Beyond the Call of Duty Dudley Davis, DSO-OP D7

32 Betty Underwood Wins Jefferson Award Arthur Slepian, FSO-PA/PB 51

34 National Safe Boating Week Around District 7

The offi cial publication of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District

Cover photo: PORT EVERGLADES, Fla.—Jan Cox from Flotilla 38 Plantation, Fla. gets friendly with Oscar. Th e training dummy rarely wears a hat, but at least he is in uniform on this day. Photo by Brian Lichtenstein, Flotilla 38

In this issue...

U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary District 7 Breeze2

Due to great planning and the many hours that you dedicated last month, pub-lic attendance at Seventh District’s 2012 National Safe Boating Week events was the highest on record.

Your eff orts have provided our District’s recreational boating public with the educational tools that will—not “may”— save lives and prevent boating tragedies.

Your Seventh District abounds with opportunities to focus our member’s energy on meeting the new chal-lenges of the Coast Guard Auxiliary as an eff ective and effi cient force multiplier for the Coast Guard. To this end, we have implemented two new strategies.

“Operational Performance Development” (OPD) Dashboard. Over the last several months, District Ex-ecutive Committee has developed a data measurement “dashboard.” Rather like the dashboard on your boat, this tool will allow each fl otilla, division and sector to see at a glance its specifi c performance in six key areas. With the dashboard, each Auxiliary unit can monitor its own performance quarterly, as well as the perfor-mance of other units, to see where they are meeting

objectives and where they might improve their per-formance. Th e D7 Commodore’s Cup Award will be based upon data from this dashboard. Th is insures fairness in the awards for all units, regardless of size, as each will be competing against their own previous performance.

“Auxiliary Mass Rescue Operations Specialist” (AM-ROS) Designation. Recent disasters such as Hur-ricane Katrina and Deepwater oil spill have shown the need for qualifi ed response teams to provide mass operational support. Our dedicated appointed AMROS Committee selected 16 Auxiliarists from among some sixty applicants who met the commit-tee’s requirements. Th ese D7 members are now re-ceiving specialty training as responders to Type #3 and higher incidents. Th e new specialty areas include Division/Group Supervision, On-Scene Coordina-tion, Landing Site Operations, Reception Center Operations and Contingency Planning. Our new “Sector Centric” Strategic Plan requires each Sector to have a team in place based on this pilot program.

Th ere is nothing strange or mystical about these changes. Th ey simply call upon your creativity and your willingness to step beyond the mission and bring our new strategic vision to life.

You, the members of the Seventh District, have the talents and skills that allow me to anticipate our suc-cess in achieving our goals. Be assured that, for this, I have the greatest admiration for all that you do. Ω

Semper Paratus

From the Bridge

Commodore Walter JaskiewiczDistrict Commodore D7

ent boating trageddies.

unds with oopppporortutunini ities to y on meetitingng tthhe new chal-Auxiliarary y asas an eff ective and r the CCoaoastst GGuauardrd. To this two nnewew sstrt ategiess.

e DDeveloppmementnt”” (OPD) everall montths, District Ex-

velopeed a a dadatata mmeaeasureementhe dasshboard on your boat,tilla, ddivision and sector to erformmance in six key areas.Auxilliaiaryry unit can monitor terly, aass wwell as the perfor-ee wheree tthheeyy are meeting

ricane Katrina and Deethe need for qualifi ed mass operational supporAMROS Committee seamong some sixty applitee’s requirements. Th esceiving specialty traininand higher incidents. Th Division/Group Supervtion, Landing Site OpOperations and Contin“Sector Centric” Strategto have a team in place b

Th ere is nothing strangchanges. Th ey simply cayour willingness to stebring our new strategic v

You, the members of th

Uncommon Strength Unwavering Service

UPPER KEYS, Fla.—Conrad Sankpill, currently in training for Pollution Response Investigator in Sector Key West, opens a length of containment boom. Sankpill and others will likely go on to qualify as Auxiliary Mass Rescue Operations specialists. Photo by Patricia Gross, Flotilla 13-8 Upper Keys


essential. Training in the use of data to measure and analyze performance was introduced at the dis-trict leadership training workshops earlier this year. Th e “District Dashboards” page on the D7 web site followed in early April. While many units have begun using dashboard data to guide action plans, more work needs to be done to ensure that all elected and staff leaders are comfortable employing the dashboard data. Additional leadership workshops are planned for the remainder of this year, and a workshop on leadership practices and the Ham-ilton Criteria will be conducted at the District Train-ing Meeting (D-TRAIN ) in September.

And speaking of D-TRAIN 2012, mark your calendar and plan to attend the September 20-23 meeting at the Hilton Hotel in St. Petersburg, Florida. Th e loca-tion is outstanding, and the opportunities for learning will be among the best to be off ered at any district meeting! Ω

Semper Paratus,John Tyson

From the Bridge

John TysonDistrict Chief of Staff

By now you may have visited the new “District Dash-boards” page on the Seventh District Auxiliary website. If you have not done that, you will fi nd the “District Dashboards” tab on the left side of the member’s home page. You may also access the page directly by using the link www.cgaux7.org/D7Perf.html. When the page opens, click on the name of the fl otilla or division you want, and you will see results for fi rst quarter 2012, as well as a comparison with the results achieved in the same quarter last year. As the year progresses, the re-sults will be posted for each quarter, and a year-to-year comparison will be posted at year end.

Why is fl otilla and division performance data being made available to fl otillas and divisions? Because the data provides Seventh District Auxiliary units with a ready score card for measuring their performance. In addition to that, its use in decision making is universal-ly recognized as a sound leadership practice. Th e data displayed graphically in the “District Dashboards” will also be important to programs that recognize units and individuals for their contribution to the organization’s success.

Although the use of data measurement and analysis may be new to many Auxiliarists, it has been used by the Coast Guard since 1993, when it adopted the Mal-colm Baldridge Award Criteria as a guide for Coast Guard leadership practices. Today, a Coast Guard unit that achieves the highest level of mission ef-fectiveness under the Malcolm Baldridge Criteria may be awarded the prestigious Alexander Hamilton Award. Not surprisingly, the Coast Guard found that guiding leadership practices by elements of the Malcolm Baldridge Criteria signifi cantly improved goal achievement and mission eff ectiveness. Using measurement and analysis of data to guide leader-ship practices is an element of both the Malcolm Baldridge and Hamilton award criteria.

When Seventh District Auxiliary leadership elected to follow the Coast Guard in using Hamilton Award Criteria as a guide for leadership practices, the use of measurement and analysis by Auxiliary units became

http://www.cgaux7.org/D7Perf.html


District Captain NorthRobert Weskerna, DCAPT-North ...Also proudly serving!

If you ever had a chance to read an e-mail from our Dis-trict Commodore (DCO) during his fi rst year in offi ce, you would note that he always closes his message, “Proudly Serving, COMO Walter R. Jaskie-

wicz.” Th e message Walter sends is laudable: I’m serv-ing, and I do so with pride.

Accordingly, my Breeze articles are usually about the members I meet in my role as District Captain North – our members who are Proudly Serving. In this article, I’ll add a few names to this list, but fi rst a “thank you” note.

On April 18, John Sollecito, Flotilla Commander of Flotilla 93, welcomed the District 7 Executive Com-mittee (EXCOM) to his fantastic fl otilla building in Naples, Fla. Trust me, having a building dedicated to a single fl otilla, complete with Flotilla Commander’s of-fi ce, boatlift, etc., is something to be envied by the many of us who meet at Coast Guard Stations, fi rehouses, lighthouses, municipal buildings, etc. Th anks for your hospitality, John. Th e tour was great, and we wish you and your fl otilla members all the best!

Coming back to South Carolina from Naples, Jackie and I stopped off in Savannah to attend a Division 10 meeting and to visit with Warren Wilson, Division

Commander 10, and his group. At this meeting, I had the pleasure of speaking with the “Gepetto” (carpenter-cum-puppeteer) of Coastie, Don Wellons. As Division 10’s Staff Offi cer-Communications and Assistant Dis-trict Staff Offi cer-Communications D7, Don is our very own Gepetto, who says he can re-build a Coastie in less than a day. Th is means a fully functional Coastie. Please contact Don by linking to the National Directory for members at www.cgaux7.org. He’s very capable, easy to talk to, and willing to help you with your Coastie issues.

On March 31, while attending a Division 2 meeting in Ackworth, Ga., I had the luck to meet Auxiliarist Miguel Corco, Flotilla 23. I understand that Miguel used to live in south Florida, so perhaps more than a few of you know him. On the day we met, Miguel was just back from an assignment in Barbados as a member of the Auxiliary’s Interpreter Corps. He had just fl own in that morning at 3 a.m. but was happy to share some of his experiences with us. I’ll leave out the details of our conversation for the sake of any security issues, but suffi ce it to say that the Interpreter Corps does a great service for the Coast Guard and other branches. I’ve seen the spreadsheets of Interpreter Corps members and know that we have many remarkably talented individuals available for this service under our Auxiliary banner. To each of you, as well as Miguel, please accept my sincere thanks for your service.

As one of your district captains, I have the privilege of meeting a handful of you and listening to the details of the contributions that you make to our organization. Your talents, eff orts, and accomplishments are nothing less than amazing. In spite of the occasional hiccups we all experience with the ‘system,’ you – and I – continue on – Proudly Serving. Ω

Left: NAPLES, Fla.— Th e home of Flotilla 93, the host of April’s EXCOM meeting. Th anks to the dedication of a number of Flotilla 93 members, this 1950s structure looks like it was built recently. Photo by RobertWeskerna

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http://www.cgaux7.org


Top left: JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— USCG Commander James Rush stands beside Tom Hayden, Commander of Division 14, and William Sekeres, Division Vice Commander, at the Division 14 meeting held at Queen’s Harbor Recreation Room on March 24, 2012. Photo by Robert Weskerna

Top right: ACKWORTH, Ga.— Bob Weskerna, District Captain North meets Miguel Corco, Staff Offi cer-Materials Division 2 and member of the Auxiliary Interpreter Corps, at the division’s spring meeting held on March 31, 2012. Photo by Jackie Weskerna

Below: ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. —A rebuilt Coastie makes a new, young friend. Photo provided by Don Wellons


District Captain WestMelving Manning, DCAPT-WestFollowing the success-ful television series Coast Guard Alaska, Al Roker Entertainment launched its next project highlighting the United States Coast Guard—Coast Guard Florida. Th e new series will fo-cus on Coast Guard activities throughout Florida, with its pro-duction headquarters at

Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida.

Filming has already commenced, and the Auxiliary has been photographed in scenes in the Gulf of Mexico off Clearwater. On April 19th, fi lm crews boarded Auxil-iary Facility Sea Bear, with Lou Davis, Flotilla Com-mander 11-9 Tarpon Springs, Fla., Coxswain, to fi lm the training mission of a C-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Clearwater. Despite less than ideal weather conditions, the fi lming mission was accomplished. Th e television series will be off ered by Th e Weather Channel beginning in October of 2012.

Hurricane season offi cially begins on June 1, 2012. At that time, Hurricane Readiness Condition 4 ( Jun. 1 to Nov. 30 – Seasonal Hurricane Condition for all Dis-trict Seven Units) will be in eff ect. All divisions in the west region have been diligent in fi nalizing notifi cation procedures in their fl otillas. Th is includes preparing and maintaining current accountability membership lists to comply with District Seven and Sector St. Petersburg requirements for both heavy weather drills (e.g. Hur-ricane GISPERT drill at the end of May) and actual storm conditions. Th e fl otillas have their Hurricane and Disaster Contingency Plans in place and are prepared for appropriate deployment if needed.

Th e Atlantic East Auxiliary Search and Rescue Com-petition (ASAR) is scheduled for fi nals at the Coast Guard Academy in July. West Region teams, including an all-female team from Division 9, are eagerly prepar-ing to represent District Seven.

Spring is buzzing with activity at all levels. Auxiliary public aff airs exhibits at local events are taking place throughout the area, involving hundreds of Auxiliarists and thousands of visitors. Public Education classes are

in full swing, and Member Training is in high gear, pre-paring members for Qualifi cation Examiner missions, as well as off ering Auxiliary Operations classes and general knowledge training. Air and surface operations are conducting missions at a heightened pace, after the windy winter caused numerous cancelations. Much of this activity took place in conjunction with National Safe Boating Week activities.

Th e AUXCHEF program continues to grow under the tutelage of Paulette Parent, Division Commander 8 and Assistant District Staff Offi cer-Human Resources/AUXCHEF, with the latest class concluding at Air Sta-tion Clearwater on the weekend of April 29. Th ere are now over forty graduates in District Seven who have completed all training requirements and are AUX-CHEF qualifi ed. Paulette and fi ve other AUXCHEFs are scheduled to be deployed to Barbados in June to support one Food Service Facility for Southern Com-mand (SOUTHCOM). In mid-April, two AUX-CHEFs assisted at a reception for incoming cadets to the Coast Guard Academy hosted by Admiral Baumgartner. Th is type of duty is becoming fairly com-mon, as is serving in galleys at numerous Coast Guard facilities.

Finally, the Auxiliary also continues to prepare for the Republican National Convention being held in Tampa in August. Although the main event will be centered at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, in downtown Tampa, delegates will be housed and events scheduled in ven-ues from Saddlebrook Resort at Wesley Chapel, in the north, to St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beach, south and west of Tampa. Numerous waterways and ports will see the impact of heightened security to process the delegates and manage the thousands of demonstra-tors and visitors expected in the area at that time. Auxil-iary tasking is expected to support the Coast Guard and other government agencies, both afl oat and ashore. Ω

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Volume LVIII Issue 2 Summer 2012 7Ph

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CLEARWATER, Fla. — Al Roker is greeted by Captain John Turner, Commanding Offi cer Air Station Clearwater, on March 21, 2012, as he arrives at the Air Station to plan the fi lming of his new series. Below: Roker talks about his planned series, Coast Guard Florida to the media. Th e series comes on the heels of the most successful Coast Guard Alaska. Photos by Deb Mallory, Flotilla 11-1 Clearwater, Florida

Coming Soon on the Weather ChannelComing Soon on the Weather Channel


District Captain-EastJudith Hudson, DCAPT-EastTh e Eastern area of re-sponsibility of District 7 is busy, busy, busy, and it is defi nitely not just “busy work.” As the rest of the Auxiliary na-tion, every division in the East planned many events for National Safe Boating Week, is involved in boat crew and coxswain training,

and many are taking part in air operations training. In addition, many members are earning new certifi cations as Vessel Examiners, Assistant Pollution Investigators, and radio watch standers. Joint planning with sectors and stations is taking place, preparations to participate in changes of command are under way, recruiting plans are being developed, many visits to schools by Sea Part-ners are making an impact, and public aff airs events are transpiring. More and more, Auxiliarists are working at Coast Guard units, enabling those on active duty to train and perform higher priority duties. WOW! We are very active in every mission area.

In addition to all of that, Division 5 celebrated not one, but two Flotilla 70th anniversaries recently – Flotilla 58, Ft. Pierce, commanded by Joe Walsh, and Flotilla 59, Stuart, commanded by Lonnie Mister. Th ese mem-orable occasions were very well planned and executed, and a joint program of the two fl otillas was held on Sunday, April 15, at Coast Guard Station Ft. Pierce. Gary Barth, Division Commander, conducted the cer-emony, which was highlighted by the attendance of, and speeches from, our own Commodore Walter Jaskiewicz and Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, our Sev-enth District Commander.

At these celebrations, units displayed amazing histori-cal news articles, pictures, past publications and other items commemorating their history; active and retired members educated and entertained us with stories about the accomplishments and antics of the past; deli-cious lunches were served; awards were presented; the appropriate anniversary streamers were attached to fl o-tilla fl ags; and a wonderful fellowship for all transpired. Remembering and recounting our histories always makes us swell with pride at what our forbearers con-tributed to our communities and to the Coast Guard.

Congratulations to both of these active fl otillas! Your festivities, as well as your histories, were very impres-sive, and you continue to contribute signifi cantly to our missions today!

With all of this being said about how much all fl otillas and divisions are accomplishing, we return to the fact that there is always room for improvement, right? As we all know, we have talents and skills that are not be-ing utilized, members who have become inactive, and members who are disappointed because their expecta-tions are not being fulfi lled. What percentage of our membership is actually performing all of our activities? 50%? Less? Th ink how much more we could do if 75% or even another 15% of our membership were actively involved. Have we become too focused on the mem-bers who do attend meetings, go on patrols, teach pub-lic education, and conduct vessel exams to care about the members we are not seeing? We are part of a service organization created to serve and support the Coast Guard, our local areas and our nation. But, don’t we have a responsibility to serve fi rst our fellow shipmates? Commandant Papp continues to remind us to “respect our shipmates.” Forgetting or ignoring those who are absent from our training, meetings, and missions does not equal respect. Please make contact with our miss-ing members:

• Give these members a call,

• Express that he/she is missed,

• Learn if they need our help or support,

• Question why they have become inactive,

• Examine what is needed to motivate him/her to re-gain their enthusiasm and participation,

• Tell them we need their help,

• Inquire as to what mission(s) they would like to join, and let them know we can help them to do that,

• Ask when they can participate,

• Set a date for them to have coff ee with you, attend a meeting, participate in an activity, go to a training session, etc.

• Assign a proactive mentor.

Continued on page 9

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• Mentoring is not only for prospective or new mem-bers. Not all will respond, but if only a few become active again, we have better served our fi rst custom-ers - our shipmates, our family. We will all benefi t from regaining their participation.

Th ank you all for everything you are doing to make D7 the best. With our current Organizational Performance Measures, which off ers us quarterly charts showing

our results, and with the clear direction this program provides, we are improving and getting even better. We just need to constantly examine how we can continue to grow and serve, welcoming new ideas that improve our progress.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Helen Keller Ω

Right: FT. PIERCE, Fla.—RADM William D. Baumgartner, Commander 7th District USCG, watches as Joe Walsh, Flotilla 58 Commander, cuts the cake at the 70th Anniversary celebration on April 15, 2012. Assisting is William Tejeiro, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator Sector Miami, with Gary Barth, Commander Division 5, behind him. Photo by Terry Barth

Below left: KEY WEST, Fla.— Auxiliarists Janie Gallagher and Nick McManus assist fi shing instructors Mike Gorton and Jamie Connell with students Drew and Ryan Kaye during the Key West Ocean Festival on March 24, 2012. Th e USCG Cutter Ingham in the background. Photo submitted by D. Mattern

Below right: PORT EVERGLADES, Fla.— George Kozel and Marc Brody bring aboard a raft bag, one of three hooked together that the HC 144A Ocean Sentry drops during training exercises on May 11, 2012. Th e two served as crew, along with fellow fl otilla member Burnie Radosh, aboard the Auxiliary vessel Heartbeat, owned by Brian Lichtenstein, Flotilla 38 Plantation Fla. Photo by Brian Lichtenstein

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CLEARWATER, Fla.—Even months later, Clear-water, Florida, is still bask-ing in the glow of being declared the 12th Coast Guard City in the United States and the fi rst one in Florida. Enacted by law in 1998, the Coast Guard City Program is designed to recognize communities nationwide that go above and beyond in their support of the Coast Guard Family – active duty, reserves, Aux-iliarists and all their fami-lies.

Clearwater worked hard to earn the designation of Coast Guard City. Th e Clearwater Chamber of Commerce, the multiple Coast Guard Stations, the Naval Sea Cadets, the Clearwater City Council, Clearwater Veterans Al-liance, local and federal congressmen and numerous other parties all contributed to the eff ort. Besides the formal application, the City of Clearwater submitted a picture scrapbook of the long and mutually benefi -cial relationship between the city and the Coast Guard. Several members of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-1, Clearwater, were pivotal in supplying material for the application, the cover letter and the picture scrapbook.

What does it take to become a Coast Guard City? Clearly it’s the support of the community for the Coast Guard members and support of the Coast Guard mem-bers for the community. Th e City of Clearwater meets those criteria in spades! It’s home to Air Station Clear-water, the largest air station in the Coast Guard, where the men and women of the Coast Guard support a variety of missions that extend from the local area, all the way to the Caribbean. A few miles to the west of Air Station Clearwater is small boat Station Sand Key, home to more than 45 active duty members who are responsible for over 2,000 square miles of near shore

and Gulf of Mexico waters. Th en there’s the Port Secu-rity Unit 307, a reserve unit based in Clearwater, which concerns itself with the safety of local ports and has regular deployments to the Middle East.

Th e Coast Guard City celebration offi cially occurred on January 27, 2012, in downtown Clearwater and was at-tended by hundreds of Coast Guard members and even more local citizens. Th e event was hosted by Clearwa-ter’s former mayor Frank Hibbard and featured Coast Guard Commandant Bob Papp and many other feder-al, state and local dignitaries. Admiral Papp and Mayor Hibbard read the proclamation declaring Clearwater a Coast Guard City. Th is was followed by short speeches from the dais. Admiral Papp concluded his remarks by saying, “I am absolutely delighted to see Clearwater named a Coast Guard City. Clearwater has a real sense of community. It is not just the climate that is warm – it is the citizens. When our men and women return to Clearwater, it’s not just a welcome home, but a welcome home to a Coast Guard City.” Ω

Florida’s First Coast Guard City – ClearwaterBy Karen L. Miller, ADSO-MT D7

CLEARWATER, Fla.—Mayor Frank Hibbard and Admiral Bob Papp display the proclamation designating Clearwater, Fla. the 12th Coast Guard City at a public ceremony on Jan. 27, 2012. Photo by Karen Miller


Coastie: Clearwater’s ‘First Dog’By Karen L. Miller, ADSO-MT D7

CLEARWATER, Fla.—On May 17, during their regular City Council Meeting, Clearwater, Florida’s mayor and council members formally introduced “Coastie,” the city’s fi rst community-sponsored Southeastern Guide Dog in training. Since Clearwa-ter was recently designated a “Coast Guard City,” city offi cials voted to name this service dog Coastie – an aff ectionate name for a Coast Guardsman.

A fourteen week old Lab, Coastie will be in foster care for the next year, while he learns the social skills he will need when he goes into service. When ready, he will be brought to Palmetto, Florida, to the South-eastern Guide Dog headquarters to train as a guide dog for the visually impaired.

Captain John Turner represented Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater at Coastie’s introduc-tion ceremony, while Petty Offi cer Lee Koushan attended from Coast Guard Station Sand Key. Additionally, Jim Ryder, Commander of Divi-sion 11, and Karen Miller, past Commander of Division 11, represented the Coast Guard Aux-iliary.

Petty Offi cer Koushan “pinned” Coastie’s cape with crossed anchors insignia, representing a boatswain mate in the Coast Guard. Captain Turner plans to pin wings on Coastie when he visits the Air Station, at a later date. Ω

Jim Ryder, Commander Division 11 (left), scratches Coastie’s back while Clearwater Mayor George N. Cretekos (below) gets up close and personal with the city’s fi rst community sponsored guide dog. Since Clearwater was recently designated a “Coast Guard City,” city offi cials voted to name this service dog Coastie – an aff ectionate name for a Coast Guardsman. Photos by Karen Miller

Since becoming a Coast Guard City, has Clearwater“Gone to the Dogs”?


KEY WEST, Fla—On March 24, 2012, the city of Key West, Fla., celebrated the vibrant marine environment of the Florida Keys with live music, educational exhibits, and activities for the youngsters, good food and more dur-ing the third annual Florida Keys Ocean Fes-tival. Th e fi ve fl otillas of Division 13 combined their talents and resources, as they reached out to educate attendees about enjoying, preserving and protecting our marine environment and being safe boaters. Auxil-iarists gave hundreds of pamphlets, coloring books, and stickers to eager children and their parents. Auxiliary members manned two booths, talked to many prospec-tive members from throughout the Keys, and signed people up for both future boating safety and seaman-ship classes and vessel safety checks.

Th e Visitor Center, created by Mote Marine Labora-tory for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, highlights the region’s unique ecosystem with exhib-its of a living reef, as well as the above-water habitats of a variety of marine wildlife. Located on Key West’s

Truman Waterfront, the center also provides great fi shing experiences for many of the youngsters. In addition, the glistening, white USCG Cutter Ingham is docked at Truman Waterfront, just a short distance away from the festival. After 50 years of around the world service, this impressive cutter is now a maritime museum and national historic land-mark.

Presented by Mote Marine Laboratory, the Ocean Fest event was free to all, and it was estimated that it attracted more than 6,000 people of all ages. Connie Irwin, District 7 District Staff Offi cer-Public Aff airs; Armando Ingratta and Ray Knoll made the trip from Ft. Myers to Key West and brought along their Coastie. Th e children loved interacting with this moving-talking boat; some even had the opportunity to handle the con-trols. Temporary Coastie tattoos were put on dozens of outstretched arms.

Th e fi shing booth estimated that over 500 children at-tended fi shing seminars, quickly learning how to use a

fi shing rod and reel. Over 100 free rods and reels were awarded to children between the ages of 5 and 11 years of age, and the spon-sors could have given away many more.

Nearby, Auxiliarists provided a variety of personal fl otation devices for children to try on while explaining to their parents proper size and fi t, and using the opportunity to teach key points about boating safety and how to protect our priceless marine environ-ment.

Flotilla 13-2 from Marathon and 13-4 from Ocean Reef each brought and set up their “trash games” to educate players about how long it takes for typical trash items thrown

Ocean Festival Key WestBy Dorothy Mattern, Division 13 SO-PA

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KEY WEST, Fla.—Tom Meyer helps Offi cer Snook (Kristy Meyer) give out stickers to children at the Mar. 24 Ocean Festival in Key West. Th e children were thrilled to interact with and hug the big fi sh. Photo by Dorothy Mattern


into the water to disintegrate. All ages really seem to enjoy this game and players are al-ways amazed at the facts they learn.

Offi cer Snook made several appearances throughout the day. Th e recent emphasis on, and increased frequency of marine safety pro-grams in, the Keys’ elementary schools means that many children readily identify Offi cer Snook and the Coast Guard Auxiliary as part of their school lessons. Th ere seems to be something special about hugging this big sil-ver fi sh! Many thanks should go to Division 13’s Tom and Kristy Meyer and Sue Redding for their dedicated work with Snook on such a warm day.

A variety of crafts people, food booths, ma-rine artists, and two dozen other exhibitors and vendors spotlighted the Keys’ conserva-tion eff orts and the work of its non-profi t organizations. A silent auction off ered an as-sortment of art, crafts and water adventures, with something for everyone. All proceeds from the day’s activities went to support Mote Marine Laboratory’s coral reef restora-tion and research programs.

Division 13 was proud to be a major part of this marine safety and environmental protec-tion event. Five fl otillas, spanning 125 miles, combined their time, resources and talents to make this Ocean Festival a special day for all. Ω

Top: Tatoo for You: Connie Irwin, District Staff Offi cer-Public Aff airs District 7 applies a tattoo on a youngster’s arm while his sister keeps an eye on Coastie.

Bottom: Auxiliary Air Crewman Nick McManus chats with local mermaid about protecting our marine environment at the Key West Ocean Festival on March 24. McManus is the current Flotilla Vice Commander, 13-3 Big Pine Key, Fla. Photos by Dorothy Mattern


PUNTA GORDA, Fla.—Even brief experience with recreational boaters confi rms the need for “hands-on” instruction in the use of the safety equip-ment required on recreational vessels. Most boaters have no experience using their safety equipment, and the middle of an emergency is no time to learn. So, for the second year, Flotilla 98 put on a “Vessel Safe-ty Day” in Punta Gorda, Florida.

Boaters lack familiarity with their safety equipment because it is illegal to set off a visual safety device (VDS) unless a real emergency exists; because boat-ers rarely willingly set a fuel fi re or “waste” a Fire Suppression System device for practice; and because boaters rarely voluntarily jump overboard to test their life jackets. Interviews with recreational boat-ers told us that they need such “hands-on” instruc-tion for Visual Distress Signals (fl ares/pyrotechnic devices), Fire Suppression Systems (fi re extinguish-ers), and Personal Flotation Devices (life jackets).

Preparation for the event required coordinating with Coast Guard Station Fort Myers Beach, which cre-ated the Securite message that our Watchstanders and Sector St. Petersburg broadcast every 30 min-utes; the Punta Gorda Fire Department, which sup-plied the fuel-fed fi re pan and the fi re apparatus; and the Dockmaster of Laishley Marina, who let us use the marina’s sea-wall for the clinic. Th e Charlotte County Sheriff , Punta Gorda Police and Florida Fish and Wildlife offi cers were also notifi ed of the event in case they received reports from the public about aerial fl ares. Even so, we stationed an Auxil-iary vessel just off -shore to keep any curious boaters outside the fi ring area.

Members of Flotilla 98 who devoted their time to this worthy event included Renee Plant, Ronald Dressler, E. Michael English, Stephen Kapin, Kenneth Johnson, John Ghougasian and Th omas Gramza. Th ese members ensured safety by monitoring the participants and en-suring that no one handled a VDS before they reached the fi ring line, and ensuring that each participant re-ceived individual attention when their turn came. Ad-ditionally, member participants included the two radio watchstanders, Richard Sikorski and Kenneth Johnson, and the crews of the two Auxiliary vessels that provided the safety zone.

Before participants discharged their VDS, they heard a brief lecture on what constitutes an emergency, and why boaters need to have a Marine VHF radio and know how to use it. I also showed the six types of VDS usu-ally carried by recreational boaters, including a hand-held fl are; a hand-held smoke aerial “sky blazer”; a 12 gauge fl are gun; a 25mm. fl are gun; and Safety of Life at Seas (SOLAS) parachute rocket fl ares. West Marine of Punta Gorda again graciously provided in-date fl ares for all types except the last two so we could compare them with the expired ones that we used in our dem-onstration.

In addition, the fl otilla had a Recreational Boating Safety booth adjacent to the demonstration area where

Vessel Safety Day 2012By M.D. Schlitt, FSO-PA, Flotilla 98

B f i i di h d h i VDS h h d

Continued on page 15


“Please extend my thanks to the Coast Guard Auxiliary for the demonstrations they held this weekend. Sunday’s presenter was excellent. As he said, you have to carry this equipment but you can’t practice with it. I learned a lot and the presentation answered all my questions.”

“I had customers in West Marine today letting me know that they were very pleased with the demonstration.”

Preparation will soon be underway for Vessel Safety Day 2013! Ω

Continued from page 14

all fi ve types of life jackets were available to try on. Of course, they also had boating safety literature and sign-up sheets for classes, vessel examinations and Auxiliary membership.

Although the number of participants was less than an-ticipated, everyone who attended expressed their grati-tude to the Flotilla 98 team. As far as the team was concerned, if their demonstration saved the life of even one recreational boater, then they did their job.

Two comments received afterwards confi rm that con-viction:

PUNTA GORDA, Fla.— Previous page: Ken Johnson participates in the Punta Gorda Vessel Safety Day event by serving as radio watchstander in the Flotilla 98 Mobile Radio Van.

Above: Mitch Schlitt demonstrates orange smoke fl are on Laishley Marina waterfront located along the Peace River. In the background is the Flotilla 98 vessel with coxswain Robert Knabe and crewmembers Frank Wondolkowski and Richard Kenyon aboard. Photos by Dick Carl


CUDJOE KEY, Fla.—Among the many operational tasks performed by members of Flotilla 13-3 Big Pine Key, Florida, and Flotilla 13-1 Key West is the as-sistance fl otilla members provide to Sector Key West in standing “Hawkeye” watches. Th ese special watch standers assist the Coast Guard with maintaining port security in the busy region of southernmost Florida, an active area for recreational boating activity and for the transit of international boat and ship traffi c.

Sector Key West must routinely deal with illegal im-migrants and potential drug smugglers. News reports abound with tales of successful interdictions by ever-vigilant Coast Guard assets from Key West, Marathon, and Islamorada. Flotilla Hawkeye watch standers often assist by identifying vessels that might require closer scrutiny by active duty personnel.

Keeping Our ‘Hawk’ Eyes OpenBy Jeff rey C. Carrier, Flotilla 13-3 Big Pine Key, Fla., and Flotilla 26-4 Alpena, Mich.

Among the as-sets available to Hawkeye and Sec-tor is “Fat Albert,” an aerial observa-tion platform, most commonly called a blimp, but among more technically savvy personnel, called a Tethered Aerostat Radar Sys-tem (TARS). Assets of the United States Air Force, this series of balloons is posi-tioned from Cali-fornia to Florida and on Puerto Rico, providing unbroken radar coverage along the entire southern border of the US.

Coast Guards-men from Sector Key West, Auxil-iary members from Flotillas 13-3 and 13-1, as well as lo-cal fi refi ghters and

law enforcement personnel were treated to a First Re-sponder Open House on February 23, 2012. Th ere, they observed the “care and feeding” of Fat Albert, a term given to the blimp decades ago by locals accustomed to seeing the ship fl ying above its home on Cudjoe Key. At the open house, these fi rst responders learned how to recover the blimp in the event of a breakaway and downing of the ship in local waters, including proce-dures for how to secure the scene and how to protect the public from the many lines and support equipment associated with the balloon.

Fat Albert is another hard working, never-tiring “watch stander” used by Team Coast Guard helping active duty Coast Guard and Auxiliary personnel to assure safe boating and port security in the busy region of south Florida. Ω

CUDJOE KEY, Fla. Emergency responders from the Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and local fi refi ghters and law enforcement agencies learn the equipment and procedures used to launch and recover “Fat Albert”, a Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS), in “fl ight” above Cudjoe Key, in the Florida Keys. Photograph Jeff rey C. Carrier.


BOCA RATON, Fla.—Flotilla 36 has had a relationship with the Delray Boca Sea Cadets since late 2010, when Aux-iliarists began to offer the cadets class-room training including “About Boating Safely,” marlinespike, and marine radio operations. This spring, we received ap-proval to conduct underway training and held our fi rst on-the-water mission, on an overcast Sunday, April 22. It proved to be an outstanding success.

Coxswain Mike Hanuschak’s 65’ facil-ity had ample room for the 16 persons on board. Back at the fl otilla’s base, radio watchstanders Jon Derr and Herman Feld-man took up the radio guard.

Before casting off, Coxswain Mike briefed both Auxiliarists and cadets about the mis-sion and stepped them through a pre-mission fi tness de-termination known as a “GAR,” in which crew mem-bers evaluate the complexity of the mission itself, the conditions under which they will have to operate, and the fi tness of the crew to perform the mission on that day. The result of that evaluation determines whether the mission gets a “green light” (“G”), amber (“A”) or red (“R”); hence the acronym “GAR.” On this day, the

Sea Cadet Mission GAR is a “Go”.Story and photos by Andrea Rutherfoord, Youth Programs Coordinator for Flotilla 36

mission rating said “Go.”

Just as each new Auxiliarist gets a mentor, so each Sea Cadet on the mission received a trainer who stayed with him/her for the entire mission. The teams rotated sta-tions throughout the mission stations, working through each task, without interfering with its regular crew.

Training tasks included knots (and cleating), aids to navigation checks, anchoring, and a man-overboard drill.

Both Auxiliarists and Sea Cadets rated the mission a success and look forward to participating in future missions together. Ω

Left: Member Tom Kegan teaches a young cadet how to correctly call the radio guard to report location and conditions.

Top: Trainer Jim Goldasich stands bow lookout with a sea cadet. Th e cadets changed assignments several times while on board to learn the various tasks and stations.


CLEARWATER, Fla.—Th ey came to Clearwater from Divisions 2, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 11. Th eir trip was not funded and all of their expenses were out-of-pocket. Th ey received no mileage reimbursement, no hotel reim-bursement, no meal or per diem reimburse-ment, and yet they came and they were hap-py to be there!

What can produce such a dedicated re-sponse from Auxiliarists? It was the Auxil-iary Chef (AUXCHEF) Program off ered at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater March 23-25, 2012. Under the direction of Paulette Parent, Assistant District Staff Offi cer –Human Resources/AUXCHEF, along with Toni Borman, Instructor, and Ara Charder, Instructor, the future AUXCHEFs met for class at 9 a.m. on Friday. Most of the stu-

dents had already visited the Air Station Clinic earlier that morning to receive the fi rst of two Hepatitis-A inoculations. (Th e second is administered after six months.)

Between Friday morning and Saturday eve-ning, the eight students were taught subjects ranging from nutrition to sanitation, spice and herb identifi cation, and correct knife handling. Everyone, including some spouses, gathered for dinner Friday evening at a local Italian restaurant and soon were like a family, sharing stories and united in their eff orts to become AUXCHEFs. By Sunday morning the original group of strangers were working with the Food Service personnel in the Air Station’s galley, preparing omelets, pancakes,

Th ey Heard. Th ey Came. Th ey Saw and Th ey Did: AUXCHEFs in Training. By Paulette R. Parent ADSO-HR/AUXCHEF

Continued on 19

CLEARWATER, Fla.— Under the watchful eyes of FS2 Forrest Backman, U.S. Coast Guard (rear), and Instructor Paulette Parent (in white), students Bernardo Alicea, Carlos Velez, and Brian Garry (behind Parent) make mashed potatoes at the Clearwater Air Station galley in March 2012. Toni Borman, Instructor, is partially obscured by Parent. Photo by Judy Bidwick


Th e fi nal group gathering after lunch was fi lled with praise for the AUXCHEF program. Such a great sense of accomplishment that it vir-tually permeated the room! All the students were eager to return home and continue training with their re-spective active duty stations. Th ey were confi dent that they would complete their personal qualifi ca-tions (PQ s) to become fully quali-fi ed AUXCHEFS as soon as pos-sible. Many were anxious to serve in Coast Guard galleys or aboard cutters and to help with Auxiliary functions.

Once again, the AUXCHEF pro-gram has inspired a growing cadre of Auxiliarists who are anxious to serve. Ω

(For more information on the AUX-CHEF program in District 7 please contact Paulette Parent ADSO-HR/AUXCHEF.)

etc., and serving breakfast “on the line” to military per-sonnel. Th ey were learning hands-on techniques and performing the lessons they had learned in the class-room, and they were smiling and enjoying what they were doing. Many were actually surprised at how far they had progressed in just three short days. Before at-tending the program, some were barely able to boil wa-ter while others had extensive experience in the kitchen. All were now working as a well-oiled machine prepar-ing a full lunch menu including soup, boneless pork loin, garlic mashed potatoes and Southern-style (fresh) green beans.

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Continued from page 18Top: Toni Borman, Instructor, supervises as Jim Scholz and Stu Landau carve a pork roast in the United States Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater galley during the AUXCHEF training Mar. 23-25, 2012. Photo by Judi Bidwick

Below: Students and Instructors of the AUXCHEF program conducted Mar. 23-25, 2012, pose in front of the Albatross, the HC-130 Hercules aircraft at the entrance to United States Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater Annex. From left are Judy Bidwick, Jim Scholz, Ara Charder (Instructor), Brian Garry, Eileen Garcia, Carlos Velez, Stu Landau, Paulette Parent (Instructor). Kneeling are Bernardo Alicea and Joseph Corrigan. Photo by: Toni Borman


District Directorate Chief-PreventionDavid M. Fuller, DDC-P

Teamwork – Webster de-fi nes this as the action or eff ort of people working together as a group. For our programs to reach their maximum potential, we must rely on coopera-

tion and assistance from others. Single individual ef-forts cannot obtain the same overall program results as a well-organized team.

One example is in Public Education. Th e Flotilla Staff Offi cer – Public Education must carefully consider the game plan for their program. Th ey must decide which classes to off er, when and where to off er them, and put together a team of Instructors to conduct the classes. Th is is where the team becomes critically important. No matter how well your Instructors perform, unless you have students in the seats, all the earlier eff orts at orga-nizing and preparing for the classes will not bear fruit for your fl otilla. You need help from your Flotilla Staff Offi cer-Public Aff airs to get the word out with local news media, newspapers, radio stations, etc. You need help from your Flotilla Staff Offi cer-Vessel Examina-tion and the team of Vessel Examiners. Th ey need to have brochures with class schedules to hand out at ev-ery Vessel Examination performed. You need the help of the Flotilla Staff Offi cer-Program Visitor and the

Program Visitation team to keep the racks full of class schedule brochures. Don’t forget your fl otilla member-ship – they are some of your best sources for referrals with friends, relatives, and general acquaintances they make at the supermarket, library, health club, church, work, and everywhere else they go. For a list of ideas to increase attendance at your Public Education classes, go to the 7th District Website at http://cgaux7.org/ and click on “Members Section” and “What’s New in D7.” Th anks to Judith Hudson, District Captain–East, and her team for putting this list together. We welcome your suggestions to add to this list. If something diff er-ent has worked for your fl otilla, please share it so others can benefi t from your successes.

Other than dues, Public Education is one of the pri-mary sources of revenue for many fl otillas, and success or failure to put students in the seats can have a sub-stantial fi nancial impact for your fl otilla. Flotillas with successful Public Education programs share many simi-lar characteristics, starting with a positive attitude. Our most successful fl otillas have overcome the roadblocks of competition from the Internet, state programs, and other courses, some of them free and some paid. Ask yourself - why should someone pay us to take a class when they can get one for free? First, we can off er many classes not available elsewhere. Go to the National


VENICE, Fla.—Lou Magyar throws out life jackets to participants at a Boating Skills and Seamanship class and asks them to don the jackets quickly. Th is brief hands-on demonstration, which emphasizes making sure that life jackets fi t persons on board, may result in a somewhat humorous situation in a classroom but could result in grim consequences in a real emergency. Photo by Judy Bidwick, FSO-PE 86

http://cgaux7.org/


Public Education website and look at all the possible courses you can off er. Most Flotillas have never consid-ered all the options. Second, you must add value to the class as an Instructor. Hands on demonstrations, close interaction with other students and Instructors, props in the class – if you are not using these, you are not


adding value. Our students don’t want someone to read a slide to them! Th ey can do that on-line. When done properly, your students will feel that it was a good use of their time and they become great sources for referrals. Don’t underestimate word-of-mouth. It is one of your

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Spring break for schoolchildren in Broward County means a week of free classes at local YMCA for children 2-10 years old including this “drown proofi ng” lesson presented on March 27 by Auxiliary members Ron Hady, Flotilla 31, and Dave Cox, Jan Cox, Brian Lichtenstein (shown here beside the front canoe), and Marie Duda, all from Flotilla 38 Plantation. Th e Auxiliarists taught the little ones about safety in and around water, the importance of wearing properly sized life jackets, and even brought along a canoe, kayak and a surfboard for the youngsters to try out. Photo by Dave and Jan Cox

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands— David Richardson, Air Observer and Commander of Flotilla 16-2 St. Th omas, conducts a Recreational Boating Safety Program Visit at Alliance Aviation before fl ying a mission on May 26, 2012, during National Safe Boating Week. Photo by C.C. Kreglo



most important and eff ective recruiting tools for students, and prospective mem-bers for your fl otilla.

By the time you read this, National Safe Boating Week will be completed. Many fl otillas and divisions planned special ac-tivities for this critical event as we kicked off the boating season nationwide. Let us hear about what you did so we can add your ideas to our list for next year.

Member Training continues at a torrid pace across the District, with so many dif-ferent training opportunities that it would take just about the entire Breeze to list them all. Member Training is fl ourishing in District 7.

In Marine Safety, Lyle Letteer, District Staff Offi cer-Marine Safety, reports that, so far this year, he has turned in paperwork for four Trident awards and 20 Marine Safety Training Ribbons (MSTRs). He has also assumed the duties of the Veri-fying Offi cer for the Commercial Fish-ing Vessel Program at Sector Charleston and is currently the only Certifi ed Fishing Vessel Examiner at Sector Charleston.

In Navigation Systems, David Cawton, District Staff Offi cer-Navigation Sys-tems, reports increased Navigation Sys-tems verifi cation activity and additional training classes to prepare members to sign off their Navigation Systems-Person-al Qualifi cation Standards.

In Vessel Examinations, Chuck Kelemen, District Staff Offi cer-Vessel Examination, reports that we are picking up momentum as the season for Vessel Safety Checks moves into high gear. Chuck reminds us to make sure that your Flotilla Commander carefully reviews all Facility Off ers for Use before submitting. Far too many of them have been returned as incomplete or incorrect. Many of those errors should have been caught before being submitted. Th is causes unnecessary delays and extra work for all involved. Let’s get them right the fi rst time when initially submitting.


As we move into the prime boating season of summer, remember that you can make a diff erence by actively participating with your fl otilla, no matter what your area of interest. It takes all of us working together as a team to help improve boating safety for the public and to support our partners and the Coast Guard. Ω

LEXINGTON, S.C.—Festus Burchfi eld, a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-6 East Cooper, S.C., and of the Lake Murray Safety Consortium, conducts a Vessel Safety Check and shares boating safety literature with a recreational boater on Jun. 3, 2012, on Lake Murray. Photo by Barbara Burchfi eld


VENICE, Fla.—Teaching weather to recreational boaters is a challenge. If you’re too scientifi c, you turn the class off . If you make the lesson too light, you’re not really off ering anything more than they get on the weather channel.

Instructors can use visual aids that create an awareness of everything from cloud formations to the eff ects of lightning. Balloons, cotton balls, a bowl of water, a fan can recreate for a class much more than a PowerPoint picture.

Often we tie our Boating Skills and Seamanship les-sons to the PowerPoint that is handed to us from the national site with little or no revision to suit our par-ticular area. Th is handicaps the class and the instructor. Revising the PowerPoint presentations to include pic-tures and information from your local area brings a re-alistic view of what you want students to see and learn. Taking a picture of a local inlet, showing the inset of a local chart, displaying pictures of local signage that in-cludes lateral markers, buoys, manatee zones, no wake and minimum wake zones, bridge lights and heights are just a few of the things that can be added to make your lesson more interesting and real for the boaters in your class. Th is gives your students a picture of what they will see in their area on the water.

John Kandes, an instructor at Flotilla 86 Venice, uses cotton balls to show towering cumulus clouds and rubs two balloons together to demonstrate static electric-ity, which generates lightening in clouds. To show how heat is generated and air is cooled, he lights a very short cigarette, places the cigarette in his fi st, and then blows on it. Th e cigarette disappears, much the way weather dissipates. Not all instructors are magicians and can pull this off , but it certainly gets the attention of the class.

Judi Bidwick teaches the signs from the Boating Skills and Seamanship Chapter 13. She has modifi ed most of the slides to include local bridges and signage, with particular emphasis on no wake and slow speed zones. She uses pictures of boats that are overloaded with pas-sengers, and photos that show what a hull and stern look like when they are speeding through a no-wake zone. Additionally, she includes the state and federal fi nes for feeding wildlife, since a local dolphin named Beggar frequents their intra-coastal waters near one of the popular restaurants on the water.

Lou Magyar, another instructor at Flotilla 86 in Venice, throws out various types and sizes of life jackets to the class and asks the students to don them quickly. Th is brief hands-on demonstration emphasizes making sure that life jackets on board fi t the passengers, something that should be done before a boat leaves the dock and not after an emergency occurs.

In summary, modify the standard, generic slides with slides that show a relationship to the local area where you teach and live, and use interesting and relevant hands-on demonstrations. Students will better learn about cloud formations and fog and will show more interest when they recognize local fuel docks, boat rentals, bridges, islands, inlets, water towers, restau-rants, docking areas, beaches, and lighted markers. Ω

VENICE, Fla.—John Kandes, Instructor at Flotilla 86 in Venice, is popular with the students for his many creative demonstrations, including cotton cumulus clouds, when teaching the weather portion of the Boating Skills and Seamanship program. To compete with Internet and free venues, fl otillas must add value to training off ered to the public. Photo by Judi Bidwick, Flotilla Staff Offi cer-Public Education 86

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What’s Th e Weather? Make it Real.Judi Bidwick, FSO-PA Flotilla 86 Venice


District Directorate Chief-LogisticsJamesDennen, DDC-L

In this issue of Breeze, we introduce you to some-one who is no stranger to many in District 7, Alex deQuesada, our District Staff Offi cer-Historian. Alex is a professional his-

torian who has worked for both private and government agencies as a historical researcher and consultant. He is the author of a host of articles, books and publications. Th e Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and other maritime themes are frequent subjects of his writings. We are proud to call Alex one of our own.

Baltimore is rich in maritime history, especially to those dealing with the United States Coast Guard. Within the city’s harbor is a collection of “Historic Ships in Baltimore.” Amongst these are three relics of interest for devoted “Coastie” history buff s. Th e sites are a short walk from each other: USCGC Taney, Lightship Ches-apeake, and the Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse.

Th e US Coast Guard Cutter Taney is one of the famed Secretary/Treasury Class Coast Guard cutters built in the mid 1930s that saw extensive service in war and

peace for half a century. Taney’s keel was laid on May 1, 1935, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where she was built alongside three of her sister ships, Campbell, Duane and Ingham.

At 327 feet long, with a beam of 41 feet, and originally displacing 2000 tons, Taney was designed for peace-time missions of law enforcement, search and rescue, and maritime patrol. Her original armament consisted of two 5”/51 caliber deck guns, and two six-pounder sa-luting guns. Taney was also originally equipped to carry

a Grumman JF-2 “Duck” fl oat plane.

Th e Taney was in Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese surprise attack on Decem-ber 7, 1941. Dur-ing the war, she served in both the Atlantic and Pacifi c Th eatres. Worthy to note that during April and May of 1945, at the height of the campaign, Taney was under frequent

Historical Coast Guard Sites: Baltimore, MarylandArticle and photographs by A.M. de Quesada, District Staff Offi cer- Historian D7

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USCGC Taney in Baltimore city’s harbor. Continued on page 25


attack and was credited with destroying four Kamikaze planes and one “Betty” bomber during 119 separate en-gagements in which her crew stood to battle stations.

After World War II, the Taney resumed to her peace-time duties, only returning to military service briefl y during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. By the late 1960s, Taney had become the last United States ves-

sel still in commission that had seen action during the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Hawaii. Conse-quently, from that time on, she was often referred to as “Th e Last Survivor of Pearl Harbor.” On December 7, 1986, after more than 50 years of continuous service, Taney was decommissioned at Portsmouth, Virginia, and donated to the City of Baltimore to serve as a me-morial and museum.

Lightship 116 was built in 1930 at Charleston Drydock and Machine Company in Charles-ton, S.C., for $274,434.00. Lightship 116 took on the name of whatever station she was anchored at. Th e ship was absorbed into the United States Coast Guard in 1939, as were all ves-sels in the United States Lighthouse Service.

Since 1820, several lightships have served at the Chesapeake lightship station and have been called Chesa-peake. It was common for a lightship to be reassigned from one Light-ships Station to another and thus “re-named” and identifi ed by its new sta-tion name. Even though the “name” changed during a Lightships service life, the hull number never changed. However, the Coast Guard did as-


Th e Chesapeake, once known as Light Vessel 116 of the United States Lighthouse Service, was decommisioned in 1971 and is now one of three Coast Guard vessels maintained by the Historical Ships of Baltimore group.

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A tour of the USCGC Taney reveals many artifacts from her service during World War II. She is often referred to as, “Th e Last Survivor of Pearl Harbor.”



sign a new hull number in April 1950 to all Light-ships still in service on that date. After that date, Light Ship /Light Vessel 116 was known by the new Coast Guard Hull number: WAL 538. Th e Coast Guard fur-ther modifi ed all Light-ship hull designations from WAL to WLV, so Chesa-peake became WLV 538.

Chesapeake’s last tour of duty was from 1966 to 1970, at the mouth of the Delaware Bay, where she was named “Delaware.” A large 104-ton buoy beacon replaced her at this sta-tion in 1970. After leaving Delaware Bay, Chesapeake was moored in Cape May, New Jersey, until her decommissioning on January 6, 1971. She was then transferred to the National Park Service and used as a sea-going environmental educa-tion classroom until she was handed over to the city of Baltimore in 1982.

Th e Seven Foot Knoll Light was built in 1855 and is the oldest screw-pile lighthouse in Maryland. It was initially installed on a shallow shoal, Seven Foot Knoll, at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Th e northern reach of this river is the Baltimore Harbor, where the now-decommissioned lighthouse has been placed as a mu-seum.

Th e sites are managed and operated by the “Historic Ships in Baltimore,” a group devoted to preserving our nation’s maritime history. In addition to the Coast Guard vessels, the group maintains the USS Constel-lation, a Civil War era Sloop-of-War, and the USS Torsk, a World War Two era submarine. When you visit them, your entrance fees and donations go into the continuing maintenance and preservation of these relics of our past. Ω


Th e USCGC Taney’s illustrious World War II credits for destroying four Kamikaze planes and one “Betty” bomber during 119 separate engagements is proudly emblazoned above the main deck.

Right: Seven Foot Knoll, once deployed at the mouth of the Patapsco River, was built in 1855 and is the oldest screw-pile lighthouse in Maryland.


District Directorate Chief-ResponseDonald Zinner, DDC-R

Confl ict ManagementBy Donald Zinner

Overall confl ict management should aim to mini-mize aff ective confl icts at all levels, attain and main-tain a moderate amount of substantive confl ict, and use the appropriate confl ict management strategy.

In order for confl ict management strategies to be eff ective, they should satisfy certain criteria.

• Organization Learning and Eff ectiveness— confl ict management strategies should be de-signed to enhance critical and innovative think-ing to improve diagnosis and intervention.

• Needs of Stakeholders— Sometimes multiple parties are involved in a confl ict in an organiza-tion, and the challenge of confl ict management would be to involve all parties in a problem solv-ing process that will lead to collective learning and will improve organizational eff ectiveness.

• Ethics— A wise leader must behave ethically. To do so the leader should be open to new in-formation and be willing to change his or her mind. By the same token, subordinates and other stakeholders have an ethical duty to speak out against the decisions of supervisors when consequences of these decisions are likely to be serious.

Steps to Manage

1. Anticipate – Take time to obtain information that can avert confl ict.

2. Prevent – Develop strategies before the confl ict occurs.

3. Identify – If it is interpersonal or procedural, move to quickly manage it.

4. Manage – Remember that confl ict is emotional

5. Resolve – React, without blame, and you will learn through dialogue. Ω

Top PORT EVERGLADES, Fla.—George Kozel and Marc Brody recover a barrel dropped by an HC-144A Ocean Sentry aircraft on May 11 during a routine training mission. Th e two served as crew, along withfellow member Burnie Radosh, aboard the Auxiliary vessel Heartbeat, owned by Brian Lichtenstein, Flotilla 38 Plantation Fla.

Below: PORT EVERGLADES, Fla.— Heartbeat, an Auxiliary vessel from Flotilla 38 Plantation, Fla., conducts training with an HH-65 Dolphin from Miami on March 19. Crew members included Dave Cox at helm, George Kozel, Mike Sokasits and Brian Lichtenstein as crew. George Kozel is pictured letting go of the trail line. Photos by Brian Lichtenstein

Ditrict Seven Operations-East


Ditrict Seven Operations-North

Ditrict Seven Operations-West

CHARLESTON, S.C. —Flotilla 12-8 Charleston crew members Paul Berka and Barbara Th ibodeaux stow dock lines and fenders, preparing to get underway from USCG Station Charleston for a regatta safety patrol in support of the Charleston Sail Boat Races on April 22, 2012. Nearly 260 racing teams participated in the three-day event. Not shown is Joe Fleming, coxswain. Photo by James Bird, Flotilla Staff Offi cer-Public Aff airs, Flotilla 12-8 Charleston.

TAMPA, Fla.—David Rockwell, member of Flotilla 72 St. Petersburg, stands radio guard on March 24, 2012, at Tampa Radio One located at Flotilla 79 in Tampa during the Division 7 Boat Crew Training Program. Division 7 has successfully combined its fl otillas’ resources to present Member Training programs for several years.Photo by Dottie Riley


World War II Coast Cutter Mohawk to be sunk off Sanibel IslandBy Constance Irvin, District Staff Offi cer-Public Aff airs D7

FORT MYERS, Fla.—Coast Guard Auxiliary facility Carol D from Flotilla 9-10 runs perimeter security for the 165- foot World War II Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk, as it is towed under the Matanzas Bridge near Fort Myers Beach. Th e Carol D’s crew is Dan Godfrey, coxswain; Dick Huczek, and Jack Salis crew, all members of Flotilla 9-10, Fort Myers/Cape Coral Florida.

Th e Mohawk, which was commissioned in 1935, saw action in the Atlantic as a convoy escort and is credited with engaging 14 German U-boats in battle. After the war it was declared surplus material and was sold to a private company which used it as a pilot boat on the Delaware River for over thirty years. Most recently, it became the property of the Miami-Dade Historic Maritime Museum Inc. However, maintaining the vessel became too expensive and it was donated to Lee County.

Utilizing a grant from the West Coast Inland Navigation District, the county had the vessel towed from Key West to the Fort Myers area. It will be stripped of all hazardous material and, in July of 2012, it will be sunk 16 miles off Sanibel Island in about 60 feet of water. Its fi nal resting place will serve as an artifi cial reef and a veteran’s memorial. County offi cials believe it will attract tourism dollars from divers and from fi shermen who will be drawn to the site.

For some, the scuttling of the vessel will be a sad passing for such a gallant ship. Others recognize that, as an artifi cial reef, the Mohawk will live on to serve man and marine life for another 80 years. Ω


Service Beyond the Call of DutyBy Dudley Davis, District Staff Offi cer-Operations, D7

CLEARWATER, Fla.—On a Tuesday morning in April, the Auxiliary facility that was scheduled to be the target and pickup boat for an HC-130 Hercules air-craft drops suff ered a mechanical failure. Th is wouldn’t normally be a tragedy since the mission would just have been cancelled and training for the Air Station Clear-water pilots and crew would be rescheduled for another day. However, during that week, the Air Station per-sonnel were going through their biannual Standardiza-tion (STAN) Team fl ight checks. For those who have never experienced one, think of it as a super Qualifi ca-tion Examiner (QE) recertifi cation. Since these drops and fl ights were vital for the Air Station crew and pilots

to maintain their qualifi cations, cancellation was not an option.

At the same time that Tuesday, Ed Kasper, coxswain, aboard his Auxiliary facility Ghost was at Coast Guard Station Sand Key as the training boat. He and his crew were scheduled to undergo a vigorous Ready for Opera-tions (AUX-RFO) evaluation by CWO Morgan Dud-ley, Commanding Offi cer. Mr. Dudley attempts to get all the Auxiliary crew and facilities evaluated prior to the start of the active search and rescue (SAR) season.

When Ed and his crew learned of the Air Station di-lemma, they agreed to postpone their AUX-RFO ex-

amination and perform the STAN Team patrol instead. Th ey agreed even though they had never participated in a Hercules drop mission before. Th ey had heard sto-ries from the crews and cox-swains who have been doing these missions for years now, but they were newcomers to the experience, themselves.

To accomplish this mission, they had to travel north al-most 20 miles to pick up the Air Station ground crew and then transit out about six miles into the Gulf of Mex-



ico. Once there, they stood by in two to three foot seas while two Hercules aircraft dropped fl ares and bags simulating rafts and pumps near their position, and then picked up these bags with over 200 feet of line between each one. Th ey then had to reverse the trip: return from the Gulf of Mexico, offl oad the wet and heavy bags at the boat ramp, drop off the ground crew and travel about 20 miles south back to Station Sand Key.

Th e crew aboard Ghost cer-tainly showed what the Auxiliary is made up of – devotion to duty and a willingness to adapt and go beyond what is expected. Bravo Zulu to Ed and Te-resa Kasper, Harry Bickford and Rob Mancuso, the crew aboard Ghost from Flotilla 11-1, Clearwater. Ω

PhotographsPrevious page, top: CLEARWATER, Fla.-Th e crew of the Ghost photographs one of two HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Air Station Clearwater preparing to drop fl ares and bags to the Auxiliary vessel standing by below about six miles into the Gulf.Previous page, below: Ed Kasper, coswain aboard the Ghost, at the helm as the Auxiliary vessel and its crew heads out into the Gulf to participate in the HC-130 Hercules aircraft biannual Standardization (STAN) Team fl ight checks.Th is page, top: Th e Ghost and its crew spots one of the loads dropped by the HC-130 Hercules aircraft.Below: Th e Auxiliary vessel Ghost and its crew tow a disabled vessel near Clearwater. Th e crew is Ed and Teresa Kasper, Harry Bickford and Rob Mancuso. Photographs provided by Karen Miller, Staff Offi cer-Member Training and Publications Division 11

Continued from previous page


PALM BEACHES, Fla.—If you get an e-mail from Betty Underwood, be sure to read the six words at the bottom of the page. “One Person, One World, One Chance.” It’s Betty’s message.

Th e creator of what has come to be called the Marine Debris/Garbage Game in the 2012 Auxiliary National Supply Center Catalog says she was looking for a way to bring her message to future environmentalists. She specifi cally had fi ve and six-year-old children in mind because they are “the ones who could make a diff erence. Th ey are the ones who can infl uence their parents and grandparents.”

But Betty, who served as Flotilla 51’s Marine Safety staff offi cer during 2010 and 2011, wanted to fi nd a vi-sual way to reach the children. “I needed something they could interact with,” says Betty. “I needed a game.”

Th e shape of the game, which she called Trolling for Trash, began in 2009 with a comment to her husband.

Betty Underwood Wins local Th omas Jeff erson Award for 2012Article and photos submitted by Arthur Lloyd Slepian, FSO-PB/PA 51


After saying she needed a “portable ocean” to make her point with the children, her husband said, “Make one.” So, she did.

“I went into the bedroom and pulled a plastic sweater storage box from under the bed,” Betty says. After emp-tying the box and deciding to give the sweaters to a charitable organization, she had the beginning of her ocean.

Although it was 11 p.m., her husband, Jim, started painting the bottom of the box beige. Betty went over the seawall near her home in Stuart and came back with a bag of sand. Th e sand was sprinkled on the wet paint and became the ocean fl oor. An artist friend volunteered to paint the inside of the box to look like an ocean.

“We have waves and fi sh, and boats and birds,” Betty says. “Yes, we have an ocean.”

Unfortunately, these days, an ocean needs trash to be re-alistic. “We took the wheels off a toy car, hot-glued a magnet to the tire and threw it in the ocean.” Small tin cans, paper cups and small plastic bottles – all with magnets – were added. Shells, coral, plastic fi sh, small boats and turtles – all without magnets – came next.

“Kids love to fi sh, so Jim took some dowels and made fi shing poles, with magnets at the end of the lines instead of hooks. We now had a great teaching tool that was fun,” Betty says. “Th e kids got it. Trash does not belong in the ocean.”

Most recently, the game was used at the Port Saler-no Seafood Festival where teachers and Scout lead-ers told Betty they were going to build one for their own use.

“It works. We get great response from the kids and I feel as though I have a whole fl otilla helping me clean up the beach,” Betty says. “Th is simple game truly promotes environmental stewardship. Educa-tion is the key – the game allows us to engage, edu-cate and inspire the next generation of environmen-talists.”

In addition to becoming an item in the Auxiliary National Supply Catalog, Betty’s initiative resulted in her winning the Auxiliary Achievement Medal,


the Auxiliary’s second highest award.

During the Division 5 Change of Watch ceremony in December of 2011, Capt. Christopher Scraba, Com-mander, Coast Guard Sector Miami, presented Betty with the Achievement Medal. Th e citation recognizes Betty’s “exceptional vision,” noting that the game plays a key role in emphasizing “vigilance in environmental preservation among the boating public.” But the awards did not end there. Betty Underwood won a local Th om-as Jeff erson Award for 2012, the prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. Th e Jeff erson Awards are presented on two levels: national and local. Th ey began in 1972 to create the equivalent of a Nobel Prize for public service. Today, their primary purpose is to serve as a “Call to Action for Volunteers” in local communities.

Th e Jeff erson Awards has more than 150 media part-


Build Your Own GameBetty’s original Trolling for Trash game is still

in her possession and is still in use.

Betty’s game can be found listed on page 14 of the 2012 Auxiliary National Supply Center cata-log. Th e description says: “Travel Trunk, Marine Debris/Garbage Game – (e.g. toy fi shing poles, marine debris, watershed charts, marine debris fact sheet, etc. (W-18” .. D-9” .. H-21”) Wt. 15 lbs. on wheels”

But, you can build your own.

Here are Betty’s instructions:

1. Get a 34-in. by 16-in. by 6-in. plastic under-the-bed storage box.

2. Paint the inside of the box blue to look like an ocean.

3. Sprinkle sand on the bottom and place shells, coral etc.

4. Hot-glue small magnets on “trash” such as small paper cups, bottle caps, small tin cans, etc.

5. Make a fi shing pole from a dow-el and tie a string for the line, with a magnet on the end instead of a hook.

Th e plastic box costs about $12 at mass mer-chandise stores or home centers. A 48-in. dowel, cut in half, will make two poles for less than $1. String and magnets from a craft store will cost about $3. Sea shells and trash are free. Th e game costs less than $20.

ners in more than 90 communities across the country. A local panel of judges selects the winners at the grass roots. Th ese media partners are major local newspa-pers, television and radio stations. Most media partners honor a volunteer monthly or weekly. Some honor fi ve or six at an annual ceremony. From each community, the Jeff erson Awards Board selects one local winner to represent their community and be honored as part of the National Ceremonies in Washington, D.C., in June.

Betty will be in Washington to accept her award.Ω

PALM BEACHES, Fla.—While Betty Underwood had fi ve and six year-olds in mind when creating the Trolling for Trash Game, younger children – and their parents – enjoy the game as well.


Puerto Rico’s Ready-Set-Wear It: Helping to Set a New World Record for the Second Year in a Row

By Lourdes R. Oliveras, Assistant District Staff Offi cer-Public Aff airs-South

GUAYNABO, PUERTO RICO – Coast Guard Auxil-iary Flotilla 1-10 San Juan organized and sponsored, for the second year in a row, the “Ready-Set-Wear It” event on May 19, 2012, in the fl otilla’s Public Aff airs booth at the San Patricio Plaza Shopping Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, as part of the 2012 National Safe Boat-ing Week Activities. Ready-Set-Wear It is a National event sponsored by the National Safe Boating Council, in part-nership with the Canadian Safe Boating Council. Forty-one participants, nine-teen of them Auxiliarists from Flotilla 1-10 San Juan, including Jose Caban, Flotilla Commander, other members of Division-1 Puerto Rico, along with

Boy Scout Troop 304 San Ignacio Academy-San Juan, some local children and adults participated by gather-ing around the booth wearing life jackets. Th e event is intended both to increase awareness about life jacket wear and to break the world record set last year for the number of people wearing life jackets on the same date,

worldwide. Other organizations and private sector sponsors gathered across the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom, US Virgin Is-lands and Puerto Rico to participate in “Ready-Set-Wear It,” timed to kick off 2012 National Safe Boating Week. Ω


VENICE, Fla.— Members of Flotilla 86 in Venice, Fla., teamed up with the Venice Sail and Power Squadron, Girl Scouts USA, the Venice Fire Department, Venice Police Department cadets, Marine Max of Venice and members of the community for this year’s Ready Set Wear It event on March 19, 2012. While 82 persons registered for the event, several more – and two dogs – donned life jackets for this national event staged at the old Venice Circus Train Depot and dock. Photo by Walter Jennings, Flotilla 86 Venice, Florida

Several Divisions throughout District 7, from the Virgin Islands to South Carolina and Georgia, participated in Ready Set Wear It. Some were fi rst time or small events while others boasted record-breaking attendance. Above: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—Division 3 hosted an event in the Fort Lauderdale area and off ered Vessel Safety Checks. Photo by Brian Lichtenstein. Left: FORT PIERCE, Fla.—Th e largest event on record in Florida, Division 5 boasted 85 participants that included Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and members of the general public. Photo by Gary Barth, Division Commander 5

may 19, 2012


ATLANTA, Ga.— Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia signs the proclamation declaring May 19-25 National Safe Boating Week. Participating in the ceremony are, from left: Homer Bryson, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Natural Resources (DNR); Ed McGill, State Liaison Offi cer, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary; Major Walter Rabon, Law Enforcement, DNR; Lt. Colonel Jeff Weaver, Assistant Chief of Law Enforcement, DNR; Governor Nathan Deal; Roy Crittenden, Division 2 Public Aff airs Offi cer, USCG Auxiliary; Loren Emery, Division 2 Commander, USCG Auxiliary; Glenn LaBoda, Executive Offi cer, U.S. Power Squadron (Atlanta Sail and Power Squadron); Mark Williams, Commissioner, DNR. Photo by Mrs. Loren Emery II, Civilian, Georgia Army National Guard.


From governors to beauty queens and from safety booths to Vessel Safety Checks, District 7 Auxiliarists did whatever it took to spread the boating safety message!

SAINT CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands— Deidre DuBois, Miss Frederiksted, reacts with surprise when Lee Elvins, Division Commander 16, snaps the cord to infl ate her life jacket. A myriad of events took place throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. Hosts and participants included the Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 16, Virgin Island Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Virgin Islands’ Police Blue Lightening Task Force, National Guard, Hovensa, Marines, Air Force and Army, members of the Golden Hook Fishing Club, and the St. Croix Power Squadron. Th e division received donations that allowed them to give away 100 life jackets to children. Photo by St Croix News

TAMPA, Fla.—Bruce Wright, Recreational Boating Safety Specialist, United States Coast Guard, and Stacey Wright, member of Flotilla 6-11 Miami Beach, came to Tampa for the National Safe Boating Week events scheduled at Flotilla 79 Tampa. In addition to having the BAT-PAK on hand for the Ready Set Wear It life jacket event, the fl otilla staged a Vessel Safety Check blitz at the docks on Gandy Boulevard. Pictured is the front of the Vessel Examination station with Darren Hart, Larry Ivey and Ernie Costa performing Vessel Examinations. Photo by Dottie Riley


D-TRAIN 2012District Seven Training MeetingSept. 19-23, 2012

Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel

333 1st St S, Saint Petersburg, Florida, 33701-4342,

Phone: 1-727-894-5000

Come for the Learning! Come for the Fun!

Breeze Summer 2012

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