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FORWARD THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF DIVISION 4

Official Publication 

USCG Auxiliary Division 4 First District SR   

District 1SR Division 4 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 1st Quarter 2015

Commander’s Message Ahoy Shipmates!

Division 4 was off to a new start with the Change of Watch held on January 17th at the Holiday Inn in Carteret. There were over 60 people in attendance. Other activities soon followed:

Division 4 manned a booth at the Edison Boat Show that was held on

February 19 -22nd. BZ to John Eberhardt and his crew in Flotilla 4-4 for set-

Features Page Commanders Message 1-2 Vice Commanders Message 3 Division Bridge 4 Flotilla Commanders Reports 5-7 Staff Officers Reports 9-13 Seamanship Quiz 5 Division Photos 14-17 Feature Articles 18-20 Seamanship Quiz Answers 8 CG History 21-22 Upcoming Events 22 Division Website & Disclaimer 23-24

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up and take down and members of our other flotillas who helped provide coverage. There was good participation by the public. A number of inquiries were handled that will result in new members. Participants also inquired about out boat safely courses and were given our flier of classes.

6 Members of Division 4 participated in the St Patrick’s Day parade on March 8th in Woodbridge, NJ. The Active Duty also participated by sending a 25’ RHI boat and 3 members for the parade. We were one of over 150 units in the parade.

SO-CM John Raab held a communications course at Flotilla 4-5 this quarter. 10 members from various flotillas took the course over a period of 4 weeks and 100% passed the final exam. The focus now is to start the TCO PQS in an effort to get members trained to participate in the Radio net as well as future Watch standers at Sandy Hook and Station NY.

Our VCDR Valerie Ramsberger was invited to attend a recognition ceremony for Dr. Olivia Hooker, the first African American woman to become a SPAR in 1944. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft, Rear Adm. Linda Fagan, Coast Guard 1st District Commander, retired Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon, Capt. Gordon Loebl, Commander, Coast Guard Sector New York were present and participated in the ceremony. The galley at Sector NY was named in her honor.

A Flotilla Commanders’ meeting was held on the Monday before our March Division meeting. This meeting was held electronically and was attended by all. Discussions were centered around encouraging communications between the Commanders which hopefully will foster more participation from the members.

At our April Division meeting Flotillas will be reporting their RBS accomplishments as measured against the goals that were set in January.

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Vice Commander’s Message Division 4 has had a strong start in 2015. With this year’s motto: “Back to Basics” as a guiding principle, a meeting was held with the Division Staff Officers on 8 January. The purpose of the meeting was to set the course for the coming year. To that end we:

• Reviewed the 4 Cornerstones: VE, PE, OPS and Fellowship • Reviewed Core Values: Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty • Explored the TEAM concept for Flotillas working together • Identified watchwords: Leadership, Initiative and Innovation • Discussed our Focus: 1) RBS; 2) Documenting our diverse array of

specialized skills in the Skills Bank; 3) supporting CG Operations, Administrative & Logistical Requirements

• Endorsed District Goals of: 1) Communication; Member Recruitment/Retention/Proficiency; and, Marine Safety

• Reviewed and updated Division Staff Officer Roles and Responsibilities through a review of published job descriptions

• Reviewed Ground Rules of Communication including: 1)adhering to the proper chain of communication and emphasizing the impact of positive, frequent, collaborative communications

Additional information regarding the needs of the Staff Officers and membership was explored through a brainstorming session. Actions reflecting implementation of the above will be presented in my 2nd Quarter Report. Of note: 15 Staff Officer Positions are currently being covered by 12 people. Please let us know if you are interested in being a Division Staff Officer for: Program Visitor (VE), Materials (MA) in particular. Looking forward to a GREAT 2015

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2015 Division 4 Bridge Jim Dry, Division Commander DCDR Valerie Ramsberger, Division Vice Commander VCDR David Ten Broeck, Immediate Past Division Commander IPDCDR

2015 Flotilla Leadership Flotilla 4–2 This flotilla operates out of Dehart Community Center Burnett Ave. Maplewood, NJ 07040. The business meetings are the 3rd Tuesday of month at 2000. Pat Fiumara, Flotilla Commander 4-2 Mike Greenstein, Flotilla Vice Commander 4-2 Flotilla 4–3 This flotilla operates out of Franklin Park Fire House Claremont Rd. Franklin Park, NJ. The business meetings are the 4th Thursday of month at 1930. Mike Kushwarra, Flotilla Commander 4-3 Ken Cadette, Flotilla Vice Commander 4-3 Flotilla 4–4 This flotilla operates out of Aux Station Sewaren, Cliff Rd. Sewaren, NJ. The business meetings are the 3rd Thursday of month at 1930. John Eberhardt, Flotilla Commander 4-4 Sal Ruggiero, Flotilla Vice Commander 4-4 Flotilla 4–5 This flotilla operates out of Raritan Boat Club Player Ave. Edison, NJ. The business meetings are the 3rd Wednesday of month at 1930. John Abreu, Flotilla Commander 4-5 Tom Botsolas, Flotilla Vice Commander 4-5 Flotilla 4–8 This flotilla operates out of Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy Roycefield Rd. Hillsborough, NJ. The business meetings are the 3rd Monday of month at 1930. Gary Zdan, Flotilla Commander 4-8 Joe Clapcich, Flotilla Vice Commander 4-8

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(Answers on page 8)

1. What obligation does the overtaking vessel have to the overtaken vessel? A. Overtaking must keep clear B. Overtaking must hold course and speed C. Overtaking must reduce speed D. Overtaking must pass on her port side 2. What is the cause of “sea fog”? A. Not enough wind B. Radiation warming of land versus water

C. Cold, dry air over warm water D. Warm, moist air over cold water

3. What type of ATON is used for warning or regulatory purposes? A. Green and red horizontal stripe B. Red and white horizontal stripe C. Solid yellow D. Orange and white horizontal stripe 4. The term for the boundary between air masses with fundamentally different properties is? A. A front B. An isobar C. A trough D. An isotherm

4-2 by Pat Fiumara, FC First Quarter Report for Flotilla 42 We started off working on the Change Of Watch. This took a lot of time putting the ads together and getting everything ready for printing. We had 65 people attend the COW and I believe all had a good time. Valerie Ramsberger attended the dedication of the galley at Sector New York and was amazed at the life of Dr. Olivia Hooker the first African- American women to enlist in the United States Coast Guard. She joined in 1945 and after a short Coast Guard career went on to have a distinguished

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career as a doctor of psychology. She joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary at the age of 95. At this time she's 100 years old and still going strong. Steve Krok participated in 15 communication missions year to date. We announced an ABS course course to take place on April 14th and 15th in Maplewood, NJ. We have three members attending the Seamanship Training, Pat McWalters, Matthew Kerwin, and Valerie Ramsberger. Our RBS program is alive and well with 62 program visits year-to-date. We have completed three of the mandatory courses Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, Building Resilience and Preventing Suicide in the CG and Influenza Training. We also presented Adm. Papp’s Personal Definition of Leadership presentation and discussion. We had five members attend D Train in Groton, Connecticut. At D Train we were honored to receive the Division Flotilla of the Year award. Also our past Flotilla Commander Valerie Ramsberger was honored as the Division Auxiliarist of the Year. The training was good and we came away with additional information and new ideas for the upcoming year. Looking back I can't believe how much was accomplished in between snowstorms. 4-3 by Mike Kushwarra, FC During the 1st Quarter the Flotilla engaged in a Communications initiative facilitated by John Rabb, We hosted training over a 3 week period attended by 5 members of the Flotilla as well as surrounding Division units. A number of members have already successfully completed the Proctor Exam. Our Flotilla's setting is ideal for training and we will look to Host a number of other Training Courses during the year. Approval was received and we would like to officially welcome Ernie Hall who transferred in from 04-08 4-4 by John Eberhardt, FC The beginning of 2015 proved to be a busy and productive time for Flotilla 04-04. With that start, the flotilla looks forward to having an eventful year, and being a productive partner in Division 04. After attending the Change of Watch and meeting the new leadership the members set down to work. For starters Mike Rebeck and Sal Ruggiero announced member training in AUXSEA, Boat Crew, and the mandatory courses. The classes were offered to all the flotillas in our division and the classes were well attended. Each month 04-04 has a training meeting to keep members well prepared and a separate business meeting to discuss the business of the flotilla. Although

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mother-nature tried to impact our meeting schedule, we only had to re-schedule one meeting. Next, Dave Ten Broeck set up the flotilla’s first About Boating Safely course of the year for March, and again put the word out. In an effort to introduce more boaters to the class the flotilla contacted Woodbridge Township to let its employees know about the upcoming class. The membership of the flotilla helped organize and maintain the division booth at the Edison Boat Show and Expo. Jim Crincoli and Tom Drzewinski set-up, broke-down, and manned the booth almost around the clock. The flotilla next marched in the Woodbridge Township Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and proudly let hundreds of residents know what the US Coast Guard Auxiliary does. Thanks to George Reilly a 25’ Defender Class Boat was part of the unit. As we move into the spring we are planning a major Station Sewaren clean-up, getting much-needed patrols underway, increase our member training to make sure that every member has an opportunity to improve him or herself, and work within the division to make sure that Division 04 is number one.   4-5 by John Abreu, FC Summary of activities of Flotilla 4-5 for first quarter:

Member training has been the main activity for us, especially since we have new members with interests in Operations and Communications.

Three members successfully completed AUXCOM and a couple are involved in AUXSEA and Crew training.

We have also had a presence in parades and other public events.

4-8 by Gary Zdan, FC No Report

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1. Correct answer is A. Rule 13 (a) “Notwithstanding anything contained in the Rules [of Part B, Sections I and II / 4 through 18], any vessel overtaking any other shall keep out of the way of the vessel being overtaken.” And important also… “(c) When a vessel is in any doubt as to whether she is overtaking another, she shall assume that this is the case and act accordingly. d) Any subsequent alteration of the bearing between the two vessels shall not make the over-taking vessel a crossing vessel … or relieve her of the duty of keeping clear of the overtaken vessel until she is finally past and clear.” 2. Correct answer is D. Sea fog occurs when warm, moist air flows over a cooler surface, in particular, cooler water. It is also known as “advection fog”, as it often moved from one area to another by the wind. Sea fog can form at any time during the day versus radiation fog which forms at night when the earth cools faster than the moist air above it. Radiation fog is typically stable, sitting where it is created. 3. Correct answer is D. Can buoys with orange horizontal stripes on a white background are non-lateral markers used to provide information and warning. 4. Correct answer is A. Front is the term for the boundary between two different air masses; warm, cold and occluded. A trough is an elongated area of low pressure. Isobars and isotherms are lines of equal air pressure and equal air temperature, respectively.

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SO-CM—Communications - John Raab

On 25 January 2015 a major blizzard with severe snow and wind was forecasted for the tri state area. The decision of the Communications Department was to issue an Emergency Snow Net to mobilize our Radio Team and to hold a radio guard beginning at 18:00 hours on Sunday evening 25 January to 10:00 hours 26 January, a total of 16 hours. During this Emergency Net a total of 12`Stations participated and their performance was outstanding. Of special note was the performance of Mr. Brad Williams Flotilla 4-4 who throughout the Net maintained Net Control for its duration to its conclusion at 10:00 hours Monday morning. Alternate Net Control was held by Mobile 4 November alongside Avenel Radio during this time. Bravo Zulu Brad and sincere thanks and appreciation, excellent job! With comments regarding this Net, all our Team performed excellently when mobilized on such short notice and with complete commitment to the task called upon. I could not be more proud of them all. Their sacrifice of their personal time for this duration truly shows the character and commitment they all have. This Net also shows and proves again what I and all of us within our Team know: that when called upon during any emergency they are there without hesitation or reservation to serve. Fortunately the storm was not as severe or damaging as expected nor was any distressed traffic received or reported but it gave us an excellent opportunity to cover seamlessly the southern half of D1SR from central New Jersey as far away as Brooklyn and Long Island. The experience, readiness, and training gained during this Net provided many benefits to all and enhanced our capability as a Team. Recognition is also extended to those Stations outside our Division who joined us in partnership, Mobile 11 Charlie – Ken Fisher SO-CM Division 11, Belford Radio – Jim Humphrey Division 2, and Keyport Radio – Joe Antonaccio Division 2. Thank you gentlemen and please join us in any exercise anytime. Stations participating with the Division 4 Emergency Snow Net were:

1) Avenel Radio (NC) 7) Mobile 4 Fox Trot 2) Mobile 4 November (Alt. NC) 8) Mobile 4 Uniform 3) Fords Radio 9) Sewaren Radio 4) South River Radio 10) Keyport Radio 5) Mobile 4 Charlie Lima 11) Mobile 11 Charlie 6) Belford Radio 12) Woodbridge Radio

Radio inspections for those Stations that are due for 2015 will begin shortly. All Station owners will be notified and arrangements made to complete their inspections. An invitation from the Bridge of Flotilla 4-3 was received to attend their monthly meeting in January to discuss Auxiliary Communications and Telecommunications Operator with their members. TCO-PQS Instruction for radio operators will also begin in the near future and students who have shown an interest are being contacted to discuss scheduling. This instruction will continue for the coming months with all desiring. In closing I would like to thank all for their service and support especially to our Radio Team and Communication Officers who without you Division 4 Communications would not operate at the high level we realized. Also sincere thanks to the Division 4 Bridge, Jim Dry and Valerie Ramsberger for all their support to the Communication Department.

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SO-CS—Communications Services – Mike Rebeck Quarterly Report Summary:

• Updated the Division Website as needed • Submitted new SO-CS duties to the Vice Commander • Continue to update the Division website to support Division activities

SO-DV—Diversity – Mike Kushwarra Currently reviewing a presentation in regards to interactions. It has some excellent potential and could be delivered at the Flotilla level during their normal meeting. The presentation looks promising, but approvals will still need to come from the District level before implementation. SO-HR—Human Resources – Jim Dry There are currently 125 members in Division 4. ID cards are currently taking approximately 11 ½ months to be received for new members. SO-IS—Information Services - Dave TenBroeck Data submitted is up to date. Of note: we are aware that there is more activity than is being reported to date. Please help by submitting your 7029 and other time (i.e. 7030) forms to your FSO-IS monthly. SO-MT—Member Training – Frank Catena A Boat Rodeo Proposal was presented to the Division Bridge at the January Division meeting: On Saturday 11 July 2015 at 0900 I would like to commence the Boat Rodeo. This date was chosen to give members time to form teams and practice before the event. Also, it will give new members the opportunity to receive sign-offs and still have time to put in for a check-ride before the end of the summer. I will check to see if this event could qualify members to receive currency maintenance. The on-water tasks will be as follows:

1. Side tow 2. Stern tow 3. Man Overboard 4. Anchoring 5. SAR pattern

Shore-side tasks will include: 1. Knot tying 2. First aid 3. Chart symbol Identification 4. Dead reckoning plot 5. Comms simulation

The ten tasks will be worth 10 points each for a maximum score of 100. These tasks are open for discussion, change, and revision from event staff, Bridge, or BQ/AQ members. A Division team will need to be put together to get the event together.

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This event can also be used as a recruiting and public affairs event. I am hoping we can enlist a few vessels to take pictures as well as interview participants for an article for Over The Bow, or possibly a local paper. If a local paper publishes an article this could spark some interest in the public to join an area flotilla. The event will be designed to have a Qualified Examiner (QE) on the shore to do administer the shore-side tasks as well as a QE in facility to judge the underway tasks. Event Requirements:

1. 3 Qualified Examiners 2. 1 or 2 facilities to evaluate the participants. 3. Three event planners, including one Bridge member 4. PA staff with photographers 5. Necessary approvals from Sector and ASC

Ideally I would like to see at least 6 teams participate in this event. If the initial event goes well I would like to include all Raritan Bay Divisions and even have a trophy that would rotate to the winning Division. The winner should be the boat and crew that represents the area in the District SAR competition. SO-NS—Navigation Systems – Kevin Redden With the boating season iced in for the winter, there was no NS activity except for one discrepancy report for the Maurer Rock Buoy “B” which was adrift in front of the Sewaren Boat Ramp submitted by Mike Rebeck (AV) into Harbormaster data base. SO-OP—Operations – George Reilly

To All Coxswains and vessel owners, the Sector operations meeting will be on April 18th at Station N. Y. it will start at 0900 and run until 1300 it imperative that all coxswains and vessel owners attend this meeting Uniform will be ODU’s. This meeting is very important there are many changes coming to our PPE and how we do mishap reports, Damage claims, Risk Assessment, uniforms and AOM procedures. Facility inspections if your vessel needs to be done get it done early do not wait until the last minute we all know what happens with the paperwork when it gets to the office. Fleet week starts on May 20th will need some vessels for the parade of ships. Surface operations will start on or about May 1st. water and weather permitting if the water dose not warm up we may be in mustangs for the first patrol. All patrols should start and end with (23A) for pre and post underway activities GAR briefing, de briefing etc. This is a new step and it in the national workshop this year and Division will have an operations work shop this year in late April or Early May I am working on setting it up and find a meeting place for it.

SO-PA—Public Affairs – Gary Zdan Thanks go out to all members who participated in the Edison Boat Show (with special thanks to Jim Crincoli) and the Woodbridge St Patrick’s Day Parade. All FSO-PA’s are encouraged to submit their monthly reports detailing current and planned activities.

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SO-PB—Publications - Vacant Quarterly Report: Newsletter will be published and posted to the Division website after approval from DIRAUX in April 2015 Submitted by Mike Rebeck SO-PE—Public Education – Dave TenBroeck Two Public Education courses were offered in March Flotilla 4-4 ran a course on March 28th at the Woodbridge Community Center and Flotilla 4-5 ran a course on March 29th at the Plainsboro Fire House SO-VE—Vessel Examination- Ken Stanley As of January 1 any VE who did not complete the workshop for 2014 went into REYR status. First Southern District welcomed the opportunity to participate in this RBS initiative of promoting the use of the inflatable belt packs to the boating public. The belt pack offers an alternative to larger, heavier, and more cumbersome types of life jackets. Also, by promoting/demonstrating the advantages of the belt pack, we are also making the public more aware of the various types of life jackets available and the need to wear a life jacket. The fifty belt packs allocated to 1SR were distributed in late July, the peak of most VE activity in the Northeast. This limited our efforts to promote/demonstrate the belt packs in the 2014 boating season. Twenty-eight of the units were distributed to VE’s who promoted and demonstrated the belt packs during VSC activity, boat shows, marine dealer visits, discussions with boating instructors, boat club meetings, and other boating events. One unit was lost in the mail and the remaining twenty-one units will be distributed to additional VE’s well in advance of the 2015 boating season to promote the belt packs to as many boaters as possible. The belt packs were distributed across 1SR (SECLIS and SECNY), to VE’s who have historically produced higher than average VSC counts and more important, who committed to wearing and promoting using the belt packs. Several of the VE’s have scheduled travel to warmer climates this winter and plan to take the belt packs with them. Most of the demonstrations and feedback came in the month of August 2014 (75-80%), the balance in September 2014 as the boating season wound down. Feedback Received

Feedback Reasons Frequency Pro

1. Ease of wearing (a) Many liked its compactness, and felt they would be more likely to wear it.

Often

(b) Found movement was less restrictive with the belt pack. More woman than men indicated it was less restrictive. Paddle boarders liked the freer arm movement the belt pack

Often

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provided.

(c) During a demonstration, one person wearing the belt pack forgot they had it on because it is unobtrusive.

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2. Liked the auto-inflate feature

Preferred the auto-inflate feature over manually-inflated models.

Occasionally

3. More likely to wear it (a) Those who indicated they do not wear a PFD said they would wear the belt pack.

Often

SO-MS—Marine Safety – John Paul Accomplishments since last report: 1.Reviewed Sea Partner Program 2.Communication with ADSO-MS 3.Identified FSO-MS’s 4.Developed Job Description 5.Began Prep for Flotilla support Planned activities and goals for next period: 1. Begin Introduction to Marine Safety and Environmental Protection (IMSEP) Course 2. Review The GOOD MATE Course 3. Reach out to FSO-MS’s 4. Develop Division MS 2015 schedule for training, events and activities

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DIVISION 4 PHOTOS

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DIVISION CHANGE OF WATCH 2015