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Coast GuardCoast GuardOut of the history books

The Revenue Cutter Seneca performs a survey of an iceberg during one of its ice patrols in theNorthern Atlantic.

I cebergs in the North Atlantic havealways posed a danger to vessels. History records a number of casualties

in the vicinity of the Grand Banks. Oneincident was when the Lady of the Lakesank in 1833 with a loss of 70 lives.Between 1882 and 1890, ice was responsible for the loss of four vessels and40 more seriously damaged, plus countlessother whaling and fishing vessels lost ordamaged.

Major disasters often serve as a catalystfor initiating safety measures or improvingupon those already in place. It took one ofthe greatest marine disasters of all times toarouse public demand for internationalcooperative action to deal with this marinehazard.

On April 15, 1912, more than 1,500 liveswere lost when the RMS Titanic struck aniceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean andsank. The vessel had been built with thelatest safety design, featuring compartmentation and such innovations as

automatically closing water-tight doors. Theship was touted as being unsinkable.

This much-publicized disaster resulted inprocedures to protect merchant traffic inthe North Atlantic from roaming icebergs.The U.S. Navy assigned the Chester andBirmingham to patrol the Grand Banks forthe remainder of 1912.

In 1913 when the Navy could no longerspare ships for ice patrol, the Revenue Cutter Service assumed responsibility,assigning the cutters Seneca and Miami toconduct the patrol.

The sinking of the Titanic was the drivingforce for establishing the International IcePatrol. On February 7, 1914, the RCS wastasked with maintaining the InternationalIce Patrol. The Service was to locate andradio reports of icebergs in the NorthAtlantic shipping lanes to merchant shipsin the area. Today, Coast Guard aircraftprovide this service.

Information from the Enlisted-Professional Military

Education Study Guide, Requirement 3-5.02-K

International Ice Patrol

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The Coast Guard’s new .40 caliber SIGARMSP229-DAK sit lined up for ready use at StationWashington, D.C.

Photo by PA1 David Mosley, G-IPA-1

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02 Up Front

08 News Beat

34 Logbook

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Saving LivesCommercial fishing vessel safety.

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LLL eee aaa rrr nnniii nnnggg TTT ooo SSS hhh ooo ooo tttThe Coast Guard’s newest asset inlaw enforcement.

14

GGG aaa lll lll eee yyy SSS ttt aaa rrr“Cooking was always a passion for me.”

20Territorial TeamworkShiprider program teams up U.S.and Canadian authorities.

26

AdriftCGC Jackson survivor recounts hisharrowing survival at sea.

28

Cyclone ClassNavy leased ships used in drug war.

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www.uscg.mil/magazine Issue 2 • 2006 • Coast Guard 32 Coast Guard • Issue 2 • 2006 [email protected]

Up Front“C” the DolphinA model HH-65C helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City flies low over the AtlanticOcean near Atlantic City, N.J. Jan. 21. The newly re-engined helicopters are part ofthe Coast Guard’s Deepwater program.

PHOTO BY PA2 John Edwards, PADET Atlantic City


Up Front

A N ew RideBM1 Michael Bradford, a crewman at Station Honolulu, helpsescort the CGC Ahi upon its arrival to Honolulu Harbor. TheCGC Ahi is the last 87-foot cutter to be added to the CoastGuard fleet and will be commissioned this spring for duty in thePacific.

Photo by PA1 Brooksann Epiceno, 14th Dist.


Up Front

A Bright FutureAET3 Todd Whitcomb of Air Station Clearwater, Fla., andYN3 Angela Mire of Sector Hampton Roads, VA, are married on New Years Day beside the second order fresnellens in the Cape Henry Light House in Virginia Beach.

Photo by Lt. Cmdr. Rich Condit, Sector Hampton Roads

Up Front

Sharpening the StingStingray helicopters from the Helicopter Interdiction Squadron await repairs inHITRON's hangar in Jacksonville, Fla. Since it was formed, the armed helicopterunit has helped stop $7.7 billion worth of illegal drugs from entering the U.S. in 98separate busts.

Photo by PA1 Donnie Brzuska, PADET Mayport

COAST GUARD HELICOPTER CRASHES

MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif.,Feb. 11 – A HH-65 helicopter from Air StationHumboldt Bay suffered amishap and crashed in thesurf near Samoa Beach,due west of Eureka, today.The helicopter was engagedin a search and rescuemission concerning fourpeople reported to be in thewater near the entrance ofHumboldt Bay. The helicopter deployed a rescue swimmer after arriving on scene to assistone of the persons in thewater near the beach.Shortly thereafter, all contact was lost with thehelicopter. All threecrewmembers in the aircraft evacuated the helicopter safely after landing in the surf. Thefourth crewmember, thedeployed rescue swimmer,waded safely to the beach

with one of the persons inthe water. Two of theremaining three individualsin the water came to shoreon their own accord. A second HH-65 waslaunched from SectorHumboldt Bay and recovered the last individual. Two of the persons in the water werefound unconscious andlater died after the rescuecrews arrived to assistthem.

HIKER RESCUED

HONOLULU, Jan. 14 – Ahelicopter rescue crew fromAir Station Barbers Pointairlifted a hiker, who hadbeen stranded overnight ona Kauai cliff. The HH-65helicopter crew located andhoisted the hiker.According to the rescueswimmer, the hikerappeared in good conditionwith some scratches, however, he was

transported to emergencymedical services at Lihueairport for medical evaluation.

SUCCESSFUL REFLOAT

KENAI, ALASKA, Feb. 3 –The chartered vesselSeabulk Pride was safelyrefloated today. As of 8:40a.m., the vessel was making its way under itsown power toward Homerwith two tug escorts. TheSeabulk Pride was loadingrefined product at theTesoro dock in Nikiskiwhen it was struck by anice floe and broke awayfrom the dock.Approximately 210 gallonsof heavy vacuum gas oiland unleaded gasoline werereleased. No further oil hasbeen released.

AAddmm .. TThhoomm aass HH .. CC oolllliinnss

Com m andant

Vice Adm . Terry M . Cross

Vice Com m andant

Rear Adm . Joel W hitehead

Assistant Com dt. for

Governm ental & Public Affairs

Capt. Steve Vanderplas

Chief, Public Affairs

Patricia M iller

Deputy Chief, Public Affairs

CW O 4 Lionel Bryant

Chief, Im agery Branch

PAC Elizabeth Brannan

Editor

PA1 David M osley

PA1 M ike O ’Berry

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News Beat

CCooaasstt GGuuaarrdd

8 Coast Guard • Issue 2 • 2006 [email protected] www.uscg.mil/magazine Issue 2 • 2006 • Coast Guard 9

HAMPTON, Ga., March 18 — Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon(left), the U.S. Coast Guard’s Director of Personnel Management,and NASCAR driver Jeff Burton hold the victory trophy from theNicorette 300 Busch Series NASCAR race. Burton’s victory at theAtlanta Motor Speedway was the first win of the season for the newCoast Guard Racing team.

Richard Childress Racing announced on Jan. 26, that the CoastGuard would be the primary sponsor of its No. 21 Chevrolet MonteCarlo SS driven by Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton for the 2006NASCAR Busch Series season.

“It’s been a long time,” said Burton, whose previous NASCARBusch Series victory came in October 2002. “I’m proud of myself. Istayed focused through all of it. We’re working really hard to make it back to the top. It was a great day for us and the United StatesCoast Guard. Hopefully, we can do it again, soon,” added Burtonwho is competing in five races this season. Kevin Harvick is scheduled to drive in the other 30 events.

For race schedule and the career highlights of Harvick, Burton and Childress,see the special Team Coast Guard Racing hero card pullout in this issue of CoastGuard Magazine.

Sweet Victory for Team CG Racing

Jarvis TourHONOLULU, Jan. 23 — Volunteertour guides from the crew of the CGCJarvis hosted midshipmen from thePeruvian Naval Ship BAP Mollendo. Thetour of the 378-foot high endurance cutterincluded small arms demonstrations alongwith an overview of flight deck equipment,over-the-horizon small boats, and bridgenavigation and communications equipment.

Photo by Ensign Anastacia Visneski, CGC Jarvis

BOAT ABLAZE

BOSTON, Jan. 6 —Crewmembers from stationsCape Cod Canal andProvincetown responded to amayday call today from theowner of the 55-foot WesternRig Hizzoner who reportedan uncontrolled engine roomfire while fishing in thevicinity of Billingsgate Shoal.Hizzoner crewmembersShawn R. Rose, 42, and SamBeard, 42, both fromWellfleet, put on survivalsuits and abandoned shipinto a liferaft after an unsuccessful attempt tofight the fire. Group WoodsHole received a call from the44-foot fishing vessel MissIntegrity, homeported inOrleans, reporting they hadtransferred Rose and Beardonto their vessel. GroupWoods Hole launched two41-foot utility boats fromCape Cod Canal andProvincetown to the scene.The survivors were transferred to the StationCape Cod Canal 41-footerand brought to Station CapeCod Canal.

COAST GUARD RESCUESNAVY PILOT

MIAMI, Feb. 6 — A crewfrom Air Station Miami rescued a Navy FA-18 pilotafter he was forced to ejectfrom his aircraft five milessouth of Boca Chica. TheNavy pilot was hoisted into a HH-65 helicopter that hadbeen diverted from anothermission in the area. He wastaken to Lower KeysMemorial Hospital.

SUPER BOWL XL

DETROIT, Jan. 25 — TheCoast Guard, as the designated lead agency formaritime security duringSuper Bowl XL, establishedand enforced a security zoneone-mile by 300 yards alongthe waterfront from JoeLouis Arena to north of theRenaissance Center. Vesselswere not allowed to enter thedesignated security zone.Violation of a lawful SecurityZone may subject the violator to penalties of up to$32,500 per day, perviolation.

GULFPORT, Miss. — StationGulfport stood like a skeleton afterHurricane Katrina. Prior to the storm, station personnel secured their long-timestation dog Mayday in the TV roombefore evacuating. “This station has survived several storms over the yearsand we figured this would be the safestplace for her,” said BM2 Justin Boes.

When station personnel returned afterthe storm, there was no sign of theirbeloved Mayday. About a month and ahalf after the storm, station personnelreceived a call from a woman locatedabout three miles north of the station.Long-lost Mayday had survived thestorm and was living in the woman’sfather’s backyard. Information on thedog’s tags led the woman to StationGulfport. Many have their own theoriesof how Mayday could have survivedsuch a storm. According to Boes, “Ifshe can live through a CAT 4 hurricane she can survive anything!”

Photo by PA2 Susan Blake, 8th Dist.

Mayday Found

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Story by Lt. j.g. Elaine Eckle, CGC Kukuiand Lt. Alex Moomaw, CGC Walnut

Have you ever thought about what happens to trashthat is thrown overboard? Where does it end up?

What harm could it really do? Well, Hawaiian’s have asaying, Ma’ama I Ke Kai – Take care of our ocean. It is inthis spirit that the Coast Guard teamed up with theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration andthe University of Hawaii’s Sea Grant Program for the pastfive years to clean-up harmful marine debris from theocean.

This year, crews from the Coast Guard cutters Kukuiand Walnut returned home to Honolulu in lateSeptember 2005, with more than 42,000 pounds ofdebris found upon atolls located within the NorthwesternHawaiian Islands.

“The goal is to protect wildlife, particularly seals, turtles and birds from becoming entangled and to createclear, pristine reefs where scientists can study coral reef ecosystems,” said Oliver Dameron, a NOAA diver andfield team leader. “Obviously, it is a never-ending battle.”

“After removing a pile of debris, the water looks clearer and marine life is safer. There is nothing like being able

to see the difference you are making,” said Lt. AlexMoomaw, the dive officer aboard the Walnut.

More than three quarters of Kukui’s crew directly participated in the recovery operation by diving, snorkeling, driving a small boat, or on-loading to and off-loading from the buoy deck.

With safety lookouts positioned aboard the ship,snorkelers, dive teams and small boats crews orchestrated the pick-up of the debris. Crane operatorsaboard the ship then transferred the debris to the buoydeck, where it was secured for the remainder of the trip.

“The Coast Guard is a perfect platform for debris recovery,” said NOAA diver Sean Guerin. “Buoy tendersare wide and stable, with a crane that can easily accesseither side of the ship.”

“One of the most impressive aspects of the net recovery effort was the teamwork exhibited by our crew,”said Lt. Peggy Britton, executive officer of the Kukui.“Many volunteered to assist with snorkeling out at thereef, while others silently did their part in support of themission. All in all, a true team effort.”

NOAA personnel were an integral part of the teameffort both aboard the ships and in the water. “Workingwith the NOAA divers was very enjoyable. They wereinformative, hardworking and all around good people,”said BM1 Thomas O’Brien, a diver stationed on the Walnut.

With such a large number of the crew participating indifferent ways, safety was always, a top priority.Snorkelers had to pass a basic swimming test and demonstrate a thorough familiarity with the hand signals used to communicate with other team members.

Each small boat coxswain was required to know thename and location of every person attached to their boatand they had a small scuba bottle of air and an extra regulator just in case anyone accidentally became entangled in the debris.

“We also had two full sets of scuba gear standing by,”said Lt. j.g. Shawn Deweese, a dive officer on the Kukui.“Thankfully, it was never needed.”

At Pearl and Hermes Atolls, a six-member dive teamfrom the Walnut logged more than 30 hours of dive timeremoving 19,680 pounds of debris over a nine day period. In two days at Maro Reef, a dive team from theWalnut recovered 2,430 pounds of debris. Also at MaroReef a crew from the Kukui recovered an average of morethan 2,250 pounds of debris every day.

“The hardest part was coordinating four small boatsand 22 persons daily, but it was a worthwhile endeavor,”said Deweese. “It was a good feeling to free a section ofreef [from debris] that otherwise would have been permanently damaged.”

10 Coast Guard • Issue 2 • 2006 [email protected] www.uscg.mil/magazine Issue 2 • 2006 • Coast Guard 11

Story by CWO Steve Sapp, PADET New York

The prayers of three fishermen were answered withtheir rescue in Shinnecock Inlet, N.Y., Jan. 3 after

their ship Hail Mary II capsized in rough seas. Sevendays later, the Hail Mary II herself was rescued.

As Capt. John Windels and his crew of RichardGardiner and Jerzy Boucpoulki were returning to portwith a successful haul of 30,000 pounds of squid, theHail Mary II capsized in heavy weather when one outrigger retracted before the other and destabilized the72-foot steel dragger. The crew of a nearby vessel, theCindi Sea, rescued Boucpoulki, while a Sea Tow operatorrescued Windels and Gardiner from atop the hull of the overturned vessel.

With the crew safely ashore, the focus shifted to salvaging Hail Mary II, which was 95 percent submergedabout 150 feet from the mouth of ShinnecockInlet and 50 feet from the western jetty.

“Following the rescue of the crew, the safety ofthe environment was our next concern,” said Lt.Bill Grossman, supervisor of Coast GuardMarine Safety Detachment Coram. “Not knowing the exact amount of fuel and lube oilsthat remained on board, we needed to develop aplan to safely mitigate the threat.”

Officials from the Coast Guard, New YorkState Department of EnvironmentalConservation, Town of Southampton,Environmental Conservation Police, Sea Spill,and Sea Tow immediately established a UnifiedCommand at Soleau Marina in Shinnecock tomonitor the salvage operations and prepare torecover any potential pollution. Pollutionresponse officers from Coast Guard Sector LongIsland Sound traveled from New Haven, Conn.,to join forces with Coast Guard Marine SafetyDetachment Coram, N.Y.

Gale force winds and rough seas delayed anyimmediate salvage operations.

“Everyone in the Unified Command knew thatthe fuel on board would be difficult to recover inthe vessel’s present state, but we still wentahead to develop a plan to protect the environmentally sensitive areas nearby in theevent of a complete release of the fuel tanks,”said Grossman.

Unified Command officials were concernedabout the 4,000 gallons for diesel fuel thatremained contained on board the Hail Mary II.According to Grossman, they feared the vessel’shull would break in half and there would be acomplete loss of all fuel from the tanks.

“Since we did not have a complete hull surveyfrom the divers, we were not able to determine

the exact nature of the hull,” said Grossman. “We placedharbor boom around the vessel during the salvage, aswell as pre-staged [oil containment] boom protecting theenvironmentally sensitive areas.”

The Unified Command members were relieved whenoverflights conducted by Coast Guard and Coast GuardAuxiliary aircraft reported that only a light, unrecoverable sheen was visible. Overall, there was limited impact to the environment.

A massive crane barge arrived Jan. 8 to partially raisethe Hail Mary II and tow it into the bay and out of therough inlet waters. The following day, the crane raisedthe fishing vessel from its watery hold and officials begandewatering it. On Jan. 10, officials ended dewateringoperations.

Seven-Day Endeavor Ma’ama I Ke Kai

Salvage MK3 Harry Martinez and MK2 Thomas Dunn ofStation Shinnecock watch as salvage workers dewater the fishing vessel Hail Mary II at Shinnecock Inlet, Long Island, N.Y.,Jan. 9, 2006. The 72-foot steel dragger capsized in ShinnecockInlet Jan. 3 as it returned to port with 30,000 pounds of squid.

Cor al R escu e CGC Walnut divers strategicallyattach a lift-bag, which fills with air that will bring the pileof debris to the surface. Once on the surface, crewmembers aboard small boats will collect it for transitto the buoy deck of the Walnut.

News Beat

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SAVING LIVES COMMERCIAL FISHING VESSEL SAFETY PROGRAM AIMS TO DECREASE FATALITIES

New England fishermen have suffered the loss of their comradesat sea as long as these watershave been fished. While safetyhas steadily improved, the recent

anniversary of the tragic capsizing of the NewBedford, Mass. fishing vessel Northern Edge andthe loss of five of its crew is a strong reminder tothe fishing community of the deadly risk theytake. It is also another motivator for the CoastGuard to keep improving fishing vessel safetythrough its Commercial Fishing Vessel SafetyProgram.

The lone survivor of the Northern Edge, PedroFurtado, a 23-year-old resident of New Bedford,was plucked out of a life raft by the crew of theNew Bedford fishing vessel Dianne Marie in seasas high as 10-feet, winds 20 to 25 knots and temperatures at 40 degrees with snow squallscutting down on visibility. The Coast Guardinvestigation found that insufficient survival equipment and the crew’s lack of knowledge on how to use the equipment significantly contributed to the deaths.

Lt. Cmdr. John Buckley, who heads the CoastGuard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Programin Boston, has a message for the fishing community: “Use your survival equipment. Helpyourselves by staying alive until we can rescueyou.”

Troy Dwyer, who has been fishing NewEngland’s waters for 18 years and a FishingVessel Safety Program participant, said, “Fishingis dangerous, but my dad was a fisherman andnow here I am. There’s nothing like chasingfish.”

While his nine-member crew is out fishing inthe risky New England waters, the Coast Guardis working hard to decrease casualties by teach-ing fisherman how to survive in an emergency.

Implemented in 1991, the nationwide programhelps fishermen be prepared by offering vesselsafety and survival equipment checks as well astesting a crew’s survival knowledge. The visits arescheduled at the crew’s convenience and thereare no penalties for failed items.

While commercial fishermen are not currentlyrequired to keep a log of drills practiced, safetydrill knowledge is mandatory.

“I’ll randomly ask a crewmember to walk methrough a drill or put on a survival suit. If theyhave no idea then they fail the exam,” saidBuckley. “I’ll come back in a week and give themanother chance. We want to give fishermen thetools to save themselves.”

The rescue of Gloucester fisherman JohnSanfillipo on Nov. 26, 2005, when his vesselcaught fire, is proof positive of how effective dockside examinations can be.

Just a few weeks before, Sanfillipo had a dockside exam. Buckley was the examiner andtold Sanfillipo to move his survival suit abovedeck instead of in a storage space below.Buckley also demonstrated for Sanfillipo theproper way to wear the suit.

This information may have saved Sanfillipo’slife the day his engine room caught fire. He hadonly moments to throw on his survival suit andjump into the frigid 47-degree water. Easy accessto, and the knowledge on how to don, his survivalsuit helped Sanfillipo survive.

Tragedy can happen extremely fast. Being prepared is key to surviving. “It’s a chain reac-tion. It’s a bad night, gale force winds, roughseas and icy conditions. The fishing boat has alarge catch onboard, and the crew is young, inex-perienced and exhausted. Without any warning,everything can go wrong and seconds count,”said Buckley.

Story by PA3 Kelly Turner, 1st Dist.

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� Survival Show Crewmembers fromthe CGC Flying Fish perform a wet drill in Bostonduring a commercial fishing vessel event held atISC Boston Dec. 20, 2005.

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Story co-written by PA2 John Edwards and

Take Steady Aim Seaman Luis Oropeza takes aim with the SIG P229-DAK .40 caliber pistol. The SIG's are replacing the M9 9mm Beretta pistolthat has been a Coast Guard standard for two decades.


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PA1 Kimberly Smith, PADET Atlantic City.

rounds through the guns as they practiced thePractical Pistol Course.

According to Coast Guard regulations that were created during the transition, 100 rounds of liveammunition must be shot through the weapon beforeit can be considered service ready. “We learnedthrough trial and error what the most efficient way toget the weapons (service) ready was, to give people achance to familiarize themselves with the weapon,”said Muldowney. Students were given a total of threechances — one for practice and two for score — toqualify on the PPC.

Out of the 260 students qualifying, 69 percent, successfully qualified during the scheduled trainingperiod. Of the 169 personnel who qualified over thecourse of the two weeks, 36 percent qualified in thefirst relay, 28 percent qualified during their secondrelay and 34 percent qualified during their thirdrelay. Non-qualifying members were encouraged toreturn to the range at a later date to try and qualify.Nine more members qualified after the pre-scheduledtraining period. Once the student was qualified withthe .40 cal, they were no longer qualified with the9mm.

To ensure that unitscould continue to conduct operations, thetraining for a unit wasbroken into two days.“We would split theunit into two halves,and the first half wouldcome in, qualify andtake the SIG’s back totheir units. The secondhalf of the unit wouldcome in the next dayand bring all of the9mm’s to turn in,”Muldowney said.

A month before theweapons transition,Muldowney workedclosely with theAtlantic Area Armory toarrange the ammuni-tion, new weapons, andholster distribution andcreate a shootingschedule. The numberof weapons and hol-sters given to each unit

was equal to the number of weapons and holsters theunits returned. Accompanying each SIG weapon was50 rounds of jacketed hollow point and 50 rounds ofball ammunition.

Units in the past only carried ball ammunition fortheir 9mm’s but now unit members will be using balland jacketed hollow point ammunition. “The .40 caliber JHP was approved by the Commandant andwill be used for law enforcement operations only,”said Strasburg. The ball ammunition can be used fordefense operations or law enforcement operations.Frangible ammunition will be used only during training. Having two choices of ammunition is onlyone change that people in the field will have to getused to. “We’re going to change everything you knowabout shooting,” said Fisher.

Unit crewmembers will have to adjust certainaspects of what they know about their personaldefense weapons. For example, the SIG holds only a12 round magazine as opposed to the 9mm’s 15round magazine. One of the biggest changes is thatthe SIG does not have an external safety de-cockinglever. The .40 caliber utilizes an automatic firing pin

www.uscg.mil/magazine Issue 2 • 2006 • Coast Guard 17

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Their breath creates puffs of steam that linger for amoment and then dissipate as the temperature on the thermometer reads abone-chilling 25 degrees. A voice command booms over the intercom system and the room instantly eruptsinto the thunderous report of weaponsfire. Seconds later, the acrid smell ofcordite and a heavy silence surroundthem as they lower their weapons and survey how true their aim was.

This is a scene that played itselfout over and over again asCoast Guard men andwomen from SectorDelaware Bay; StationsAtlantic City,Philadelphia, ManasquanInlet, Barnegat Light andCape May; and CoastGuard cutters Mako,Finback and Ibis; as wellas more than 100reservists, took on thechallenge of qualifyingwith the Coast Guard’snewest asset in lawenforcement, the P229R-DAK .40 caliber (compact)handgun manufacturedby SIGARMS in Exeter,N.H.

The SIG will replace theaging M9 9mm Beretta pistols. “This effort, spearheaded by the Office ofCutter Forces at Coast Guard Headquarters, tooknearly two years and thousands of man hours,” saidLt. j.g. John Strasburg with the Small Arms Programunder the Office of Counter Terrorism and SpecialMissions at Headquarters.

The need for a replacement to the venerable Beretta

was realized in late 2003. The Beretta had served theCoast Guard well as the standard service small armsince 1986, but wear and tear through the years andthe Coast Guard’s requirement for a larger caliberdrove the change. In 2004, a unique opportunity forthe Coast Guard to pool handgun requirements withother Department of Homeland Security agenciesbrought this endeavor more visibility, explainedStrasburg. “A competitive solicitation and test of several firearms manufacturers (coordinated byImmigration and Customs Enforcement) led to DHSselecting SIGARMS as one of the contract winners.”From this testing, the Coast Guard chose the SIG.

The Coast Guard Fifth District enforce-ment staff planned a five-month weaponstransition period from November 2005 toApril 2006 to ensure unit readiness foroperations. This five-month transition to

the SIG began in Sector Delaware Bay,Philadelphia, Pa., on Nov. 28, 2005, in a

12-day mass training schedule conducted atthe Federal Aviation Administration

Technical Training Centers range facilitylocated in Pomona, N.J., by GM1

Larry Muldowney, SectorGunnersmate for Sector

Delaware Bay, and GMC ScottFisher, supervisor of AtlanticArea Armory ordnance support facility inPortsmouth, Va.

Fisher and Muldowney,along with nine othersmall arms instructorsfrom Atlantic Area andSector Delaware Bay,worked approximately1,100 staff hours instruct-ing roughly 260 personnelthrough classroom materials, and leading

lines of fire that totaled52,250 rounds of ammunitionbeing expended at the range.

The day began at noon withthree hours in the classroom that included practicaldemonstrations on field stripping, nomenclature, safety function checks and discussing the differencesbetween the Beretta and the SIG.

Following classroom studies, the students went tothe range where they helped prepare the brand-newSIGs by taking turns firing the required number of

16 Coast Guard • Issue 2 • 2006 [email protected]

Hit or M iss GM3 Ken Rose shows Seaman David Brummett how his grip effectswhere a bullet will strike a target. Small arms instructors from Sector Delaware Bay andAtlantic Area worked over 1,100 man hours to train numerous District Five units.

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point of reference for the shooter and resulting in lowshots, according to Sector Field Office Delaware Bay’safter action report on the weapon transition.

BM1 David Houg, weapons petty officer at StationAtlantic City, is optimistic about the new weapon.“Although the weapon is heavier and smaller, it feelsmore substantial in my hand,” he said. Crews alsoseem to be responding positively about the weapon.“The crews like the weapon and the larger bullets,”

Houg said. “If you have to shoot, you want somethingwith some stopping power.”

Over the course of this coming year, Coast Guardunits all over the country will be bidding farewell,after two decades, to the M9 Beretta and becomingacquainted and comfortable with the newest asset inlaw enforcement – the .40 caliber SIG.

safety. This means the SIG operates without need oftraditional safety control levers.

The Sig is a double-actionsemi-automatic and the first pullof the trigger when the hammeris down requires a double actiontrigger pull, which weighs in at6.5 pounds-of-pressure. It alsohas an intermediate double-action position, which islocated at the triggers half wayrelease point and takes 8.5pounds-of-pressure. The shooterhas the option of shooting eitherintermediate or releasing thetrigger fully for another 6.5pound squeeze. Overall, when itcomes to pulling the trigger onthe new SIG, it takes more strength and muscle

power to squeeze off a round than it does on theBeretta.

If those changes weren’t enough, then thereis also the brand-new style of holster. TheSafari Land 6004, the holster most commonlyused during this training, is a drop-down styleholster that will be replacing the more com-monly worn Uncle Mike holster in SectorDelaware Bay. “The Safari Land waspicked because of its retention leveland loop,” said Muldowney. “It’s asolid holster,” he said.

Past shooting techniques indicated that personnel on therange used the top of the Uncle Mike asa reference to aim during the close quarters line of fire. The Safari Land sits

4-inches below the beltline, taking away that


New vs. Old The SIG .40 caliber (left) is smaller and weighs less than the 9mm Beretta(right).

9mm .40 cal

What are the differences between the M99mm Beretta and the .40 cal. P229R-DAKSIGARMS Handgun?

• The new handgun has no safety and cocking/decocking lever. The handgun will always be in a safe,yet ready-to-fire condition (like a revolver-type handgun).

• Continuous double action. The hammer returns to the forward position after eachsubsequent shot and is safe to be holstered. This design increases safety.

• The new handgun will have fewer parts, for increased reliability.


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Warm melted

chocolate flowingfrom a fountain.Ornate ice

sculptures. Delicate renditions offlowers and animals carved from fruitsand vegetables. These images may bring tomind pricey restaurants, gourmet cookingshows and culinary competitions; however, forthe Coast Guardsmen stationed at Sector LongIsland Sound in New Haven, Conn., theseimages may make them think of FS1 StaceyRussell, their food service officer, instead. Theydefinitely weren’t the first, and probably won’tbe the last, crew whose mouths water becauseof her culinary creations.

The five-foot-four-inch brunette’s love of cooking began at a young age and it eventuallyinspired her to become a food service specialistin the Coast Guard, where pleasing her crew’sappetite is her top priority. She started by helping her father in the kitchen, but said shecan’t precisely remember how old she was.

Her bright blue eyes light up as she recallscooking in her youth.

“My dad’s a very good cook. I learned a lot ofthe basics from him. Cooking was always apassion for me,” said Russell while stirring taco

soup,a snack

for the crewbefore the afternoon meal.

Growing up in small-town Mossyrock, Wash.,— population roughly 500 — with her parents,Dwayne and Darlene, and her younger brotherDanny, cooking was a way to spend time withher family.

Her experience in the kitchen at home eventually led her to cook professionally.

“I got my first job when I was 16,” she said.“My cousin used to own this restaurant calledThe Mustard Seed.” She was a short-order cookthere seven days a week for two years while finishing high school. She cooked everythingfrom eggs to hamburgers, learning the tradethat would propel her to success. But she didn’t stop there.

Her desire to be in the kitchen drove her towork at two more restaurants in the next year,taking advantage of the work-study program ather school. The program allowed her to earn


Chew Crew FS1 Stacey Russellposes as coworkers enjoy the breakfastshe prepared at Sector Long IslandSound Jan. 26, 2006.

credits for high school graduation while developing her culinary skills – her now chosenprofession.

“I was working three jobs at the same time.In the morning I worked at Suzie’s Place during the week. I worked at Jack’s in theevenings a couple of nights a week and at TheMustard Seed in between.”

After high school, Russell knew she wantedto become a chef and one factor made joiningthe Coast Guard an easy decision.

“I joined the Coast Guard to be a cook, andbeing a cook in the Coast Guard is all aboutmorale,” she said. Improving someone’s daywith the food she prepares is the greatestreward for cooking, she said.

After saying her goodbyes in Mossyrock, sheleft for boot camp in Cape May, N.J., inDecember of 1998. After boot camp, Russellwent straight to Food Service “A” School atTraining Center Petaluma, Calif. From there itwas a short trip to her first permanent duty

Story and Photos by PA3 Dan Bender, PADET New York

“Every year she organized ablood drive with the Red Cross andeach year we would have the totalhighest donations in SoutheastAlaska,” said Gatlin. “She puttogether a Christmas dinner hosting WW II veterans aboard theship. She also had a big part inthe Maple’s annual haunted ship.The admission fees were donatedto charities in the area. She evenhelped to rehabilitate injuredeagles at the Sitka Raptor Center.”

She continues to contribute tothe community, with programs likeToys for Tots, at her current billetat Sector Long Island Sound.

Transferring there in May 2005,her dedication to her galley is readily apparent with a glance atthe messdeck. Items like the sodafountain that she purchased forher crew, a plaque listing monthlyhot wing eating contest winners

hanging on the wall and even smalldetails like salt and peppergrinders, instead of shakers, thatrest on the tables illustrate herenthusiasm for her job.

“She pays a lot of attention tofood quality, offers diverse menusand pays attention to requestsfrom the crew,” said CWO RonaldMillspaugh, Sector Long IslandSound supply officer. “She hasdoubled the size of the salad barand created a made-to-order stylesandwich program. She madesushi once and invited the crew tocome into the galley and learn.”

“It doesn’t taste like CoastGuard food,” said SK3 DanielNegron, a storekeeper at SectorLong Island Sound.

The quality of food has evenchanged the eating habits of hershipmates.

“People want to come to meals

instead of going out to lunch.There’s a long line at lunch,” saidSK2 Jacob Montoya, another storekeeper at Sector Long IslandSound.

The excellence of her galley is adirect result of her level of commitment.

“She is very dedicated,” saidFSCM Chuck D’Amico, CoastGuard Academy Food ServicesOfficer. D’Amico has been helpingher expand her culinary skills,such as garnishing and ice carving. “She’s beenworking hard tohone her skillsas a chef,” hesaid.

Her list of professionalaccomplishmentscontinues to grow evenwith all of the potential


station, CGCMunro, a 378-foot high

endurance cutter based in

Alameda, Calif.“Being underway was a lot of

fun. Morale on a cutter has a lotto do with what is going on in thegalley,” she said. “It’s reallyrewarding when you serve a mealand you know its one of the bestparts of their [the crew’s] day.”

Fate smiled on her when shewas transferred to Group SanFrancisco a year later. It was therethat she met her future husband,Schon, and gave birth to herdaughter, Haley.

Schon was working as a CoastGuard health services technician atthe clinic, but, unlike a lot of CoastGuard couples, it wasn’t their jobsthat led them to each other.

“We didn’t meet because we werein the Coast Guard together, weshared a lot of interests and wefirst met at the stables where hekept his horse,” said Russell.

Her new relationship did not distract her from her old love for creating meals and making smiles in the fast paced environment ofGroup San Francisco.

“I thrive off of being busy.During one summer we coordinated nine changes of command. There was just so much

to do, it was great,” she said.It was at this time that others

began recognizing her skills. Group San Francisco nominatedher for the Master Chief PearlFaurie Leadership Award forEnlisted Women presented by theCoast Guard Women’s LeadershipAssociation and the WomenOfficer’s Professional Association.

“I was really surprised when Iwas nominated,” she said, “I wasonly a second class [petty officer].”

The next stop in her CoastGuard career was the 225-footbuoy tender CGC Maple, home-ported in Sitka, Alaska, where hersituation was drastically differentthan at San Francisco.

“It was tough after being able tocome home to my family everynight in San Francisco,” saidRussell.

Spending time together as a family is a major goal for theRussells.

“She comes home and cooksalmost every night,” said Schon.“Ninety percent of the time we sitdown and eat together as a family.”

This was in direct conflict withthe operational demands of theMaple.

“We were underway 280 daysone year and it was always difficult to leave my daughter,”said Russell.

But staying true to form, shemet the challenge head on. Shewas nominated twice for EnlistedPerson of the Year.

“She is probably the best cookin the Coast Guard. I’ve never seenbetter,” said Lt. Cmdr. MichaelGatlin, commanding officer of theMaple. “She’s probably one of thebest shipmates I’ve ever workedwith.”


SlingingSustenance

FS1 Stacey Russellprepares breakfast atSector Long IslandSound Jan. 26, 2006.Russell has beenfeatured on the FoodNetwork Channel’sHot Off the Grill withBobby Flay, andplaced second in anational culinarycompetitionsponsored by theInternational FoodService ExecutivesAssociation.Chocolate

indulgenceFS1 Stacey

Russell placesassorted snacks

around a chocolate

fountain for thecrew at Sector

Long IslandSound

Dec. 5, 2005.

before I reach twenty years. I want tocook for the admiral’s staff, teach at“A” school, and work for the FoodService Assist Training Team,” shesaid.

Her plans for a post-Coast Guardcareer are a little less definitive.

“Maybe I’ll open a small shopsomewhere with fresh sandwichesand desserts so I can keep cooking.”

One thing is for certain; wherevershe is she won’t be far from akitchen.

And with her four-year-old daughter, Haley, already showinginterest in making cookies, cupcakesand molded chocolate, Stacey probably won’t be the only Russell tofeel the culinary itch.


distractions surrounding her in NewHaven, such as giving birth to hersecond child, Travis, in October, andthe increased responsibilities thatcame with the title of food service officer, a position normally reservedfor chief petty officers. She has beenfeatured on the Food NetworkChannel’s Hot Off the Grill with BobbyFlay, and placed second in a nationalculinary competition sponsored bythe International Food ServiceExecutives Association.

“I’ll always want to get to the nextlevel,” she said. Her list of professional goals for the remainderof her Coast Guard career is long andimpressive.

“I want to make master chief

Coast Guard food service specialists (FS) are commonly referred to as cooks but the term“mission enabler” may be a more accurate

description of their job, said FSCM Philip Garrett,the Food Service Specialist rating force manager.

“Typically cooks serve as emergency medical technicians, masters-at-arms or boarding team members in addition to their role in the galley,” said Garrett.

While each unit offers different challenges and responsibilities for the roughly 1,250 food service specialists in the Coast Guard, their commonfocus is to ensure nutritional adequacy for their shipmates.

They receive instruction in their core skills of cooking, accounting, sanitation, purchasing, nutrition and wellness at Food Service Specialist“A” School at Training Center Petaluma, Calif.

These skills are highly valuable because whatgoes on in a galley is often closely tied to unitmorale, especially on cutters, said Garrett.

“Where in the world would anyone wait in linefor fifteen minutes to buy a candy bar besides aship’s store,” said Garrett. “Small things like agood meal can go a long way toward making someone’s day better and keeping operationaltempo high under stressful conditions.”

The role of the food service specialist is vital toCoast Guard operations. Laboring behind thescenes to keep crews healthy and fed, cooks areoften the unsung heroes.

Food Service Food Service SpecialistSpecialist

2006 Excellence in Food Service Award winners

Large Afloat Large Ashore Contract FacilityCGC Rush ISC Honolulu USCG Academy

Medium Afloat Medium AshoreCGC Diligence Sector Key West

Small Afloat Small AshoreCGC Wahoo Station Two Rivers

GoodCooking 2006 FS of the Year

Runner UpFS2 Brittney Gonzalez

CGC Washington

2006 FS of the YearFS2 Kevin BallCGC Elm

�

�

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Russell RecipeBananas Foster Cheesecake

3/4 cup flour3/4 cup finely chopped pecans3 tbsp brown sugar3 tbsp sugar1/4 cup butter unsalted melted

Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Press into bottom ofspringform pan. Set aside.

16 oz cream cheese1 1/4 cup sugar2 tbsp cornstarch3 large eggs2 cups very ripe mashed bananas8 oz sour cream2 tbsp lemon juice2 tsp vanilla1 tsp cinnamon1/8 tsp salt

Beat cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Graduallyadd sugar and cornstarch, beating well. Add eggs one at atime, beating after each addition. Stir in mashed bananas, sourcream, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour batter intopan with crust. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until center is set.Remove from oven and set aside.

8 oz sour scream1/4 cup sugar1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine the above ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.Spread over warm cheesecake. Return to oven for 10 minutes.Turn oven off and let sit for two hours. Cover and chill a minimum of eight hours. Carefully remove sides of the springform pan. Make your own caramel sauce or use a storebought one and drizzle on top.

Tasty

Creation

FS1 StaceyRussell coolsdown a spoonfulof taco soup shemade for the crewof Sector LongIsland Sound.Russell’s seven-year careerincludesassignmentsaboard the CGCsMunro and Maple,as well as GroupSan Francisco.

response boats. An RCMP crestwas also added to the Americanboats. Conversely, U.S. lawrequired the Canadian boats to flythe Coast Guard Ensign and bemarked with the Coast Guardcrossed-anchors insignia beforethey could conduct boardings inthe U.S.

Participating RCMP officers weretemporarily appointed U.S.Customs officers for Shiprider;Coast Guardsmen were temporarilyappointed “supernumerary special constables” of the RCMP. Despitethose authorities, however,Mounties took the law enforcementlead in Canadian waters, and CoastGuardsmen took the lead in theU.S. — regardless of whichagency’s boat made the initial stop.

The arrangements, which wereformally sealed by a Memorandumof Understanding between diplomats from both countries,allowed for seamless enforcementof the laws of both countries acrossthe international border, whichruns down the middle of some ofthe most heavily traveled water-ways in the country.

“Don’t kid yourselves — you aremaking history today,” Kiesermantold constables and CoastGuardsmen assembled at StationBelle Isle, which itself is locatedless than two hundred yards fromthe international border. “This isabout changing the way, fundamentally, that we do law

enforcement on the Great Lakes.”With that in mind, Constable

Mark Stentaford of the RCMP madethe first Shiprider boarding, fromone of Station Belle Isle’s responseboats, in Canadian waters betweenPeche Island Provincial Park andthe Windsor Yacht Club.

“We’re working together with theCoast Guard,” Stentaford explainedto the pair of Canadian fishermen,who were surprised to find aMountie on a U.S. vessel inCanadian waters. “It’s part of aplan to improve law enforcementalong the border.”

Now that the pilot project iscomplete, Kieserman said,American and Canadian expertswill evaluate its effectiveness anddecide how to proceed. If continu-ing the program makes sense toboth countries, Kieserman said, hehopes to expand the number oflocations next spring on the GreatLakes where Shiprider can beimplemented. Administrators alsowould like to see whether Shipridercan continue beyond a short-termsurge operation.

“Can we sustain this in someform or steady way?” he said.“Maybe not every day, but it wouldbe good to have the flexibility to dothese operations at will.”

Kieserman added that prospectsfor expanding the program, at leastin the 9th District, appear fairlygood.

“This is about two governments

respecting each other’s sovereignty, and finding a way todo this in the light of day,”Kieserman told the first batch ofShipriders as they were preparing to get underway for thefirst time. “We’re laying the foundation for future operations onthe Great Lakes.”

oasties are alwaysready. Mounties alwaysget their man.

Nicknames and mottos aside, the U.S.Coast Guard and theRoyal Canadian

Mounted Police seem like a natural pair. Both organizationshave a wide range of duties,including maritime law enforce-ment. But that doesn’t meanputting together a pilot projectcalled Shiprider — which teamedthe two agencies for joint lawenforcement along theU.S./Canadian border in the 9thDistrict this September — was asimple matter.

“It’s not about us getting along,because we do,” said Lt. Cmdr.Brad Kieserman, chief of theOperations Law Group in theCoast Guard’s Office of Maritimeand International Law. “It’s aquestion of whether we can makeour sovereign borders as transparent to us as they are tocriminals.”

Under the program, which ranfrom Sept. 12 through Sept. 25,2005, 16 Coast Guard boardingofficers from stations Belle Isle,Harbor Beach, Port Huron, St.Clair Shores, and Toledo trainedto ride with Mounties on RCMPpatrol boats. At the same time,

12 Mounties from the RCMPdetachment in Windsor, Ontariowere trained to ride aboard theCoast Guard’s response boats inthe same area.

All underwent eight days oftraining — coordinated by SectorDetroit — at Station St. ClairShores. Instructors from theMaritime Law EnforcementAcademy, Immigration andCustoms Enforcement, and theRCMP provided the training.

Coast Guard boats participat-ing in the project generally carried three Coast Guardsmenand one RCMP officer. RCMPboats typically carried twoMounties and a CoastGuardsman. Coast Guard boatsconcentrated on conductingboardings of recreational boatson the Canadian side; RCMPboats concentrated on doingthem in the U.S. — with the ideaof getting boaters on both sides ofthe border accustomed to theidea of being stopped by lawenforcement boats from the othercountry.

Minor modifications to boatswere required, as well. Canadianlaw requires law enforcementboats to fly the Canadian flag,and be marked with the word“police,” so placards were madefor posting on the Coast Guard’s


TT erritorial Territorial T eameam ww ororkkShiprider program teams up U.S. andCanadian authorities for joint law enforcementduties on the Great LakesStory and photo by PA1 John Masson, USCGR, 9th Dist.

Border Guards Constable Angelique Dignard, of the RoyalCanadian Mounted Police, and BM1 William Blair, from Coast Guard StationBelle Isle, Mich., patrol together aboard a Coast Guard patrol boat along theinternational border between the U.S. and Canada. The Shiprider programallows RCMP and Coast Guard personnel to ride on each other’s vesselsand enforce laws in both Canada and the United States.


C


ADRIFTt was late onWednesday,Sept. 13,

1944, andFireman FirstClass WilliamRuhl had justcome off nightwatch in the CGCJackson’s engineroom. Scramblingup to the galleyin his work shirtand dungarees, he removed his life jackettaking a seat at a nearby table to listen to a broadcast about the impendingstorm. Suddenly, the Jackson began to roll violently, said Ruhl. “One particular roll didn’t straighten out, and I grabbed hold ofsome locker handles and was hanging on,”he recalls of his experience, six decades ago.Without warning, the hatch opened and seawater came rushing in. Only after theengine room crew helped Ruhl scurry up thepassageway to the deck did he remember hislife vest below.

“I said, ‘well Ruhl, whaddya do now?’ ”Luckily, a raft torn from the ship’s deck

floated by and Ruhl grabbed it. He wouldspend the next several hours strugglingand watching as his ship and the Bedloewere tossed at sea, taking many still-trapped members of both crews. “The waves were like mountains rolling

over the ship,” he says, shaking his head.To see the ship he called home for months

lying on its side and sinking, was a bit overwhelming for a young man. Ruhl said helost a certain taste for the sea after thatdefining moment.

What became known as the GreatAtlantic Hurricane of 1944 was the equivalent of a category 4 storm, causingdamage along the entire Eastern seaboard.All told, 48 men from both cutters lost theirlives in the infamous storm. The Vineyard

In the basement of his home in Lewisburg, Pa., just to the left of a creaky

staircase, William Ruhl, 79, beckons visitors to his office. Mementoes adorn the

walls and shelves, most harkening back to his days as a high school principal.

Nearby, black-and-white images portray Ruhl, circa 1944, whose youthful visage

belies the harrowing ordeal he survived just hours earlier as a fireman, first class

aboard the CGC Jackson. The Jackson was one half of a two-vessel patrol

searching the Atlantic for German U-boats. On one ill-fated night in September that

year, he was a crewmember on one of the cutters trying to rescue the George Ade,

a torpedoed Liberty ship off the coast of North Carolina.

However, a violent late-summer storm took not only the Jackson to the bottom,

but also claimed its sister ship, the CGC Bedloe, leaving crewmen of both ships

adrift in the storm-tossed sea for three days and two nights.

A CGC Jackson survivorrecounts his harrowing survival at sea

The Fate of the CGC Jackson The watercolor painting by Louis Barberis shows the liberty ship George Ade after it was torpedoed off Cape Hatteras, N.C. by a German U-boat, Sept. 12, 1944. Coast Guard cuttersJackson and Bedloe were sent out to rescue it during a Hurricane and both cutters were lost in the storm.

Sea Survivor William Ruhl was one ofa handful to survive the sinking of the CGCJackson off the North Carolina coast in 1944.

Photo courtesy of the Ruhl family

I

Story by PA2 Judy Silverstein, USCGR

Sound Lightship #73, was also lostin the storm, with all 12 crewmembers losing their lives.

The raft’s wooden slat bottomwas lashed to an inner tube withrope, barely leaving room for thosedesperate for support. About six toeight men joined him aboard thecrude raft taking turns through thenight, holding on or sitting astrideit, says Ruhl.

At sunrise the next morning,The North Carolina skies hadcleared as the sun shone brightly.Ruhl admits to a certain convictionthey would be rescued. Yet theindelible memoriesof men floating in adebris field can stillstir strong emotions, he says.

There were alsoother emotionsamong the crew. Asthey struggled toshare theirmakeshift inflatablelife support off theNorth Carolinacoast, they agreedto not drink themilk cartons and tosave the water injugs lashed to theraft. But as the mendozed, one youngman helped himselfto a long swig, whena large waved tossedthe jug out of hishands and out tosea. That made a

bad situation somewhat worse,says Ruhl who admits to some lingering disgust about the incident.

A Navy plane passed overheadand the men waved. But as thesun set two more times, the menbecame a bit desperate, relying onRuhl to recite the Lord’s Prayer torestore their hope.

“I don’t recall what we talkedabout at sea, but I do know theprayers helped,” he says. “I’d haveto say, looking back there was agreat feeling of divine interventionand answering of prayers.”

On day three, the naval pilotmade another lucky pass overhead.A photo taken within mere hoursof the rescue, shows Ruhl sittingon a wing of the Naval airplaneflown by Joe Webber, whose nameRuhl recalls with little effort.Fingering a crew manifest, Ruhlstill brightens up when speakinghis name. Awaiting transport by avessel, back to shore, Ruhl looks alittle worn in the photo. He alsorecalls seeing sharks circling forthe first time, and considered howlucky he and 18 others had beenfor three days to only encounter afew jellyfish and Portuguese man-of–war.

Meanwhile, some 1,000 milesaway back in Pennsylvania, Ruhl’sparents were at a dinner partywhen they heard the celebrity radiocommentator Gabriel Heatterannounce: “Bad news…Two CoastGuard ships have sank. There areonly a few survivors.” Though gutwrenching news, Ruhl’s dadremained optimistic, announcinghis son was a strong swimmer andwould be one of the survivors.

A short hospital stay inElizabeth City, N.C., promised hotmeals, which had great appeal.One year later, he finished his military obligation and left theCoast Guard for Pennsylvania and pursuit of a college education.Using his GI Bill, he attained amaster’s degree at BucknellUniversity, later becoming a high


school educator in social studies.Later, he worked as a guidancecounselor, principal and superintendent. His unique perspective on World War II likelygave him an edge in helping interpret the role of history for students.

Ruhl still enjoys being interviewed by novelists anddespite the late hour, unfurls achart depicting exactly where theJackson sunk to a watery grave.Though retired since 1979, Ruhlstays active in his community,unfailingly representing the Coast

Guard by marching in the annualLewisburg Fourth of July parade,which attracts attendees frombeyond the state’s borders. Achampion of the smallest of themilitary services, he has anunflinching dedication after allthese years. And despite an unforgettable and historic few days

at sea, his loyalty remains steadfast. “I learned to love theCoast Guard,” said Ruhl, now a landlubber by all accounts.

As he stands to acknowledge his role as a former CoastGuardsman at Wolfe Road, remembering the strains of SemperParatus brings a smile to his face.

... Yet the indelible m em ories of m en

floating in a debris field can still stir

strong em otions.

Heading for dry land

William Ruhl, third from the left,rests aboard a transport ship withother survivors of the ill-fatedCoast Guard Cutters Jackson andBedloe. Ruhl spent three daysand two nights at sea clinging to amakeshift life raft.


Sea plane salvation Survivors of the Coast Guard Cutters Jackson and Bedloe climb aboard the wings ofthe Navy sea plane that sighted them after three days adrift at sea when their cutters sank in the Great AtlanticHurricane of 1944.

Photo by Naval pilot, courtesy of William Ruhl

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

of W

illia

m R

uhl

At sunrise the next m orning The North

Carolina skies had cleared as the sun

shone brightly. Ruhl adm its to a certain

conviction they w ould be rescued ...

vessels transiting in and out of Seattle’s Puget Sound.Then, in preparation for Monsoon’s counterdrug patrol,the crew completed a warning shot and disabling fireexercise in San Diego while shooting at a remote-controlled target running alongside the ship at speedsexceeding 20 knots.

Clendenin said that the cutter’s four engines, whichproduce more than 16,000 horsepower, help to pushthe cutter through seas at high speeds.

The Monsoon set off on its first counterdrug patrol inthe Eastern Pacific Oct. 29, 2005. The CGC Aspen, a225-foot buoy tender homeported in San Francisco,accompanied the Monsoon for the patrol to add addi-tional logistical support.

Clendenin explained that the size and speed of theship has advantages, but those qualities also come withchallenges for the crew. He said the cutter has to berefueled every five to six days and if they becomeinvolved in a high-speed chase they would have to refuel even sooner, which emphasizes the importance ofAspen’s support.

Monsoon’s boarding team was a hybrid mix of twomembers from the cutter and five members from the

Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team, who wereaboard to provide training and extra guidance.

This unique boarding team was authorized to perform unannounced night boardings, a type ofboarding no other boarding team aboard a Coast Guardcutter is currently authorized to do. However, othercyclone-class cutters also are training to conduct suchboardings.

An unannounced night boarding gives the team anelement of surprise not found during a normal board-ing.

“We do a UNB in an effort to keep the suspects fromcatching their own vessel on fire or opening scuttlingvalves, which are specially built into the boat by thesuspects to sink their boat along with any evidence in amatter of minutes,” said FS1 Leopoldo Flores, a boarding officer aboard the Monsoon.

The Monsoon’s 27-person crew lives in tight quarters with no recreational spaces, leaving the messdeck, which only seats 12, as the only place on boardfor the crew to congregate to watch movies or playgames when meals are not being served.

“It’s hard to do anything here to have fun, becauseeverything is so crammed,” said BM2 Don Deleo.“Morale for me is when we get involved in any caseswhile underway, but as a crew we do okay. Our portcalls are usually only 10-12 days apart, so that helps.”

After completing their first counterdrug patrol, theMonsoon’s crew acquired valuable skills, and overcame many obstacles. They also discovered what ittakes to use the cutter to its fullest capabilities.

“We learned so much from this patrol and we plan onusing it to make our next patrol even more productive,”said Clendenin.

Nearly invisible when steaming through the sea,and capable of moving its 179-foot hull at speedsexceeding 30 knots even when fully loaded, a new

breed of ship finally entered the Coast Guard’s druginterdiction arena in October 2005 after a year’s worthof trial and preparation.

The CGC Monsoon, homeported in San Diego sinceOctober 2004, is one of five PC-179s being leased fromthe Navy, and is now pushing the envelope, testing the cutter’s unique characteristics by conducting counterdrug operations in the EasternPacific.

“This ship is able to move faster than any cutter inthe Coast Guard, and the lack of counterdetection is abig advantage,” said Cmdr. Scott Clendenin, the com-manding officer of the Monsoon. “Its gray hull makesit very difficult to detect with the naked eye whileunderway, and our maneuverability is very good athigh speeds.”

The Navy’s patrol coastal 179-foot ships beganassisting maritime homeland security and other operations under Coast Guard tactical control inNovember 2001. They assisted with patrollingentrances to major ports, enforcing security zones,doing harbor patrols and vessel escorts.

The joint assistance arrangementwent so well that the Navy and

Coast Guard came to an agreement to lease five of the PC-179s to the Coast Guard beginning Oct. 1, 2004 forfour years. The original plan was for the179s to fill a gap left by the CoastGuard’s 110-foot patrol boats, whichwere out of commission receiving 13-foot hull extensions, but thatprogram since has been cancelled.

During the four year lease, twoof the 179s will be homeported inSan Diego and three others inPascagoula, Miss. The cutterswill be manned and operated by a Coast Guardcrew, but the Navy will continue to fund the maintenance until 2008 whenthe lease will be re-evaluated.

During the Monsoon’s first yearin the CoastGuard, thecrew providedsecurity forhigh-risk

Law enforcem ent team s

utilize unique type of boarding

Story and photos by PA3 Brian Leshak, PACAREA

CG Leases Navy Ships,

Fights Drug W ar


Full Throttle The CGCMonsoon as seen during a highspeed training drill while underwayin support of counter drug opera-tions.

BBEECCAAUU SSEEYYOO UU CCAARREE

CGMA Fund-raising Campaign kicks off in AprilThe Coast Guard family answered the challenges of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma last fall with an

unprecedented outpouring of concern and personal financial support. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance wasthere to rapidly provide assistance to the emergency needs of hundreds of Coast Guard individuals and families, while continuing to meet the needs that arose throughout the Coast Guard community.

The outpouring last fall was deeply appreciated. Members must not forget, however, that it is the caringpeople who support CGMA consistently from year-to-year that keep CGMA strong in the long term andensure that it can continue supporting Coast Guard members in times of need.

This year’s campaign theme is: “...Because you care.” If you have not joined the ranks of CGMA contributors, consider doing so this year. And, if you’re a usual contributor, thank you for extending thehand of care and compassion to fellow shipmates and coworkers.

For more information, see your CGMA Key Worker; contact your local CGMA representative; call CGMAHeadquarters at (800) 881-2462 or (202) 493-6621; or visit the CGMA Web site at www.cgmahq.org.

Black history lessonRetired Lt. Herb Collins, left, reads excerptsfrom a first edition of the book, “Jim CrowJoins Up,” with Department ofTransportation Secretary Norman Y. Minetaat the DOT Black History Month ProgramFeb. 21. Mineta presented the book, whichis about blacks joining the military duringWorld War II, as a surprise gift to Collins.

Collins, who was one of the last Pea Islandlifesavers, helped former first lady EleanorRoosevelt while she did research for the book inNorth Carolina, and she mentions Collins inthe book’s acknowledgements. Collins lost hisoriginal copy, which was signed by Roosevelt,in a house fire, and friends within the CoastGuard arranged to have first lady Laura Bushsign the copy Mineta presented to him on Feb.21.

Pea Island was the only all-black station inthe history of the U.S. Lifesaving Service andthe Coast Guard.

Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon was the program’s guest speaker.


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Professional Marinermagazine has selected theCoast Guard flight andsupport crews thatresponded to HurricaneKatrina as its 2005 PlimsollAward winner.

Each year, ProfessionalMariner, the Journal of theMaritime Industry, presents Plimsoll awards tothose who have made substantial contributionsto safety in the maritimeindustry.

“This year we are honoring Coast Guardflight and support crews fortheir courageous and skillful response toHurricane Katrina. They

acted in the finest maritimetradition by bravely comingto the rescue of others during a time of great crisisand danger,” saidProfessional Mariner editorJohn Gormley, Jr.

“The Coast Guard aviation program is honored to be selected forthis year’s Plimsoll Award.This recognition reflectsnot only the accomplish-ments of those who flewthe missions, but also thehard work and sacrifices ofthose countless individualswho supported the effortsfrom behind the scenes,”said Capt. Mike Moore,chief of the Coast Guard’sOffice of Aviation Forces.”

Capt. Thomas Ostebo,commanding officer of AirStation Cape Cod, isaccepting the Plimsoll at anawards ceremony on March21 in Stamford, Conn.

The Plim soll Spirit

AET3 Travis Patterson performs routine maintenance on an HH-60Jayhawk helicopter at ATCMobile, Sept. 4, 2005.

Aviation forces namedPlimsoll Award winner

CG team competes atIronman World Championship

Participating in their second Ford IronmanWorld Championship, Team Coast Guard placedthird in the military team competition, which washeld in Kona, Hawaii, Oct. 15, 2005.

The Hawaiian Ironman triathlon is consideredone of the toughest endurance races, since participants must swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 milesand run a full marathon in succession.

Representing the Coast Guard was Lt. Cmdr.Joe Zwack, MLC Alameda, Calif.; FSC Chris Roth,CG Recruiting Office, Tacoma, Wash.; Lt. Cmdr.Amy Cocanour, Sector Seattle; and AETCS Mike Ferreira, Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii. Nostrangers to Ironman, the team boasts 32 eventsbetween them.

“Kona Worlds is an ugly curveball in thetriathlon community. The distance is toughenough, but then pile on Hawaii’s harsh elementsand world class competition and you quickly realize that you have to shelve past performancesand race within yourself on that day,” said Zwack,who finished the race in 11 hours, 42 minutes and3 seconds and was the oldest competitor in themilitary division at 45.

“The Hawaii Ironman is always a unique race, and possibly the Ironman I fear

and respect the most because of

the saltwater, heatand winds,”saidCoconour,who wascompeting inher 11thIronman andplaced thirdamongwomen inthe militarycategory.

Ferreirawas theCoast

Guard’s top performer finishing as the fourthfastest military competitor at 9 hours, 59 minutesand 1 second. “What an honor to compete for theCoast Guard at the premier endurance event in theworld,” said Ferreira, who was participating in hissecond Ironman event.

Volunteers from theCGC Boutwell, working in support

of Project Handclasp,delivered three pallets ofmuch-needed supplies toa children’s home inTocumen, Panama, Dec.31, 2005 during the cutter’s mid-patrol break.

The 378-foot highendurance cutter, home-ported in Alameda, Calif.,loaded the supplies during a fuel stop in SanDiego last November as itheaded south for a counternarcotics patrol.The supplies were collected by ProjectHandclasp and includedmedical supplies, hygieneproducts, school suppliesand toys.

The majority of thematerials were donated toCasa Hogar Tocumen, anorphanage that shelters70-120 boys between theages of two and 15.

Project Handclasp wasestablished by the U.S.Navy in 1962 and its primary mission is collecting and coordinat-ing the distribution of humanitarian, educationaland goodwill materials to

those in need.In addition to the items

donated to the children’shome, text books weredonated to the school ofEscuela Fuente de Amor.Escuela Fuente is achurch located in a disadvantaged communityand is a school and hometo more than 300 elementary schoolchild-ren. Boutwell crewmem-bers also painted classrooms and correctedfaulty electrical wiring.

The People-to-PeopleCoordinator at the U.S.Embassy in Panama identified the two organizations.

Boutwell volunteersworked side-by-side atboth sites with membersof the Panamanian coastguard and embassy staffand family members.While at home inAlameda, Boutwellcrewmembers often workwith the East Bay Habitatfor Humanity, buildinghomes for limited incomefamilies in the SanFrancisco area.


CGC Boutwell

Charitable crew delivers aid toPanamanian children’s home

Offload Ops

Cmdr. John McKinley,CGC Boutwell executiveofficer, and HITRON pilotLt. Dan Deutermann,unload donated materialsat Casa Hogar Tocumenorphanage in Tocumen,Panama, Dec. 31.

Story and photo courtesy Lt. Cmdr. Amy Cocanour, Sector Seattle

Endurance Epitom izedLeft to right, Lt. Cmdr. Joe Zwack,FSC Chris Roth, Lt. Cmdr. AmyCocanour and AETCS Mike Ferreirarepresent the Coast Guard at theFord Ironman World Championshipin Kona, Hawaii, Oct. 15, 2005.

PHOTO BY PA2 NYXOLYNO CANGEMI, 8TH DIST..

Story and photo courtesy

Ensign Kelly Koch, CGC Boutwell

United States Embassy Caracasis located in the hills of ValleArriba overlooking the city cen-

ter of Caracas. The Venezuelan capi-tal is in a mountain valley approxi-mately seven miles inland from theNorthern coast at an altitude of3,000 feet. The combined proximityto the Caribbean, altitude and thetunnel effect formed by the mountainvalley result in an extremely pleasantclimate. Air conditioning and heating are unnecessary, and veryfew homes have either.

The only USCG position inVenezuela is the Coast GuardAttaché (COGATT) who works in the

Defense Attaché Office (DAO) of theEmbassy. DAOs are located in over130 missions worldwide. TheDefense Attaché System has provided advice and assistance to theU.S. national command authoritysince the Civil War and was officiallyformed on Sept. 14, 1948 as a forward element and liaison regarding military and political-military affairs of strategicimportance and relevance to national security.

The DAO is a great opportunity towork with counterparts from theother services. DAO Caracas hastwo principal missions: advise and

assist the Ambassador, and represent the Department of Defenseand individual services to the hostnation and military. The advice andassistance role requires the DAO toact as a link for the ambassador andnational military command authorityto the host nation on military activities that have a bearing on theambassador’s diplomatic activities,while providing an objective view ofthe host nation’s armed forces andtheir impact on U.S. foreign policyand the functions of the diplomatic mission.

The COGATT also serves as theU.S. Military Attaché to nine EasternCaribbean countries with responsibilities that begin in SaintKitts to the north and extendthrough all the English speakingislands to the south includingTrinidad and Tobago.

Nearby Las Mercedes is home tosome of the best restaurants inVenezuela, with nearly every ethnicgroup represented as well as the bestof traditional Venezuelan food. AndVenezuelan beaches easily rival anyof those found in the neighboring Eastern Caribbeanisland chain.

U.S. Embassy Caracas providesthe opportunity to live in a moderncity of four million people, representour service and our country, workwith sister services and the department of state, intimately experience international diplomacy,and play a vital role in internationalrelations. It is an experience andchallenge you will not forget.


American EmbassyCaracas, Venezuela

Housing For security reasons, all embassy employees live in the upperfloors of apartment buildings. Apartments are affordable, secure, very wellappointed, and generally offer a spectacular view of Caracas and the Avilamountain range.

Education Most children of embassy personnel attend Escuela CampoAlegre, which is a U.S. accredited international school that offers theInternational Baccalaureate program. The school has students from over 50countries and is approximately 75 percent Venezuelan.

Facilities Facilities within the embassy compound are limited, but access inthe local economy is generally of good quality, convenient and inexpensive.

Weather Average daytime high temperatures are in the mid to low 80s,with nights dipping to between the mid 60s and low 70s. Temperatures varyonly slightly throughout the year. The only noticeable difference is the rainy season, which occurs during summer in contrast to the dry season of winter.

Greetings from


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Coast Guard Sea VeteransAssociation looking for members

The Coast Guard Sea Veterans Association has anew Web site (http://cgsva.lbbhost.com) and is looking for new members. CGSVA is open to all CoastGuard veterans and active duty members who havefelt, or feel the experience of having served.

Founded in 1986, the CGSVA is a chartered, non-profit, tax-exempt organization that provides asocial forum for current members and Veterans of anyCoast Guard duty station, be it air, sea, shore, officeor sea, and from any time period.

CG Aviators inductedinto Hall of Fame

Eleven Coast Guard aviators who flew combatrescue missions in Vietnam were inducted intothe U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Hall of Fame, Nov.8, 2005.

The Coast Guard Aviation Association (TheAncient Order of the Pterodactyl) recognized thefollowing aviators who voluntarily served with theU.S. Air Force Aerospace Rescue and Recoveryforces in Southeast Asia from 1968 - 1972.

Lt. Richard.V. ButchkaLt. Cmdr. Joseph L. CroweLt. Lance A. EaganLt. Robert E. LongLt. James M. LoomisLt. Roderick Martin, IIILt. Cmdr. Lonnie L. MixonLt. James C. QuinnLt. Robert T. RitchieLt. Jack C. RittichierLt. Jack K. Stice

During the Vietnam conflict, these aviatorsregularly risked their lives flying into harm’s wayto save airmen in peril of death or capture.Together, they earned four Sliver Stars, 15Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 95 Air Medals.

The CGAA provides active Coast Guard aviation personnel with safety, maintenance andrescue awards; helps establish, guide and fundmuseum exhibits; and works to preserve CoastGuard aviation history. For more information,visit their Web site at www.aoptero.org.

Hurricane Katrina travel claimaudit underway

The Personnel Service Center Travel Branch hasestablished an audit team dedicated to reviewing all

Hurricane Katrina evacuation andresponder travel claims.

Immediately following Katrina’slandfall, a decision was made to payall claims up-front, with the understanding that a complete

post-payment review would take place.The audit team will be reviewing all travel claims to

ensure members were fully and accurately paid whilemaking sure that proper documentation, such as original orders and travel receipts, have been received.

If additional documentation is needed or a discrepancy if found, members will be contacted directlyby the audit team.

Inquiries should be directed to the PSC CustomerCare Branch by calling (705) 339-2200 or (866) 772-8724; or e-mailing [email protected]; orby completing the online form atwww.uscg.mil/hq/psc/customerservice.shtm.

“Ace of the Lakes” decommissioninginvitees sought

The CGC Acacia decommissioning is

scheduled for June 7, 2006 in Charlevoix, Mich., andthe ceremony planning officer is looking for interestedmembers for the ceremony invitation list. All thosewho wish to be put on the invitation list should emailEnsign Benjamin Oloughlin [email protected] or by calling him at(231) 547-4447 or (231) 547-4448.

Murals project seeking Prinsendamrescue recollections

The 1980 M/V Prinsendam rescue operation in theGulf of Alaska is one of the themes being included inthe Coast Guard Academy Class of 1962’s HistoricalMurals project, and they are seeking recollectionsand/or photos from individuals who participated inthe rescue.

The information will be used to assist the artist indeveloping an historically-correct mural.

Interested personnel should contact Len Pichini byemail at [email protected]. For more information, visitthe Class of 1962’s Web site at www.uscga1962.org.

Story and photo courtesy Cmdr. Craig Corl,

Coast Guard Attaché, Venezuela.

M aintaining Am erica’s W aterw aysBMC Daniel Burke (left) and BM3 Bradley Latigue work ontop of a buoy near Spruce Cape, Kodiak, Alaska, as the fishing vessel Providence heads out to sea, Jan. 16. Burkeand Latigue were aboard the buoy to repair the extinguishedlight. They are crewmembers of the CGC Sycamore homeported in Cordova, Alaska.

Photo by PA1 Paul Roszkowski, PADET Kodiak

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