district eight eastern coast guard region...
TRANSCRIPT
HEARTLAND GUARDIAN
Volume 3 Issue 7
July 2013
D I S T R I C T E I G H T E A S T E R N C O A S T G U A R D R E G I O N
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
PAGE TWO
PAGE THREE
PAGE FOUR
Flotilla Standup
Santa Maria
Ohio River Sweep
PAGE FIVE
Rocket City
Coast Guard Day
PAGE SIX
Three Little Words
PAGE EIGHT
PAGE SEVEN
C.G.Day Photos
We say goodbye to Captain Larry
Hewett and hello to Captain
Richard Timme as Command
changes at Sector Ohio Valley.
Rear Admiral Kevin Cook,
Commander, Eight Coast Guard
District gave remarks wishing
Captain Hewett Fair Winds and
welcomed Captain Timme aboard.
Captain Timme is no stranger to
the Auxiliary having served with
MSU Pittsburg. Welcome aboard!
Left: Map of Sector Ohio Valley
Photo Below: Captain Hewett inspecting
members of Sector Ohio Valley
Photos and article: Randy Ventress USCGAUX
Photo Above: Captain Hewett with one
of his many plaudits.
Right: Front page of Program
2
NEW FLOTILLA CHARTERS
On Saturday July 27, 2013 Flotilla 7 was chartered in Division 11. Master of Ceremonies, Jack Wood, DCDR
Division 11 kicked things off introducing CDR. Juliet Hudson, Director of Auxiliary Eighth Eastern Region,
LCDR. Doug Salik, Supervisor MSD Nashville, Rick Schal, DCOS, and Randy Ventress, DCAPT-S as guest
speakers. Flotilla 11-7 is based in the Clarksville, Tennessee and Fort Campbell, Kentucky area and has
sixteen members with four more interested in joining the Auxiliary.
Members of Flotilla 11-7
Fred Gilman FC
Diane Gilman VFC
James O’Bryant FSO-PA/PB
Ken Gilman FSO-CM
Mark Chandler FSO-MT/NS
Steve Janick
Vic Daniel FSO-FN
Bill Zientek FSO-MA
Mike Long
William Welty FSO-MS
Dennis Ealey FSO-DV
Chad Ramme FSO-HR
Sam Mohler
Charlie Cusic
Aaron Lewis FSO-VE/PV
Rhonda Lewis FSO-SR/CS
Top Photo: Officers being sworn in
Photo: Jennie Gilman
Center Photo: No party is
complete without a great (diet) Red
Velvet cake
Photo: Harry Stephenson USCGAUX
Bottom Photo: The Crew
Photo: Harry Stephenson USCGAUX
Welcome Aboard Flotilla 11-7!
Photos Left to Right: CDR Hudson presents Charter to Fred Gilman FC, LCDR Doug Salik, and Rick Schal DCOS
Photos: Jennie Gilman
3
COAST GUARD AUXILIARY CELEBRATES
SEVENTY-FOURTH ANNIVERSARY
ON THE SANTA MARIA
On June 22, 2013 Flotilla 081806 celebrated the U.S. Coast Guards’ 74th Anniversary with an amateur radio
special event at a replica of Christopher Columbus’s Flag Ship, the Santa Maria, in Columbus Ohio. Flotilla
members set up and tested an amateur radio transmission facility aboard the Santa Maria and broadcasted live
throughout the day on Sunday, June 23 (20m SSB and 10m SSB) with a special event call sign, K8G.
Electronic QSL cards were issued during the event with unofficial contacts count stood at 26 with all contacts
made on 20 Meter Single Sideband (SSB) phone. The average distance of a contact made was approximately
650 miles with the most distant station contacted at nearly 2100 miles. The closest station contacted was just
under 300 miles.
WD4DC “Dan” of Sarasota, Florida returned a confirming Electronic QSL card. Flotilla Vice Commander
Leon Weisenberger of Flotilla 18-6 took the position of Chief Logger and Yeoman for this event and manned
the flotillas’ laptop computer, logging all outgoing and incoming responses. Commodore Bill McGonigal took
the duties of Radio Operator and single handedly doubled the contact count from aboard the Santa Maria
Radio Station K8G with less than one hour of operating time logged.
Plans are in the works to repeat this event on October 19th, 2013 as part of the National Commemoration of
the 74th year of the founding of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary by contacting hams on the amateur
radio bands with the appropriately assigned 1x1 call signs.
A very special thanks goes to Kent Stanley (K8GPZ) for the loan of his fine and vintage transceiver that made
the whole event possible and successful, Pat Linesch (K9CGA) for bringing his Communications Van and
support tent. This made a nice addition dockside to the Santa Maria. Also to the Administrator (Director
Linda Ketcham) and the Staff (Liz and Gary) of the Santa Maria that gave us permission to come aboard and
assisted so graciously with the setup and operation of our USCG Auxiliary Special Event Station (K8G).
Note: Kent and Jenine Stanley manned this booth for questions from visitors.
Photo Right: Commodore McGonigal (AC8HN)
makes a call while Jim Reed makes an entry into
the log
Photo Left: Leon Weisenberger and Pat Linesch in
front of the Communications Trailer
Photos: Gerlinde Higginbotham USCGAUX
Photo of Santa Maria: Jenine Stanley USCGAUX
Note: Article written from information from Jim
Reed and Jenine Stanley
4
DISCLAIMER: The Heartland Guardian is an official publication of 8th Eastern Region of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The information provided here is for the edification and convenience of members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the
readers of this publication. The Heartland Guardian staff reserves the right to use or reject articles and photos; edit
submitted articles and photos for clarity, space, and or other concerns. Reprints of articles in this publication may be used
by other publications provided proper credit is given and a copy sent to the Staff of the Heartland Guardian.
Photos will be accompanied with caption and proper credit given to photographer. Articles from other publications shall be
accompanied by documentation authorizing reproduction with credit given to author and source of article.
Please direct any comments or constructive criticism to:
Publisher: Randy Ventress ADSO-PB ([email protected])
Editors: Thom McQueen DSO-PB ([email protected])
Valerie McQueen ADSO-PB ([email protected])
DIVISION 7 PARTICIPATES
IN 24th ANNUAL OHIO RIVER SWEEP
Ed Kramer USCGAUX
On June 15, 2013, Division 7 hosted what will be known in the future as the Annual USCG Auxiliary Ohio
River Sweep. Flotilla 78 members, Bob Davis DCDR, and Ed Kramer VFC, along with four volunteers and
accompanied by USCG Seaman Joe Gougeon, a member of the Osage crew, participated in the 24th Annual
Ohio River Sweep. As the Marine Safety Officer of Division 7, I feel this event fit perfectly into our mission
as Auxiliarists.
Bob Davis suggested we concentrate our efforts on the area just outside the fences at Sewickley Moorings.
This seemed to be a collection area for debris. We felt it was a great way to give back to Sewickley Moorings
and the Osage crew for all the support they give to the Auxiliary. The debris was varied and among the items
were three tires, a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation construction barrel, coolers, a fire extinguisher
and various bottles, balls, bottles and more bottles. All in all, 25 bags and the aforementioned debris weighed
approximately 700 pounds. This garbage will no longer be polluting our river.
Among the volunteers were Bob Davis' daughters, Kara and Kristin, and their friend, Elizabeth Gordon. They
were a tremendous help and have already volunteered for next year. This event was a part of the annual Ohio
River Sweep where hundreds of volunteers gathered more than 40 tons of trash and debris from the Ohio River
and its tributaries. It was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the
Ohio River Valley Water Authority.
When I contacted Betsy Mallison, the River Sweep Coordinator, to tell her the USCG Auxiliary would
participate; she said she was not aware of our existence. So, another one of our missions, Outreach was
accomplished. The event had media coverage in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review and the Sewickley Herald.
This was due to the efforts of David Zazac, FSO-PA of Flotilla 78. He does a wonderful job of media coverage
for the Auxiliary.
Next year, when we participate in the 25th Annual Ohio River
Sweep, I expect many Auxiliary volunteers. As Bob Davis stated
at the end of the day, "It was the Auxiliary, Gold Side, and the
people of the community working together to help keep the river
clean." It was a lot of work but also rewarding and fun.
JOIN US NEXT YEAR!
Photo Right: Debris collected
Photo: Ed Kramer USCGAUX
5
AUXLAMS class at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama
DeAnne Rodenburg DCDR-24
Members of Division 24, North Alabama and Eighth Coastal Region attended the AUXLAMS B class held 22
– 23 June 2013 at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama. The course is the Coast Guard
LAMS course, adapted for the volunteer Auxiliary environment, and is taught by Coast Guard trained
instructors. It is based on the Leadership Competencies, which lay the foundation for all leadership skills
necessary to be a successful leader in the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary. This is a facilitated and interactive
course dealing with Self Awareness, Motivation, Strategic Leadership, Team Building, Ethics, Conflict
Management and Performance Problem Solving. AUXLAMS is the foundation course of the Auxiliary
Leadership Continuum.
The course is taught in two sessions three to five weeks apart, arranged by the respective host POCs. Elected
leaders at all levels of the organization should take this course and will be given top priority. However,
Auxiliary personnel interested in becoming leaders are eligible for this course as long as the class size does not
exceed 35 students.
Auxiliarists are required to successfully complete a minimum of seven (7) credits from three categories of
courses to receive the AUXOP qualification. The list of courses in the leadership category includes the
Auxiliary Leadership and Management School (AUXLAMS). AUXLAMS is also a prerequisite for Flotilla
Commanders (FC) to attend the Auxiliary Mid-Level Officers Course (AMLOC-05A).
AUXLAMS recently received a favorable review by the Accreditation Council on Education (ACE) and has
been recommended for 3 upper-division undergraduate college credits. This is the first Auxiliary course to be
reviewed by ACE and the only one with a college credit recommendation.
Front Row – Left to Right –
Rita Blair Division 24
William Stadtlander Division 24
DeAnne Rodenburg Division 24
Roseanne DeRamus Division 24
John Greene 8th Coastal
Bradley Smith Division 24
Joe Kleri Division 24
Back Row – Left to Right
Justin Elam Division 11
Robert Essig Division 24
Lois Wilkinson Division 24
BenjaminDavis 8th Coastal
William Benson Division 24
Duncan Wilkinson Division 24
Michael Brzezicki Division 11 (Lead
Instructor)
Photo: Chris Whitacre USCGAUX
Article: DeAnne Rodenburg
STARFISH
When the tide goes out, if a starfish is slow in following the tide, a
tidal pool is usually the salvation of the fish. However this is only if
the starfish can find a tidal pool in time. Living outside water and
even in a tidal pool for a long period of time would be deadly for the
starfish. When a tidal pool is found, the starfish will hold on until
the tide comes back in.
“Starfish are born with the knowledge that the tide may go out, but it
will always come back in.”
The Starfish Files (Alex Hiam)
6
COAST GUARD AUXILIARY PREPARES YOUTHS FOR CAREERS ON THE WATER
High School students from all over Ohio flooded Alum Creek Marina in Delaware, Ohio, for the 12th Annual
“Coast Guard Day” session. Nearly 40 students and counselors attended the day-long activities on June 25, as
part of the Summer Transportation Institute, a program put on by Central State University (CSU) in
Wilberforce, Ohio.
Jay Garcia, past Commander of Flotilla 18-7 and current Assistant Diversity Officer for District 8, Eastern
Region, has coordinated Coast Guard Day since its inception. His goal with the program has always been to
bring awareness of the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary to the community at large and to help the students plan
their future. “The Coast Guard has so much to offer, and we try to expose them to all the possibilities that are
out there. Plus, many of these kids don’t come from great backgrounds so it’s rewarding to see them enjoy a
day on and around the water. Most of have them have never even been on a boat before so that’s why we end
the day on a high note with a cruise around Alum Creek Reservoir,” explained Mr. Garcia.
The activities at Alum creek are just one part of CSU’s Summer Transportation Institute, jointly sponsored by
the Federal Highway Administration and the Ohio Department of Transportation. The program for 9th – 11th
graders is four weeks, and each week is devoted to a particular transportation segment: Air, Land, Sea and
Energy. Gorgui Ndao is the project director of CSU’s program and explained why this program is so
important to these students. “We want to get them at this early stage of their lives and expose them to career
paths they may never have thought about, especially careers in the transportation Industry.” Mr. Ndao
indicated that a good number of students who go through this program will end up enrolling with CSU and
pursue a career in a transportation-related field. He couldn’t say how many ended up enlisting with the Coast
Guard but he said the interest level is always high after Coast Guard Day.
Besides Coast Guard and Auxiliary speakers, the Auxiliary has invited professionals from various occupations
operating on or near the water to speak to the students, such as members of ODNR and the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers. This year, Alum Creek Park Ranger, Sylvia Chelf, from the Engineer’s office spoke about the
design of the reservoir and it’s intended use as flood control, water supply and most important for boaters,
recreation. Besides serving the 3.5 million visitors that Alum Creek State Park will get each year, Ms. Chelf
spoke about the varied jobs available through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, most of which are for
civilians.
One of the highlights of the day was a visit from District 8, Eastern Region, Commodore William McGonigal.
He spoke about the variety of careers available to Coast Guard personnel, the Coast Guard Academy, and most
importantly, boating safety. “When you’re on the water there are ‘Rules of the Road’ just like when you’re in
a car. You just need to know how to read the signs on the water.” He talked about how crucial the role of the
Auxiliary was on inland bodies of water like Alum Creek, “You may wonder what the Coast Guard Auxiliary
is doing in a place like Alum Creek, but there are more boating fatalities here than any other body of water in
Ohio outside of Lake Erie.” Commodore McGonigal ended by stressing the importance of wearing lifejackets.
The day wrapped up with the students taking a cruise around the reservoir, making it a day many of them
won’t soon forget.
Article and photos on next page: Curtis Pratt USCGAUX
7
COAST GUARD DAY
(Continued from previous page)
Photo Left: District 8, Eastern Region, Commodore,
William McGonigal, takes a moment to explain to the
students at Coast Guard Day the importance on
knowing the “Rules of the Road” even on the water.
Photo Right: Division 18 volunteers, SO-PB
Kent Stanley (with his four-legged service
buddy) and SO-FN Leon Weisenberger explain
the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s mission to some
of the students.
Photo Below: Students line up to see the
Division 18 patrol craft. “I think we’re gonna
need a bigger boat!”
Photo Above: Jay Garcia, presents Central
State University’s Gorgui Ndao with the
Coast Guard Auxiliary Ensign, making him
an “honorary” Auxiliary member for his
years of support
8
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address to the Staff of Heartland Guardian.
Three Words Can Make a Difference
Adopt Character Quality Traits
Patience, understanding and compromise are three character quality traits that when adopted and adhered to
will help solve most problems that confront an Auxiliarist on a daily basis. Stacey Carter is quoted as saying,”
“Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the
unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It's all about timing.”
This is evident in the decision making process of the Chain of Leadership and Management in the Coast Guard
Auxiliary. With patience many times the solution to a situation or problem comes to you instead of you
chasing it down. Here again, the problem is the patience to wait for the solution to arrive at your doorstep.
Patience is the most difficult trait to master and creates the largest stumbling block to solutions. How many
times at a flotilla or division meeting did you want to comment on an issue and found yourself biting your
tongue as an adversary as a debate rambles on and on. By waiting patiently, your adversary buried himself in
his own rhetoric. Problem solved. There are situations that the solution is not coming fast enough and then
mistakes are made. A different course may be tried, but patiently staying the course will bring the solution to
fruition.
Understanding is more of a working tool in confronting problems. It is an agreement of opinion or feeling and
an adjustment of differences. It is important to understand all sides when there are various opinions as to a
solution. To gain a better understanding of an adversary’s point of view in a problematical situation, try
walking in the other person’s shoes. Look at the problem from his perspective and evaluate his position on an
issue. Try stepping out of the picture and looking at the picture or problem as others see it and just maybe you
will see that they are not all that right and you are not all that wrong. At this juncture, we now apply the last
character quality trait, compromise.
Compromise is the give and take in the settlement of differences and consent is reached by mutual
concessions. Compromise is the ability to work through a problem by integrating the pros and cons of both
sides of an issue and deriving from this an amicable solution. Learning to approach management decision
making by always using the character quality traits of patience, understanding and compromise will make for a
better leader and result in better and more timely solutions to problems.
Norm Arbes USCGAUX