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It’s about saving lives - any life. Mostly we succeed. Sometimes we don’t no matter how hard we try.

STORY ON PAGE 25

Vol. 30 No. 1 Spring 2003

It’s about saving lives - any life. Mostly we succeed. Sometimes we don’t no matter how hard we try.

STORY ON PAGE 25

2 • S p r i n g 2 0 0 3 • N A V I G A T O R

2003 EDITION DEADLINES• SUMMER EDITION – MAY 15 • FALL EDITION – AUGUST 15 • WINTER EDITION – NOVEMBER 15 •

Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization.Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters, addresses and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service including the Internet is prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974.

What’s inside

Send submissions to Navigator Editor, 112 Brook Terrace, Freemont, CA 94538 or e-mail to [email protected]

ON THE COVER:

Auxiliarists from theUpper Keys Flotilla (13-8)David and Linda Bickford,Richard and Lois Hughes,and Darrell and DoreenScott assist volunteersfrom the Marine MammalConservancy in Key Largowith feeding a strandedadult male Pygmy SpermWhale. Photo by Jeremy Smith

STORY ON PAGE 25

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

S

Vol. 30, No. 1, Spring 2003

NACONNASHVILLE

pg. 36

AUXAIR pg. 36HOUSTON pg. 32

CONTEST UPDATE PAGE 3

GEORGE KEEFER CERTIFIED AS OFFICER OF THE DECK PAGE 4

COMMODORE EDGERTON PAGE 6

COMMODORE SEIBERT PAGE 8

COMMODORE MCADAMS PAGE 10

COMMODORE LARSEN PAGE 12

COMMODORE MORRIS PAGE 14

2002 MEMBER SURVEY RESULTS PAGE 17

COMMANDER OLIN PAGE 21

COMMODORE REAMS PAGE 22

COMMODORE MACKENZIE OBITUARY PAGE 24

KOKOMO: THE RESCUE OF A STRANDED WHALE (COVER STORY) PAGE 25

SAR: OPERATION PANCAKE PAGE 28

FEED THE COASTIES PAGE 30

AMLOC ‘CHARM SCHOOL’ PAGE 31

SAFETY PATROL IN HOUSTON PAGE 32

AUXAIR & AIR STATION DETROIT PAGE 34

BOATS ‘N KIDS PAGE 36

NACON NASHVILLE PAGE 38

N A V I G A T O R • S p r i n g 2 0 0 3 • 3

National publications, photography and public affairs contests announcedThe National Department of Marketing and Public Affairs announces its annual contests for Public Affairs, Publications and Photos for 2003. The deadline is June 1, 2003.

National Public Affairs Awards will be presented for the best district, division and flotilla projects. There are four basic categories: use of imagination and creativity, promoting theAuxiliary programs and Auxiliary image, attracting the attention of the media and the boatingpublic and clarity of writing and ease of replication.

National Publication Awards: Flotilla and division newsletters must be 2002 district awardwinners. A letter from the DSO-PB must certify that the flotilla and division publications arethe district winners. (DSOs-PB may submit their district publication along with the flotilla and division winners.)

Please send Public Affairs and Publication entries to:

Lois Ann Hesser, BC-APC11922 W. 12th CourtDavie, FL 33325-3865

Change in 2003 photo contestThere’s a big change in the Department of Marketing and Public Affairs photo contest for2003. The photo contest held by the Chief Director’s Office in the past, has been combinedinto the A-Department’s contest this year, expanding the number of categories for entries.Deadline for submittal is June 1, 2003.

National Photo Awards Criteria: Submit your best Auxiliary-related photo. (It does not need tohave been published.) It may be black and white or color. Regardless of how the photo origi-nated, (as a print, slide or digital photo), pictures must be submitted as prints.

There are six categories for judging: Fellowship, Marine Safety, Member Services, Operations,Public Education and Vessel Examinations. Please indicate the category of your submission.Also, please write the identifying information- who, when, what, where, on a label and affixthe label to the back of the photo.

Winners in each of the six categories are eligible for first, second or third place certificate. Aplaque will be given for the “Best of Show” photo.

Please send Photo Entries to:

Harriet Howard, DVC-AP15323 Hayford St.La Mirada, CA 90638-5315

NATIONAL CALENDAR

2003 CONTESTS

22000055NATIONALTRAININGCONFERENCEJanuary 28 – 30TBD

NATIONALCONFERENCESeptember 1 – 3Rosen Center Hotel, Orlando, FL.

22000033NATIONALCONFERENCEAugust 29 – 31Gaylord OprylandResort andConvention Center,Nashville, TN

22000044NATIONAL TRAININGCONFERENCEJanuary 23 – 25Renaissance Hotel, St. Louis, MO.

NATIONALCONFERENCETBD (Pacific Area)

Navigatoris the official magazine of the

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

www.cgaux.org

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEENational Commodore

COMO E.W. (Bill) Edgerton, NAVCO-COSNational Vice Commodore-Chief of Staff

COMO Gene M. Seibert, NAVCONational Vice Commodore - Atlantic East

COMO Mary Larson, NAVCO-A(E)National Vice Commodore - Atlantic WestCOMO Stephen B. Reams, NAVCO-A(W)

National Vice Commodore - PacificCOMO Gail Ramsey, NAVCO-P

Immediate Past National CommodoreCOMO Viggo. C. Bertelsen, Jr., NACO

Chief Director, AuxiliaryCAPT David Hill

DIRECTORATE COMMODORESNational Directorate Commodore for

Operations and Marine SafetyCOMO George E. Jeandheur, NADCO-OMS

National Directorate Commodore for Member Services

COMO Charles (Tony) G. Morris, NADCO-MSNational Directorate Commodore for Recreational Boating Safety

COMO Warren E. McAdams, NADCO-RBS

DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Department ChiefFred Gates, DC-A

Navigator EditorDelbert E. McEwen, BC-ADN

Copyright 2002Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.

All rights are reserved. No portion of this publi-cation can be copied or otherwise be used with-out written permission of the editor.

NAVIGATOR is an official informational andeducational tool for the U.S. Coast GuardAuxiliary and is intended as a training vehicleand publication to keep the membership andthe U.S. Coast Guard apprised of the activitiesof the Auxiliary.

Accordingly, all articles published in NAVIGATOR must be consistent with the stated policies of the U.S. Coast Guard andthe U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. All articles and pictures submitted to NAVIGATORbecome the property of the Coast GuardAuxiliary Association, Inc.


George Keefer walking outon an ice ridge during dutyon the USCG CutterBristol Bay.

“Helmsman, left standard rudder,steady up on course 320,” said theOfficer of the Deck of the 140 foot USCoast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay.

“Left standard rudder, steady upcourse 320, aye,” replied the SeamanApprentice, as he turned the blackhulled ship onto the next leg of its buoy-tending run.

The man in charge of the bridge thatafternoon wore no officer devices on hiscollar, but the silver and blue crossedanchors of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.George Keefer is one of only a handfulof Auxiliarists in the entire country certi-fied as Officer of the Deck Underway(OOD) and the only Auxiliarist known tobe awarded the prestigious Coast GuardCutterman’s pin.

“It’s a lot of responsibility,” said theretired educator, “The OOD is the directrepresentative running the ship for theCaptain. On the bridge, he’s responsible

for the safety of the ship.”The duties of an OOD include super-

vising the bridge crew, giving helm com-mands, controlling the throttle and keep-ing an eye on the trackline on the chart.

“It’s a boyhood dream come true,”Keefer said with a smile. “As a kid, Ihad aspirations of being a ship’s captainwhen I grew up. This is the closest I’llever get to that.”

Keefer’s early love affair with the seawas put on hold for more than twodecades while he pursued a career inteaching, started a family, and enlisted inthe Army Reserve.

“For someone who loves boating somuch, I have no idea why I joined a landbased military service,” the retired ArmyReserve captain laughed, “If I had to do itall over again, I would have gone into theCoast Guard. I wish I had known aboutit back then, because I probably wouldhave made a career out of it.”

Just 19 years ago, Keefer discoveredthe Coast Guard Auxiliary. Little did heknow that he was about to fulfill his

George Keefer gets his ‘crown jewel,’ Qualifies

as Officer of the DeckBy Chris Maurer, BC-AIANATIONAL PRESS CORPS

“I remember the first time I stepped on the Bristol Bay just seven yearsago. I knew it was about to become my second home. I remember

thinking to myself, ‘What an incredible opportunity! These are thingswe teach in PE and in boat crew training but on a much grander scale.’ ”

HOW YOU CAN AUGMENT ON A CUTTER■ Call the Coast Guard

Station nearest you

and find out the phone

numbers for the

cutters in your area.

Ask the COs if they

would be interested

in Auxiliary help.

OR Contact the

Auxiliarist’s Operation

Training Officer

■ Read the Coast

Guardsman’s Manual

to get up to speed on

customs and courtesies

■ Keep a helpful attitude

and be open to

learning. The military

often does things

differently than you

may do on your

recreational boat.


childhood fantasy.“I remember the first time I stepped

on the Bristol Bay just seven years ago,”he said, “I knew it was about to becomemy second home. I remember thinkingto myself, ‘What an incredible opportuni-ty! These are things we teach in PE andin boat crew training but on a muchgrander scale.’”

Keefer worked his way up from InportWatchstander to Quartermaster of theWatch. He learned how to take bear-ings, steer the ship, and work on thebuoy deck. Once a week, Keefer tire-lessly made the 200 mile round trip drivefrom his home in Concord, Michigan toDetroit.

Soon, the crew began to become moredependent on Keefer, considering himnot an Auxiliarist, but one of their own.

“I’m not treated any differently that Ican notice,” he said, “They welcomed

me and accepted me as part of the crew.Whenever I wanted to learn something,they’ve always been willing to do what-ever they can to help me with it.”

Over the next few years, the crownjewel of OOD was starting to becomewithin reach.

“It took me a couple of years to get myqualifications for OOD,” he remarked, “Ihad a long list of tasks to complete.”

Some of those tasks included demon-strating ship handling and underway pro-cedures, passing the Coast Guard’s navi-gation rules test, being familiar with allthe parts of the cutter, knowing damagecontrol procedures, and being able tocomplete specified engineering duties.

“The first time I took over as OOD I feltvery proud of myself. To me, that wasthe crowning achievement of my time inthe Auxiliary. I knew it was somethingfew others would ever accomplish.”

George Keefer, on the bridge of the USCG Cutter Bristol Bay, is the RearCommodore for the 9th Central Region, Division Chief Training Support in theTraining Department, SO-IS for Division 17-9 Central, and Member Training Officerfor Flotilla 17-05.


People - our most important asset

Recruit - We must ensure that werecruit quality individuals interested inparticipating and/or supporting ourprograms and missions. These indi-viduals need to have the talentsand/or skills that can make a positivecontribution either as individuals or asmembers of a team or the Flotilla.Above all they must have a positiveinterest in serving the Coast GuardAuxiliary, the Coast Guard and theNation.

Respect - We must respect the indi-vidual and what they bring to the

organization while also honoring thediversity that each member brings withthem. We must also recognize theirreasons for joining and manage theirexpectation(s) by ensuring that thedesignated mentor facilitates thoseexpectations. The appropriate trainingmust be provided in a timely and con-venient manner. The mentor mustassist the member in obtaining thequalifications that they want/need tomeet their expectations and ensurethat certification requirements areunderstood and are maintained.

COMMODORE

E. W. (BILL) EDGERTON

NATIONALCOMMODORE

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

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his is the first of three articles in which I will address individu-ally the 3Ps - People, Professionalism and Processes that Iintroduced with the National Goals for 2003 - 2004. My intent

is, by doing so, to give you a clear understanding of where we need togo, how to get there and what we’ll do when we get there.

People are our most important asset. If we fail to take care of ourpeople, our members, then we will not have the capability to performthe programs and/or missions that we are committed to as Auxiliarists.

T

Respect - We must respect the individual and what they bring to the organization while also honoring

the diversity that each member brings with them.


Recognize - The accomplishments/activities of the members must beappropriately recognized in a timelyfashion on an individual basis or duringmeetings. This recognition may beinformal or formal as the situation war-rants. The rewards can be very signifi-cant.

Retain - A little extra effort to rekindlethe interest that brought the oldermembers into the organization original-ly can often yield tremendous positiveresults. The older members havedeveloped skills and have had trainingthat may have gotten a little rusty.However, with a little encouragementthese could be polished and brought tobear in helping meet some of the evolv-ing needs for Auxiliary support.

Ensure Alignment - Provide trainingin the Auxiliary’s proud history and tra-ditions, the Flotilla’s history and signifi-cant milestones and the proper wearingof appropriate uniforms. This trainingwill assist the member in identifyingwith the organization and developing apride in being part of the Auxiliary.

Accountability - As part of the indoc-trination and continued training pro-grams ensure that the members areaware that, through their oath of mem-bership, they are accountable for their

actions. They must also understandthat those actions reflect not only onthe Coast Guard Auxiliary but on theCoast Guard itself as the parent organi-zation.

Why does the Auxiliary need to growto a membership of 40,000 by the endof 2004? No, the answer is not, as manymay think, because National wants toget more money. As we and the CoastGuard settled into the “new normalcy”our level of activity has been elevated.If we have to surge to MARSEC 2and/or MARSEC 3 our levels of activi-ty/demands/needs for increased sup-port will increase significantly. As weare integrated into the Coast GuardOPORDs and OPLANs we are makingcommitments (which must be honoredand sustained). We must also ensurethat we have to capacity tosustain/increase planned levels of activ-ity in the RBS arena. To accomplishthis we must have additional membersto meet the requirements for trained,qualified and certified members. Thecoxswain/pilot that is also an instructorand vessel examiner may not be able tosupport more than one program/activity. Therefore, additional trained,dedicated and motivated members areneeded to ensure sustainability.


Our Homeland Security (HLS)Transition Team is defining our rolein the new department. Part of theplan is already in place through theOperation Patriot ReadinessProgram - Phases I & II, in which wehave inventoried our members’ capa-bilities, operational readiness andavailability.

As you train, develop and grow inthe Auxiliary, keep your capabilitiesinventory up-to-date. We need toknow your personal capabilities aswell as assets offered in support ofthe HLS, which will take these capa-bilities and recast them into adeployment plan that will supportthe Coast Guard. Our support willbe tailored to the needs of the CoastGuard on an ongoing basis, allowingour continuation as a force multiplierto their role. Specifics of thisdeployment plan will be outlined inOperation Patriot Readiness - PhaseIII Execution & Deployment. Thisphase will provide general outlinesfor identifying potential threatareas/sites and matching Auxiliary

resources to them. You will learnmore of Phase III during the balanceof this year.

Additionally, we will stand ready toprovide “surge force” capability dur-ing times of special need, as we didin the months following the Sept. 11attacks. The Auxiliary role is nowgreater than “Team Coast Guard”;we are considered an integral part of“Coast Guard Forces”.

A critical part of the HLS plan isMaritime Domain Awareness(MDA). The terrorist threat isviewed as coming from land, sea, orair. The land threat is manageablethrough our border security and theair threat has undergone greatanalysis and revision in the last 18months.

The maritime threat is much moredifficult to identify and securebecause the large volume of surfacetransportation in the maritimedomain compounds it. Hazardousmaterials and the difficulty in regu-lating container traffic complicate iteven more. MDA involves a grass

COMMODORE

GENE M. SEIBERT

NATIONAL VICECOMMODORE

CHIEF OF STAFF

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

S

Marine Domain Awarenessand Homeland Security

You’re the one who will make a differencehe Coast Guard Auxiliary became part of the newDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) March 1,2003. As the lead volunteer organization in the depart-

ment, we have some unique responsibilities. T


roots effort to secure our ports, har-bors and waterways by enhancingeveryone’s awareness of the activi-ties taking place in the maritimedomain. Most mariners knowinstinctively when these activitiesare normal and routine.

We will be asking our members,recreational boaters, and commer-cial operators to be vigilant andreport any unusual activities or situ-ations they detect on or near thewater. This program will be adminis-tered through our traditional recre-ational boating safety (RBS) mis-sions of public education, vesselsafety checks and marine dealer vis-its; as well as our operational multi-mission patrols, operational supportand watchstanding; and our marinesafety activities and public affairs.

The implementation of the MDAprogram requires each of you toidentify opportunities to implementthe program in your specific area ofresponsibility.

To be effective, MDA must beapplied port by port, station by sta-tion, waterway by waterway. It willnot happen at the national or districtlevel; it must be discussed andimplemented by our members at thedivision, flotilla, and individual mem-ber level. Consider seriously ourresponsibilities for MDA as youimplement your 2003 boating seasonprograms. In Coast Guard terms,this is an “all hands evolution”. Wemust all be “sensors”. We must allcontribute to the new MaritimeSecurity “profile”.

Our goals are awareness anddetection, prevention and deter-rence. We want to use our core com-petencies in a layered operation to

push our maritime boundaries out-ward.

Special Coast Guard teams in eachmajor port area will analyze informa-tion collected through the MDA pro-gram. This information is a form ofintelligence and while each piece ofinformation may seem insignificanton its own, together this informationcan take on a greater meaning aspart of a pattern or progression ofactivity, like a piece of a complex jig-saw puzzle. Knowing this, you canappreciate the importance of promptand accurate reporting in the MDAprogram.

Readiness is another critical partof our HLS Plan. All of the resourcesin the world will do us no good ifthey are not ready to be deployed.We would like to position ourresources in a strong BRAVO status,which means they are ready to go atany time.

As an end product of theAuxiliary’s “Operational PatriotReadiness - Operational Order”,each flotilla and division shouldhave or be in the process of devel-oping it’s Ready Response Plan.Correspondingly, each membershould know his or her responsibil-ities under the plan. Generalinstructions for forming Flotilla,Division and District ReadyResponse Plans will be announcedshortly as part of Operation PatriotReadiness - Phase III. This willallow for consistency amongst theplans. Furthermore, elected offi-cers of each unit should appoint aReady Response Team, includingkey staff officers, to develop andimplement your unit’s plan.

In early February, the President

elevated our nation’s security levelto a Code Orange level of aware-ness. Whenever a security threat isdetected, we in the Coast GuardForces will need to be aware of ourrole. We will translate the state ofreadiness into three scaleableMaritime Security (MARSEC) pos-tures: MARSEC 1 - New normalcy;MARSEC 2 - Heightened risk; andMARSEC 3 - Incident imminent.Ensure that all of our members areaware of their responsibilities with-in each of these states of readiness.

As Auxiliary members, we have awide variety of skills and experiencethat enable us to be especially effec-tive in MDA and Ready Response.These are called core competenciesand include our ability to contributein RBS missions, surface operations,on the water, in our versatileAuxiliary aviation programs and inthe many augmentation tasks, weassume.

Core competencies complete thecircle in our plan by applying ourcapabilities defined in OperationPatriot Readiness to the MDA andReady Response activities, which areso important in our new role.

There are actually two parts to ourplan. First is business as usual - tra-ditional RBS missions with a heavymeasure of MDA infused, standardmulti-mission patrols and support,backfill and low risk augmentation.Second is our ability to surge as aforce multiplier in support of CoastGuard Forces.

Think of them as two sides of thesame coin. You are the one who willmake a difference in our ability toimplement this plan.

Semper Paratus!

1 0 • S p r i n g 2 0 0 3 • N A V I G A T O R

As the Coast Guard works to integrateexpanded homeland security issues intoits domain, the missions for active duty,reserves and Auxiliary must be flexedto accommodate some new or intensi-fied missions. As one might expect,there is an enormous impact on theOperations and Marine Safety pro-grams. All existing missions must beexamined and modified to accommo-date the pervasive security issues thatare part of today’s realities.

However, what about RecreationalBoating Safety missions? What, if any,impact is there on our other traditionalmission areas? The answer, in part, isthat there is a huge need for involve-ment from the public sector, whichincludes the recreational boaters thatwe serve.

The task to upgrade the capabilities of

all elements of the Coast Guard family isformidable; but we must also find waysto receive help and support from mem-bers of the general public.

The good news is we have 13 millionrecreational boats and over seventy mil-lion boaters on our waterways that canlend a helping hand.

All we have to do is motivate and trainrecreational boaters and they can makea valuable contribution to maritimehomeland security. For most boatersthe motivations are already there andthey just want to know how they canhelp. This is where the Auxiliary plays avital role. We have the programs andthe means to reach out and carry themessages to the public sector.

In addition to promoting recreationalboating safety, our programs now mustinclude ways to enhance maritime

COMMODORE

WARREN E. MCADAMS

NATIONAL DIRECTORATECOMMODORE

FOR RECREATIONALBOATING SAFETY

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

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The recreational boaterand homeland security

s homeland security plans are developed, a completely new field of terminology has emerged. Some of the terms are

used in what I want to discuss here but I am sure we will be exposed to many more. A

The boating public, with its knowledge of normal local conditions, has the eyes and ears to observe and identify

peculiar activities on and around the nation’s waterways.

N A V I G A T O R • S p r i n g 2 0 0 3 • 1 1

domain awareness. The boating public, with its knowledge

of normal local conditions, has the eyesand ears to observe and identify peculiaractivities on and around the nation’swaterways. Just as residents in manyneighborhoods are trained to participatein neighborhood watch programs, wehave an opportunity to create the samekind of awareness skills among recre-ational boaters.

Through our Public Education, VesselExamination and Marine dealer Visitorprograms, we can use multiple avenuesto get the word out on how to becomeinvolved in homeland security efforts.

For some time the EducationDepartment has offered a short teach-ing module that covers the basics ofmaritime homeland security. AsAuxiliary Maritime Homeland Securityplans evolve, this awareness module willbe refined and expanded. If, as anticipat-ed, more direct public involvement suchwaterways watch programs are devel-oped, additional teaching modules willbe created. It should be noted that theexisting awareness module is acceptablefor boating safety classes and generalpublic forums. As future modules aredeveloped, more refined presentationsfor both safety classes and generalforums will be available.

The Vessel Examination program also

got involved at an early stage. With theadvent of Naval Vessel Protection Zones,Vessel Examiners were asked to discussgeneral and local restrictions aroundnaval vessels, commercial vessels andcommercial port facilities. Not only didthis passing of information perform avaluable public service, this helpfuladvice increased the creditability of ourExaminers.

The Marine Dealer Visitor programprovides a unique opportunity to putthe information out there where thepublic may access it. Boaters, and anyother members of the public thatperuse a literature display placed byMDV, may pick up valuable tips onhomeland security. In addition,brochures developed for MDV shouldbe popular items at boat shows and PAbooths.

None of this diminishes the impor-tance of boating safety education, vesselequipment safety or marine dealer con-tacts. The subjects of MaritimeDomain Awareness and MaritimeHomeland Security add necessary addi-tional chapters or scope to our recre-ational boating safety missions. Wehave pushed the theme that safeboaters can have more fun.

Now, we can also give them informa-tion on how to contribute to local andnational security.


In a recent ALCOAST message, ViceAdmiral Thad Allen spoke of theunprecedented operational demands onthe Coast Guard, noting that SecretaryRidge has publicly recognized thisexcellence. In the Atlantic East, mem-bers have seen this operational demandand as members of Coast Guard Forces,are doing our part to meet it.

In spite of record-setting cold temper-atures, members in the First District,both Northern and Southern, have keptsome surface facilities in the water andadditional ones at a rapid response level.All of us have seen the weather reports.When the temperatures hover aroundzero with strong winds and heavy snow-falls this is a tremendous achievement.

Members in Fifth Northern andSouthern have seen their share of cold

and snow also, — like the First District,they have continued to provide support.In the Seventh, surface facilities haveincreased their time on the water tobackfill and augment as Coast Guardassets were reassigned to other ports.

In addition to operational work, wehave not forgotten traditional missions,and the need to continue training forelected and appointed officers. All fivedistricts in this area have approachedthis training in different ways. FirstNorthern offered the LAMS course attheir January conference. FirstSouthern conducted a leadership acade-my. Fifth Northern held training ses-sions for both appointed and electedofficers in different geographic areas,— drawing large crowds at each. FifthSouthern offered leadership training.

Atlantic East meetsoperational demands

COMMODORE

MARYLARSON


ATLANTIC EAST

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

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n 1 March, our organization ended a chapter in our history,and began a new one. as we moved with the Coast Guard into a new department, — and a new era.

As the Coast Guard became a first tier agency in our government, the Auxiliary became the nation’s premiere volunteer organization. The responsibilities of the Coast Guard changed, and ours will too.

O

In spite of record-setting cold temperatures, members in the FirstDistrict, both Northern and Southern, have kept some surface facilities

in the water and additional ones at a rapid response level.


Seventh provided sessions on the “nutsand bolts” of management to electedofficers in various parts of the district.There is a growing awareness of the factthat the future well being of our organi-zation is dependent on standardizedtraining for officers at all levels.

Along with the move into the newdepartment comes increased publicattention on the Coast Guard. Thiscould provide the Auxiliary with anopportunity for public relations and pub-lic affairs appearances even more impor-tant than in the past.

We need recognition as the outstand-ing volunteer organization that we are.As just one example of a flotilla whichtook advantage of an opportunity, —members of one unit in Fifth Southerncarried out a campaign to provide fundsfor toys at Christmas.

The campaign was sponsored by alocal radio station and their efforts tocollect toys won them “air time” to talkabout the Auxiliary and safe boating.This not only gave them a chance toadvertise the Auxiliary, but to demon-strate an interest in their community

and civic efforts.Since the focus of the Coast Guard

turns increasingly to maritime domainawareness, we will have to take onmuch of the work with OperationBoatSmart. Members in the AtlanticEast will continue to find ways to part-ner with other agencies to spread thesafe boating message in the comingmonths. This should provide anotherway to spotlight the Auxiliary and ourmany roles in the maritime community.Our efforts with the public are anotherway to assist the active side. Everyboater we can reach on land could beone less that the Coast Guard has to goout and rescue.

One final, sad, note members of FirstNorthern lost Ed MacKenzie, DistrictCommodore in February. A measure ofthe respect and affection from membersof both the Auxiliary and active CoastGuard was seen at his memorial serviceand his funeral when the rooms werefilled to overflowing by those of us whocame to say, “farewell.” Ed will bemissed by all of us who knew andworked with him.


GROWING THE MEMBERSHIP

Membership is rising. From a low of32,780 at the end of 1998 we now havemore than 35,000 members. The evi-dence is clear that the attacks on 9/11continue to stir a strong sense of patriot-ism and desire to serve, among those inthe boating community and amongthose who have no knowledge of boat-ing. We must aggressively and creative-ly tap into that pool of potential volun-teers. We have a tremendous potentialto grow, not only in numbers but also inthe demographics of our membership.

Through targeted recruiting, we willreach out to new sources of volunteerswho have not been effectively reachedin the past. We will recruit specificallyfor missions, both traditional and non-traditional, identifying good sources ofpeople who are interested, qualified andwilling to perform those specific mis-sions. In turn that will not only increasethe numbers of members but it will alsogreatly diversify our membership skillsand thus our ability to perform all ourmissions.

We have created a new DiversityDivision within the PersonnelDepartment and have created an option-al ADSO-PS position at the district leveldedicated to diversity management.That should bring diversity manage-

ment clearly within the purview ofPersonnel Services officers at the locallevel and allow us more effectively torecruit and retain a more diverse mem-bership.

Improving communicationCommunication both within and out-

side the Auxiliary needs serious atten-tion. We are not as effective as weshould be at getting our message out tothe public. For too long we have beencalling ourselves “The best kept secret.”And your comments on the recentMembers’ Survey made it clear that for-mal communication within our rankscontinues to be less effective than itshould be.

In the Public Affairs arena we are pro-posing new initiatives for communicatingwith the outside world including anaggressive training program for PA offi-cers as well as recruitment effortsdirected specifically at people with inter-est and expertise in public affairs. Wewill continue to work closely with andprovide full support to the StrategicMarketing Committee to more effective-ly market the Auxiliary. And we will berevamping our public website to ensurethat it provides to the public the kind ofinformation the Auxiliary should be pro-viding and that it presents the kind ofimage that the Auxiliary deserves.

Serving the members

COMMODORE

CHARLES G.“TONY”

MORRISNATIONAL

DIRECTORATECOMMODORE

MEMBER SERVICE

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

S

he Member Services Directorate, by definition, exists to servethe members and the other directorates. With that in mind,we are focusing our efforts on three areas:T


Within the Auxiliary, formal communi-cation depends heavily on publications.We will propose an aggressive trainingprogram for PB officers comparable towhat we are proposing for PA officersand supplement that with recruitmentefforts directed specifically at those withexpertise and interest in desktop pub-lishing. We will review and evaluate allexisting publications with an eye towardimproving communications. At thesame time we will actively explore othervehicles for communication within theAuxiliary. The Long-Range PlanningCommittee has offered a number of cre-ative suggestions for ensuring moreeffective communication at all levels(especially for those without access tothe Internet) and I intend to pursue theirrecommendations aggressively. Thenational Executive Committee has alsoapproved in principle the reopening ofthe CGAUXWEB Members’ Forum in amodified format; by the time you readthis, I hope the Forum will be back inoperation as a source of information.

Improving and expanding member training

In part member training needs aredetermined by programs in otherdepartments (top down), but in partthey must also be determined by mem-ber preferences (bottom up). A question

was added to the 2002 online membersurvey (See page 17) asking you to iden-tify areas in which they would like toreceive training from the Auxiliary thatis not now offered. More than 400 ofyou took the opportunity to share yourthoughts for which I am grateful. I readevery comment, as did the nationalChief of Staff and the NationalCommodore. Those results are beingused to identify areas where additionaltraining opportunities should beexplored:

● FIRST AID TRAINING. You havevoiced a strong interest in havingmore first aid training (basic firstaid, CPR, first responder) and we areresponding to that. We have createda new Health and Safety Divisionwithin the Training Department thatwill focus on providing more trainingin this area and bringing forth pro-posals to obtain appropriate trainingfrom those organizations such as theRed Cross that are qualified to pro-vide it.

● HOMELAND SECURITY. You alsovoiced strong interest in more train-ing related to homeland security,harbor patrols, emergency prepared-ness, etc. As our new Homeland

SEE MEMBERS PG. 16


Security mission becomes moreclearly identified, new opportunitiesfor member training will arise - someoriginating in the TrainingDepartment, some in other depart-ments. We are committed to closecooperation and communication withother departments regardless ofwhere the primary responsibilitylies.

● AUXDATA/AUXINFO. You indicateda strong interest in more training rel-evant to AUXDATA and AUXINFO.That training is already underwayand will be expanded. In addition,the National Commodore has taskeda group with bringing forward spe-cific recommendations on ways tosignificantly reduce and simplifypaperwork for all our members.

● MARINE SAFETY ANDENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.The new MSEP orientation course isnow available, and work is underwayon an AUXMEP course. Trident....

One additional message came throughloud and clear in your comments: mem-ber training must be offered in flexibleways. Week-long schools and weekdaytraining simply don’t work for many ofyou, while for others weeknight andweekend courses don’t work. We willbe encouraging cross-flotilla and cross-division training as one way of increas-ing the variety of training opportunitiesthat are available. I have urged yourDistrict Commodores to ensure thattraining is offered at a variety of timesand in a variety of places. And finally

we are significantly expanding distancelearning and electronic testing opportu-nities to take advantage of new tech-nologies and to ensure that membertraining and mentoring are available24/7 to those members with access tothe Internet.

Member critiques of existing trainingcourses are also being solicited in orderto identify areas where improvementscan be made in the existing training pro-grams.

And as members increasingly turn tosupporting the Coast Guard in its home-land security missions, we are moreclosely aligning member training withactive duty training so that the gold sidewill have a clearer idea of what ourmembers bring by way of training.

We are continuing the ambitiousLeadership Continuum which ensures aseries of leadership training experiencesfor elected leaders starting with FlotillaCommanders (AUXLAM), continuingwith Division Captains (AMLOC) andwrapping up with Vice Commodores(ASOC). With welcome support fromthe Coast Guard, we are offering the fullrange of courses this year and will con-tinue to do so in order to ensure thatevery elected leader has received appro-priate training for their office.

As we move forward to meet the newchallenges that will be facing us, I verymuch welcome your ideas about howwe can most effectively serve yourneeds. I can be reached by e-mail [email protected] or by surface mailat: 827 Asa Gray Drive #459, Ann Arbor,MI 48105 Please don’t hesitate to con-tact me — I am looking forward to hear-ing from you.

MEMBERScontinued from page 15


The 2002 Member Survey was com-pleted at the end of 2002. The methodol-ogy of collecting the data is the same asthe 2001 survey. We collected responsesfrom those who completed the surveyon the AUXWEB and combined themwith the questionnaires returned to theAUXCEN that were distributed in theFall 2002 Navigator. Nearly 98% of therespondents this year indicate they haveaccess to a computer for personal use.Electronic responses were received fromabout 94% of 2002 respondents, com-pared with 92% of the 2001 respondents.Prior to 2001, all responses were submit-ted in written form, so when comparingthe last two surveys with the first threesurveys, this possible sampling of differ-ent segments of the Auxiliary population(computer users vs non-users) shouldbe kept in mind. We did test and founda high correlation of the responsesbetween these two groups, however.

The survey has a demographic section

and an opinion section. The opinion datais calibrated by weighting the responses.A value of 100 was assigned to a responseof “Strongly Agree,” 75% to “Agree,” 50%to “Neither Agree nor Disagree,” 25% to“Disagree,” and 0% to “StronglyDisagree.” Respondents who answered“Have No Knowledge” to a question, orfailed to provide any response, were notincluded in the scoring for that particularquestion. Using this method of weight-ing, a score of 75% or higher indicatesgeneral effectiveness in that area, and ascore below 75% indicates we are belowthe targeted level of goodness.

Demographic information this yearcompares very favorably with thatrecorded during the 2001 survey. Theaverage age of respondents this year isabout 58, and the average years of serv-ice is just over 8 years. The average agecontinues to come down, as do the num-

2002 Member Survey ResultsBy Tom Mallison, IPDC-P

n 1 March, our organization ended a chapter in our history, and began a new one. as we moved with the Coast Guard into a new department, — and a new era.

As the Coast Guard became a first tier agency in our government,the Auxiliary became the nation’s premiere volunteer organization.The responsibilities of the Coast Guard changed, and ours will too.

O

SEE SURVEY PG. 19


STATUS EMPLOYED EMPLOYED RETIRED EMPLOYED

13.7% 39.4% 43.5% 2.1%

SELF- OTHERWISE UN-EMPLOYMENT

THAN HS HS OR GED COLLEGE AA/AS BA/BS MASTERS PHD

0.5% 8.3% 27.1% 10.4% 28.2% 18.2% 6.7%

SOME EDUCATION

YEARS A MEMBER 0-1 1-2 3-5 6-8 9-10 11-15 16-20 21+

9.3% 17.8% 22.0% 14.3% 6.0% 12.7% 6.6% 10.9%

GENDER MALE FEMALE

85.6% 12.8%

AGE 17-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-80 OVER 80

0.8% 3.7% 11.6% 23.4% 31.3% 27.1% 1.6%

ANNUAL INCOME < $25K $25-50K $50-100K > $100K

9.9% 30.0% 39.0% 13.8%

MILITARY REGULAR RESERVE NONE

44.7% 11.4% 43.2%

OWN MARINE YES NO

79.9% 18.9%

OWN/ACCESS YES NO

97.6% 1.8%

BLACK HISPANIC INDIAN PACIFIC IS. CAUCASIAN OTHER

0.7% 1.6% 0.6% 0.5% 93.8% 1.1%

PERSONAL ANNUAL < $500 $500-2K $2K-5K > $5K

38.5% 44.9% 11.7% 2.5%

ENGINE ENGINE NONE

1.6% 0.5% 80.2%

LENGTH OF BOAT < 16’ 16-25’ OVER 25’ NONE

3.3% 38.8% 26.5% 26.2%

TYPE OF BOAT POWER SAIL PWC NONE

58.1% 9.1% 1.1% 30.1%

CURRENT IT MI VE MV CFVE CREW COXSWAIN

49.8% 14.4% 51.1% 18.5% 3.3% 45.7% 37.2%

PILOT OBSERVER AUXOP ATON OFFICER

2.1% 5.1% 22.5% 18.0% 37.4%

DEMOGRAPHICS OF ANNUAL SURVEY RESPONDENTS

QUALIFICATIONS

AUX EXPENSES

TO COMPUTER

HAVE ACCESS YES NO

96.7% 2.8%TO INTERNET

VHF/FM RADIO

EXPERIENCE

AMERICANETHNICITY ASIAN/

THAN HS HS OR GED COLLEGE AA/AS BA/BS MASTERS PHD

0.5% 8.3% 27.1% 10.4% 28.2% 18.2% 6.7%

SOME LESSEDUCATION

OWNED

ELECTED

SINGLE MULTITYPE OF AIRCRAFTOWNED

NOTE: Percentages shown in the above table represent the percentage of a particular response to the total number of questionnaires returned.Percentages do not always total 100% for a question, because respondingmembers did not always provide a response to every question.


ber of years of service. That is to beexpected because of the dramaticincrease in total membership from32,950 to 35,375 over the last twoyears. Thanks to Jim Montgomery,DVC-PR, for leadership in therecruiting effort, and thanks torecruiters at the flotilla level whomade it happen. BZ

The overall opinions of our mem-bers continue to be less favorablethan in previous years. In our firstyear, 7 of 21 questions (33%) wereabove the 75% favorable target. Thisyear only 3 of 29 questions (10%)were above 75%. The respondentswere particularly critical of training.We observe a significant downwardtrend from general satisfaction withtraining related questions in theearly survey years to scores consis-

tently below 75% in the last two sur-veys. As we assimilate the over2,000 new members we gained inthe last two years, training assumesa role of paramount importance tomaintain member satisfaction bydelivering the training our newmembers expected to receive whenthey signed on.

Increased computer and internetutilization since our first surveyhave given unparalleled ability forthe leadership to communicate withour members. It is disappointing tonote that there is a decreased trendin communications-related satisfac-tion in all communications-relatedissues except information providedfrom the national level via electroniccommunications. The level of satis-faction with electronic communica-tions from national, though, is wellbelow the 75% level, and respon-dents indicate electronic communi-

cations on AUXWEB tend not to bediscussed at flotilla meetings.There is a lot more to communicat-ing with our members than forward-ing an email and pushing the “send”button. Respondents indicate weneed to improve our member com-munications by the spoken word inmeetings, on the phone, and in faceto face conversation. We need toimprove as well in written communi-cations in newsletters and maga-zines, Our members recognize theneed for good communications, butit is evident they do not believe theyare receiving the latest word fromour leadership at any level.

The Member Survey providesvaluable insight into the opinions ofour members. As leaders, it isincumbent upon us to study theopinions provided by respondentsand use them to make a betterAuxiliary for us all.

SURVEYcontinued from page 17

OPINIONS OF ANNUAL SURVEY RESPONDENTS2002 2001 1999 1998 1997

72.1 70.7 78.1 78.0 77.0

72.9 69.2 78.6 79.0 76.8

68.2 65.0 77.0 76.9 74.6

70.1 68.3 78.0 78.0 78.1

61.9 58.5 72.4 72.3 71.7

74.5 72.1 82.0 81.7 80.0

74.2 71.7 79.8 80.6 78.6

75.2 74.4 80.8 82.4 79.2

69.4 67.3 75.0 74.2 73.8

76.9 74.4 81.8 80.9 79.4

59.6 61.3 71.9 73.9 69.6

63.8 62.1 73.8 75.3 71.7

I am satisfied with the missions in which I am active.

The Auxiliary provides good training for its programs.

My flotilla offers organized training programs.

The training I want has been made available to me.

I am very satisfied with our training program.

My flotilla has good fellowship among its members.

My flotilla has planned fellowship events.

My flotilla has jobs available for all of our members.

My flotilla is involved in other missions besides

traditional missions of VE, OP & IT.

My flotilla actively encourages involvement of all members.

My flotilla publishes a good newsletter.

My flotilla has interesting and worthwhile meetings.

OPINION SURVEY CONTINUES ON PG. 20


OPINION SURVEY continued from page 19

OPINIONS OF ANNUAL SURVEY RESPONDENTS2002 2001 1999 1998 1997

68.3 65.6 76.0 75.8 73.4

77.4 76.8 81.9 82.5 56.5

62.5 59.3 66.1 67.4 56.3

57.3 54.4 61.2 61.3 59.0

55.4 52.8 58.6 60.7 56.3

64.9 60.4 60.5 59.0 NA

59.3 58.0 65.5 67.3 NA

59.8 58.1 64.9 65.8 NA

74.5 72.9 76.3 74.1 73.8

56.6 54.3 61.5 56.6 53.8

62.1 60.1 65.1 57.0 NA

65.3 63.2 62.8 56.6 NA

68.8 72.4 74.4 72.3 73.2

72.8 72.7 74.7 73.9 74.1

74.3 75.2 72.5 71.6 NA

52.5 53.9 59.6 59.0 NA

42.8 43.7 52.8 50.8 NA

My flotilla staff keeps the membership informed.

All members have an opportunity

to be involved in our flotilla business.

Information from my division is timely and accurate.

Information from my district is timely and accurate.

Members in my flotilla get good information from national.

* Via electronic communication.

* Via verbal reports by FC or others.

*Via written summaries in magazines, newsletters or mailings.

Auxiliary publications are beneficial to the members.

My flotilla discusses information

from the AUXWEB/Aux. Internet site.

*My flotilla has an assigned Web Watcher (FSO-CS) who

monitors the AUXWEB and shares information with our members.

*Information from the AUXWEB has improved communications.

My local Coast Guard unit encourages Auxiliary involvement.

I believe that I am a valued member of Team Coast Guard.

I feel that a data/information management system

is a valuable and useful tool for the Auxiliary.

Current AUXDATA input forms provide

all necessary information.

Current AUXDATA data is reliable.

RESPONDENTS BY AGE GROUP

0

200

400

600

800

17-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 66-80 80+

RESPONDENTS BY YEARS SERVICE

0-1 1-2 3-5 6-8 9-10 11-15 16-20 21+0

100

200

300

400

500

600


“The Auxiliary, our volunteer arm ofCoast Guard Forces,” is already standingthe watch for The Department ofHomeland Security.

How can this be? Well I’ll tell you myspin on it ...the Auxiliary is a group ofAmerican volunteers who have a demon-strated record of superb response intime of need.

Just as important after 9/11, individualmembers and Auxiliary Leaderspounced on opportunities to increaseAuxiliary preparedness in our new worldnormalcy. Make no mistake that yourpost 9/11 operational response followedby the comprehensive plan calledOperation Patriot Readiness has attract-ed attention from our most senior CoastGuard and Department leaders. Theyappreciate that Operation PatriotReadiness allowed the Auxiliary toachieve a higher state of Readiness andOperational Excellence.

How do you support DHS? Throughconstant vigilance on land, sea and air.Our 35,000 Auxiliarists support theCoast Guard in new and creative ways.Now, to do what the Auxiliary doestakes people ...and not just anybody...Please read on ...

It’s about Honor, It’s about Respect,

It’s about Devotion to Duty...It’s about the Auxiliary already stand-

ing the Watch for The Department ofHomeland Security as trusted AmericanVolunteers.”

You can’t just find honor in any groupof people ...until you take a look atAuxiliarists. I suppose I would frame theHonor of the Auxiliary as being com-prised of a family of honorable peopleserving their Country, their Department,their Coast Guard, and finally their fel-low members of the public.

Put another way, it is Patriotism at itsfinest. Honor Respect and Devotion toDuty are our Coast Guard core values.The way I view these values is like this:Honor is the base core value. It is cen-tral. It is from honor that we show andreceive respect for one another anddemonstrate an appreciation for personaldiversity, and it is from that respect forone another that we maintain a strongsense of Devotion to Duty. TheAuxiliary has this down solid. Why youask? Well it’s about Auxiliarists.

Thanks very much for what you doday-in and day-out. Bravo Zulu!

I remain inspired by you. Commander Chris OlinDeputy Chief Director of the Auxiliary

Already standing the watch for The Departmentof Homeland Security

COMMANDER

CHRISOLINDEPUTY

CHIEF DIRECTOR OFTHE AUXILIARY

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

S


Exactly two hundred years afterPresident Jefferson sent his January 18,1803 message requesting Congressionalapproval for the journey, the ceremonyset a theme of rediscovery and diversity.

Speakers included historical scholars,political leaders, American Indians, anddistinguished guests from acrossAmerica. My wife Sue and I representedthe Auxiliary, and we joined military rep-resentatives from units along the expedi-tion’s path.

The themes of diversity and unity res-onated through the day. Lewis and Clarkwere given indispensable aid by thenative peoples they met along the way,and opening friendly trade was a princi-pal element of their mission.

The Monticello bicentennial ceremonyechoed that spirit of cooperation andmutual respect. After the U.S. Army1802 Color Guard presented the colorsand all stood for the National Anthem,the White Shield Singers of the Mandan,Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations followed

with their own salute as they solemnlydrummed and sang their Flag Song.Soldiers in post-Revolutionary uniformstood beside American Indians in eaglefeather bonnets.

The Lewis and Clark Bicentennial willrun through 2006, and will include 15“signature events,” marking importanthistoric milestones on the journey.Thousands of other events are sched-uled throughout the United States. Acomprehensive calendar, organized bystate and by date, is posted on the Lewisand Clark Bicentennial Commission’sweb site at www.lewisandclark200.org.

Amid all this activity and celebrationlies a great public safety challenge, andwe in the Coast Guard Auxiliary have atremendous opportunity to serve. Lewisand Clark traveled mainly by water,along the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri,Lochsa, Clearwater, Snake, andColumbia Rivers.

Their story is compelling, and willdraw millions to the route. Some mod-

Lewis and ClarkBicentennial begins

at Monticello

COMMODORE

STEVEREAMS


ATLANTIC WEST

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

S

n the west lawn of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s Virginiahome, 3,000 participants braved the penetrating January chillto mark the beginning of the three year, nationwide commemo-

ration of Lewis and Clark’s epic journey to the Pacific. O


ern tourists, having read that the explor-ers traveled by keelboat, pirogue, andcanoe, will try to emulate them withoutany knowledge of the great changes tothe rivers since 1804 and the deadly haz-ards the rivers now offer.

The Missouri River, for example, hasbeen dredged and channeled so muchthat it is actually 200 miles shorter thanwhen the Corps of Discovery ascendedit. Shorter, deeper, narrower, the river istremendously faster (10 miles per hourand more) than it was for Lewis andClark. Add in locks, dams, barge traffic,wing dams, and occasional bits of mod-ern hazardous waste, and the opportuni-ty for disaster is everywhere.

State by state, officials are bracing tomeet the demands of the bicentennialcelebration.

In Missouri, for example, Auxiliarymembers joined with the state waterpatrol, Coast Guard Marine Safety OfficeSt. Louis, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,and several sheriffs along the river toformulate a plan. The scarcity of mari-nas, boat ramps, sanitary facilities, emer-

gency communications, cell phone and911 coverage, and rescue capability arehigh on their list of challenges.

Tom Hunt, Auxiliary liaison to theMissouri Water Patrol, is part of a taskforce meeting monthly to identify solu-tions. Auxiliary public affairs officers aredeveloping a program to inform the pub-lic of the dangers and opportunitiesalong the river.

Most public safety officials believe thatcoordination at the state level offers thebest opportunity to marshal all availableresources. Auxiliarists can help byassisting their state liaison officers onworking groups, adding river safetyinformation to public education classesand news releases, performing marineevent patrols on the water, and makingpublic appearances at Lewis and Clarkevents.

While the bicentennial celebration isnational in its sweeping scope, it is pro-foundly local in its planning and organi-zation. Auxiliarists can help by joiningtheir local Lewis and Clark Bicentennialteam and pitching in.

Left to right: NAVCO-A(W) Steve Reams, RADM HarvyJohnson,, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton andCapt. Scott Evans. Photo by Sue Reams


The Commodore of the First District,Northern Region, Edward MacKenziecrossed over the bar Feb. 10, 2003.

Commodore MacKenzie was a valuedmember of Flotilla 38, D1-NR. Havingserved as an active duty Coast Guardradarman, he joined the Auxiliarywhere he served the boating public byspreading the knowledge of safe boatingas an instructor and a vessel examiner.As a coxswain and a qualification exam-iner he helped prevent injury or loss oflife for the boating community.

Commodore MacKenzie servedFlotilla 38 as Flotilla Commander,Division 3 as Staff Officer MemberTraining, Division Vice Captain andDivision Captain. He served as theNational Branch Chief-Editor for theAuxiliary’s national publication,Navigator.

Commodore MacKenzie served theFirst Northern Region as District Staff

Officer-Publications; Rear-Commodore-North; Vice Commodore and DistrictCommodore 2002 and 2003.

Commodore MacKenzie was veryproudly present for the dedication of amemorial to the Auxiliary on the 50thanniversary of his becoming a “Coastie.”

In addition to the awards he earnedduring his active duty service,Commodore MacKenzie’s Auxiliaryservice earned him two AuxiliaryAchievement Awards; two AuxiliaryCommendation Awards; EighteenSustained Auxiliary Service Awards; TheDepartment of TransportationSecretary’s Outstanding Unit Award; twoCoast Guard Unit Commendations; aCoast Guard Meritorious UnitCommendation; the Coast GuardBicentennial Unit Commendation; and aSpecial Operations Service ribbon.

His wife of 30 years, Suzanne and sonRoss, survive the Commodore.

COMMODOREH. EDWARD MACKENZIE

1932 – 2003


KOKOMO

STORYON PAGE

26

THE RESCUE OF A STRANDED

WHALEBy Jeremy Smith, DCP 13 D7

Volunteers from the Marine Mammal Conservancy, the Marine Mammal Rescue Foundation and the Upper KeysCoast Guard Auxiliary. Jeremy Smith photo


Dressed in a black wetsuit and a white ball cap, Auxiliarist RichardHughes of Flotilla 13-8 assists with stabilizing the stranded adult malePygmy Sperm Whale at the boat ramp of Coast Guard Station Islamorada.Photos by Jeremy Smith

KOKOMOTHE RESCUE

OF A STRANDED WHALE

t’s about saving lives - anylife. Mostly we succeed.Sometimes we don’t ...

no matter how hard we try.Such was the case withKokomo, an adult malePygmy Sperm Whale that wasreported stranded on the tidalflats near Coast Guard StationIslamorada in the FloridaKeys in January.

BM2 Clark Williams was just begin-ning a routine when he sighted whatappeared to be a large amorphousobject in the distance, washed up onthe grass flats near the headpins ofSnake Creek.

Moving ahead cautiously, Williamsadvised the station that the object wasin fact a distressed whale, beached onthe shallow flats and in dire need ofassistance. The sighting was reportedto the Florida Fish and WildlifeConservation Commission (FWCC),the Marine Mammal RescueFoundation and the Marine MammalConservancy of Key Largo. Within min-utes, FWCC provided a flatsboat andpersonnel to assist in transporting theailing gray cetacean to the Coast GuardStation’s boat ramp on Snake Creek.

Robert Lingenfelser, President of theMarine Mammal Conservancy, deter-mined the mysterious creature to be aPygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia brevi-ceps). Also known as a Lesser SpermWhale or a Short-headed Sperm

I


Whale, Lingenfelser said the speciesspends much of its life in deep waterand is rarely seen by humans. “It tendsto live a long distance from shore andhas inconspicuous habits,” he said.

The exact cause of the stranding wasnot immediately apparent. However,following initial lab results, Rick Trout,co-founder of the Marine MammalConservancy, was guardedly optimisticabout the whale’s prognosis. Of imme-diate concern, however, was locating asuitable salt-water facility to protect thewhale from a major winter cold frontthat was expected in the Keys the fol-lowing day.

As a precaution, Trout andLingenfelser helped to construct aheated tent over the boat ramp thathoused the eleven-foot long whale,named “Kokomo” by volunteers fromthe Marine Mammal Conservancy.

Kokomo received around the clocksupervision and medical attention fromover a dozen trained volunteers. Inaddition, Coast Guard AuxiliaristsLinda and David Bickford from UpperKeys Flotilla 13-8 served an all-night

vigil at the station, coordinating theneed for heightened security and thespecial requirements of the volunteerswith the Coast Guard.

Their efforts relieved BM1 CarlDykes, USCG, as Officer on Duty, ofthe need to post additional enlisted per-sonnel at the boat ramp throughout thenight. Auxiliarist Richard Hughes, alsofrom Flotilla 13-8, donned a wetsuit andspent many hours in the cold water sta-bilizing the stranded whale with MarineMammal Conservancy volunteers.

By the following morning, a heatedsalt-water pool was located as a tempo-rary new home for Kokomo, thanks tothe owners of the Islander Motel inIslamorada. Later that same day, a 15-ton roof crane began lifting the 1,100-pound whale out of the water in a spe-cially made sling for transportingmarine mammals. The whale was care-fully guided by the Coast Guard andvolunteers to an awaiting truck fordelivery to the hotel pool about fourmiles away.

But the job of rehabilitating thewhale for release back into the wild

had only begun. Dr. Charles Manire,Director of the Mote Dolphin WhaleHospital, said Kokomo must be able tofeed himself before being released.

“This is an extremely old animal forthe species,” Manier said. “The ques-tion is whether he will recover enoughto be able to catch prey in the wild. Ihave some doubts, but I’ve been sur-prised before.”

Volunteering their time and supportas private citizens, Auxiliarists Davidand Linda Bickford, Richard and LoisHughes, and Darrell and Doreen Scottof Flotilla 13-8 spent countless hours inthe hotel pool with Kokomo, alternate-ly stabilizing and feeding him a liquidconcoction of squid and other nutrientsthrough a funnel and a feeding tube.

As the pool’s only occupant, it didn’ttake Kokomo long to make newfriends, or to become somewhat of alocal celebrity. Soon he was featured inhis new surroundings on CBS EarlyMorning Show, CNN, and syndicatednewscasts across the country.

Less than two weeks after beingplaced in the hotel pool, it was deter-mined that Kokomo had gainedenough strength to be moved to theMarine Mammal Conservancy in KeyLargo. In early February, Kokomo wastransported 20 miles to a privatelagoon at the Conservancy, in prepara-tion for its pending release back intothe wild. The same Auxiliarists whohad played such an important part inKokomo’s initial rescue now marshaledtheir efforts in the hope that he wouldsoon be strong enough to be returnedto open water.

Unfortunately, Kokomo passed awayunexpectedly. On the day afterKokomo’s death, another whale strand-ed. “This whale appeared to beyounger than Kokomo. He had fewerscars, clean teeth, and better muscula-ture,” said Lingenfelser. “However, hedid not make it through the day.”

“It’s sad that we were unable to saveKokomo,” said Doreen Scott.

“He made many friends during thefive short weeks he was with us. Andhe gave new meaning to our mission tosave lives - any life - even when wedon’t succeed.”

Auxiliarists David and Linda Bickford of Flotilla 13-8 stand on the seawallof the Coast Guard’s boat ramp tomonitor transportation of the strandedwhale and to assist as needed. Auxiliarist Richard Hughes of Flotilla 13-8(wearing a red and black wetsuit and a white ball cap) helps to guide thewhale to an awaiting truck.


SAR: Operation PancakeBy Chris Maurer, BC-AIANATIONAL PRESS CORPS

My stomach wasn’t happy. As Idipped my long handled deck scrub-ber into the soapy bucket of water,my digestive system let out yetanother growl of protest. I tried toignore the sour feeling in the pit ofmy stomach and concentrate on mydeckhand duties.

Five days aboard the British tallship Stavros Niarchos and fivemornings of full English breakfastsconsisting of fried bread, fried eggs,greasy sausage, tomato, and un-drained bacon. It was more than myAmerican tummy could handle. Iwas the only Yankee aboard thethree masted square sailed brig, andwas in possession of the only stom-ach that wasn’t used to traditionalBritish breakfast fare.

I started to dream of pancakes.. anice fluffy stack of golden brownpancakes, dripping with butter, andoozing with genuine maple syrup. Iknew it was just a fantasy, as pan-cakes are an American tradition, vir-tually unheard of by our Britishneighbors.

We were docked in Grenada, thethird port of call on our ten dayCaribbean voyage. It was “happyhour” the daily post-breakfast ritualwhere we deckies scrubbed the shipfrom stem to stern until the mate“was happy.”

I picked up my bucket of soapywater to move to another portion ofthe deck when it caught my eye.She appeared like a mirage out ofthe horizon, a huge ship coming

closer and closer. As sheapproached, I could see stripes offher bow. Could it be? I squinted totry to make out the lettering.

Yes it was! She was a Coast Guardcutter and she was docking rightbehind us. “Oh look!” I pointed outto Alison, my English crewmate.“It’s the U.S. Coast Guard, andthey’ve come to save me!” “Oh no,”she countered, “We called them tosave us from YOU!”

While the huge white cutterdocked, I set aside my bucket andbrush and rushed down the gang-way with Alison in tow. We stoppednear the stern of the giant ship andwaved to get the attention of theOfficer of the Deck. “Where areyou guys from?” I called out cup-ping my hands to my lips so hecould hear me.

“New Jersey,” he yelled back.This was getting too weird.”I’M

from New Jersey!” I shouted, point-ing to the Sandy Hook, New JerseyCoast Guard shirt I happened to bewearing that day. “And I’m in theAuxiliary! Do you think my friendand I can come aboard?” “Be rightback,” he called out as he disap-peared into the ship. Momentslater, he reappeared and said,“Commander Hill says its OK. I’llgive you a tour.”

Alison and I stepped up on thegangplank of the USCGC Vigorous.She was a massive 210 foot cutter,complete with helipad. The OODintroduced himself as Petty OfficerFirst Class Mike McKinley. “So,what’s the food like on the Britishship you’re sailing?” he asked. “It’s


very good,” I replied, “except mystomach isn’t happy with the fullEnglish breakfasts they serve everymorning. “

I rolled my eyes and patted mystomach as I described the greasyfare my digestive system was strug-gling to process. “What I wouldn’tgive for a pancake... “ my voicetrailed off as we walked through thegalley. “My stomach has been soupset these past few days. I justcan’t look at another fried egg!”

“You don’t have pancakes?” POMcKinley asked, clearly shockedthat I had been deprived of thisAmerican breakfast staple. “What’sa pancake?” Alison asked in herBritish accent, clearly puzzled bythis conversation.

PO McKinley rubbed his handstogether and said with a wink, “I seean opportunity for some foreigndiplomacy. C’mon, you two. I’ll fixyou up.”

We followed him down a steep lad-der into the ship’s food storage area.Locked inside a huge cage, were

hundreds of cans of soup, boxes ofcereal, and enough food to feed thecrew of 75 for more than a month.

“Here ya go,” he said as hedropped a giant container of pan-cake mix into my arms. The boxwas big enough to feed 100 people.“You’re going to need a little morethan that,” he said as he pulled threemore massive boxes of pancake mixfrom the shelf.

“Now... let’s see.... Where’s themaple syrup? If we’re going intro-duce the British to American break-fasts, we better get you the realstuff, not the corn syrup imitationkind.”

Hidden behind a wall of breadloafs was a four gallon can of gen-uine Vermont maple syrup.

“That should do you,” he said.,while handing the bucket to Alison.“Bon appetite, and let me know howthe Brits like them.”

Alison and I thanked POMcKinley and headed back to theship, our arms laden with survivalrations complements of the U.S.

Coast Guard. “What’s this?” ourcook inquired, as he eyed thestrange food stuffs we had scoredfrom the Coast Guard cutter.

“They’re pancakes!” I replied.“Pancakes?” he said with a blank

look on his face.“Don’t worry,” I said reassuringly,

“there are metric instructions on theback of the packages.” The nextmorning, I woke up to the deliciousaroma of pancakes bubbling on thegriddle. The ship was a buzz.Rumor had spread among the crewthat they were in for a foreign delica-cy. “These are American pancakes,”the cook proudly announced to thecrew. “We have our U.S. CoastGuard friends to thank for them”

The crew eagerly awaited thisstrange foreign food. As they satdown to their plates, theyexchanged puzzled looks not quitesure what to do with the round discson their plates. Very politely, onewoman gently tore off a piece ofpancake, spread strawberry jam onit, and popped it in her mouth.Others followed her lead and beganto eat them with their fingers.

“No, no!” I called out, “This is howyou eat them!” I placed a pat of but-ter on my stack of pancakes andpoured a ladle of maple syrup on top.

“Cheers, mate,” I heard one mansay. In moments the crew wasdevouring pancakes, American style.

Did we change the breakfasthabits of the British? Hardly. Butfor the next four days, the crew ofthe STS Stavros Niarchos enjoyedpancakes... along with their fullEnglish breakfast.

PO Mike McKinley cooking up pancakes on the USCGC Vigorous


Many flotillas celebrate the Christmasholiday by throwing elaborate parties orattending dinners at local restaurants.

The volunteers in Flotilla 61 of Houston,Texas, take a different approach to the holi-day season. They recognize the officersand enlisted men and women stationed atGroup Galveston and pay tribute to theirhard work and dedication each year atChristmas time by holding the annual“Feed the Coasties” event. Flotilla 61 mem-bers go to Station Galveston and feed theentire base.

In November Chief Grainger was notifiedof Flotilla 61’s request and welcomed the

idea from Flotilla Commander RobertSchwartz. Vice Flotilla CommanderMatthew Marinelli coordinated the pur-chasing and logistics of the food and alsothe designing of the posters that wereplaced on the base announcing the event.This year the menu was barbecued smokedbeef brisket, beans, potato salad, coleslawand as many cookies and brownies thatanyone could eat.

Once the kitchen clean up was complete,Captain Thompson escorted the membersof Flotilla 61 on a tour of Station Galvestonand the 178-foot buoy tender the HarryCleburne to finish out the day.

One for all and all for oneJohn Baker, FVC Matthew Marinelli, Lloyd Cox, CDR James Montgomery, Cathy English


AMLOC Class OneTop Row: L-R GeorgeKeefer RCO 9CR[Instructor], BruceTakayama RCO-OS 14,Gordon Jaworski, RCO -N 9WR, David Esparza,RCO-I 11SR, A.BruceMagyar RCO-N 7, PhillipHaisler RCO-S,9WR,William CrouchRCO-E 8CR, ThomasMallison RCO-W 8ERSecond Row: KathleenZundel RCO-E 13, RobertSterzenbach RCO-S11SR, Jerimiah CollinsDCP 11NR,Fred BellRCO-N 13, H.K (Bing)Hastings RCO-C 8CR,COMO Carol Urgola[Instructor], AllenBrown RCO-W 7, MichaelAllen RCO 9ER, JamesDennen RCO-E 7, JuneFeather RCO-S 13,Bottom Row: ClaudeFeaver RCO 11NR, JennieMcNeil RCO-S 8ER,“The Moose” [ClassMascot], CAPT JackSmith CO TRACEN,Petaluma, J.J PhillipsRCO 9ER, George ProwsRCO 11NR

By James E. Dennen,RCO-E, D7

The Auxiliary’s first nationally sponsoredcourse designed specifically to addressleadership, management, and problem solv-ing and mediation skills for RearCommodores was held in late January atthe Coast Guard National Training Center(TRACEN) in Petaluma, CA.

The weeklong course, AUX-5 (AMLOC),which stands for Auxiliary Mid-LevelOfficers Course was designed to regularlyrotate the RCOs in groups of two, four andfive through various training modules.

Topics include managing humanresources, delegation of responsibility, men-toring, motivation, ethical fitness and diver-sity along with communications and writing

workshops. The course is designed to pre-pare each participant for the challenges thatface rear commodores and is indispensableto their goal of becoming more effectiveleaders.

Each participant had the opportunity towork individually and collectively withevery other member of the group, whichresulted in great camaraderie among theparticipants by the end of the week.Twenty-two Auxiliary officers took part inthe program.

Past NADCO-MS Carol Urgola and GeorgeKeefer, RCO 9Crwere the instructors. Thegroup stayed in officer’s quarters, ate likeroyalty (TRACEN is the home of the CoastGuard Sustenance Specialists School) andinteracted with many of the active duty menand women who were there for training.

RCO ‘charm school’ polishes leadership skills


By Robert E Nelson IID8CR/Div 6-SO-PA

Since Jan. 26, 2002, a group ofdedicated Auxiliarists have per-formed the mission of protectingour ports and waterways along theHouston Ship Channel nearHouston Texas one morning aweek.

The 12 Coxswains and their crewshave patrolled in the heat of sum-mer when it gets up to 100 degrees,the rainy season when the fog andrain can make your fingers numband wrinkled, and during the winterwhen even their mustang suits get ahearty workout.

The coxswains go through specialtraining to be certified to patrol inthe restricted zone. After acoxswain is signed off by both theDSO-MS and local MSO (MarineSafety Office) they are approved forduty in the heavy congested com-

mercial traffic of the Houston Shipchannel.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, Division 6has completed more than 100 mis-sions; the local auxiliarists have putover 2,600 man hours into port safe-ty and security. USCG MSOHouston has noticed a significantreduction in safety violations suchas tankermen not being presentwhen transferring fuel oil or chemi-cals into the barges and boardingladders being left down on the seaside of the ships - a potential securi-ty threat to the ship and refinery.

DSO-MS Dick Frenzel, a tow boatcaptain on the Houston Ship chan-nel for many years, was asked byMSO to start a training program forcoxswains unfamiliar with operatingvessels in a heavy commercial envi-ronment.

After the initial meeting at MSOHouston in December 2001, allcoxswains that wanted to be certi-

fied needed to go though a processthat demonstrated their ability tohandle their vessel in tight restrict-ed waters dealing with other vessels10-1000 times larger than their own.

After being signed off by DickFrenzel and local MSO personnelthe qualified coxswains could signup for patrols in the restricted zone.Also, by combining the Texas CitySecurity zone patrol with the regu-lar Lower Bay safety patrols wecould relieve the USCG boats andcrew for more pressing needs.

The program has been a hit withthe Auxiliary - it’s given the auxil-iarists a sense of accomplishmentand pride as they’ve added value totheir patrols and contributed evenmore to the special multi-missionsof the USCG.

So now - back to the typical daypatrolling the ship channel.

We leave the marina and goupstream on the ship channel.

Safety patrol in theHouston Ship Channel


Under the Fred Hartman Bridgethe sun has just come up and itlooks like it will be a beautiful day.We report in to MSO Houston withthree POB (Persons on Board)heading for the restricted zoneabove the Battleship Texas. Aftercrossing into the restricted zone weimmediately reach the first stop at alarge petrochemical complex andwatch the tankermen supervise thetransfer of fuel oil from a barge intothe refinery.

As we head up the Buffalo Bayou(ship channel) we finally reach theCotton Patch section that is in theheart of the ship channel passing byall the refineries - Exxon, Shell,Fina, BP-Amoco, Chevron, Dynegy,Pasadena Paper, Vopak, CargilFoods, and Valero Manchester.

When you look at the statistics ofthe Port of Houston you begin tounderstand why this waterway is soimportant to the USCG and toAmerica. First in foreign tonnagewithin the USA, second in total ton-nage within the USA. Over 6600ships transited the Houston Shipchannel in 2001; over 1,000,000 con-tainers unloaded in the Port ofHouston in 2001.

More than 50% of all refinedpetroleum products used in theUSA depart from the port of

Houston marine terminals. TheHouston Port Authority generatesover 287,000 jobs, which includesboth direct and indirect employ-ment.

The latest figures (2000) show theport’s public and private marine ter-minals generate $10.9 billion dollarsin business revenues annually com-pared to the $7.7 billion dollarsreported in the last study completedin 1997. State and local taxes gener-ated exceed $649,000,000.

After stopping for lunch at USCGMSO Houston station we resumepatrol working our way back downthe ship channel to explore the sidebayous. There are several shipyards in this area and we want tomake sure the sand blasting cur-tains are up to prevent any environ-mental pollution.

With the 23-foot Carolina Skiffthat Dick has outfitted for this typeof work we head south and workour way back to where we started.We observe a recently docked oiltanker that has its boarding ladderdown on the sea side - we contactthe vessel to raise up the ladder andthey comply.

As we head under the SamHouston Bridge we notice activityup ahead around a tanker terminal.The first thing I noticed is the oper-

ator had deployed a container fenceof oil booms in the water around asmall spill.

We check with MSO and theyhave people on the way to evaluatethe situation. All of the facilities uphere are required to have equip-ment on hand to handle spills suchas this one. This has only hap-pened within the last two hourssince we passed this area headingNorth this morning.

As we come back upon anotheroil terminal we notice a small boatheading up the channel. We turnon the our safety lights and stop theboat with what looks like mom, dadand two kids out for a joy ride. Wepolitely tell them that they are in arestricted zone and need to go backdown to the battleship Texas whichis where the restricted zone starts.Thanking us, they wave good byeand head back south.

It is now late in the afternoon andwe have traveled over forty mileswith twenty still to go. We continueto head south looking for any poten-tial problems along the channel.

As we pass back under the FredHartman Bridge I realize that ourday is almost complete and as weconclude our patrol we feel like weare a integral part of Coast Guardforces.


By LTJG Paul LaRocheAIR AUXILIARY LIAISON, AIR STATION DETROIT, MI

Auxiliary Aviation has been busy mak-ing history in the 9th District Centraland Eastern regions by aggressively tak-ing on the challenges of HomelandSecurity.

After the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001,9CR and 9ER Auxiliary Aviatorsresponded by flying in support ofMarine Safety Offices and MaritimeSecurity Forces Great Lakes; definingthe mission of increasing MaritimeDomain Awareness (MDA) throughoutthe district.

These MDA patrols have enabled aroutine “Security Condition” assessmentof critical infrastructure on the GreatLakes. Through detailed patrol report-ing and digital photography, a routineaerial assessment is made of sensitivemilitary, commercial, industrial, utilityand transit systems. High InterestVessels (HIVs), High ConsequenceVessels (HCVs), and waterway activitiesare monitored and reported. In additionto detailed post mission telephone de-briefings, post mission MDA patrolemail reports are generated to pass per-tinent information to the appropriateGroup Controller, MSO, MSC, and AirStation in a timely manner.

As an intelligence-gathering asset, theimpact of AUXAIR on 9th District MDAis tremendous. In Calendar Year 20029CR and 9ER AUXAIR has flown 1157.9

hours and executed 464 missions. Thecost savings to the Coast Guard is over$4.43 million.

More importantly, the value of AUX-AIR patrols to the air station increasesexponentially as helicopter assets andstation personnel are freed for SAR, lawenforcement, maritime safety missionsand flight training as well.

Two MDA patrols with Air Auxiliarycrews resulted in lives saved. One per-son in distress with an overturned cata-maran was spotted by an Air Auxiliaryflight on Lake Erie and an ice-fishermanon Lake St. Clair was observed “jumpingaround like Indiana Jones” from ice floeto ice floe in obvious distress.

Both of these cases may not have beeninitiated with sufficient time for activeduty Coast Guard assets to rescue dis-tressed persons thus resulting in livessaved.

As with any great program, the admin-istrative staff is one of the greatest com-ponents. Leading the program are “TheTwo Bobs”, as they’re collectivelyknown around the air station, BobShafer, DSO-AV-9CR and BobFratangelo, DSO-AV-9ER. Art Whelan,ADSO-9CR, Chuck Hagerman, ADSO-9CR, Bob Taylor, ADSO-9ER and JimDale, ADSO-9ER orchestrate schedulingof the 120-plus members to accomplishdaily MDA patrols for the regions. Atthe air station, Auxiliarist Lee Peddie vol-unteers 6 hours a week to process patrolorders and keep accurate accounting

AUXAIR and Air Station Detroit - A winning team for maritime domain awareness


and records administration. The “backbone” of AUXAIR are the

pilots, air crew and observers who con-tinually volunteer to serve and grow withthe Coast Guard in its changing capaci-ties. It is these men and women andtheir many hours of work flying andobserving that gets the job done.

The MDA patrols they perform overthe many ports and waterways of theGreat Lakes give the MSOs, groups andthe air station “visibility” over a districtwith 6,700 miles of shoreline, nine majorregional ports and 400 fixed assets ofcritical commercial infrastructure.

AUXAIR will have an expanded role inlaw enforcement support within theDepartment of Homeland Security; theywill be in direct support of joint opera-tions with the US Customs Service,Border Patrol and INS.

Left to right - DSO-AV (9CR) Bob Shafer and LTJG Paul LaRoche

Left to right - DSO-AV (9ER) Bob Fratangelo, DFSO Bob “Goose”Hampton, LT Eric Hollinger and LTJG Paul LaRoche


By Ed Sweeney, BC-AIPNATIONAL PRESS CORPS

As they typically do this time ofyear, San Francisco Bay CoastGuard Boats’n Kids - Team 91recently invited the public to partic-ipate in a Boating Safety Day forChildren and Youth at Coast GuardIsland.

The event is normally conductthis event four times a year, twiceon board Coast Guard CuttersMorgenthau and Sherman (sta-tioned in and around San FranciscoBay), and twice a year at CG STASan Francisco.

But this time the results of thejoint event, coordinated by Bruce,Brigitte, and Tania Nicolai from FL

12-91 11NR, were even better thantheir wildest dreams could haveimagined.

When the most recent Boats’nKids Day was held, a total of 218students showed up, ranging in agefrom four to a senior citizen whostated that “he was still a kid atheart” when it came to boating.

The San Francisco Bay COASTGUARD Boats’n Kids-Team 91 iscomposed of members from theUSCG Morgenthau, Marine SafetyOffice San Francisco, Sea-Partners,Station San Francisco, Air StationSan Francisco, PAC AREA PublicAffairs Office and 15 Auxiliaristsfrom Flotilla 12-91 and oneAuxiliarist from Flotilla 12-5

Making this event even more

extraordinary is the fact that themajority of the active dury mem-bers participated in this event byvolunteering their off-duty time.

Although it is a relatively newflotilla, Flotilla 12-91 is well knownthroughout District 11 NorthernRegion for its extraordinary effortsand results.

According to Brigitte Nicolai,“The San Francisco Bay USCGBoats’n Kids Team 91 was foundedin 1994 when we partnered withCoast Guard Station San Francisco.

“To this day, USCG Station SanFrancisco, together with Flotilla 12-91 is the core of the team. In 1995,the Coast Guard CutterMorgenthau came on board, and in1996 the MSO-Sea-Partners became

Boats ‘n Kids - Gold and silver hostboating safety event for kids of all ages

RADM Mary O’Donnell with Boats’n Kids students aboard the USCGC Morgenthau


part of our team. By 1999, AirStation San Francisco came onboard and in 2000 the PAC AREAPublic Affairs Office got involved.Finally, in 2002 the Coast GuardCutter Sherman joined our team.

“It is like a snowball, it keeps get-ting bigger and bigger as time goeson!”

According to Bruce Nicolai, IPFC12-91 11NR, “The hardest, mostfrustrating and toughest part of theprogram is to get the students. Ittook a tremendous effort on thepart of every member from withinand from outside the team to reachthe number of students that we didthis time.”

The program included a basicboating safety presentation geared

to children up to 12 years old.They also held a more advancedboating safety presentation forteenagers, and for those seriousabout a career in the military, therewas a special session with RADMMary O’Donell (who flew in fromWashington especially for theevent).

A tour of the cutter was interwov-en with a marine safety/environ-mental protection station and a mar-lin spike station. All lessons andstations were conducted andmanned with members from bothactive duty and Auxiliary teams.

Brownies and juice were servedto all the students and participantsand then they unveiled the surprise.

“As if the classes and learning

stations weren’t entertainingenough,” Nicolai said, “After thecutter tour, we brought in a helicop-ter from Air Station San Francisco,and conducted a rescue demonstra-tion with a 41 UTB from CG StationSan Francisco. For many, that wasthe icing on the cake - the highlightof the day. After the rescue demon-stration, all visitors got a chance tovisit the Helicopter and meet withthe crew.”

According to Bruce, “We werepleased with the number of newAuxiliary members and Auxiliarymembers who live farther awaywho attended the program. It isour hope that perhaps in the futuremore Flotillas would want to bepart of the team.”

Auxiliarists Brigitte Nicolai and Pat Russo teaching class on Morgenthau mess deck


NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE —-a.k.a. “Music City USA” is the siteof choice for the annual CoastGuard Auxiliary NationalConference, NACON 2003. The2003 conference will be held with-in the Eight Coast GuardDistrict’s, Eighth EasternAuxiliary Region, August 24ththrough August 31st, 2003.

Located within a 600 mileradius of 85 percent of the work-ing population in America lies acity rich in culture, history and, ofcourse, entertainment. Nashvillewas settled in 1779 and becamethe state capitol of Tennessee in1843. Located on theCumberland River, Nashville hasbeen a major population centerand a point of river commercesince it was settled. Top businesspublications place Nashville in thetop 25 cities for job growth, forwork and raising families. Itsmajor industries include tourism,printing and publishing, musicproduction, higher education,finance, insurance, automobileproduction and health care man-agement.

The weather and climate here isdefinitely something to appreciatewith average temperatures atnearly 60 degrees. But, duringNACON in August, the humiditymight be uneasy for some. Theaverage temp that time of theyear is usually 80 to 90 degrees.So expect it to be warm andhumid; bring your hats, sun-screen, and light colored summerclothes, and don’t forget thosecameras.

NACON will be held at thenotorious Gaylord OprylandHotel. This top-rated hotel is rec-ognized around the world for itsextraordinary service, southerncharm and hospitality, luxuriousaccommodations, and first-classentertainment. It is now thelargest non-gaming hotel proper-ty in the U.S. with 2,884 rooms. Ifyou can’t get a room here, don’tfret because Music City has 125other hotels and motels. But ifyou intend to commute to theconference from another proper-ty, get a rental car, taxicab, ortake a river taxi from downtownNashville.

The Gaylord Opryland Hotel islike visiting a miniature city. You

are self-contained under a majes-tic, climate-controlled glass atri-um and surrounded by nine acresof lush indoor gardens, windingrivers and pathways, andsparkling waterfalls where youcan unwind, explore, shop, dine,and be entertained to your heart’scontent. Within a short distanceof the hotel’s massive complexare plenty of things to occupyyour time. Some of the mainhighlights include the world-renown Grand Olde Opry, 18challenging holes at theirSpringhouse Golf Club, diningand entertainment aboard theGeneral Jackson Showboat, or theladies favorite, shopping at the200-store Opry Mills Mall. Don’tworry - there are shuttle busses.

There are plenty of diningoptions at the hotel and the mallnext door, and even better ones indowntown Nashville. Whateveryour taste buds desire - fromfancy gourmet dining to casualdown-home meals - there is amyriad of restaurants, loungesand eateries to suit your palate.

Your room amenities have allthe comforts of home and thensome; they’re spacious and attrac-

By John P. Whelan, BC-AM

NACON Nashville

NN AA VV II GG AA TT OO RR • S p r i n g 2 0 0 3 • 33 99

tive, feature in-room hair dryer,iron and ironing board, electroniclock-and-key system, and two-linephone with guest voice mail anddata port. There is a 4,000-square-foot fitness facility on theproperty with state-of-the-art car-diovascular machines, circuittraining and more. In additionthere are four pools and tenniscourts.

How about a cruise down theCumberland River aboard theGeneral Jackson? A short dis-tance from the hotel is a wavepool, a putt-putt course, and plen-ty of fast food restaurants. OpryMills Mall has a family entertain-ment complex called, Jillian’s, anI-MAX theatre, as well as a 16-the-atre motion picture complex.

What else is there to do? Inaddition to all of the aforemen-tioned activities there are plentyof arts and recreational options,shopping, and a host of toursavailable too. You can see thefamed Music Row, the CountryMusic Hall of Fame, CheekwoodBotanical Garden and Museum ofArt, the First Center For TheVisual Arts, the historic RymanAuditorium, the Parthenon,

Belmont Mansion, Belle MeadeMansion, Fort Nashborough, andthe Hermitage (home ofPresident Andrew Jackson).

Getting here is no problem.There are 16 airlines serving 92markets and NashvilleInternational Airport has morethan 412 airport arrivals anddepartures daily. The city hasconvergence of three interstatehighways, I-40, I-24 and I-65. I-440, an inner beltway now exists,and I-840, an outer beltwaybetween I-40 and I-24, is nearingcompletion. Watch the signs andinterchanges carefully coming in.

Last minute tips for gettingaround town through traffic andscheduling your trip. Plan yourtrip and stay ahead of time if pos-sible. Music City gets 10 millionvisitors a year. Get information onthe things you would like to see ordo while visiting now. Crowds,parking and tour schedules can befound almost everywhere you go.It is best to do some research nowand make any needed reserva-tions way in advance of your stayespecially hotels, car rentals, andevents that require reservationsor advanced tickets.

Nashville skylinePhoto by Bill Mason, 08ER1104 FSO-PA

ON THE WEB■ Take A Gaylord Opryland

Hotel Tour: www.gaylordho-

tels.com/gaylordopryland/tour/

■ Gaylord Opryland Hotel:

www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylor-

dopryland/

■ Directions/Travel:

www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylor-

dopryland/get_here/

■ Nashville Convention

& Visitors Bureau:

www.nashvillecvb.com/

■ Nashville International

Airport:

www.flynashville.com/home.cf

m?CFID=54116&CFTO-

KEN=10504253

Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc.The Auxiliary Center9449 Watson Industrial ParkSt. Louis, MO. 63126

Address service requested

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO. 842JACKSONVILLE, FL.

U.S

.COAST GUARD

AU XILIA RY

S E M P E R

P A R A T U

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Auxiliarists Brigitte Nicolai and Pat Russo, of San Francisco Bay CoastGuard Boats ‘n Kids - Team 91, teach a class on safety during BoatingSafety Day. SEE PAGE 36

it’s about saving lives - any life. mostly we succeed...

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