MIDWEST MARINER

DIVISION 3, 8WR Issue 4 November 2012DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

UNITED STATES COAST GUARDUNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

VETERAN’S DAY

Thank all of our militarypersonal for their sacrifices

Page 2

DIVISION BOARD AND STAFF 2012

James Berg DCDRBarbara Rhoades VCDRKevin Buchheit IPDCDR

David Forrest FC-2Vacant FVC-2Daniel Rhoades FC-4Deborah Howard FVC-4Pete Harness FC-7Gary Smith FVC-7Alex Wilson FC-8Carl Cope FVC-8Brian Harris FC-10Diana Arisman FVC-10Betty Zoellner FC-13Keeler Steensgaard FVC-13Charles Schutte FC-15Bill Coby FVC-15Mary Lou Minnis FC-16John Waigand FVC-16

Frank Amato DCAPT East

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE-PRIVACY ACT OF 1974

The disclosure of the personal information contained in this publication is subject to the provisions contained in the Privacy Act of 1974. The subject Act, with certain exceptions, prohibits the disclosure, distribu-tion, dissemination or copying of any material containing the home address, home telephone number, spouses’ names and social security numbers except for official business. Violations may result in disciplinary action by the Coast Guard and/or civilian sanctions.

The MIDWEST MARINER welcomes all ar-ticles on Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxil-iary customs, traditions, heritage, history and current events. The right to decline any submis-sion will be based on content. Articles and pho-tos may be sent via email to the editor, Barbara Rhoades at: bcrhoades@centurytel.net.

Chief of Prevention - Betty ZoellnerFrank Amato SO-MT Dan Jackson SO-MSDave Forrest SO-NSBill Coby SO-PERoy Schutte SO-PV/VE

Chief of Response - Jim DanielsBill Coby SO-CMBob Arisman SO-OPDoug LeClair Air Liason

Chief of Logistics - Marilyn AtenKevin Buchheit SO-CS Gloria Tobin SO-HRDiana Arisman SO-ISMary Lou Minnis SO-MAVacant SO-PABarbara Rhoades SO-PB

Charles Aten SO-FNStella Francis SO-SRDeborah Howard, Standing Rules Advisor

- -INSIDE THIS ISSUE - -

DCDRDVCDR Page 03SO-HRSO-MA Page 04SO-NS Page 05SO-OPSO-PB Page 06Concert Page 07American Solider Page 08Boater’s Checklist15,000 Hours Page 09Ice Cold Page 12COW Page 13American the Beautiful Page 15Cutterman’s Olympics Page 16Eagle Page 17Russell CroweTraditions Page 18Ship’s Captain Page 20C-130J Page 22

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Table of Contents is “live linked” even though it doesn’t show as the normal blue color with an underline.

Page 3

DIVISION COMMANDER - 3

Jim Berg

VICE DIV COMMANDER - 3

Barbara Rhoades

The year has gone by quickly! We did not get done all that we wanted to because of the low water this year but, at least, we didn’t have the flood waters. Unfortunately, we were not able to hold a second OPEX because of the drought and low waters. We tried our best and that is all that can be expected. We have members that are going into REYR because of this.

The year has come to an end and I hope the new administration has better luck with the weather than what we had this year. I know the members of the division will give Barbara and Diane all the assistance that they will need in the coming year. My advice to the board is if you have a suggestion or don’t agree with something, let them know. If you don’t, you won’t be part of the solution but part of the problem.

One year is ending and another is getting ready to start. With the New Year, the division will have new leaders and new business to conduct. In March of 2014, Division 3 will be hosting the Spring Business Meeting for our district. We need to start setting up committees and planning the Friday Night Fun event. When the new Commodore was here for our COW, he was interested with the idea of a Pizza Party/Trivia Night.

For the near future, we will be working on the Boat Show held in February. Bill Coby is the ADSO-PA in charge of that committee for 2013. Ask your flotilla what days they want to work and send the information to Bill.

As your new Division Commander, I want to thank the members who stepped up and took a SO position for 2013. Diana Arisman, Vice-Division Commander for 2013, will be calling those members to ask who they will have as their ASOs. Get your thinking caps on, if you haven’t already, and be ready with an answer when she calls. This year has proven why it is so important to have an ASO.

2013 will prove to be a busy year, Boat Show, OPEX(s) and planning for the Business Meeting will give every member an opportunity to participate. Everyone can do something for one of these events. Let your FC, DVCDR or DCDR know you are interested and we will find an area that can use your expertise.

Page 4

DIVISION STAFF OFFICER - HR

Gloria Tobin

Autumn is a beautiful season! It’s ablaze with color and energy. It conveys a peaceful elegance that reminds us to slow down and be grateful for what we have. That’s inspired me to write and thank all of you in Division 3.

I want to personally thank all of you for your recruiting efforts and success in bringing in a number of new members this year. I’m also very impressed by the recruitment projects that a couple of flotillas have been working on and hope to implement in early 2013. If all of these plans work out, Division 3 will gain possibly 2-3 new detachments next year.

Your enthusiasm and excitement in describing these new growth projects to me have been contagious and uplifting. I wish we could bottle our members’ spirit and fervor in making a special effort to work with and assist our FSO-HRs these last two months of the year in attracting a few additional new members. They need your encouragement and assistance to make 2012 a banner year in recruitment for Division 3.

Remember Everyone Is a Recruiter

DIVISION STAFF OFFICER - MA

Mary Lou Minnis

I would like to thank everyone for their orders last year. It was a very interesting year. I have learned a lot about uniforms and I find it fascinating how many different theories are out there. The manual has one way for the uniform to be worn.

This year, we introduced a large canvas off white tote with blue trim and blue auxiliary logo on it price $17.50. It is great for carrying all the things needed on a facility. Please hurry and send your order in before we run out.

Send an email or call me for any items you need to order for your uniform.

Page 5

DIVISION STAFF OFFICER - NS

David Forrest

Navigation ServicesNovember 2012

The boats are put up for the winter. All the reports have been filed for calendar year 2012. The lights are on or off as they stand watching or not on the cooler evenings. And I almost wish that I was among them. But it is time to recap our year and start to plan for the next. PATON BRIDGES Σ V % Σ V %KASKASKIA RIVER - Mile 29.4 to Mile 0.0 4 4 100 7 5 71UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER - Lock 25 to Lock 26 6 6 100 1 1 100UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER - Lock 26 to Chester, IL 67 55 82 10 9 90ILLINOIS RIVER - La Grange Lock to Mile 0.0 12 1 10 6 - - Totals 89 66 74 24 15 62

This makes a total of 113 targets with 81 (72%) actually verified. Actually, we only attempt to verify the bridges within the area of the PATONS that SUMR listed as mandatory for inspection. The mandatory PATON for this year included only 36 PATON. However, we also did the ones included between mandatory aids we passed in running. We did finish all private aids that SUMR requested to be inspected by the AOR Cutters.

A major change this year has been the introduction of Electronic Digital Electronic Navigation Charts (ENCs) issued in S-57 format by the Army Corps of Engineers for all rivers in our AOR. Although the navigation rules still require paper charts to be carried aboard all significant traffic, almost all mariners use the ENCs as they are updated regularly by the USACE and are significantly more detailed than the paper charts.

The ENC for the St. Louis area has been updated to 10/02/12 while the paper charts are dated in 2001 and many things have happened in those eleven years that not shown correctly on the paper charts. One of the major benefits is that the position of each fixture on a facility is accurately plotted with electronically available latitude and longitude references in the ENCs. The paper charts just approximately locate the facility and title it with the number of lights parenthetically noted (which is almost useless in order to locate it). Our current GPS navigators can locate us to within single digit footage of our targets which is an incredible improvement over the older paper charts.

Chart updating has become an activity that can provide as effective a use of auxiliary assets along the rivers as it has been for some time in coastal waters. We have found our reports are received warmly by the cartographers and have even been asked to check out some details for them. While the district has no formal program, our division has contacts available for submission of chart updating information. Do not send them to NOAA as the coastal folks do.

* The sigma means “sum” or “Total”, V means “Verified” and % means percentage.

Page 6

DIVISION STAFF OFFICER - PB

Barbara Rhoades

DIVISION STAFF OFFICER - OP

Bob Arisman

There were 14 patrols during September.

There will be a new DSO-PB for 2013, Jill Reiss. As your SO-PB for 2013, I am checking with her on the newsletter approval procedures she plans on using. Hopefully, she will continue with the flotilla newsletter being approved by the division level PB and the division newsletter being approved by the ADSO-PB. This has not yet been established but when it is, I will let each flotilla know.

Photos and articles from the members help to make our division newsletter a great publication. Keep your cameras ready and jot a few sentences to go along with them. Send them to Stella Francis, who has agreed to continue as my ASO-PB. She will make sure I get them for the next deadline of the Midwest Mariner which will be 1 February 2013.

Page 7

MEMBER ARTICLES

Army Wife and Soldier Husband Have Tearful Reunion on Stage at Toby Keith Concert

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/must-watch-army-wife-and-soldier-husband-have-tearful-reunion-on-stage-at-toby-keith-concert/

In arguably one of the most touching moments of the year, country singer Toby Keith surprised the wife of a soldier fighting in Afghanistan by reuniting her with her husband on stage during one of his concerts.

After pulling the surprised woman on stage during a Sept. 8 show in Houston, Texas, Keith began to play his hit song “American Soldier,” dedicating it to her husband, Maj. Pete Cruise (or

Cruz, spelling wasn’t provided), who the woman thought was still in Afghanistan.

“What’s his name?” Keith asked.“Pete [Cruise]… he’s a major,” the woman replied, referring to his Army rank.

“Alright let’s do this song for Maj. Pete Cruise tonight,” the singer said.

As Keith began to sing the song, the soldier’s wife fought back tears and tried to sing along, completely unaware that she was about to be face-to-face with her hero husband.

After just the first verse of “American Soldier,” the lead guitarist began to play the National Anthem on a wailing electric guitar, leaving the woman on stage a little confused. Then, out of nowhere, Maj. Pete Cruise appeared on the stage where he and his wife shared a tearful and emotional embrace, the sound of the electric guitar still blaring behind them. Cruise was reportedly able to come home from Afghanistan earlier than expected.

And the crowd went nuts!

“She didn’t know he was coming here tonight,” Keith added.

The words to Toby Keith’s “American Soldier” can be found on the next page.

Page 8

“American Soldier” By Toby Keith

I’m just trying to be a father, raise a daughter and a son Be a lover to their mother

Everything to everyone Up and at ‘em, bright and early

I’m all business in my suit Yeah, I’m dressed up for success From my head down to my boots

I don’t do it for the money There‘s bills that I can’t pay

I don’t do it for the glory I just do it anyway

Providing for our future’s my responsibility Yeah I’m real good under pressure

Being all that I can be

And I can’t call in sick on Mondays When the weekends been too strong

I just work straight through the holidays And sometimes all night long

You can bet that I stand ready when the wolf growls at the door Hey, I’m solid, hey I’m steady, hey, I’m true down to the core

And I will always do my duty no matter what the price I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice

Oh, and I don’t want to die for you But if dyin’s asked of me

I’ll bear that cross with honor ‘Cause freedom don’t come free

I’m an American soldier, an American Beside my brothers and my sisters I will proudly take a stand

When Liberty’s in jeopardy, I will always do what’s right I’m out here on the front line

Sleep in peace tonight American soldier, I’m an American soldier

Page 9 Continued on 10

Boaters Checklist

By U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Public Affairs

Recreational boaters should create a pre-underway checklist like the Coast Guard Auxiliary has for their boat crews. Each time before an Auxiliary boat leaves the dock the entire crew reviews a standardized checklist together. Once all the items on the list are checked off, it is time to get underway.

It does not have to be complicated. An example of a pre-underway checklist follows:

• Driver’s license• Current registration papers and boating safety course completion card• Check fuel supply and oil level• Working proper navigation lights for night operations• Enough lifejackets, the right size for all• Marine radio• GPS• Float plan left in your vehicle or with a friend• Other emergency equipment such as flares, first aid kit, signaling devices

and tools

CG Auxiliarist Performs 15,000 Hours of ServiceOct 23, 2012, U.S. Coast Guard

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/10/23/cg-auxiliarist-performs-15000-hours-of-service.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, largely responsible for the success of many U.S. Coast Guard missions, yet rarely put in the spotlight, continues to play a critical role in daily Coast Guard operations.Coast Guard Auxiliary members, using their own personal watercraft, land vehicles, equipment and time, volunteer millions of hours and dollars in support of the Coast Guard each year.

Among these thousands of humble volunteers across our nation, there are individuals who go a step beyond passionate volunteerism, committing themselves to the Coast Guard in nearly all they do.

There can be no better example of such a person than Coast Guard Auxiliarist and Honorary Coast

Page 10

Continued from 9 Guard Chief Larry Kellis, Special Assignment Photography Officer for Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Warrenton, Ore.

Kellis began serving in the Coast Guard Auxiliary 14 years ago, after learning that members needn’t own a boat or be expert mariners to join. Auxiliary Flotilla 64 members met Larry on a boat headed to Portland, Ore., and noticed his expertise with a camera. They asked him to join the organization as a photographer and Kellis eagerly filled that role.

“I have been a professional photographer for 45 years. I’ve always had a camera in my hand. That’s what I know and what I like to do,” chimed Kellis.

In addition to the thousands of hours he has spent taking photos of Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary operations, ceremonies, and special events, Kellis often takes the time to print those photos and personally present them to his subjects. The expense often comes out of his pocket.

“Taking photos of individuals is one of my favorite ways to serve,” explained Kellis. “It promotes morale. When people have high morale, they not only do their jobs and do them well, they work with a smile on their face. With photography, I give of myself with no motive but to see those smiles.”

Over the years, Kellis’ service in the Auxiliary has extended far beyond his skills behind a camera. Working as a public affairs officer at the flotilla, division, district and national level, his dedicated interactions with the boating public represent thousands of such annual interactions among Coast Guard Auxiliary members and boaters here in the Pacific Northwest. Larry is one gleaming example of how a person’s ability to talk to the public, to engage in everyday conversation about boating safety, has helped to save lives and prevent casualties out on the water.

“I have known Mr. Larry Kellis for more than 11 years,” stated Capt. Len Tumbarello, Sector Columbia River Deputy Commander. “I met Mr. Kellis in 2000 when I was the Surface Operations Officer and Auxiliary Liaison at what was then Coast Guard Group Astoria. That year I began to work side by side with Mr. Kellis to create Operation Buoy 10. We worked as a team in response to an alarming number of fatalities during the Buoy 10 fishery that year. During that time it became very apparent to me that Larry was a hard-charging, dedicated professional, more than willing to work extremely hard to make a difference in keeping boaters safe on the Columbia River.”

Buoy 10 is a popular fishing area near the Columbia River entrance where large numbers of salmon gather annually, attracting high volumes of fishermen. Each year, according to Kellis and Tumbarellos’ plan, Coast Guard active, reserve and auxiliary members are positioned at marinas, boat launches and on the water near the Columbia River entrance to educate boaters about the dangers of the area, emergency and radio procedures, PFDs and safe boating practices.

Since Buoy 10’s inception over a decade ago, two lives have been lost directly related to Buoy 10 season. There is no way to calculate precisely how many have been saved. Costly and dangerous Sector Columbia River search and rescue operations during that time of year have been reduced by approximately 90 percent as a result of the preventative measures. Kellis’ outstanding organizational efforts played a critical role in positioning hundreds of auxiliarists from all over the Pacific Northwest, volunteering thousands of hours in support of Buoy 10.

“Kellis has dedicated many years of his life as a volunteer for the good of other people,” added Tumbarello. “That’s what Mr. Larry Kellis embodies. He is a man that can be counted on to get the job done and the job done right. That is why I hand-selected him to be an integral part of our External Affairs staff at Sector Columbia River where he has been an invaluable asset.”

Active-duty Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialists are few in numbers. As Coast Guard journalists, we are often forced to make difficult decisions about which Coast Guard stories to tell and when. Without the dedicated support of reserve and auxiliary members, people like Larry Kellis, we would fall short of meeting the growing needs of our critical maritime service.

Continued on 11

Page 11

Continued from 10 Kellis’ photographic skills have helped tell U.S. Coast Guard stories not only at the local level, but across the country and around the world.

“In my opinion, Larry Kellis is one of the most talented commercial photographers in the Pacific Northwest,” said Jerry Ostermiller, community leader and retired Executive Director of the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. “Through his steadfast determination to photograph all aspects of U.S. Coast Guard activity, he has captured virtually every aspect of this service. His work is so highly regarded that in my travels throughout the nation, working on special assignments regarding Coast Guard History for the Learning Channel, History Channel and as a member of the scoping team for the National Coast Guard Museum, I have come to expect to see Larry’s photographs not only in numerous publications, but proudly displayed in offices and public spaces in Coast Guard facilities coast to coast. His talent for capturing the essence of the Coast Guard, with both power and poetry, is precisely why the City of Astoria chose one of his most powerful emotive images as the cover photo for their successful Coast Guard City nomination package, resulting in Astoria being deemed one of only 18 cities in the nation an official ‘Coast Guard City’.”

On Aug. 1, 2012, at a Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 62 meeting held at Station Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco, Wash., Lt. Scott McGrew, commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment, presented Kellis with an award issued by the Coast Guard Commandant. Kellis received the Coast Guard Sustained Auxiliary Service Award, marking his eleventh sustained service award and earning him a Gold Hourglass. The award officially recognized his 15,000 hours of Auxiliary service.

Kellis has received a total of 37 awards for his service, inlcluding two Coast Guard Letters of Commendation and an Auxiliary Commandants’s Letter of Commendation.

Despite the recent recognition and years of successful mission support, Kellis remains humble. He represents a fleet composed of thousands of quiet volunteers. His pride rests in our organizations rather than within himself.

“The Auxiliary is made up of all walks of life,” he explained. “All ages and backgrounds and professions are welcome to join. A wide variety of skills are required, not just boat driving. You don’t have to own a boat to join. Auxiliary members can do anything the Coast Guard can with the exception of enforcing laws. We have pilots, photographers and writers.”

On a recent rainy morning in Astoria, when asked about retiring, perhaps hanging up the responsibility slicker near a woodstove somewhere, Larry only smiled.

“The only force to lead me to my retirement from the Auxiliary will be my health, he assured. “I will retire when I feel I can no longer perform my obligations to the Coast Guard due to my age.”

Semper Paratus, Larry, and thank you.

Let the Cat Out of the Bag

Aboard ship the punishment prescribed for most serious crimes was flogging. This was administered by the Boson's Mate using a whip called a cat o' nine tails. The cat was kept in a red dyed bag. It was considered

bad news indeed when the cat was let out of the bag.

Page 12

ICE-COLD COOKING: INSIDE A SHIP’S GALLEYU.S. Coast Guard| by Petty Officer 3rd Class Cynthia Oldham, Aug 28, 2012

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/08/28/ice-cold-cooking-inside-a-ships-galley.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl

After a two-month voyage, the crew aboard Coast Guard Cutter Juniper is far away from home; they’re 2,300 miles northeast of homeport… at the top of the world.Juniper – a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Newport, R.I. – is in the Arctic participating in Operation Nanook 2012. The operation aims to enhance the Coast Guard’s relationships, interoperability and experience with international forces working in the Arctic.

While patrolling the Arctic Ocean, Juniper’s crew has a continuous, sometimes spontaneous workload. Around-the-clock bridge and engine-room watches and ship upkeep make time illusive, stringing together night and day.

The constant activity keeps Juniper’s four cooks – called food service specialists – particularly busy. Feeding the 50 people aboard is an on-going cycle of planning, preparation, cooking, serving and cleaning. The work begins each day at 5 a.m. and does not stop until 2 a.m. the following morning. The galley, or the ship’s kitchen, is quiet for only three hours a day.

“By the end of this trip we will have made and served more than 3,300 meals and about 100 desserts. We will have prepared approximately 16,500 pounds of food,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Scott Lyons, the food service officer, who has three third class petty officers and a mess cook, who is the dish washer, working for him in the galley.Every breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight meal – called midrats, short for midnight rations served for shipmates on the night watch - means the crew is a little closer to the next mission, port call and ultimately seeing their families back home.“I know that so many people look forward to mealtime, I love to cook because our meals contribute to the crew’s morale,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Chrissie Benzor, one of the crew cooks.

“This team is the single largest contributor to daily morale aboard. They take pride in their work and the crew here genuinely looks forward to the next meal,” said Lt. Frank Morrison, Juniper’s executive officer.

Because mealtime is so important to the crew, the cooks’ efforts are under constant critique. Fifty sets of taste buds and appetites offer compliment and complaint.

“The most challenging part of our job is trying to please so many different palates, especially since we are serving people from so many different places and backgrounds,” said Lyons.

Lyons said another big challenge during their deployment is keeping the food well stocked and coordinating deliveries. Two deep freezers hold most of the meat and bread needed for the trip, but produce and dairy need to be replenished.

“Our schedule is never set in stone; right now we are arranging to have food flown in and delivered by the crew of a Canadian Coast Guard ship, but I am not sure where or when yet,” said Lyons. “We have other considerations too; any produce we get from a country other than the United States or Canada has to be completely gone before the end of our trip. We can’t take produce from another country back home with us.”

Continued on 13

Page 13

Lyons is responsible for most of the food ordering, scheduling and paperwork, but he relies heavily on his three petty officers to prepare, cook and serve

the food to the crew.

Benzor, and the two other cooks, Mike Edwards and Hunter Robinson, both third class petty officers, are always eager to try new recipes and accept helpful critique from the crew. All three crewmembers are constantly trying to learn and get better at what they do, striving for excellence. Benzor and Robinson both graduated from food service specialist advanced training this past June and look to Edwards, who has been aboard Juniper for more than a year, for guidance and leadership.

Edwards is the ship’s “Jack of the Dust,” which means in addition to cooking he has the added responsibility of helping Lyons with office paperwork and organization. He also recently attended and excelled in a five-week advanced culinary skills training course, a class normally attended by higher-ranking Coast Guard food service specialists.

“Edwards is so helpful; he is always there to try our food and give us ideas to make it better, but he walks us through it and teaches us step-by-step,” said Benzor.

Even at the end of each workday underway, when crewmembers not on watch are discussing movies and card games or working out in the gym, the cooks are in the galley cleaning up after dinner and prepping food for the following day.

Morrison said the remarkable thing about their overall products is simply that they refuse to take shortcuts; whenever possible the items served are as close to homemade as possible, and frozen items are used sparingly or don’t make the cut at all.

Robinson said despite the long hours and hard work, the four team members work well together, making their difficult job more enjoyable.

“We help each other out if we see someone is getting too worn out. Lyons and Edwards are both fun supervisors with great attitudes, they keep us going,” Robinson said.

Juniper’s four cooks show dedication that shows through their meals, and their all-day work ethic and positive attitudes are contagious aboard the ship. Each day underway for Operation Nanook 2012 begins in the ship’s galley with breakfast, setting the tone for the day ahead and leading the way for the crew.

Continued from 13

DIVISION 3 CHANGE OF WATCH HAS NEW LOCATIONBy Marilyn Aten, Banquet and Fellowship Committee

This year, Division 3 will hold their annual Change of Watch and Awards Banquet at a new location. On Saturday, January 19, 2013, the Change of Watch will be held at Yacovelli’s Restaurant. The restaurant is located at 409 Dunn Road. Dunn Road is the north service road along I-270 at Hanley in Florissant.

This year’s event will start with a cash bar at 6:30pm followed by a sit-down dinner at 7:00pm. The menu will consist of either a 7 oz. Prime Rib or Chicken Marcela. Each dinner will start with a tossed salad and house dressing. A baked potato and mixed vegetable will be served with the entrée. A beverage, rolls and butter and dessert are also included. The cost is $20.00.

Invitations will be sent to all members of Division 3 the first part of December. The enclosed reservations card must be returned with payment by Saturday, January 12. Yacovelli’s needs a final count no later than Tuesday, January 15.

Page 14

The evening will open with the members and special guests on the bridge being piped in by our Auxiliary Piper, Dan Jackson, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation. Then dinner will be served.

Our guest speaker will be CDR Kristina Dell’Orco, our new DIRAUX, who works here in St. Louis. She is excited to have been invited and looks forward to meeting everyone.

This is followed by the installation of the newly elected Division Commander, Division Vice-Commander and all Flotilla Commanders and Flotilla Vice-Commanders. Then, the appointed Division and Flotilla Staff will be installed.

Now, it is time to present our Division Awards to our members in appreciation for all their hours of activity for the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Recipients will come forward to accept their award. The division member with the most hours will be the Division Auxiliarist’s of the Year which is quite an honor.

This is the division’s largest social event of the year. All members are encouraged to come and support their newly elected officers, both division and flotilla and meet our new Director of Auxiliary. It is an exciting evening and we hope everyone can join us.

The Commander and OfficersOf

Eighth Western RiversDivision 3

U.S. Coast Guard AuxiliaryRequest The Honor Of Your Presence

At TheChange of Watch and Awards Banquet

19 January 2013Yacovelli’s Restaurant

407 Dunn RoadFlorissant, Missouri 63031

Cash Bar 1830-2200 Dinner 1900Program 2000

Uniform: Dinner Dress Blue JacketDinner Dress White Jacket

Dinner Dress Blue Or:

Men: Business SuitLadies: Formal Or Cocktail Dress

Page 15

America the Beautiful was written by professor,

poet, and writer, Katharine Lee Bateswho wrote the song in 1893 while on a

trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado.

‘O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain;

For purple mountain majesties, Above the fruited plain.

America... America, God shed his grace on thee;

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.

‘O beautiful for spacious skies,

for amber waves of grain; For purple mountain majesties,

above the fruited plain... America! America!

God shed his grace on thee; And crown thy good with brotherhood,

from sea to shining sea!

America... America, God shed his grace on thee;

And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea... America

Page 16

CG Crews Compete in ‘Cutterman’s Olympics’Sep 26, 2012

U.S. Coast Guard by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn Fireman Loumania Stewarthttp://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/09/26/cg-crews-compete-in-cuttermans-olympics.html?ESRC=coastguard.

nl

ASTORIA, Ore. — This summer, millions of people around the world and our country sat down to watch the Olympic Games, as the best athletes alive strove for victory. The three United States Coast Guard cutter crews homeported here in Astoria held their own Olympic games at Tongue Point Sept. 20, to boost morale, strengthen relationships, and determine who was the best in a series of events related to work and life aboard a ship at sea. Select crewmembers representing Cutters Fir, Alert and Steadfast entered different events to compete for top cutter crew in this year’s Cutterman’s Olympics.

Events included the bridle pull, where designated crewmembers from each cutter used chain hooks to pull a 50-foot metal chain from start to finish in the shortest amount of time. The heaving line toss provided crewmembers the opportunity to show off their distance and accuracy skills. Such skills are critical in getting mooring lines to the pier, allowing a cutter to tie-up safely.

Damage control events included a station where fire fighting skills were put to the test. Another station tested the speed and cooperation required to dress out in “battle gear,” the clothing and equipment required to safely fight onboard fires at sea. The possibility of such fires are a reality of life for crews in an aging Coast Guard Cutter fleet.

To conclude the heated competition of the day, a post-games barbeque allowed all three crews to intermingle and laugh, something critical to the success of Coast Guard missions both on and off-shore.

A chili cook-off proved which ship had the best potential to keep a happy crew at sea.

“The aroma and flavor of a delicious hearty meal is the true heart and core of cutter life,” said Petty Officer 1st Class David Hoover, food service specialist aboard Cutter Fir.

The day’s winning cutter crew was the Steadfast. They were passed the commemorative plaque that goes to the winning ship each year.

“This event provides an opportunity for Cutterman in the area to meet their counterparts on the other ships, show off some of their skills, and earn some bragging rights,” said Chief Warrant Officer Hamilton Long, engineering officer aboard Cutter Alert and master of ceremonies for this year’s event.

Page 17

COAST GUARD BARQUE EAGLE REFLECTS ON SHIP’S PASTU.S. Coast Guard| by Petty Officer 1st Class Lauren Jorgensen, Oct 17, 2012

The Coast Guard’s roots in America’s maritime history is a daily reminder to Coast Guard men and women of their service’s unique contributions to the nation. Arguably, nowhere is that more true than aboard Coast Guard Barque Eagle.

Crewmembers aboard the current Eagle had a unique opportunity to reflect on the service’s storied past when they visited the site of an intense battle fought by their maritime forefathers nearly 200 years before.

Present-day crewmembers aboard Eagle formed on the ship’s teak deck and stood in silence as Capt. Wes Pulver, Eagle’s commanding officer, recounted the battle that took place in the same water and the nearby bluff 198 years earlier.

“I’m constantly reminded what an immense honor it is to serve as the commanding officer of Coast Guard Barque Eagle, and this ceremony was an excellent example of that,” Pulver said. “The battle at Friar’s Head is an incredible story of persistence and fortitude, and this commemoration had a special significance to me as the present commanding officer of this great ship.”

During the formal ceremony, Pulver explained crewmembers aboard the third Revenue Cutter Eagle, during the War of 1812, were tasked with convoying merchant ships through Long Island Sound, where British men of war often pursued them. After learning of the British capture of a New Haven, Conn., merchant sloop in October 1814, Eagle’s master, Capt. Frederick Lee; his crew; and several volunteers decided to intervene.

A lack of wind forced Lee to have the Eagle towed out to sea to pursue the British warship. The following morning, Eagle’s crew found themselves dangerously close to the British brig Dispatch, a much larger and more heavily armed vessel. Eagle’s crew managed to beat back the Dispatch’s launches and they attempted to escape the warship by sailing through the shallows. The warship’s heavy guns soon forced Eagle to beach off Friar’s Head, a 160-foot-high bluff 15 miles northeast of Port Jefferson, N.Y., on the north shore of Long Island. The crew and volunteers removed Eagle’s cannons, hauled them up the bluff and began firing on the Dispatch. Local militia, already entrenched on the bluff, also commenced firing.

Three times, the crew’s flag was shot away by the British, and three times Eagle’s valiant crew returned it aloft. The battle became so desperate that Eagle’s crew ripped the pages out of their log book for wadding and used British shells lodged in the bluff as ammunition to return fire. After a day of intense combat, the Dispatch departed. Lee and his crew refloated the Eagle, but it was captured shortly thereafter on Oct. 14, 1814, when the Dispatch returned with additional British warships.

Following his speech and the presentation of the Coast Guard’s anthem “Semper Paratus,” Pulver saluted the bluff just off the port side of Eagle on behalf of the crew as Eagle’s cannons fired a 21-gun salute.

Coast Guard officer candidate Kahi Kaaua said as he stood at attention and listened to the cannons firing, he couldn’t help but think about what the 1814 crew of Eagle must have been going through, mentally and physically, during the battle. Despite his 11 and a half years as an enlisted member of the Coast Guard and tours in Afghanistan and Bahrain, Kaaua said he felt honored to be included in the commemoration.

“I’m thankful I was present to pay tribute to the brave sailors who fought for the Eagle and their country,” Kaaua said. “They set the bar, and as an officer, that’s the bar I’ll strive to reach.”

“We’re a maritime nation and reflecting on our past and celebrating those who paved the way ahead for us is who we are as a service,” Pulver said. “It’s an amazing thing to consider that the exact location we were at that very moment is the same place where our predecessors 198 years ago went into battle to defend the rights we have today.

“It’s stories such as this one that make me and the crew feel so privileged and humbled to call the Eagle our own.”

Page 18

RUSSELL CROWE GETS COAST GUARD KAYAK RESCUEAssociated Press| by COLLEEN LONG, Sep 04, 2012

http://www.military.com/off-duty/movies/2012/09/04/crowe-coast-guard.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl

NEW YORK - Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe lost his way kayaking in the waters off New York’s Long Island and was picked up by a U.S. Coast Guard boat and ferried to a harbor, officials said Sunday.The 48-year-old actor was kayaking with a friend and launched from Cold Spring Harbor Saturday afternoon on the Long Island Sound, according to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Robert Swieciki. As it got dark, the two got lost and eventually headed for shore, beaching their kayaks in Huntington Bay, nearly 10 miles (16 kilometers) east from where they had set out.

The U.S. Coast Guard was patrolling the area, and heard Crowe call out to them from the shore around 10 p.m. local time, Swieciki said. The “Gladiator” actor, who Swieciki didn’t recognize,” and Crowe’s friend paddled over to the boat. The Coast Guard officers pulled them up and, along with their kayaks, gave them a ride to Huntington Harbor.

“He just needed a little bit of help, he just got a little lost,” Swieciki said. “It wasn’t really a rescue, really, more of just giving someone a lift.”

Swieicki said no one was injured, and the two men were wearing life vests. He said the actor, who was grateful and friendly, seemed like he was a fairly experienced kayaker.

Crowe sent a Twitter message at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday local time thanking the officers, and saying he was out on the water for four and a half hours.

“Thanks to Seth and the boys from the US Coast Guard for guiding the way...4 hrs 30 mins, 7m (11.2km),” he wrote.

Crowe is on Long Island filming a new movie called “Noah” in Oyster Bay. The biblical epic is directed by Darren Aronofsky and scheduled for release in 2014.

Crowe won an Academy Award for best actor for his role as a Roman soldier called Maximus in “Gladiator.”

CG Continues Tradition at ‘Center of Excellence’http: / /www.mil i tary .com/dai ly-news/2012/10/26/cg-cont inues-tradit ion-at -center-of -excel lence .

html?ESRC=coastguard.nlU.S. Coast Guard| by Fireman Loumania Stewart, Oct 26, 2012

The search-and-rescue alarm sounds at Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment in Ilwaco, Wash., early one fall morning. Petty Officer 1st Class Bradd Beckett, boatswain mate (boat driver) and Surfman (highly-qualified boat driver) at Cape Disappointment, along with his crew, races down to the 47-foot motor lifeboat. The crew hurries to assist a disabled vessel taking on approximate 14-foot waves near the South Jetty at the Columbia River entrance. Upon arriving alongside the disabled vessel, Beckett refers to his skills and knowledge acquired the prior year at the National Motor Lifeboat School, co-located with Station Cape Disappointment, to bring the distressed people, his crew and Continued on 19

Page 19

motor lifeboat to safety.

The NMLBS is the only school of its kind. Instructors and crew professionally and safely provide direction on the 47-foot motor lifeboats to student boat operators arriving from all over the United States, Mexico and Canada. These students learn to perform in some of the harshest maritime weather conditions in the world, near the entrance of the Columbia River on the border of Oregon and Washington state.

“I am one of the few fortunate people in the Coast Guard to have sat through all three courses NMLBS has to offer (basic, heavy weather and surf),” Beckett explained. “Both the training environment and knowledge laid out to the students glistened with years of pride and professionalism. The classes gave students something that no station could: immediate feedback with multiple chances to correct the problem.”

This winter, NMLBS will hold two ‘surf’ and three ‘heavy weather’ courses. Each course will offer students the techniques, skills, and exposure to successfully maneuver the 47-foot motor lifeboats safely through rough conditions. These students will return to their respective search-and-rescue units and provide training for others and apply newfound skills to search-and-rescue operations.

“While attending the heavy weather course, you could easily identify which students had been to the Basic Coxswain Course, a recommended prerequisite to the heavy weather course, and those who hadn’t,” Beckett added. “The students who attended the basic course would go through the fundamentals they learned at the NMLBS, whether it appeared to be necessary or not. As weather conditions worsened throughout the course, these students showed significant ability over the others. Anyone that has been on a twelve-hour, search-and-rescue case in dark, cold, rainy and windy weather can testify that the ‘fundamentals’ are what gets a person through the experience successfully.”

The students and instructors make up the class, but the crew stationed at NMLBS is what makes the unit known as the ‘Center of Excellence’ throughout the Coast Guard community. NMLBS crews offer expert facilitation, maintainance, and intruction to ensure a successful graduating class from every course. When courses are not going on at the school, the crew maintains the boats and trains consistently to become more proficient on the water.

“The crews onboard the boats were what really made the classes work. They put in more hours in the three-week class than some Coasties get in an entire currency period,” remarked Petty Officer 2nd class Adam Saltzman, a previous student at the NMLBS and current crewmember there. “The crews make or break the underway evolutions. The crewmen at the school are better at what they do than any unit I’ve ever visited or been a part of.”

It is not a requirement for Coast Guard members who want to operate the 47-motor lifeboats to attend the NMLBS, but it is highly recommended. Each surf course lasts 26 days and the heavy weather runs for 19.

“The instructor staff is looking forward to an extremely challenging winter with each student, as well as a very rewarding season for the motor lifeboat community,” stated Chief Petty Officer Jeremy Bock, lead instructor at NMLBS. “The goal this winter is to graduate all 58 students and have them return to their respective units, employ the techniques and skills that were learned, then stand the watch as heavy weather and surfman qualified boat operators with new confidence in their abilities.”

The NMLBS opened in 1980 near the Columbia River entrance, an area often referred to as the ‘Graveyard of the Pacific’ due to the numerous shipwrecks associated with harsh conditions there. The 20-foot surf, 30-foot seas and 50-knot winds that can occur mark an ideal place for the training center.

Continued from 18

Page 20

Coast Guard Hopeful About Finding Ship’s Captainhttp://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/10/30/coast-guard-hopeful-about-finding-ships-captain.

html?ESRC=coastguard.nlAssociated Press| by Emery P. Dalesio

Associated Press writers Bruce Smith in Charleston, S.C.; Jeannie Nuss in Little Rock, Ark.; Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg, Fla.; Greg Schreier in Atlanta, and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia,

S.C., contributed to this report

ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - The Coast Guard used ships and airplanes to search the Atlantic on Tuesday for the captain of the HMS Bounty, which went down during Hurricane Sandy.

The Coast Guard was optimistic Robin Walbridge, 63, of St. Petersburg, Fla., could still be alive in his blazing red survival suit 90 miles off the North Carolina coast. Walbridge went overboard early Monday when the replica 18th-century sailing vessel, made famous in Hollywood adventure films, rolled over in 18-foot waves.

The searched for him was hampered by 15-feet waves, but the water temperature was about 77 degrees.

“There’s a lot of factors that go into survivability. Right now we’re going to continue to search. Right now we’re hopeful,” Coast Guard Capt. Joe Kelly said.

The Coast Guard rescued 14 crew members of the Bounty by helicopter Monday. Hours later, they found crew member Claudene Christian, 42, unresponsive. She was later declared dead. The rest of the crew was in good condition.

The search through the night for the captain encompassed 1,300 square miles, aided by a Miami-based plane with night-vision capability, he said. A decision on how much longer to search will come later Tuesday, Kelly said.

When the Bounty set sail last week, Walbridge believed he could navigate the ship around the storm. After two days in rough seas, he realized his journey would be far more difficult.

“I think we are going to be into this for several days,” Robin Walbridge said in a message posted Sunday on the vessel’s Facebook site, which reads like a ship’s log of its activities. “We are just going to keep trying to go fast.”

By Monday morning, the vessel had started taking on water, its engines failed and the crew of the stately craft had to abandon ship as it went down in the immense waves.

By the time the first rescue helicopter arrived, all that was visible of the ship was a strobe light atop the mighty vessel’s submerged masts. The roiling Atlantic Ocean had claimed the rest.The final hours of the HMS Bounty, as it was officially named, were as dramatic as the movies she starred in.

Continued on 21

Page 21

The ship was originally built for the 1962 film “Mutiny on the Bounty” starring Marlon Brando, and it was featured in several other films over the

years, including one of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

Rochelle Smith, 44, met Christian this summer when they sailed the HMS Bounty in Nova Scotia.

“She loved the Bounty. She absolutely loved it. She was so happy to be on it and doing something that she found that she loved to do,” said Smith, a medical transcriptionist who lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

The vessel left Connecticut on Thursday with a crew of 11 men and five women, ranging in age from 20 to 66. Everyone aboard knew the journey could be treacherous.

“This will be a tough voyage for Bounty,” read a posting on the ship’s Facebook page that showed a map of its coordinates and satellite images of the storm. Photos showed the majestic vessel plying deep blue waters and the crew working in the rigging or keeping watch on the wood-planked deck.

As Sandy’s massive size became more apparent, a post on Saturday tried to soothe any worried supporters: “Rest assured that the Bounty is safe and in very capable hands. Bounty’s current voyage is a calculated decision ... NOT AT ALL ... irresponsible or with a lack of foresight as some have suggested. The fact of the matter is ... A SHIP IS SAFER AT SEA THAN IN PORT!”

But as the storm gathered strength, the Facebook posts grew grimmer. By midmorning Monday, the last update was short and ominous: “Please bear with us ... There are so many conflicting stories going on now. We are waiting for some confirmation.”

Tracie Simonin, director of the HMS Bounty Organization, said the ship tried to stay clear of Sandy’s power.

“It was something that we and the captain of the ship were aware of,” Simonin said.

Coast Guard video of the rescue showed crew members being loaded one by one into a basket before the basket was hoisted into the helicopter.

When they returned to the mainland, some were wrapped in blankets, still wearing the blazing red survival suits they put on to stay warm in the chilly waters.

The survivors received medical attention and were to be interviewed for a Coast Guard investigation. The Coast Guard did not make them available to reporters.

Gary Farber was watching crewman Doug Faunt’s house while his friend sailed. He hasn’t heard from Faunt directly, but made sure he relayed Faunt’s Facebook postings he made as the ship went down, including “The ship sank beneath us, but we swam free and mostly got into two rafts.”

“Doug is a jack-of-all-trades, but I am surprised he was able to get his cellphone and send messages as the ship went down,” Farber said by telephone of his friend.

The Bounty’s captain was from St. Petersburg and learned to sail at age 10, according to his biography on the Bounty’s website. Prior to the Bounty, he served as first mate on the H.M.S. Rose - the Bounty’s sister ship.

“The ship was almost like his home,” said Smith, who met Walbridge in 2010 when she sailed the Bounty. “That’s where he spent most of his time was aboard the ship. He was so full of history and so interesting to talk to. And he knew his sailing stuff.”

Continued from 20

Page 22

US Coast Guard Adds to C-130J FleetBy Graham Warwick, Oct 02, 2012

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2012/10/02/us-coast-guard-adds-to-c130j-fleet.html?ESRC=coastguard.nl

This article first appeared in Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.

The U.S. Coast Guard has ordered three more Lockheed Martin HC-130J Super Hercules long-range surveillance aircraft, taking its total to nine of 22 planned to be acquired by 2027.

The $218 million contract, awarded via the Five-Year Options Contract under which the U.S. Air Force procures C-130Js, includes two mission systems for installation in the HC-130Js. The third mission system is planned to be purchased in fiscal 2013.

Missionization of the HC-130J requires a nine-month refit, according to the Coast Guard. The three long-range maritime patrol aircraft are to be delivered early in 2016 and based at Barbers Point, Hawaii, joining the first six HC-130Js based at Elizabeth City, N.C.

The HC-130Js are gradually replacing the Coast Guard’s fleet of HC-130Hs, 23 of which are in service. The H models are being upgraded and some will get new center wing boxes to extend their service life until fully replaced by the HC-130J in 2027.

HC-130H upgrades include a Selex SeaSpray 7500E surface search radar, Rockwell Collins glass cockpit and new avionics required for operation in civil airspace.

The HC-130J mission system, installed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Global Sustainment in Greenville, S.C., includes the Elta EL/M-2022 radar, FLIR Systems Star Safire III electro-optical/infrared sensor and a flight-deck mission operator’s station.

The Coast Guard says the mission suite is comparable in capability to the palletized system in 17 HC-144A Ocean Sentry (Airbus Military CN-235) medium-range surveillance aircraft being supplied by EADS North America. The HC-114A uses the Telephonics APS-143(V)3 radar.

USAF C-130J Credit: Lockheed Martin