Division Commanders 2010

Division 1.. .Osvaldo Manuel Catinchi

Division 2......... David Fuller
Division 3.... J . P. Feighery, J r.
Division 4.......... Frederick Hill
Division 5.... Wilson Riggan
Division 6.......J udith Hudson
Division 7......Amos J ohnson
Division 8............Braxton Ezell
Division 9....... Louis Conti
Division 10........ William Capitan
Division 11..... Melvin Manning
Division 12.. Robert Weskerna
Division 13.... Russell (Dewey) J ackson
Division 14....... J esse Stevens
Division 15. Lawrence Berman
Division 16....J ames CC Kreglo
Division 17....Nevin Lantry
BREEZE is the official and educational tool of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District and is intended as a publication to keep the membership
apprised of the activities of the Auxiliary. All articles and photographs submitted must be consistent with the policies of the Coast Guard and the
Auxiliary and may not be returned.
Personal information of members is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. The use of these rosters, addresses and telephone numbers on any com-
puter or online service including the Internet is prohibited by the Act.
Comments are encouraged and may be sent to the above named Publication Officer. Articles in the BREEZE may be reprinted provided credit is
given and a copy is sent to the above Editor and Publications Officer.
Do not send changes of address to the BREEZE. You can obtain a change of member information report (7028) from your Materials Officer
and submit it through channels.
Editor & Publications Officer
Dorothy Joan Riley
dottieriley1@verizon.net


The D7 PB Team (ADSO-PB Staff Officers):

J ames Dennen, Content Editor
Gary Barth, ADSO-PB-E
Susan Carty, ADSO-PB-N
Karen Miller, ADSO-PB-W
T. J . Kerbs, Pre-Press & Printing
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
District Commander:
RADM Steve Branham, USCG

Director of Auxiliary District 7:
CDR Donald L. Winfield
Operations Training Officer:
CWO Ursula Walther


U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Logistics
James E. Dennen, Directorate Chief
Email: dennen@bellsouth.net
Prevention
Bruce Lindsey, Directorate Chief
Email: blind21414@aol.com
Response
Richard Leys, Directorate Chief
Email: rjleys@bellsouth.net

Is the official publication of the
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
7th District
Volume LVI Number 1 Spring 2010
District Commodore
COMO Donald L. Frasch
Email: d7dco@aol.com
District Chief of Staff
Walter Jaskiewicz
Email: captwrj@aol.com
Immediate Past
District Commodore
COMO Allen Brown
Email: allenbrown902@aol.com
District Captain - North (DCAPT-N)
Reginald Hollar
Email: snoopy@sccc.tv
District Captain - East (DCAPT-E)
Dan Jacquish
Email: djacquish@aol.com
District Captain - West (DCAPT-W)
John Tyson
Email: jtyson0906@aol.com
It was a pleasure to pull together this issue of Breeze. The
articles demonstrate the broad range of support provided to
the Coast Guard by the Auxiliary and represent over half of
our divisions. I trust that the divisions not presented in these
pages will be featured prominently in the next issue. With
National Safe Boating Week approaching and the rumors I
have heard about the events some of our divisions are plan-
ning, I also suspect that the next issue will be packed with
Recreational Boating Safety related articles

We will maintain the submission deadlines established in
previous years. May I suggest that Publications and Public
Affairs officers enter these deadlines in their calendars.

Issue: Deadline: Publication Date:
Summer 2010 J uly 10, 2010 Aug. 30, 2010
Winter 2010 Oct. 10, 2010 Nov. 30, 2010
Spring 2011 Mar. 10, 2011 Apr. 30, 2011

Articles of any length are considered, however, articles
should not exceed 750 words. Articles should be of general
interest and appeal to the varied members of D7. The focus
or viewpoint should always be the Auxiliarys involvement or
perspective.

Photographs with captions are always welcome. Any image
format is acceptable, however, all images must be high reso-
lution and the larger the better! While Breeze does not re-
quire VIRIN numbers, photographs that do not include com-
plete captions cannot be published. Please refer to the Coast
Guard Public Affairs Stylebook on the Public Affairs website
at http://www.auxadept.org/ for information on how to write
captions or VIRIN numbers. I recommend all members peri-
odically visit this site for information on just about everything
Auxiliary related.

Sincerely,
Dorothy J oan Riley
DSO-PB D7
Bridge and Staff A Word From the Editor:
District Commodore ....................................................3
District Chief of Staff....................................................4
Immediate Past District Commodore ...........5
District Captain North ..............................................6
District Captain West ...............................................8
ASC Sector Charleston .....9
District Captain East ..............................................10

Directorates

Logistics, DDC-L... .........12
Prevention, DDC-P.............14
Response, DDC-R ............16

Articles
Auxiliary Underway Aboard the Cutter Vise....18
U.S. Naval Cadet Corps MOU...20
D7 Responds to Haiti Earthquake 22
Earthquake Doesnt Rattle Auxiliary.24
AUXAIR Workshop .....26
Record Attendance at IED Workshop...28
Right Place at the Right Time....30
Flotilla Response to Request from Oprah Show .......31
Auxiliary Trains Elite J oint Services Unit ....32
Lest We Forget.35
Charlotte Harbor Regatta ..36
Communications Rapid Response Unit Trailer ..37
Members Help Restore Marine Environment..38
Arrival of Worlds Largest Cruise Ship .39
Volume LVI Number 1 Spring 2010

Guard Your Own Guard Your Own Guard Your Own
Give generously to the Coast Guard
Mutual Assistance Program.
http://www.cgmahq.org/index.htm


Page 3
From the Bridge
I remember hearing from our Auxiliary leadership in past years (way past) that change is on
the way and thinking, Yeah, sure, is that the best you can do? What about all the stuff weve
been doing for years? Is that all going away? I still sometimes hear comments like,
Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) is doomed. We dont have any direction. Without RBS,
what will we do? Well, I can assure you that, yes, change is certainly on the way and, no,
RBS is not going away.
Lets talk about RBS first. Actually, it too is tied to change. Have you noticed the articles and
news commentary lately about the federal budgets and which agencies will experience cuts
over the foreseeable future? One of them is the Coast Guard. All along we have been told by
the active duty to shore up our RBS efforts, and now we know why. They simply cant afford
to put as many resources into RBS as in past years. That means we have to pick up the
slack, pull up our boot straps, and take over RBS. At a time when the economy is down as it
is today, at best, that is a daunting task.
Im sure you heard about our districts and nationals intention to use a team approach to expanding RBS. That means
combining Public Education (PE), Vessel Examinations (VE), and RBS Program Visitation (PV) along with Public Affairs
(PA) to develop and deliver a highly effective, growth driven, RBS Program. By the time you read this, that plan should be
completed for D7 and widely delivered to all of you; we ask for your support in putting it into action. It will focus on increas-
ing both the number of people we attract to our PE courses and the number and type of courses we offer. It will also focus
on increasing the number of Vessel Safety Checks we perform and making sure that we check the right ones check those
who are most likely to get in trouble on the water. PV and PA are huge contributors to our success in making it all happen.
With the increasing rate of boating deaths and the declining funds available for the Coast Guard, we simply have to be the
Force Multiplier that takes on the challenge and gets the job done. We can do it. That is our core mission that weve been
perfecting for the last seventy (70) years, so lets get on with it and really make a difference!!!
The change part of it is always there if we but open our eyes and take an objective look around us. I once heard that,
the only thing we can be sure of is that things will change. I dont know who said it, but it certainly is true. J ust think about
the changes over the last three years in the mission sets we are now doing. Auxiliary Air flies missions in direct support of
cutters locating targets of interest for their Counter Drug, Anti-Smuggling, Search and Rescue, Alien and Migrant Interdic-
tion and Logistics missions.
Our surface crews provide direct support for C-130 and helicopter training and currency missions for every air station in D7.
We provide platforms for 4100 boardings, local expertise for species identification for the fisheries missions; training of sta-
tion boat crews in towing evolutions, and directly augmenting station crews for Search and Rescue.
Individually, our members provide services for everything from medical support to cooking onboard cutters and at stations,
to watch standing for both day-to-day and high technology applications, to weapons training, to life experience counseling,
to administrative and legal support. And the list goes on and on.
Many of these new missions are directly derived from our joint planning via the Standard Operational Planning Process.
Not only has that significantly impacted us locally, but it has now become a national program that will soon benefit every
district in the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary.
Do you really think the nay-sayers are right; that RBS is going away and that we have no direction? I sure dont! We need
all of us working and pulling in the same direction; Integration, Innovation and Integrity.
Semper Paratus
Commodore Donald Frasch
Page 4



Your bridge and staff teams have provided tremendous talents and skills that keep us
right on course as we accept new challenges as an integral part of Team Coast Guard.
Our District Commodores on the road Leadership Academy is being delivered to our
newly elected officers in all seventeen divisions with great success. As an instructor for
the Academys Strategic Planning Module, and in developing our 2011-2012 District plan,
I would like to commit my time on this edition of Breeze to strategic thinking. Let me be-
gin with some written words that most of us learned in grade school.

We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish J us-
tice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do hereby
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Why has this document been so revered? Why has it lasted through all these times of conflict,
change and incredible challenges? I believe the answer lies in how clearly it laid out our govern-
ments purpose and missions to the original thirteen independent states in words that provided di-
rection and unity of purpose. To this day, this document continues to be the guiding spirit of our
country.

In this same way, our District Strategic Plan gives direction, unity of purpose and focus for our or-
ganizations missions and vision. Have you looked at our District Commodores plan on our website
for guidance? Divisions and flotillas should also have a strategic plan, or as some may call it, a busi-
ness plan. It should state clearly your units strong mission statement and communicate your cause
and why your unit exists. In addition, it must have an energized vision statement to focus the energy
of your team organizers to accomplish your objectives and goals through the coordination of your
members.

Development of a good plan is not that difficult. Once it is developed properly, your team will believe
in the value of their missions to the Coast Guard. Your plan will help keep them focused and will
empower each member to use their own individual initiative and skills to form a spirit of needed
value that is desireable to accomplish your units missions and goals.

So my ending question is, Does your unit have a Strategic Plan or Business Plan in place, and
have your members read it?

It is an honor to serve our members, our country, our Coast Guard.

Semper Paratus

Walter Jaskiewicz, District Chief of Staff
From the Bridge
...our District
Strategic Plan gives
direction, unity of
purpose and focus
for our
organizations
missions and
vision.

Find everything Team Coordination Training (TCT)
related on the D7 website at:
http://cgaux7.org/index7.htm?page=members and
choose the D7 TCT Portal on the left hand side.
Find out where trainings are offered, schedule a
training, etc.


Page 5
Commodore Allen Brown,
Immediate Past District Commodore
Weather changes. No matter where we may call home, weather is always in a state of
flux. It is a reflection of life: life in the world, in families and in the Auxiliary. We talk of
highs and lows, of isobars and isotherms, of storms and calms.
As I traveled the district during these past years, I continually see the image of volun-
teer organizations to which I have belonged be they civic, ecclesiastical or even Auxil-
iary. Each has its ups and downs. Each has its unique member list which always en-
compasses types that I have previous outlined in these pages as (1) stay and stag-
nate, (2) flee and vanish, or (3) commit and develop. As Auxiliarists we are called
to serve. Reasons are many: love of the sea, civic responsibility, duty to country, fam-
ily history, and the list goes on. In our response to that call, we do an outstanding job illustrating
what we voice, For them I am Semper Paratus(Guardian Ethos).
But as the weather changes so do our lives and we may feel that we have to shift our initial call of
commitment. That is not so. The talents of individual within any flotilla are myriad -- each of us has
talents that we may not recognize and yet are recognized by others. In many cases, available time
for the organization becomes a major factor in todays economic scene. Each of us has his or her
priorities that need to be respected.
As leaders and members, we must be cognizant of the formerly active member whose pattern of
commitment has changed. Such awareness enhances the caring community, the flotilla, to which we
belong. Our empathy and concern may prevent members from either stagnating or vanishing.
This is not easy but it is imperative if we are to have an Auxiliary that is responsive to the needs of
our Nation, the boating public, the Coast Guard and to our flotilla.
May each of you enjoy unfickle weather in the days ahead with fair winds and following seas.
Semper Paratus.
...each of us has
talents that we may
not recognize and yet
are recognized by
others.
COMO Allen Brown and his
wife, Mary Llewellyn-Brown,
members of Flotilla 94 in Upper
Caloosahatchee, Fla., attended
the Division 7 Annual Awards
Luncheon on March 27, 2010 in
Tampa, Fla.
Photo by Dottie Riley
Page 6



District Captain North
From the mountains of South Carolina and Georgia, to the Atlantic Ocean and down the
coast to east and central Florida lies the huge area of District 7 North. Geographical areas
may be different, however, the mission is the same for all Auxiliary members. Support to the
Coast Guard and the boating public is what we do, and do it well. A recent rescue in central
Georgia is a prime example of our capabilities.
On March 7, 2010 at 1700, Lynn and Chris Holdorf left Aqualand Marina on Lake Lanier on
board their 28-foot Grady-White walk-around, Integrity, for an evening cruise. After cruising
by the Coast Guard Auxiliary Operations Center, they headed out to Flowery Branch Creek.
With Lynn below in the cabin, Chris noticed a small, outboard-powered canoe traveling at about 10
MPH being overtaken by a twenty-foot bowrider making a large wake. The canoe failed to slow
down and created a wall of spray as it crossed the wake. The two fishermen in the canoe were
drenched. The man in the bow of the canoe stood up which caused the small boat to capsize send-
ing both men, neither wearing a life jacket, head first into the lake.
Chris yelled down to Lynn, Two men overboard, grab the life jackets. Lynn scrambled up and im-
mediately grabbed two throwable flotation cushions with lines attached and a docking pole. Speed-
ing up, Chris relayed instructions that he would come alongside the men who were swimming di-
rectly towards them and they would take them onboard using the stern ladder. The fishing canoe
continued under power and motored past the Holdorfs as they concentrated on getting to the swim-
mers as fast as possible without endangering them with the outboard engines.
Coming within 10 feet of the overboard fishermen, Chris yelled to Lynn to deploy the ladder and
throw the flotation devices to the men. The first cushion landed directly in front of one man, however,
he was either disoriented or suffered loss of muscle skill due to the 46 degree water temperature.
He yelled, Help me, I cant make it!
At that moment, Chris and Lynn both realized how much danger these guys were in. They could
drown even as we are reaching for them, Chris thought.
The second swimmer grabbed the flotation cushion. Chris extended the docking pole to the first man
and dragged him to the ladder. Pulling him to the back of the boat Lynn and Chris hoisted the first
man aboard and over the transom gate. Lynn wrapped the man in a blanket as Chris helped the
other fisherman out of the water.
It probably took us three minutes to reach these two guys and another two minutes to actually get
them into the boat, Chris said. I was so impressed with Lynn as she calmly readied to assist with
flotation cushions and blankets.
While the Holdorfs were retrieving the two overboard fisherman, another passerby boat retrieved the
motorized canoe and brought it alongside Integrity. The Holdorfs took the men to the Aqualand boat
launch where they helped trailer the canoe and hurried the men into the warmth of their own truck.
Having just watched a Canadian cold-water survival video and seeing how quickly people become
disoriented, these men would not have lasted much longer swimming in heavy clothes and freezing
cold water without life jackets. This incident demonstrates how quickly boating accidents can hap-
pen and how important it is to wear a life jacket.
Reginald Hollar, DCAPT-N
The ground work is
in place for a banner
year in 2010.With
the tight budget that
the Coast Guard will
be working under in
the future,
Auxiliarists will see
more and more
opportunities to
serve.


Page 7

Lynn and Chris Holdorf are both members of Flotilla 29. Chris is a coxswain and Lynn is a qualified
crew member. Their situational awareness and rescue training aided greatly in this rescue.
Looking back over the past year, the District 7 North Auxiliary prospered well. New flotillas, detach-
ments, and a division were formed. The visibility of the Auxiliary was raised to a higher level with
increased Recreational Boating Safety programs to support the boating public. Auxiliary support to
the Sectors and Stations was enhanced with a close knit link between the Auxiliary Sector Coordina-
tors, Auxiliary Liaisons and commanding officers.
The ground work is in place for a banner year in 2010. All six divisions have presented a compre-
hensive working plan and established attainable goals. Special emphasis concerning the economic
condition many are facing has been included in the plans and ways are in place to capitalize on
these conditions. Surface and air missions for example, will as much as is possible, be designed
around multiple tasks. Through integration, Recreational Boating Safety is already paying dividends
in many areas with a huge increase in Safe Boating Programs and participants.
With the tight budget that the Coast Guard will be working under in the future, Auxiliarists will see
more and more opportunities to serve.
Already we are seeing many Auxiliary
members training to help fill support for
Marine Safety, Security, and Environ-
mental Protection. Of the 12 performance
qualification standards (PQS) released in
J anuary, training is ongoing to fill these for
the Sectors and Stations. District 7 North
Auxiliary will do all that is possible to sup-
port Sectors J acksonville and Charleston
and their small boat stations and the boat-
ing public during 2010 and beyond.
Lynn and Chris Holdorf, members of
Flotilla 29 aboard the Coast Guard
Cutter Eagle in Savannah during the
summer of 2009.
Photo provided by Reginald Hollar,
DCAPT-N
Page 8



District Captain West
Tennessee Williams said There is a time for departure, even when there is no place to go.
Most of us know when it is time to move on from the old way of doing things and to find a bet-
ter way. Of course, some folks (obviously none of us) resist change until they are dragged
along by events. They may even feel like victims when change occurs, but as they let go of
the old ways they (usually) see opportunities in change and feel a new sense of purpose.
For those of us in divisions and flotillas aligned with Coast Guard Sector Saint Petersburg,
the Auxiliary Modernization and District Seven Strategic Plan are clearly driving change and
a renewed sense of purpose.
For starters, our flotillas and divisions are becoming Sector Centric in their thinking, planning and
actions. Through identification of needs during the Coast Guards Standard Operational Planning
Process, units in the West are increasingly being asked to provide personnel to Sector Saint Peters-
burg and Air Station Clearwater for activities once handled by active duty personnel. Team West
Auxiliarists now serve as relief cooks onboard cutters and at Stations. Others provide clerical and
administrative services, some serve as weekend standby crew at Coast Guard stations so that ac-
tive duty personnel may have time with their families, and some assist Coast Guard inspectors, oth-
ers stand communications or gate watch duty, and help update flight materials and equipment at Air
Station Clearwater. Two Auxiliarists coordinated a model program that trains active duty personnel
for certification as a truck driver. These are just a few examples of the many places Team West Aux-
iliarists are assisting Sector and Air station missions. Although we will always be closely focused on
our missions in recreational boating safety, maritime homeland security and support for Coast Guard
requirements, our activities are certain to become increasingly Sector Centric as additional needs
are identified through the Sectors planning process.
Another important change for Team West is in Organizational Management. The appointment of
Division Department Chiefs at several divisions has clearly improved accountability and reporting;
Auxiliary Air and surface assets are providing increased assistance to Coast Guard air and surface
units with training and research activities; and, the Auxiliary Sector Coordinator and Auxiliary Avia-
tion Coordinator are providing an extremely valuable link in communications, training and tasking
between the Sector, Air Station and the Auxiliary.
Lastly, communication between our leaders has never been better. Our culture emphasizes recogni-
tion for achievement and our Flotilla and Division Commanders meet regularly to share best prac-
tices, discuss priorities and develop relationships. The Flotilla Leadership Academy
sessions earlier this year trained our flotilla leaders in a number of important skills.
Those sessions also afforded our District Commodore and the Chief of Staff an op-
portunity to remind us all of why we must stay true to our core values, remain focused
on the District mission and goals, and remember the Watch Words Integration, Inno-
vation and Integrity while we do our best to Do the Right Thing. If that charge didnt
give our leadership renewed purpose, I cant imagine what will.
Semper Paratus
John Tyson, DCAPT-W
What does the J oint Communication Support Element (J CSE) have to do with the Auxiliary? On February 25-27, 2010, members from
Division 7 under Sector St. Petersburg conducted a three day training covering rules of the road, navigation basics, chart plotting, boat
dynamics and handling, and safety equipment as well as day and night time vessel operations to members of J CSE headquartered at
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. The training is yet another example of how the Auxiliary assists in Coast Guard missions. Photo by
Tim Teahan, FC 79 (Full story beginning on page 32.)


Page 9
It seems like it was just yesterday that Captain Michael McAllister assumed command of
Sector Charleston, yet he will be leaving in J une for a new assignment at Coast Guard
Headquarters in Washington, D.C. McAllister has been a strong ally for the Auxiliary dur-
ing the integration of the Auxiliary with active duty Coast Guard at Sector, the four boat
stations in Sectors area of operations (Georgetown, S.C., Charleston, S.C., Tybee Island,
Ga., and Brunswick, Ga.) and has played an important part in assisting the Coast Guard in
achieving its multi-faceted missions in Georgia and South Carolina.
At the Change of Command on J une 19th, we will say farewell and smooth sailing to
McAllister and welcome Captain Michael White to Charleston. One of the purposes of the
Auxiliary Sector Coordinator is to provide continuity to Auxiliary contribution to Sectors
operations as the Coast Guard assigns and reassigns Commanding Officers. We look for-
ward to working with White and to continuing to build on the work achieved during McAllisters com-
mand.
For example, under McAllisters
command, gaps in Coast Guard/
Auxiliary presence were identified,
and where these existed, Auxiliary
detachments (later becoming flotil-
las) were established. Flotillas now
exist on lakes Marion and Chatuge
and detachments are on Lake Sin-
clair and in the Myrtle Beach, S.C.
area. Other areas in remote loca-
tions in Georgia and South Carolina
have been identified for future ex-
pansion.
Since Auxiliary participation in Sec-
tors missions is crucial, meetings
with active duty counterparts on a
routine basis have been conducted
with the District Captain and Division
Commanders (Divisions 2, 10, and
12) in attendance. By learning first
hand what Sector and the units
which fall under its command re-
quire, the division officers are a part
of the planning and assessment of
their abilities to contribute. This
meeting plan has worked out well
during the past two years and has
increased the ability of the Auxiliary to work more closely with our active duty team members.
Sectors concern with the threat small vessels may pose to shipping and important infrastructure
resulted in a Small Vessel Threat Advisory Council composed of Coast Guard, local, state, and Fed-
eral law enforcement agencies as well as Customs and Border Patrol. The Council meets once a
month at Sectors Hawkeye facility at the old Navy base in Charleston. The same Auxiliary person-
nel that meet regularly at Sector are the participants in the Council.

Ronald Goldenberg, ASC Sector Charleston
District 7 Auxiliary Air members attended the AuxAir Workshop J anuary 22-24, 2010 at
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah on Hunter Army Air Field for a full weekend of
workshop activities and camaraderie and a tour of Coast Guard Aircraft, including the
hangar housing the MH-60 J ayhawk helicopters.
Photo by Barbara Burchfield, FSO-PA 12-3
(See story on page 26)

Page 10



I am constantly amazed at the energy, enthusiasm, dedication and just plain grit that our
members demonstrate on a daily basis. I was given the opportunity to represent the East
area of responsibility (AOR) of District 7 this year. I could not be prouder of that opportunity
nor of the people that I represent.
The East stretches from Vero Beach in the northern end of Division 5 along the east coast
of Florida through Ft. Lauderdale and Division 3, through Miami and Division 6 to the end of
the Florida Keys and Division 13. If that was not a big enough area, add in Puerto Rico with
Division 1 and the US Virgin Islands with Division 16. I am truly blessed with a varied and
diverse area of responsibility.
The size and diversity of the area, however, is not what makes it so special. It is the people. Regard-
less of where I travel in my AOR, I am met with extraordinary people who are enthusiastic about the
Auxiliary and willing to do anything to better their units. Let me tell you a little bit about the special peo-
ple found in The East. Though there are many, space will only allow me to identify a few. I have only
mentioned those with national positions. Each one of these people is backed by literally hundreds
more who do the selfless tasks day in and day out. Without them, we would not be the organization we
are.
I hail from Division 5 so I will start with my friends and move south to Division 3.
Wilson Riggan, the Division 5 Commander, also serves as an Assistant District Staff Officer-
Navigation Systems and the Division Chief of the National Aviation Division when not flying a 767 in-
ternationally for American Airlines or representing his industry as an Air Traffic Control Specialist on
the National Safety Committee of the Allied Pilots Association. He and Fred Ross, his co-pilot recently
made the news when they landed their facility safely on two wheels when the nose gear failed to lock
in place. Cool profession-
alism brought what could
have been a serious situa-
tion (now theres an un-
derstatement) to a happy
ending. The Division Vice
commander, Gary Barth
and his wife, Terry, man-
age the Military Training
District Captain East
Dan Jacquish, DCAPT-E



Marc Brody from Flotilla 36
in Boca Raton, Fla. and
J oseph Cleary from Flotilla
34 in Pompano Beach, Fla.
receive trail line during a
helo operations training
exercise on February 13,
2010.


Photo by
Brian Lichtenstein


Page 11
Network for South Florida. They organize and manage all the first aid and Cardiac Pulmonary Resus-
citation (CPR) training for the Coast Guard and Auxiliary. Additionally, Terry serves as the District Staff
Officer-Materials and Gary as Assistant District Staff Officer-Publications. Commodore David Elliot, a
member of Division 5 serves as the Assistant National Commodore for the Response and Prevention
Directorate. He is assisted in the communications area by J ack Slattery, who serves as the National
Division Chief for Communications. Mel Schumacher, the Immediate Past Flotilla Commander for Flo-
tilla 52 in J upiter serves as the National Division Chief for Support in the Training Department. Stu
Landau serves as a National Branch Chief for Commendation while Stu Spector holds a national posi-
tion as the Branch Chief for Administration, both in the Training Department. J erry Henderson is
Branch Chief, Commercial Vessel Exams and Lenore Combs is Branch Chief for the Materials Branch,
both in the Prevention Department. Finally, Bill Blandy serves as the National Division Chief for Web
Services in the Information Department.
Moving south to the Ft. Lauderdale area, we come to Division 3 with Pat Feighery as the Division
Commander and Ed Duda as the Vice Commander. Ed also holds several positions including the Na-
tional Division Chief for Hosting Services in the Information Department. Brian Lichtenstein serves as
the Branch Chief Medical Liaison for the Interpreter Corps while Andy Anderson serves in several flo-
tilla positions, the District Staff Officer-Legal and National Branch Chief for Value Added Training in
the Training Department.
Space will only permit me to talk about two divisions at a time, so more on Division 6 and Division 13
in the next issue, followed by Division 1 and 16.
Our people are the backbone of the Auxiliary, providing experience, background, and depth to the
various National Directorates. District 7 is blessed with so many of these people who do far beyond
what is called for. They answer the call repeatedly to serve this great organization.
You have the names, now take this opportunity to also bring your talents to the table. Every member
that serves national brings additional program
and project information back to the district, divi-
sion and flotilla levels for the betterment of all
our members. Offer your talents to your flotilla
first, then division and district. Your special tal-
ents are needed. J oin the other members of
"Team East" who are making a difference and
making us proud!
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.-- To commemorate the sink-
ing of the SS Dorchester on Feb 3,1944 by a German
U boat with a loss of 692 sailors and soldiers in the
North Atlantic, a ceremony was held on J anuary 31,
2010 at Station Fort Lauderdale. Members of several
Veterans of Foreign War Posts, Sea Cadets, USCG
Auxiliary and USCG, among others, attended the
ceremony honoring the four chaplains who remained
on board, assisting and comforting many. They gave
their life jackets to others. All four went down with the ship. Coast Guard Cutter
Escanaba and Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk remained on scene and rescued 200-
300 survivors.
The ceremony told the story about each chaplain (Catholic, Protestant, Reformed
and J ewish). Four veterans symbolically took off their lifejackets and gave them to
four Sea Cadets who represented those they saved.
The Auxiliary was represented by Pat Feighery, DCDR 3, Ed Duda, VCDR 3,
Marie Duda, Brian Lichtenstein and several veterans who are or were members of
the Auxiliary. Seated beside Ed Duda is LT. j.g. Megan Naughton, USCG, Execu-
tive Officer, Station Ft. Lauderdale. Photos by Brian Lichtenstein
Page 12



Logistics Directorate
James Dennen, DDC-L D7, ASC Sector Key West
In past issues I have written about my wonderful staff. This time, I have asked that they
introduce themselves to you individually. They are a great group of officers dedicated to the
Auxiliary and to the members of D7, and I am immensely proud to count them as Logistics
Directorate staff officers.

Angela Pomaro, DSO-HR D7
The Human Resources Department (HR) is involved in many
aspects of the Auxiliary. All HR Officers are involved in recruiting and
retaining members. As District Staff Officer-Human Resources (DSO-
HR), I am responsible for processing of recruiting awards, disenroll-
ments, transfers, retirements and member deaths. Four times a year, I
publish the Human Resources magazine, D-7 Connection.
I have been a member of Flotilla 51 in Riviera Beach, Fla. for five years.
I love what I do, and I especially love working with such dedicated and
supportive officers from all 17 divisions. We work hard and sometimes
we even have a laugh!

Sue Hastings, DSO-IS D7
When I joined the Auxiliary over 20 years ago, little did I know that that I would become a paper
pusher. When I joined my first Flotilla in Rochester, N.Y., the District Staff Officer-Information Sys-
tem (DSO-IS) from the 9
th
Eastern District who was in my flotilla, took me under his wing and I
started inputting data for three divisions each Saturday at the local Coast Guard Station. Before I
knew it, I was a Flotilla Staff Officer-Information System (FSO-IS), then Division Staff Officer-
Information System (SO-IS), and eventually DSO-IS in that District. After I moved to the 7
th
District
ten years ago, I believed that things would slow down, however, when I walked in the door
at my first flotilla meeting in Georgetown, S.C., I was asked to be the FSO-IS. A few years
later I got a call from the DSO-IS from 7
th
District who asked me to be an ADSO-IS and Di-
rectors Executive Assistant for Certifications. The rest is history.
The Information Technology world and the Auxiliary have changed much in the past 20
years. Then, communications was by letter and telephone and input for missions was done
at Coast Guard workstations at stations or at district. Reports were printed out each month
on 11x 17 ledger paper with carbon copies and mailed to each division, which then broke
the data down and sent it to each flotilla. Now, communications is mostly electronic with
emails and websites. We can send the forms electronically and anyone can pull up their
activity on the Internet at anytime.
One thing that has not changed in the last 20 years is that information has to be turned in to
be counted. If you dont send in your activity logs and mission sheets, your hours will not be
correct. If you move or change your email address and dont get the information updated in
AUXDATA your records are not accurate. You as the member need to ensure that records
are accurate and up to date.
Logistics:

Communication
Services

Human Resources

Information
Services

Public Affairs

Publications

Materials

Photo of Angela Pomaro by
Vickie Aponte.


Page 13
Terry Barth, DSO-MA D7
In the past, the District Staff Officer-Materials (DSO-MA) had to wear two hats one for the
District Store and one for the actual Materials Officer side. Thats a lot to juggle for one per-
son! When I became DSO-MA three years ago, the responsibilities were separated into a
DSO-MA and a District Staff Officer- Materials Center (DSO-MC). This has made it much
more manageable, allowing each of us to focus our time and efforts on the specific needs of
our positions. In developing this office, my main goal was to insure my staff was kept up-to-
date on any additions, deletions, delays and/or required information important for them to do
their jobs. It has been challenging at times, but having the support of a great team, the Divi-
sion and Flotilla Staff Officers-Materials have made my job not only interesting, but enjoy-
able as well. I appreciate having the opportunity to work with such a great group of people.

Tom Loughlin, DSO-PA D7
I believe, in a totally unbiased fashion of course, that the members of the Public Affairs De-
partment enjoy the best of all worlds. We have the opportunity to work with not only our Pub-
lic Affairs counterparts, but also with others from Commodores to the newest members, and
then we get to have fun writing the stories and articles that tell everyone about the Auxiliary.
Any member can write a story or article. Send it up through Publication or Public Affairs
channels and we will be delighted to help get it published. At this time we are gearing up for
National Safe Boating Week, May 22-28, 2010 and working with the other three members of
the Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) teamPublic Education (PE), Program Visitors (PV)
and Vessel Examiners (VE). Additionally, there is a very special fifth member who is vitally
important you!

Dottie Riley, DSO-PB D7
It is wonderful to be able to serve this great volunteer organization by doing what I love
more than anythingexcept painting. I am editor of the Breeze and I love what I do! One of
the neatest things is the privilege of getting to know so many members throughout our district,
and I am ever amazed by the broad range of talents and personalities that I encounter. I am
proud to be a member of this great organization.
While I may serve as its editor, the Breeze is an award-winning publication because it is truly the
product of a team effort. The D7 Publications team is outstanding and consists of J ames Dennen,
Content Editor, Gary Barth, Assistant District Staff Officer-East, (ADSO-PB-E) Susan Carty,
ADSO-North, Karen Miller, ADSO-West and T. J . Kerbs, Pre-Press & Printing.
Bravo Zulu, Publications team and thank you!



Photo provided by Terry
Barth
Photo provided by Tom
Loughlin
Page 14



Recreational Boating Safety has always been the primary purpose of the Coast Guard
Auxiliary and specifically, of the Prevention Directorate. While the Coast Guard Auxil-
iary performs Boating Safety Patrols and other functions daily for this purpose, the
Prevention Directorates activities are unique in emphasizing safety through knowl-
edge before the boater gets to the water through Vessel Safety Checks, Public Educa-
tion (PE) programs provided to recreational boaters as well as to related businesses
and governmental agencies.
Nationally, recreational boating accidents, injuries and fatalities have been increasing,
resulting in the Coast Guard requesting additional assistance from the Auxiliary in de-
veloping and implementing a plan to increase public boating safety awareness and
reduce the rising accident trend. The District 7 Recreational boating Safety (RBS)
Team includes the Public Education, Vessel Safety Checks (VSC), Program Visitor (PV) and Pub-
lic Affairs (PA) officers who are preparing an RBS Tactical Plan to promote a closer working rela-
tionship of these functions at all levels.
The Recreational Boating Safety plan being developed should include ways for flotillas to provide a
greater variety of public education programs and increase the visibility of Vessel Safety Checks
through enhanced public affairs and dealer promotion and internal support. We need to share and
borrow successful concepts through flotilla discussions and by reporting flotilla accomplishments
through divisions to district.
Flotilla staff officers should be asking divisions for any support needed to increase public participa-
tion, and divisions should pass requests for support that they cannot provide to district. Examples
are public service announcements (PSAs) for upcoming events, classes or VCS blitzes. Locally
developed information is great, but articles should be available which can be tailored for local use.
Handouts or flyers can be given out during vessel examinations to promote PE programs and in-
formation about vessel examinations and sign-ups and provided during PE presentations.
Program Visitation is another effective method for getting the word out about boating safety and
Coast Guard Auxiliary programs. Businesses working with boaters are generally very aware
of unsafe practices, concerned about increasing boating safety and eager for a way to help.
They are happy to have copies of state boating law books, brochures on life jacket wear
(especially in English and Spanish) and flyers on our PE program offerings to provide to their
customers. Additional information can be tailored to the business clientele, such as hunting
and fishing safety at sporting goods stores or boating safety at marinas or boat dealers. Like-
wise, information can be rotated by season.
Program Visitation is so easy anyone can do it. We all have marine related businesses that
we go to occasionally or drive past frequently. After the first visit it is not necessary to wear a
uniform. After the first visit, arrangements have probably been made to place a rack or put
information in a designated store location. Its visiting with people we probably already know,
or would like to. Its a chance to talk about boating safety or the Coast Guard Auxiliary, or re-
cent incidents with people who share our interests.
Program Visitor is also one of the easiest things for which to become qualified. The book and
test are not difficult and qualification is completed with two mentored visits. Qualification is
maintained with a minimum of four visits per year, one visit every three months to one busi-

Prevention:

Marine Safety

Member
Training

Public Education

Program Visitor

State Liaison

Vessel
Examinations
Bruce Lindsey, DDC-P D7
Prevention Directorate


Page 15
ness to maintain, yet it would help so much to spread the word by increas-
ing our exposure, and business partnerships is one way that all members
can help.
So, there are two methods for increasing our impact on RBS: increasing
your personal exposure to the boating public as a concerned Auxiliarist,
and to ask for more assistance from division and district. We have more
programs available than are used, and we should use all the programs
available to us. Please think of more ways that you can use the Auxiliary
to enhance boating safety, and watch for more opportunities and ideas
coming to a division and flotilla near you.

Many of the events leading up to our country's involve-
ment in World War II, from the late 1930s to 1941, were
dramatically depicted on the newest American fad, gum
cards.
Insert cards picturing a variety of historical, fantasy and
contemporary events were relatively new in 1939. But, as
the tides of war swept over most of the world and Ameri-
cans came to realize it was only a matter of time before
our turn came, some gum card sets began taking on a
patriotic tone and emphasized the need for America to be
prepared. Gum, Inc., in 1941, began inserting "Uncle
Sam - Home Defense" (148 cards) and "Uncle Sam - Sol-
dier" (96 cards).
The "Soldier" portion shows men of the Army, Navy, Ma-
rine Corps and Air Corps in training and conducting mock
warfare. The "Home Defense" portion highlights home
front activities, such as air raid wardens, first aid stations,
defense against incendiary bombs, and school children
dispersing in the event of an air attack. It also showcased
such military complementary outfits as Home Guard, Of-
fice of Civilian Defense, women pilots ferrying aircraft
overseas to England, and the Auxiliary Coast Guard.
The sets, though published from 1938 to 1941, are
among the best ever produced - from the viewpoints of
patriotism, quality artwork, and creativity.
Today, gum card collectors and others eagerly seek them
out.
An Auxiliary Blast from our Past
Researched and wri tten by J oseph Gi annattasi o,
DSO-PB, 5NR
Page 16



The Response Department consists of Aviation, Communications, Navigation Services and
Operations. For this issue of the Breeze, we are featuring aviation operations and surface
operations with articles by Cecil Christopher, District Staff Officer-Aviation (DSO-AV) and
Kitty Nicolai, District Staff Officer-Operations (DSO-OP).

Aviation Happenings
By Cecil Christopher, DSO-AV

On December 28, 2009, while patrolling the Bahamas in support of Sector Miami, one of our Auxil-
iary aircraft (AUXAIR) crews observed a 30-foot center console boat anchored off the northwest
coast of Great Isaac Cay, one of the Bimini Islands. There were two persons on board and the
boaters began waving a life vest and a pool noodle. The AUXAIR crew contacted Sector Miami and
informed them of the situation. Sector Miami advised them that the vessel fit the description of a
boat reported stolen earlier in the day and the Cutter Drummond was dispatched to their location.
The Auxiliary aircraft remained on scene and assisted in directing the cutter to the location of the
disabled boat. After confirming that the Drummond had the boat in sight, the Auxiliary aircraft re-
turned to base. Later, it was confirmed that the boat had run out of gas and was indeed the boat
reported stolen earlier. The two boaters were rescued--- and taken into custody.
On J anuary 21, 2010, an Auxiliary aircraft flown by Auxiliarists Wilson Riggan from Flotilla 59 and
Fred Ross from Flotilla 69 became the first Coast Guard Auxiliary aircraft to fly in the Haitian earth-
quake relief effort. The aircraft and crew transported a relief pilot and flight mechanic to Providen-
ciales, Turks and Caicos along with repair parts for a broken Falcon, returning to Coast Guard Air
Station Miami the next day with the relieved pilot and crew member.
On February 2, 2010, Coast Guard Auxiliary Aircraft N 414 AW made an emergency landing at
Opa Locka Airport at approximately 1 p.m. local time. The Cessna 414 had two Coast Guard Auxil-
iary members aboard and was returning to Coast Guard Air Station Miami after completing a logis-
tics mission flying Admiral Brice-OHara, Vice Commandant (select) from Orlando to J acksonville,
Fla. The aircrew was aware of the malfunction prior to landing and completed all necessary
emergency procedures before performing a successful landing with the nose landing gear
not fully extended. After coming to a safe stop on the runway, with the nose landing gear
collapsed, both crew members exited the aircraft unharmed. The entire incident was tele-
vised live nationally on the Fox News Network.






Richard Leys, DDC-R D7
Response Directorate
Response:

Navigation
Services

Operations

Qualification
Examiners

Aviation

Communications


Page 17
Surface Operations
By Kitty Nicolai, DSO-OP

Despite a very cold, record-setting winter, many recreational boaters within District 7 still managed
to find ways to go boating. Some of our areas boating days turned out to be a great deal of fun
while others probably wished they would have stayed home and watched a fishing show on TV.
On Floridas west coast, the annual Gasparilla celebration in Tampa Bay saw pirates, pirate ships
and about 300 pleasure craft in an invasion of the City of Tampa. Dozens of Auxiliarist and their
operational facilities helped control the parade route, along with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Con-
servation Commission (FWC) and local sheriffs vessels from several surrounding counties. No ma-
jor public boating mishaps were reported.
In the middle of J anuary, a boat fire consumed a pleasure craft in Ft. Lauderdales area of responsi-
bility on the east coast of Florida. The first official on-scene responder was the Coast Guard Auxil-
iary. Before it was over, a Good Samaritan, the US Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, the
FWC, local sheriff, local police, and Tow Boat US had responded. A response like this shows the
value of ICS-210 training due March 31 of
this year- for all Auxiliary Coxswains. This Inci-
dent Command System (ICS) course is de-
signed for Single Unit Resource Leaders and
focuses on initial incident assessment and
management.
Both examples above demonstrate the great
working relationship our local Auxiliarist
around the district have forged with private
citizens, other government agencies, and
other interests in the maritime industry.

Two fishermen (sitting by the
stern) from a burning boat are
safe aboard a Coast Guard
Auxiliary boat from Flotilla 36.
The crew included Marc
Brody, coxswain, J erry Edel-
man, Gil Finklestein and Ken
Eisenberg. A Coast Guard 25-
foot Response Boat, the Flor-
ida Fish and Wildlife Commis-
sion and Tow Boat US gather
near the Auxiliary
Operational Facility, the first
official boat on-scene.
Photo provided by
Richard Leys
Burning vessel photo by
Marc Brody

Auxiliary Underway: Cooking on the Coast Guard Cutter Vise
Article and photos submitted by Jeff Lawlor
CLEARWATER, Fla. The question was posed, Sector
St. Petersburg needs a volunteer to fill in with food ser-
vice on their cutters while underway. Are you interested?
When the cutters food service petty officers are on leave,
they usually do not have a food service specialist on
board. They have a crew member fill in, and based on the
belly aching (pun intended), its obvious the substitute
isnt usually versed in the ways of cooking for a full cutter
crew.
J eff Lawlor, a member of Flotilla 11-1 in Clearwater, Fla.
is one of a group of Division 11 Auxiliarists training to
earn Operations Excellence qualifications at Station Sand
Key. Part of their training involves spending holiday
weekends on site. They participate in underway and
shore-side training and assist in the galley after meals to
relieve the Stations personnel.
Don Hoge, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator- St. Petersburg,
observed Lawlors role in leading their team of Galley
Rats and noting his culinary experience, asked him if he
was interested in filling the food service void at Sector St.
Petersburg. Previously, Lawlor served in the Coast Guard
Reserve as a food service Petty Officer and spent the
majority of his business career as a marketing executive
in the restaurant business. He also enjoyed guiding hunt-
ers and cooking camp meals at his hunting ranch in West
Texas, feeding 8-15 hungry hunters per meal.
With a passion for preparing good food, Lawlor didnt
have to think very long about the question of helping on
the Sectors cutters. After getting a clean bill of health
from Sector health service specialist, Petty Officer 1
st

Class Shawn Meyer and speaking with Sector staff, it was
only a few short weeks before Lawlor received orders.
The need arose on the Vise, (143 including its barge)
construction tender.
The Vise was scheduled to get underway during the last
week of September to service, replace and repair Aids to
Navigation (ATONS) starting in Tampa Bay, and proceed-
ing north in the Intracoastal Waterway up the Gulf coast
all the way to Crystal River.
Before they got underway, Lawlor met with the vessels
cook, Petty Officer 2
nd
Class Brandon Cochran. They dis-
cussed needs and toured the galley and storage areas.
He then prepared menus for three meals a day for five
days with an additional back up for three more days
(Semper Paratus) and submitted a list of food needed.
Brandon secured menu approval and was gracious
enough to procure everything before he left to go on
leave.
The next step was to meet the Executive Officer, Chief
Petty Officer Ronald J ohnson, and take a closer look at
the galleys facilities to determine what equipment he
Page 18





Page 19

needed to take on board. The facilities were outstanding.
The only thing Lawlor brought along was his own knife
sharpener.
During his two meetings on board, Lawlor began ques-
tioning his decision to volunteer since the air conditioning
system was down waiting for a part to arrive. The only
relief from the heat was from a few window air conditioner
units that kept the temperature a few degrees below the
typical balmy 90 plus degree Florida weather.
Lawlor reported on board Sunday evening to prepare for
breakfast prior to getting underway in the morning. This
was his first time meeting the cutters Commanding Offi-
cer, Chief Warrant Officer Michael Popelars.
The first full day started at 5 a.m. and ended after dinner
around 7 p.m. After being on his feet the whole time, he
again began to question his decision and sanity. After all,
it was over 36 years since he worked that long and hard
in a Coast Guard galley, but by the second day, he
planned his schedule better, was acclimated to the galley
and became more efficient.
By now you probably are curious what was served: SOS,
canned beans and sea rations? No, not quite. A sampling
of the meals included fresh baked gulf grouper and bay
scallops, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, Cuban pork
marinara sauce with angel hair pasta, tossed salad and
garlic bread, grilled steaks from the cutters new wood
burning grill, baked potatoes and garden fresh salad.
Lunch menus included pressed Cuban sandwiches with
slaw, quesadillas with ham, chips, salsa, guacamole and
jalapenos. For one dessert he served Godiva double
chocolate brownies. One breakfast was
French toast flavored with vanilla and
orange, bacon and sausage, while an-
other meal included hotcakes, bacon and
eggs to order with fresh fruit.
Their mission was extended two extra
days for a total of seven days underway
to Cedar Key to replace two more
ATONS. Fortunately, the planned extra
provisions and meals came in handy.
As an additional benefit, Lawlor had the
opportunity to sharpen his underway
skills. Between meals and when not in
the galley, he spent his time on the
bridge. He had the opportunity to steer
the vessel and observe and learn addi-
tional navigation plotting skills in addition
to assisting as a lookout.
The crew was extremely impressive, smart, squared
away and well trained in their jobs, motivated, enthusias-
tic, polite, and appreciative, and they always volunteered
to help, even in the galley.
As a special treat to the crew and as a show of his grati-
tude, the Skipper decided to give Lawlor a break. On the
last morning, he personally prepared some of his favorite
breakfast recipes. He cooked delicious South Carolina
sausage gravy with biscuits, baked corned beef hash with
eggs accompanied by fresh fruit. The Skipper and the
crew presented Lawlor with a CGC Vise medallion, shirt,
cover, and a case of Michelob as special thanks. These
items will always be special to him- except for the beer. It
is long gone!
The last night out, they moored at the American Legion in
Madeira Beach and went ashore for some refreshments.
While they were sitting outside, a very senior lady came
over to the table to thank the crew for their service to the
country. As the group introduced themselves, she looked
in Lawlors direction and asked, Who is that old guy?
The Skipper, without missing a beat, pointed at Lawlor
and said, Hes the Captain. Lawlor just stayed quiet.
Oh, by the way, when he reported back on board, the air
conditioner was repaired and working well, so his choice
to get underway turned out to be a cool decision after all.
Even if the air conditioner were out the entire trip, it would
have been well worth the experience. Lawlor was proud
to be part of Team Coast Guard.
CGC Vise crew members enjoy one of the many meals prepared by
Auxiliary member J eff Lawlor in the ships galley.



Page 20

US Naval Sea Cadet Corps Memorandum of Understanding:
How does it affect you? By William Giers, SO-PA 17
For many Auxiliarists, working with the US Naval Sea Ca-
dets is nothing new. The new Memorandum of Under-
standing (MOU) between the US Coast Guard Auxiliary
(USCGAUX) and the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps
(USNSCC) does not actually create a J unior Auxiliary as
some are claiming - it goes one better.
Both organizations retain all of their previous authority,
missions and regulations and can now operate together in
joint trainings and missions. Some of our Auxiliarists, flotil-
las, and entire divisions have already been doing just that,
but now it is an official agreement, and the liability con-
cerns that many flotilla and division commanders (and
members) expressed have
been addressed.
The MOU defines and es-
tablishes procedures and
practices for cooperation
between both organiza-
tions. Specifically, it was
written, to enhance their
common goals of providing
public education and appli-
cation of maritime training
to citizens of the United
States of America. In the
same way the Auxiliary
performs certain missions
of the Coast Guard, pro-
vides training to members
and the public, promotes fellowship, and is also a force
multiplier, the Sea Cadets also have specific missions.
The main missions of the Sea Cadets is to provide a drug
and alcohol free environment where American youth can
develop leadership abilities, broaden their life experiences
in a healthy manner, and through hands-on trainings, teach
and foster patriotism, courage, self-reliance and kindred
virtues as they develop into mature young adults.
The MOU lays out the guidelines for working together.
The main focus of the agreement is to provide enhanced
maritime training, technical expertise, participation in mari-
time training exercises, and other opportunities otherwise
unavailable to the other organization while maintaining the
values and purposes of each organization. This includes
using USCG and/or USCGAUX facilities, resources and
personnel. To assist in making the main focus of this
agreement occur more smoothly, it states that Liaison
Officers will be designated at every level and that these
officers will be kept fully informed to enhance coordina-
tion.
Just who are the Sea Cadets? What do they actually
do, and what does that have to do with us?
The Navy League established the Naval Sea Cadet Corps
(NSCC) for ages 13-17 and Navy League Cadet Corps
(NLCC) for ages 11-14 in 1958. The Sea Cadet Units are
divided into three main types. Divisions, focused on mari-
time activity, Battalions, focused on construction (Sea
Bees) and Squadrons,
where aviation is the
prime focus. Other than
that, the organizations
are very similar. J ust like
the USCGAUX, in order
to join the US Naval Sea
Cadet Corps, applicants
must meet certain crite-
ria. They must: be be-
tween the ages of 13
and 17; be a US Citizen;
be a full time student
and maintain satisfactory
grades (2.00 "C" grade
point average), and be
free of felony convic-
tions. This makes the
Sea Cadets an excellent place for our members children
and grandchildren to develop, and when the Cadets are
ready to leave the Sea Cadets at age 17, they are excel-
lent candidates to transition into the Auxiliary. This will
bring in new members who have great qualifications,
inter-organizational knowledge, experience, and enthusi-
asm.
Training.
Sea Cadets train in many areas. The Auxiliary can aug-
ment this training by creating opportunities for the Sea
Cadets to put some of their skills into action. Many of
these opportunities will also coincide with, and augment
Auxiliary activities and missions. They train aboard Navy
and Coast Guard vessels using the same qualification
standards as would the active duty. Longer-term training
occurs during school breaks. Some of the advanced train-





Page 21

ings offered would
make many Auxil-
iarists envious and
wish they were Sea
Cadets. For exam-
ple: Airman Training,
Music Training, Sea-
bee Indoctrination
(construction), SEAL
Team Training, Sub-
marine Orientation,
Military Law Enforce-
ment Training, Explo-
sive Ordnance Dis-
posal, Leadership
Academy, Marks-
manship, Seaman-
ship, and Boating
Safety.
Opportunities.
This list of trainings
may give flotillas
ideas about how to augment the skills of these young
men and women by incorporating them into existing Aux-
iliary programs and missions, and how to offer venues for
Cadets to demonstrate and display their existing skills.
How would a band, choir or marching unit enhance exist-
ing Auxiliary events? Sea Cadets already provide Honor
and Color Guards, stand quarterdeck watch and Coast
Guard Station gate watch, act as the pre-evaluation team
for Vessel Safety Checks (VSC) - greatly speeding up the
time it takes to complete a VSC increasing the number of
VSCs, which also makes the boat owner who is eager to
get out on the water much happier. The Sea Cadets relay
boating safety information to children and adults in a way
that encourages even reluctant boaters to listen, support
Public Affairs Booths, Program Visitor programs, teach
knots and boating safety information, act as escorts at
Coast Guard and Auxiliary events including Change of
Command and Change of Watch ceremonies, and reach
the public in a different manner than most Auxiliarists
could. Often their enthusiasm alone inspires both Team
Coast Guard and the general public alike. Sea Cadets
may take all trainings offered by the USCGAUX. Some
flotillas already have Sea Cadets requesting to begin the
next Boat Crew Training. Sea Cadets earn ribbons just
like we do and many joint events help them qualify for
additional ribbons.
Positive Outcomes.
Many Sea Cadets have
gone on to great things
in life and have attrib-
uted their success to
the training and experi-
ences they received
while a member of the
Sea Cadets. While
some have gone on to
become flag officers in
every branch of the
service, not all Sea
Cadets enter the mili-
tary. One famous for-
mer Sea Cadet is re-
tired Master Chief
Petty Officer Vince Pat-
ton, USCG, a former
member of the Sea
Cadets J ames M. Han-
nan Division, Detroit,
Mich. He states, "By
joining the Sea Cadets, I started on my road to career
development as a citizen and as a leader. Although the
Sea Cadet program provided me with an understanding
of the sea services, it did a lot more in preparing me to
understand words like honor, respect, commitment, cour-
age, and devotion to duty. These words collectively make
up the Coast Guard and Navy core values, something I
have lived by and promoted."
Take Action.
Talk with your Flotilla and Division Commanders about
contacting your local Sea Cadet unit and infuse new life
and new experiences into your flotilla. The MOU makes
this another USCGAUX mission. Take the initiative. You
will open new worlds to all who participate. To find a
USNSCC near you use their Unit Locator: http://
dolphin.seacadets.org/US_units/index_public.asp

Photograph opposite Page: Cadets standing in line getting ready
for formation. Sea Cadets come from the local community and
just like the maritime services, represent a cross section of our
country.

Above: Sea Cadet Color Guard has performed for the
USCGAUX on many occasions such as Flotilla 17-6's 50th Anni-
versary, National Safe Boating Week, CG Change of Watch, CG
Day picnic.
Photos by Eileen Plasencia, USNSCC



Page 22

MIAMI - On the morning of Thursday, J anuary 14, 2010,
Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C. informed
the Coast Guard Auxiliary National Public Affairs Depart-
ment of the creation of a J oint Information Center (J IC)
based at the USCG Seventh District Headquarters located
in Miami, Fla. The communication included a request to
stand-up Auxiliary support to the J IC as needed to ensure
effective operational support of active duty Coast Guard
personnel. The stand up of this J IC was in response to the
massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the island
nation of Haiti on J anuary 12, 2010.
Tom Nunes, Deputy Director, Auxiliary Public Affairs
promptly notified Christopher Todd of the stand-up of sup-
port for the J IC operation. Within five hours, Todd was on-
scene and established a liaison with Lt. Cmdr. Matt Moor-
lag, who was designated as the Lead Public Information
Officer for the operation. Todd now began to coordinate
Auxiliary support for the J IC.
As luck would have it, Bill Hanlon had previously planned
a South Florida regional workshop of Auxiliary Public Af-
fairs staff officers for later that day in Miami. Todd went to
the meeting and briefed the attendees on the situation, as
well as the need for additional support from the Auxiliary.
While operations at the J IC ramped up, Lt. Suzanne
Kerver, the J IC Manager on loan from D8 in New Orleans
and her staff quickly identify a need for Spanish and
French/Creole speaking personnel. An additional request
for Auxiliary personnel with these language skills and/or
media relations training was made to Todd, who in turn
contacted Hanlon to help sound the call.
Semper Paratus was put to the test. Auxiliary members
from Division 6 (Miami-Dade County) and Division 3
(Broward/Southern Palm Beach Counties) with the de-
sired capabilities were identified and contacted. The very
next morning, Friday, J anuary 15, 2010, the first wave of
members responded to the J IC and immediately started
providing valuable assistance while serving along side
active duty personnel.
Felipe Pazos was one of the Interpreter Corps members
who responded to the J IC that first day. Soon after his
arrival, Pazos was given a public affairs crash course by
Todd and Bill Swank, who had also responded for the
morning shift. Shortly thereafter, Pazos was dispatched
to a local Spanish-language television station to tape a
live interview with Maria Elvira Salazar, a prominent talk
show host. Pazos represented the U.S. Coast Guard
wearing his Operation Dress Uniform and answered the
questions brilliantly about the Coast Guards response.
Later that afternoon, Hanlon arrived along with Theresa
Gonzalez. Hanlon and Gonzalez took the evening shift
and worked late into the night establishing needed struc-
ture and guidelines. Hanlon soon created a Handbook for
Auxiliary personnel reporting to the J IC to provide them
with essential information for their duty.
The procedures provided in the handbook increased
efficiency by shortening the learning-curve for newly as-
signed Auxiliary members reporting to the J IC, said
Kerver. The professional demeanor and skill sets dis-
D7 Volunteer Guardians Remain Semper Paratus!
By William F. Hanlon, III ADSO-PA-E and Christopher Todd, ADSO-PA-SP
Christopher Todd, DVC-
AP (left) and Bill Swank,
FSO-PA 6-11 D7 monitor
media coverage surround-
ing the U.S. Coast Guard
response to the major
earthquake which struck
Haiti on J anuary 12, 2010.
These members were part
of the initial team of Auxil-
iarists who responded to
assist active duty Public
Affairs Officers at the
USCG J oint Information
Center at Seventh District
headquarters in Miami.

Photo by Felipe Pazos,
FC 6-11 D7






Page 23

played by the Auxiliary were outstanding and invaluable
to J IC operations.
Over the next several days, local Auxiliary support from
Division 3 and 6 continued to supplement the J IC. The
nature of this support consisted primarily of Public Affairs,
Interpreter Corps, and logistical assistance.
One of the high points of the Auxiliary response came on
Tuesday, J anuary 19, 2010 when all seemed quiet at the
J IC. Auxiliarists Hanlon, Pazos, Todd, and J ames Simp-
son were on duty when a call came in from a CNN televi-
sion crew on the ground in Port au Prince. They were
with Ema Zizi, a 69 year-old woman who had been pulled
alive from the rubble of the National Cathedral a full week
after the collapse. She had been extracted and taken to a
local clinic, but was in dire need of a substantial medical
treatment that was not available on site.
The CNN crew was extremely frustrated that they could
not find a way to get her the medical attention she
needed, so they called the Coast Guard. Via the J IC of-
fice in downtown Miami, communications were estab-
lished with Capt. McPherson at the U.S. Embassy in Port
au Prince, the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma anchored off
Haiti, and the CNN crew on the ground with Zizi and her
son. Petty Officer 1
st
Class Bobby Nash of D7 Public Af-
fairs, USCG remained on the telephone with the CNN
crew as they frantically tried to coordinate a location for
an emergency medical evacuation by the Coast Guard.
I need the GPS coordinates for the (Haitian) Presidential
Palace! Nash shouted across the room. Everyone
looked at each other semi-stunned. Auxiliarist Simpson
then swung into action. Using a notebook PC sitting on
his lap, he quickly turned to Google and located the GPS
coordinates for the palace. As Simpson relayed this infor-
mation to Nash, Auxiliarist Todd verified the coordinates
using Wikipedia on his MacBook. Yes, they are accu-
rate! Todd responded.
Kerver then relayed the coordinates to the CGC Tahoma,
who in turned relayed the coordinates to the crew of the
Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter that was sent to
conduct the evacuation. Moorlag relayed the coordinates
to the U.S. Embassy in Port au Prince. The location had
been set.
Using night vision equipment, the crew of the HH-65 Dol-
phin was able to locate the CNN crew on the ground near
the palace. They landed and quickly loaded Ms. Zizi and
her son onto the aircraft. Both were airlifted to the USS
Bataan, a naval amphibious ship with sufficient medical
facilities also anchored off the coast Haiti. The life of Ms.
Zizi had most certainly been saved. CNN conducted a live
interview the next morning from Port au Prince with
McPherson and the helicopter crew regarding the res-
cue. It was a moment of pride for the entire U.S. Coast
Guard.
It was a very fluid situation, said Pazos. The quick think-
ing of Simpson definitely saved precious moments and
allowed the helicopter crew to find the CNN team on the
ground. It just shows the power of the Internet and solid
communications in conducting these types of rescue op-
erations. I was very proud of all the Auxiliary members
who participated in the J IC operation.
The following Seventh District Auxiliary members partici-
pated the J IC operation in response to Operation Unified
Response the name given to the U.S. Mission to evacu-
ate Americans from, and provide relief to, Haiti:
J oel Aberbach, ADSO-MS, 6-10
Nubia Carbonneau, Flotilla 31
J ohn Ciampa, SO-SR-6, Flotilla 7
Theresa Gonzalez, FSO-PA-ES 6-11
William Hanlon, ADSO-PA-E, 31
J udith Hudson, DCDR-6, Flotilla 7
George Navarini, SO-PA-6, Flotilla 3
Matthew Paulini, FSO-IS 6-11
Felipe Pazos, FC 6-11
Silvio Rodriguez, Flotilla 6-11
J ames Simpson, SO-PV-6, Flotilla 11
Bill Swank, FSO-PA, 6-11
Christopher Todd, ADSO-PA-SP, 6-11
Nathalie Vilaire, FSO-MT
Monica Zima, SO-MT-6, Flotilla 1

Local Auxiliary support of the Miami J IC continued through
Friday, J anuary 22, 2010, at which time enough active
duty Public Affairs Officers had arrived from other areas to
enable a termination of Auxiliary support (with the excep-
tion of Social Media operations run by Ryan Bank, Branch
Chief New Media).
Operational Unified Response gave us a glimpse of the
future role that the Auxiliary will play toward assisting the
active duty Coast Guard in major incidents. The Auxiliary
members who responded displayed that they remain
Always Ready to serve when called upon, thereby up-
holding the motto of the Coast Guard.



Page 24

CLEARWATER, Fla. The call came
in the afternoon of J anuary 12, 2010.
An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the
Richter magnitude scale had just
struck Haiti causing massive destruc-
tion and loss of life. Could the USCG
Auxiliary help?
Literally within minutes the calls went
out for helpall over the United
States. And Auxiliarists responded. Air
Station-Clearwater, Florida became
one of the main aircraft staging areas.
Huge C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft
and H-60 J ayhawk helicopters began
flying their missions of mercy. Aircraft
came from as far away as Barbers
Point, Hawaii, Sacramento, California,
Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Eliza-
beth City, North Carolina. The rescue
mission was a 24-hours a day, 7-days
per week operation.
Calls came in to Tom Loughlin, District Staff Officer-
Public Affairs, D7, from all over the United States from
Auxiliarist volunteering to go to Miami to work in the J oint
Information Center (J IC). Some could only get off work
for a few days. One Auxiliarist said he owned his own
business and therefore could work at the J IC as long as
needed. The stand-down came before he could be de-
ployed, but not before he talked with a busi-
ness friend who was in Haiti training them
how to farm more efficiently. He had several
deep fresh-water wells and was willing to
truck fresh water to the airstrip for distribution.
This was relayed to USAID in Haiti and hun-
dreds of gallons of fresh water an hour were
soon available. This single contact saved in-
numerable lives.
Auxiliarists responding for duty at USCG Air
Station - Clearwater included Roy Poole, Flotilla 11-9 and
Don Hoge, Flotilla 11-10. Hoge, Auxiliary Sector Coordi-
nator-Sector St. Petersburg, spent 115 hours during the
next ten days in the Operations Center of Air Station -
Clearwater. A retired US Navy helicopter pilot, Hoge is
singularly qualified with 24 years of experience with the
US Navy in not only search and rescue but also in logis-
tics. In a unique description of his duties, he said that
coordinating the vast multitude of actions with require-
ments changing on an hourly basis, complex coordination
between multiple agencies across the country in marshal-
ling passengers and cargo to get the right people and the
right equipment to the right place at the right time - was
like making and eating a soup sandwich. But they got it
done in Semper Paratus style.
Lt. Cmdr. J ohn Mixson, C-130 pilot and
Public Affairs Officer for the Air Station,
stated that a total of 245 flights were con-
ducted by the end of J anuary and that over
1,300 people with U.S. Passport or Visas
were evacuated from Haiti. Additionally,
almost 500,000 pounds of relief supplies
were brought into Haiti. Most importantly,
584 lives were saved due to this airborne
relief effort. Secretary of State, Hillary Clin-
ton, presented Mixson and his crew members with her
personal Department of State challenge coin thanking
them for ferrying her to Haiti as well as their numerous
contributions in the humanitarian efforts on behalf of the
people of Haiti.
Heroic efforts were the norm. Tired bodies and minds
were ignored and somehow these men and women ac-
complished their jobs. Hoge tells of a phone call from
Earthquake Doesnt Rattle the Auxiliary
Article by Tom Loughlin, DSO-PA D7 and Ron Foster, SO-PA, Div 11. Photos by Ron Foster
Don Hoge, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator Sector St. Petersburg works on a Haiti area of
operations chart at Air Station Clearwater





Page 25

Cmdr. Evan Grant, USCG Liaison Officer to the US Em-
bassy-Haiti in Port au Prince. Grant managed to get a
phone to work and somehow his call came into the Op-
eration Center at the Clearwater Air Station. Hoge took
the call. Grant said he had people who had nothing and
nowhere to sleep. He said he needed tents, sleeping
pads, diapers, over-the-counter medications and other
items. Hoge called the Base Supply and passed on the
word. When told of their inability to supply the needed
items, Hoge sent a Coast Guard petty officer to local area
stores with his credit card and said hed worry about re-
payment later. Hoge was able to hold one out-bound C-
130 just long enough to load all these supplies.
Simultaneously, the US Coast Guard established a J IC at
USCG District 7 in Miami, Florida. This Center was
formed to do the difficult job of collecting information from
the relief responders and coordinating the public media
activities. They too desperately needed Auxiliary support.
Fifteen local Auxiliarists quickly responded to a call from
Chris Todd, Assistant District Staff Officer-Public Affairs-
Special Projects, D7. Bill Hanlon, Assistant District Staff
Officer-Public Affairs-East, D7 and a fantastic crew were
soon in place volunteering at the J IC. Recognizing a
need, Hanlon developed an Auxiliary J IC Standard Oper-
ating Procedure manual for use for this and future crises.
George Navarini, Staff Officer-Public Affairs Division 6
was a very welcome volunteer since he speaks French
fluently. Also responding on a moments notice was Nubia
Carbonneau, Flotilla 31, a member of the Auxiliary Inter-
preter Corps, who is fluent in Spanish. These fantastic
and dedicated Auxiliarists were there from the beginning
and stayed until the Coast Guard brought in enough
USCG support to be able to operate the J IC. Capt.
Ronald A. La Brec, USCG Public Affairs Officer, com-
mended the Auxiliary support at the J IC saying, ...It is a
great testament to your preparation and reputation. Your
rapid response and enthusiasm was inspiring. Even
though resource needs will likely decrease in the near
term, I hope we can continue to involve your people in
this response as required as it (the Haitian relief effort)
progresses, as well as in future responses.
This crisis also brought to everyones attention that social
media like Twitter is not just a thing for teenagers. Calls
were placed from Haiti from people trapped in the rubble
of collapsed buildings. Calls also came from the US Em-
bassy where medical support was needed. Again, the
Auxiliary responded. Ryan Bank from Chicago and Ray
Pages from California travelled to Miami to begin a multi-
week social media instructional program for the J IC
Coast Guard members. Social Media calls were now be-
ing received and processed, the callers GPS location was
identified and assistance was directed to these locations.
Lives were saved.
There are so many stories to tell, but unfortunately not
enough room to tell them all -- stories such as the Auxil-
iarists involved in Homeland Security Search and Rescue
Teams that travel to Haiti and to other disaster struck
countries. Hopefully, one day we
can read about them.
Auxiliarists: Be proud of the
things you do. You personally
may not have directly saved a
life, but you may have done
something which allowed some-
one else to save a life. Auxiliarists
are special people who give
much so that others may be safe.
Auxiliarists are indeed, Semper
Paratus. Not even an earthquake
can rattle them.

Lt. Cmdr. J ohn Mixson, USCG, a
C-130 pilot and Public Affairs
Officer for Air Station
Clearwater goes over the C-130
checklist before departing for Haiti.



Page 26

Guard air crews who are tasked with not only their imme-
diate AOR, but for many special operations domestically
and overseas. In the month of J anuary alone, we saw
Coast Guard facilities and staff extended to meet special
operations for the Haiti earthquake and a major oil spill in
Texas. The Auxiliary steps in immediately and willingly to
assist and augment the Coast Guard missions wherever
needed. The Coast Guard is looking to expand the Auxil-
iary role, and the Auxiliary is more cost effective than the
Coast Guard in many areas.
Cecil Christopher, District 7 Staff Officer-Aviation, (D7
DSO-AV), gave a clear example of this effort and said,
Coast Guard Air Station Miami Auxiliary personnel and
facilities supported our Haiti relief efforts by flying four
logistic flights a week to the Turks and Cacaos Islands.
On one mission, they flew a pilot and flight mechanic
along with repair parts down which resulted in returning a
USCG Falcon jet back into service.
Lt. J eff J acobs, Auxiliary Liaison, Air Station Savannah,
lead the workshop program along with Christopher, and
J oe Friend, Auxiliary Aircraft Commander, who organized
the membership and schedule of activities.
J acobs expressed Coast Guard appreciation to the Auxil-
iary air crews and volunteers for their time and resources
in a variety of missions, from safety patrols to search and
rescue missions.
Auxiliary Air Workshop
Barbara Burchfield, FSO-PA 12-3
SAVANNAH, Ga. Most people think the Auxiliary is all
about the boats. Well, not so fast, yall!
Auxiliarists came by air and land for the 2010 AuxAir
Workshop J anuary 22-24, 2010, at Savannah, Ga.. They
assembled at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Savannah on
Hunter Army Air Field for a full weekend of workshop ac-
tivities and camaraderie.
South Carolinas Division 12 had a respectable 22% at-
tendance at the workshop, with 13 of the 57 pilots, crew,
air observers, and guests who participated. It was a new
attendance record.
Capt. Donna Cottrell, Air Station Savannah Commanding
Officer, welcomed the group and provided the classroom
accommodations and much hospitality to the Auxiliarists.
Cottrell emphasized the need for standardization of
equipment and prioritized getting Auxiliary equipment up
to date.
Air Station Savannah, operating since 1963, is home to
119 Coast Guard personnel who handle about 280
search and rescue cases per year. The area of responsi-
bility (AOR) covers approximately 450 nautical miles of
coastal and inland waterways in four states, roughly from
the North Carolina line to Melbourne, Fla..
The Auxiliary Air Group provides force majeure for Coast





Page 27

Leading into the workshop was
the much-anticipated Water Sur-
vival Test, an annual qualification
maintenance requirement for Aux-
iliary pilots and air crew held at
Hunter Army Air Field base pool.
Attendants must swim a total of 75
yards in flight uniform while wear-
ing a life jacket (must be deflated
for 25 yards with an option to
manually inflate for 50 yards), then
pull themselves up into a small life
raft. This must be accomplished
unassisted and is not an easy
task. Getting it done successfully
resulted in lots of big smiles and
hurrahs.
A full agenda of aviation work-
shops included Crew Resource
Management, Federal Aviation
Administration protocols and pro-
cedures, medical factors, Aids to Navigation, Personal
Protective Equipment use, AOR briefings for Air Station
Savannah, Sector Charleston, and Sector J acksonville,
and reporting pollution hazards.
Always a favorite high point, J acobs gave a tour of the
Coast Guard hanger and an up-close and informative
look at one of the five H-65 helicopters on base.
At Air Station Savannah, its all
about the aircraft and helicopters.


Capt. Donna Cottrell, Commanding
Officer, Air Station Savannah with
Auxiliary Air pilots Al Townsend, Flo-
tilla 10-2, Steve Allen, Flotilla 52, Be
Moore, Flotilla 12-12 and Kevin Smith,
Flotilla 10-2 during the AUXAIR work-
shop held J anuary 22-24, 2010 in
Savannah, Ga.

Facing page: Kevin Smith has just
pulled himself into the raft during the
Water Survival Test, an annual qualifi-
cation maintenance requirement for
Auxiliary Pilots and Air Crew held at
the Hunter Army Air Field base pool.
Behind the raft is Nancy Hastie. Both
are members of Flotilla 10-2 in
Savannah, Ga.

Photos by Barbara Burchfield
Above: Lt. J eff J acobs, Auxiliary Liaison, Air Station Savannah,
takes Auxiliary pilots and air crew on a tour of the Coast Guard
hanger and an up-close look at the H-65 helicopters on base.
Photo by Barbara Burchfield



Page 28

Do not leave your
luggage unattended.
Unattended luggage
will be impounded .

TAMPA, Fla. That
announcement has now
been looping through
the sound systems of
our airports for almost
ten years. Every three
to five minutes we are
reminded of that long
ago fateful Monday
morning when terrorists
changed everything.
As individuals, time
passes and our memo-
ries fade. As a nation,
however, we will proba-
bly never forget- not
considering the con-
stant unattended lug-
gage reminders. Nor
should we! Terrorism is alive and well as evidenced by
yet another fanatic trying to blow himself up on a domes-
tic-bound plane Christmas Day, 2009. Luckily, that indi-
vidual was unsuccessful in his plot and was quickly sub-
dued by passengers. Imagine him listening to those same
luggage security warnings in the airport as he boarded.
Have we heard these warnings for so
long that we tune them out? As time
goes by, are we becoming compla-
cent? Unfortunately, we cant afford
to become complacent, nor can we
allow indifference. Without continued
vigilance and tenacity we leave a
door open for more terrorist inflicted
death and destruction on our soil.
One team, the Coast Guard and
Coast Guard Auxiliary, will never be
Tampa Flotilla 79 Hosts Record Attendance IED Class
Mike Moore ADSO-PA W D7
Kevin Yeaton and Don Rimel from Flotilla 7-16 in Gulfport, Fla. complete the post-test for the course,
Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings presented on February 20, 2010 at Flotilla 79 in Tampa, Fla..
Course instructors Mark and Leslie Moore from Flotilla 23 in Lake Hiawassee, Ga. Can be seen in the
upper left corner. Photo by Dottie Riley, DSO-PB D7




Amos J ohnson, Division 7 Commander
attended the course and is seen taking
the post-test to Incident Response to
Terrorist Bombings.
Photo by Mike Moore, ADSO-PA-W





Page 29

complacent nor relaxed in the mission of protecting our
sea-bound borders and waterways against those who
would harm us.
On Saturday, February 20, 2010, over one hundred
Coast Guard Auxiliary members gathered in Tampa to be
reminded once again of the seriousness of terrorism. The
class, a four and one-half hour New Mexico Tech training
class, Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings, fo-
cused on the recognition of Weapons of Mass Destruc-
tion (WMD) and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) that
may be used in a variety of ways and places including in
our coastal waterways; the kinds of devices used to in-
voke the kind of terror inflicted on 9/11, in Oklahoma City,
and Christmas 2009.
The program, sponsored by Towns County Fire and Res-
cue and taught by New Mexico Tech instructors Mark and
Leslie Moore, both members of Flotilla 23 in Northeast
Georgia, brought operationally sensitive information in
order to enhance the protective net of eyes and ears on
the water in the continuing vigil against terrorist threat.
With an effective Coast Guard force multiplier, namely
the multiple hundreds of patrol hours performed everyday
by Auxiliary members in every port and waterway across
Florida and the nation, watching our domestic waterways
for the tools and methods of terrorist IED activity, this
training spelled out in significant detail the who, what,
where, and how of land based IEDs. Exactly because of
our waterway presence, explains Mark, Auxiliarist teams
will often be the first responders to an
incident. He adds, Having the knowl-
edge to identify a suspected IED at a
glance from a distance and alert the
necessary authorities is a crucial role
we can perform during our operational
patrols.
The course work, written by New Mex-
ico Institute of Mining and Technology
for the Department of Homeland Se-
curity, was comprehensive in showing
materials and packaging used to con-
struct and detonate many types of ex-
plosive devices, from small pen-type
to larger bombs similar to the ones
used in the Oklahoma City bombing in
1995. Examples of interdicted bombs
were shown and explained with em-
phasis on recognizing wrappings and
packages and overt characteristics of
different devices. A special add-on waterborne section
written by Mark followed the regular class giving exam-
ples of vessels laden with IED devices and their capabili-
ties as well as how to recognize them underway.
Further, videos showing the destructive over-pressure
waves and bomb sizes used to create those waves were
examined, dissected, and discussed. This included the
relative amounts (bomb size) of chemicals needed to pro-
duce a particular effect. Perhaps the most telling involved
a discussion and video clip showing the construction and
amount of explosive needed to construct a lethal device
the size of an ordinary letter.
The class was comprehensive and ultimately interesting.
Mark and Leslie did a great job of keeping the class flow-
ing and presenting a considerable amount of technical
information in a light and lively manner. With a bit of
friendly bantering back and forth, they recounted stories
of their bomb class training; particularly interesting was
the story involving which class had created a blast that
left a demonstration junk car in the smallest pieces. De-
spite their lively approach however, the serious nature of
producing two hundred newly trained eyes and ears was
never underestimated.
The message of the day: be suspicious, identify if possi-
ble, alert the proper authority and then create distance
between the suspected device and surrounding lives and
property. Waterway terrorists beware: one hundred more
Auxiliarists are ready.
Mike Moore, ADSO-PA-W
and member of Flotilla
15-2 in Yankeetown Fla.,
assisted with the Federal
Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA)
certifications.
Photo by Dottie Riley



Page 30

Furry first mate saves
the day!

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. On Friday, October 30,

2009,
Sandy Bilsky, a member of Flotilla 87 in Englewood, Fla.,
was aboard his boat with his dog Ally. He was doing
some trolling in the Gulf of Mexico. About 3:00 PM, they
were just outside Stump Pass heading for Lemon Bay
when Ally, an Australian cattle dog and constant "first
mate" and fishing buddy, started barking. Not unusual for
her because she always barked when she saw a lot of
bird activity. When Sandy looked in the direction Ally was
facing (about 20 degrees to starboard), he saw a man in
the water waving his arms.
At first Sandy thought the man was swimming and was
simply making sure he was seen to avoid being hit by the
oncoming boat. However, looking closer, Sandy saw the
distress on the swimmer's face and pulled nearer to him.
He turned off his engine and asked the swimmer if he
was capable of getting to and on the stern ladder. He
also offered to throw him a tethered life ring. The swim-
mer managed to get to the ladder and Sandy was able to
help him on board. The swimmer immediately drank a full
bottle of water and then began to explain what had hap-
pened.
The young man, named J ustin, said that he had tried
swimming from Stump Pass to Knight Island but was
caught in the strong outgoing tide. He said he didn't know
how long he had been in the water but estimated it to be
about 25 minutes. He was being dragged out to sea in
the swift current at Stump Pass and was completely ex-
hausted from fighting the current. J ustin said he did not
think he would have lasted much longer when Sandy
happened upon him.
When Sandy asked J ustin if he needed medical assis-
tance, he said no. He asked to be taken to Knight Island,
the northern most island on the south side of Stump
Pass. Then he asked Sandy if he had found him because
of a telephone call for help from shore. Apparently, he
had seen Sandy's blue Coast Guard Auxiliary pennant
flying on the stern and thought he had been sent to help.
But that was not the case. It was simply a matter of being
in the right place at the right time.
Once onshore J ustin said he had certainly learned a les-
son and thanked Sandy
"for saving his life". It
was quite an experience
for Sandy and his dog
Ally, too.
At the Right Place at the Right Time!
By Dave Nielsen, Edited by Paulette Parent






Sandy Bilsky from Flotilla
87 in Englewood, Fla. and
his Australian cattle dog,
Ally pose for a post rescue
mission photo. Sandy and
his first mate Ally rescued
a swimmer caught in the
swift currents off Stump
Pass on October 30, 2009,
due in part to Allys watch-
ful eyes.

Photo by Dave Nielsen,
FSO-PA, Flotilla 87,
Englewood, Fla.







Page 31

DUNEDIN, Fla. One year ago, four friends went out
into the Gulf of Mexico to fish but the horrific seas and
incredible winds allowed only one of them to return. On
February 22, 2010, three members of Flotilla 11-10 in
Dunedin, Fla. were asked to help the public to under-
stand what the US Coast Guard experienced in their res-
cue of Nick Schuyler, that lone survivor.
Oprah Winfrey interviewed Schuyler, who wrote a book
about his 18-hour ordeal holding on to the motor of a cap-
sized boat while being tossed about on extremely rough
seas over 30 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico. In that book,
Not Without Hope , Schuyler recalls realizing that he
was but a small speck on the vast Gulf.
To emphasize the difficulty the Coast Guard had in
locating Schuyler, Ms. Winfrey requested assistance
from the Coast Guard, who in turn requested help from
the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Three members of Flotilla
11-10, Dunedin, Florida, volunteered to take a small
boat similar to the one that capsized a short distance
into the Gulf and wait for a Coast Guard 47 foot Motor
Life Boat to locate them. This was, by the way, the
same rescue boat that was involved in the original
search and rescue and had three of the original crew
on board. The Auxiliary boat, Suzy 2, owned and cap-
tained by Buddy Casale and crewed by J ohn Tassi-
naro and Walt Murray, left USCG Station Sand Key
with Cmdr. Timothy Haws, Chief of Response, Sector
St. Petersburg, and proceeded to the filming site.
On the day of the rescue, seas were running 10 to
15 feet. On this day however, the seas were only
two to four feet. Winds on the original day were
very strong, causing large white-caps that made
spotting the partially submerged white-hulled boat
almost impossible, but on this day the winds were
relatively calm with only a few small white-caps.
This media event showed that even these few
white-caps could easily be confused for a small
white-hulled boat.
The Oprah Winfrey show sent a team consisting of
a producer, two cameramen and a sound techni-
cian. They wanted to interview the Coast Guard
personnel involved in the search and rescue mis-
sion and conduct interviews at Sector St. Peters-
burg, as well as tour the CGC Hawk.
After the filming, both boats returned to Station Sand Key
for lunch. Afterwards, the film crew went on to visit Air
Station Clearwater for a tour and to speak with the pilots
of HH-60 and C-130 who were also involved in the
search and rescue. The Auxiliary vessel had another as-
signment. During lunch, the Stations commanding offi-
cer, CWO Morgan Dudley, asked Casale and his crew to
undertake another missiontowing a boat across the bay
to a marina where the boat owners were waiting. They
had engine problems the night before and the Coast
Guard sent out a 47 Motor Life Boat, located them, and
towed the 23-foot boat in from 57 miles off-shore. An-
other case of a small boat venturing way too far off shore,
but in this instance, the mariners were very, very lucky.
They all came back.
Flotilla 11-10 Responds to a Request from Oprah
Winfrey Article and photos by Walter Murray, FSO-IS, FL 11-10
J ohn Tassinaro, Buddy Casale and CDR Timothy Haws, Chief of Re-
sponse, Sector St. Petersburg aboard the Suzy 2.
The 47-foot Motor Life Boat leaves Station Sand Key with the film crew
from the Oprah Show aboard.



Page 32

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. On December 17, 2009, I
logged into the voice mail messages at Flotilla 72 in St.
Petersburg, Fla. and found a message from Petty Officer
Belton, U.S. Navy, who identified himself as a member of
the J oint Communications Support Element (J CSE)
and requested information about a boating course.
J oint Communications Support Element, Central
Command, headquartered at MacDill Air Force
Base, Fla., provides tactical communications pack-
ages tailored to the specific needs of a full joint task
force headquarters (J TF HQ) and to a joint special
operations task force. J CSE has the unique ability
to solve communications and interoperability prob-
lems between services, coalitions and host nation
partners and has led the way in incorporating the
latest communications technologies to better en-
able the joint force commander.
As a former U.S. Army Communications Support Element
(CSE) Airborne Radio Operator (when CSE was under
Auxiliary Trains Elite Joint Services Military Unit
By Jim Fogle, Commander, FL 72
Command Sgt. Maj. Ron Pflieger, U.S. Army, Staff Sgt. Matthew Houde, U.S. Air Force, Staff Sgt. Chad Welch, U.S. Air Force, and
Petty Officer Demetrius Belton, U.S. Navy, all members of the J oint Communications Support Element, Central Command headquar-
tered at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., with Kathi Kruczek, FL 79 and J im Fogle from FL 72 bundle up against an unseasonably cold
Florida winter evening as they prepare to conduct night operations training. Division 7 trained members of this elite group
February 25-27, 2010 at Flotilla 79 in Tampa, Fla. Photo by Tim Teahan, FC, FL 79

Members of the J CSE team practice course plotting dur-
ing the training which took place over three days in late
February and included classroom presentations on
rules of the road, navigation basics, chart plotting, boat
dynamics and handling and safety equipment. These
were followed by day and nighttime underway opera-
tions for the J CSE personnel, who come from the Air
Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Photo by Tim
Teahan FC 79





Page 33

Strike Command in 1962-1965), I was of course, quite
curious and called him back immediately
Belton explained that his Commander, Col. Stephen P.
Corcoran, U.S. Marine Corps, had instructed them to set
up a training program utilizing Zodiac inflatable boats, a
coxswain and an rescue swimmer to pick up paratroopers
dropped into the water during day and night water train-
ing exercises.
They recently ordered several Zodiac inflatable boats;
however, they were not scheduled to arrive for several
months. We consulted with them about USCG equipment
that was required and made suggestions for equipment
for their personal protection as well as for their vessels.
A few days later, and after conferring with Amos J ohn-
son, Division 7 Commander and Cliff Martin, Operations
Officer, Division 7, I met with Belton, a Navy Seabee, and
Sgt. 1st Class J ohn Lescanec, a Ranger in the U.S.
Army. They communicated the thoughts and requests of
their colonel and we began to formulate a plan which in-
corporated elements of the Auxiliarys Boating Skills and
Seamanship Program, the Coast Guard Coxswain
Course and U.S. Navy Personnel Qualifications Stan-
dards for Shore Installation Management Basic Boat Cox-
swains.
After several more
meetings which in-
cluded a meeting with
Corcoran and his staff
at J CSE Headquarters
at MacDill AF Base, the
course took structure.
Martin discussed and
cleared our plans with
Senior Chief Sean Ben-
ton, USCG, Station St.
Petersburg.
On Thursday, February
25, 2010, the program
began with 14 troopers
including Corcoran and
Command Sgt. Maj.
Ronald S. Pflieger, U.S.
Army. Students repre-
sented the Army, Air
Force, Navy and Marine
Corps. Amos J ohnson
and Burnie Wilhelm,
both from Flotilla 79 in Tampa Fla. provided course in-
struction as did J im Fogle, Flotilla Commander 72. Assis-
tance and guidance was provided by Martin.
The first eight-hour day included instructions on general
safety and equipment, dangerous species and treatment
of stings and wounds, rules of the road, lights, day
shapes, sound signals, and navigation. Plotting, Global
Positioning System (GPS) and knot tying homework was
assigned.
The second day of the program covered more navigation
(plotting and use of their Garmin-Rino GPS), signs, small
boat handling and a test on knots.
Flotilla 79, under the command of Tim Teahan, provided
class room space, coffee, snacks and radio watch by
members Craig Starns and Fred J ohnson from Flotilla 79
and J ohn Sanchez from Flotilla 74 in Brandon, Fla.
On the water training tasks- docking, un-docking, line and
boat handling, navigation and plotting via compass and
GPS, and man-overboard drills were conducted on Feb-
ruary 27, 2010 from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. in and around
Lower Tampa Bay East and Old Tampa Bay South. Fa-
cilities from Division 7 included Water Won Too, Lucky
(Continued on page 34)
As the light begins to fade, a J CSE team member takes the helm and steers the Water Won Too away
from the dock for night operations training. Kathi Kruczek, coxswain and member of FL 79 watches
from behind with J im Fogle, Flotilla Commander, 72, St. Petersburg, Fla. acting as crew.
Photo by Tim Teahan, FC FL 79




Page 34

Dog, All Booked Up and Kam Star.
Coxswains were Kathi Kruczek,
Mike Shea and Kathleen Heide
from Flotilla 79, Ken Morningstar
from Flotilla 74 Polk County De-
tachment, and Fogle. J im Desanto
from Flotilla 72, Bruce Thornton
from Flotilla 79, August Miller and
Richard Bailey, both from Flotilla 74
acted as crewmembers.
Weather conditions were challeng-
ing with winds 15-20 knots, seas at
two feet with a moderate chop, air
temperature of approximately 50
degrees and water temperature of
approximately 62. Training was
extremely successful and it was
very satisfying to work with such a
highly motivated, energetic and
intelligent group of young men.
Although the knowledge base of
the group varied from experienced
(approx 10%) to none (approx
30%), all students successfully
(Continued from page 33)
Command Sgt. Maj. Ron Pflieger, U.S. Army, watches as J SCE Commander Col. Stephen
Corcoran, USMC, handles Lucky Dogs lines. J . Michael Shea, coxswain, behind Pflieger,
guides another member of the J CSE team in line handling.


Participating Members from Division 7:

J im Fogle, FC 72, Instructor
Amos J ohnson, DCDR 7, FL 79, Instructor
Burnie Wilhelm, FL 79, Instructor
Cliff Martin, FL 79, Aide
Tim Teahan, FC 79, Aide
Kathi Kruczek, FL 79, Coxswain
Kathleen Heidi, FL 79, Coxswain
Mike Shea, VCDR 7, FL 79, Coxswain
Ken Morningstar, FL 74, Coxswain
August Miller, FL 74, Crew
J ames DeSanto, FL 72, Crew
Richard Bailey, FL 74, Crew
Bruce Thornton, FL 79, Crew
Craig Starns, FL 79, Radio
J ohn Sanchez, FL 74,Radio
Fred J ohnson, FL 79, Radio, Galley
Cinda Hitchcock, FL 79, Galley
Theresa J ohnson, VFC FL 79, Galley
Heleyde Aponte, FL 79, Galley
demonstrated and passed all tasks, communicated well
with each other, their coxswain and crewmembers, asked
questions freely and took correction and coaching in a
positive manner.
A hearty meal of chili for J CSE personnel and Auxiliary
participants was prepared and served by Fred J ohnson
and Cinda Hitchcock from Flotilla 79 and Theresa J ohn-
son, their Flotilla Vice Commander.
During the debriefing, Corcoran expressed his thanks to
the Auxiliary and stated that his men would not teach fu-
ture coxswains as he had previously planned as he found
these experts at USCG Auxiliary Division 7. He would like
us to conduct future training for new troopers, provide
safety zone patrols for their waterborne exercises and
consult with us as needed. Feedback from the class was
also positive and they seemed pleased with the course.

Note: In addition to Fogle, both Martin and Fred
Johnson served with JCSE predecessor commands during
their military careers.





Page 35



On hand Coast Guard patrol vessel:

Chief Warrant Officer J ames Mullinax, Commanding Officer,
Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet
CDR Bernard Pecora, Chaplain, USCG Dist 7
Spc. 4
th
Class J uan Alfonso, US Army
Sgt. Michel Kervens, US Marine Corp.
Staff Sgt. Manuel Moreno, US Marine Corp League
Petty Officer 3
rd
Class David Givens, US Navy
Col. Harvey Bennett, US Air Force, retired
Petty Officer 3
rd
Class Zelda Visser, USCG
Petty Officers Robert J ohnson, Albert LHomme, and Richard
Marquez, USCG (Crew)
Gregory Turner, Merchant Marine - Port of Palm Beach Chief
Pilot
Edwin Greenfield, Auxiliarist, Event Coordinator, USCG
Public Affairs Specialist, Lake Worth Inlet
Stuart Landau, Auxiliarist, Bugler

On hand Coast Guard Auxiliary vessels:
Except as noted, all are members of USCG Auxiliary
Division 5, D7.
Mel Marx
Arnold Scheinberg
Mirella Ayers
Angela Pomaro
J oanne Mills
George Gentile
Laura Bruce
Ed Schiffbauer
Dan J acquish
Clark Woods
Tom Phelps
Charlie Reiner
J oe Underwood, Flotilla 31
Bill Hanlon, Flotilla 31
LAKE WORTH INLET, Fla. Remembering our veterans
and merchant mariners who died at sea opens the wounds
of tragic loss and then compassionately heals them - pos-
sibly leading to another Coast Guard Auxiliary tradition.
Silent tears of remembrance run down thousand of cheeks
every December while television portrays the meaningful
ceremony of wreaths being laid on veterans graves na-
tionally. Tears are also shed during this joyous holiday
month for those service personnel who perished at sea,
leaving no evidence of their final resting place. The clergy
tell us that life must go on; after all, time passes and par-
ents die, as do the wives, children and others. Memories
of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms grow
dim and are eventually forgotten.
Recognizing this, and to help prevent that from happening
-- the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at Station Lake Worth
Inlet in Florida has begun a Wreaths on the Water cere-
mony every December on the same day that wreaths are
laid on veterans graves across America. Although there is
no grave or marker, family and friends are invited to attend
the solemn ceremony honoring the veterans for their ser-
vice and offering the possibility of closure for those left
behind. Yes, finally, a tangible venue to visit, to pray and
even weep.
The ceremony itself is elegant in its simplicity. First, a short
invocation sets the mood. Then, depending upon the tide
and the number of participating veterans, seven in our
case, the wreaths are quietly placed one at a time upon
the outgoing tide, each with an appropriate salute. Then
the bugler sends out the 13 somber notes of Taps across
the sea for all to experience the finality in its mournful
meaning. A benediction for the missing as well as for
Lest We Forget.
By Edwin S. Greenfield SO-PA 5
those left behind concludes the ceremony, leaving tears
falling down some cheeks but also a joyful relief for others
who achieve some measure of closure.
Helping us to remember our fallen heroes are the patriots
of Worcester Wreath Company of Maine who provided the
beautiful wreaths bearing the flags of our military services
and POW/MIAs. The company initially donated left-over
wreaths back in 1992. That gesture has evolved into a
national effort with the laying of wreaths at over 230 na-
tional and state veteran cemeteries. Volunteers from all
walks of life, veterans associations and many national cor-
porations have joined with school children and quietly of-
fered needed services and products. Go to http://
wreathsacrossamerica.org/ to review and further under-
stand the warmth generated by what this program does for
our lost heroes and their families.

Photo by Barney P. Giordan

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. A three day Stand by until
needed support mission provides one flotilla invaluable
experience in successfully coordination and planning
support for on an international racing event.
The inaugural Charlotte Harbor Regatta was held Febru-
ary 5-7, 2010 in the northern area of Charlotte Harbor.
The 701 square mile harbor is
located in southwestern Florida
between Sarasota and Fort
Myers. More than 65 boats in
eight different classes were
registered for the three-day
race. Over 200 racing partici-
pants came from three coun-
tries, 13 states and 13 different
Florida counties to compete in
this regatta of national signifi-
cance. The different classes of
boats raced through courses
laid out in two separate circles
on Friday and three separate
circles on both Saturday and Sunday. The course circles
covered approximately five miles of the harbor and some
had legs that were over two miles in length.
Charlotte Harbor Flotilla 98, located in Punta Gorda, Fla.
supported the racers by assigning three operational facili-
ties (OPFAC) on Friday and four on both Saturday and
Sunday. The flotilla had an OPFAC at each circle every
day and one back-up OPFAC on the water each day.
Approximately 195 member-hours were required to pro-
vide the on-water support and another 81 member-hours
for the planning phase and meetings. To complete this
mission on the water required the participation of 24 op-
erational flotilla members. An additional three members
were required for other support activities.
All three days were windy with white caps and choppy
seas. Saturday was the worst. Several of the Viper class
boats had their carbon fiber masts broken on Saturday
and were towed to shore. There were numerous Sailfish
and Hobie Cat boats that capsized, however, most of them
were able to right their boats and continue racing. Race
committee safety boats removed the ones that could not
continue.
For those unfamiliar with
Coast Guard Auxiliary re-
gatta support, our mission is
to stand by until requested by
the race committee for assis-
tance. The event sponsor
has complete responsibility
for the safety of the racers.
Fortunately, we had only one
request for assistance during
the challenging conditions
and that was to tow a de-
masted Viper from the race-
course that had become a hazard to navigation.
Not only was this the inaugural regatta on Charlotte Har-
bor, it was also Flotilla 98s inaugural regatta support mis-
sion. We picked up valuable experience in communication
procedures, allocation of VHF channels, minimum crew
size and deployment of facilities during the event. Addi-
tionally, the flotilla will be developing a presentation formu-
lated to increase the performance level of safety boat
crews used by the race committee. Flotilla 98 is ready to
support the regatta next year, which is expected to be-
come an even larger annual event.
(See list of participants on bottom of next page.)
Flotilla 98 Supports Inaugural Charlotte Harbor Regatta
Article and photos by Frank Wondolkowski FSO-OP, FL 98
J ohn Ehmann, coxswain, with crew members David Smith
(seated) and Richard Kenyon.
Page 36





Page 37

Semper Paratus Always Ready definitely
applies to one of the newest rapid response
units within District 7.
This asset is a trailer equipped with multiple
radios covering marine band VHF; marine
SSB; ham frequencies; police band VHF; po-
lice and emergency bands from 700-800MHz
trunked. The unit is equipped with berthing
capabilities for up to ten people and includes
a mess facility, sanitation facility, black and
grey holding tanks, water and fuel tanks, and
a 5.5 kW gas generator.
The unit is staffed by members of the Division
5 Communications Team split into two main
groups, the Blue and Silver groups. One
group will deploy with the unit and the second will be a
reserve and relief group should
deployment exceed 7-10 days.
Each group is further divided
into two squads, Alpha and
Bravo. Each squad will cover a
six hour shift, rotating every six
hours with the opposite squad.
Each squad is further divided
into three two-member teams.
One team will staff the commu-
nications trailer; one will staff
the communications truck while
a third team will staff the all
terrain vehicle. Each squad has one additional member
who serves as the squad leader. Members are Incident
Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 700 and 800 trained;
and qualified in First Aid, automated external defribulator
(AED) and cardio-pulmonary resusci-
tation (CPR). Additionally, members
must successfully qualify as Telecom-
munications Operator, Auxiliary
Watchstander, Auxiliary Communica-
tions, and FCC Licensed Technician.
(Some members are pending qualifi-
cations.)
The unit is owned by Daniel F. J ac-
quish, District Captain-East, D7 and
member of Flotilla 54, The Palm
Beaches, Fla. and is garaged at the
Border Patrol Building, Riviera Beach, Fla., directly oppo-
site Coast Guard Station Lake Worth.
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary - D7, Order Issuing Authority:
Sector Miami.
George Bingley
Leo Bouchard
Ted Brady
Dick Carl
David Crockwell
Edward Ebert
J ohn Ehmann
Herbert Hanson
J ohn Ghougasian
Ken J ohnson
J oseph Catalano
Frank Kavanaugh
Richard Kenyon
Michael Kinsman
Paul LeBlanc
Denise LeBlanc
Philip Merrill
Wolfgang Nieft
Ed Rhea
David Smith
William Bareither
Frank Wippel
Georgieann Wondolkowski
Frank Wondolkowski
Charlotte Harbor Regatta Participants
(From previous page)
Communications Trailer Rapid Response Team
Submitted by Daniel Jacquish, DCAPT-East
Rapid Response Team all-terrain vehicle
Rapid Response Team trailer
Rapid Response
Team trailer and truck



Page 38

FORT WORTH, Fla. Auxiliary members dont just talk
about protecting the marine environment. They actively
help maintain and restore it too!
Members of Palm Beach Countys Coast Guard Auxiliary
Flotilla 54 in Delray Beach, Fla. spent the morning and
part of the afternoon on Saturday, December 12, 2010, at
Lantanas Bicentennial Park in Fort Worth, Fla., bagging
twenty four tons of fossilized oyster shells which were
placed in Lake Worth lagoon. The bags of shells were
used as hard bottom for young oysters, called spat, to
attach themselves to and grow into adult oysters. Envi-
ronmental Resources Management (ERM) of Palm
Beach and the Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative Committee
sponsored the event.
Flotilla members
Wayne J ohnson
and Steve Quasha
were two of 150
volunteers that
filled some of the
one thousand four
hundred bags of
shells while Frank
Bregoli, Flotilla
Vice Commander,
and Otto Spiel-
bichler, Division 5
Staff Officer-
Marine Safety, dis-
tributed environ-
mental information
to volunteers and
visitors.
Populations of oys-
ters are scattered
all around Lake
Worth Lagoon on nearly every piling and sea wall. Oys-
ters filter about fifty gallons of water daily, but because of
the questionable quality of the water and sediments in
portions of the Lagoon, the oysters are not always safe to
eat. So why place concentrations of oysters in the Lake in
Lantana?
Its a long story but here is an abbreviated version. Oys-
ters filter water for food. In the process, they remove
sediment, microorganisms and pollutants from the water.
Therefore, water coming out of oysters is cleaner than it
was going in. By placing large numbers of them in a small
area, the water in that area will be cleaner and clearer.
Because the water is clearer, sunlight can penetrate fur-
ther into the water. Sea grasses growing on the bottom
use the additional light to grow.
Sea grasses consume carbon dioxide in the water and
give off oxygen as a waste product. Critters (fish, crabs,
etc.) living in and around the grasses use the oxygen to
live and grow. They attract other critters that feed on
them. In other words, as the quality of the water im-
proves, so does the quality of life for things living in the
lake and eventually, the quality of life improves for those
of us living around the Lake.
Thanks to the flotilla members that participated in this day
long event, along with members of the Palm Beach Fish-
ing Club, Lagoon Keepers, the Florida Fish and Wild Life
Commi ssi on
and other
members of
the Lake Worth
Lagoon Initia-
tive Commit-
tee.
Flotilla Members Help Restore Essential Marine Environment.
Article and pictures by Otto Spielbichler, SO-MS 5, FSO-MS 54
Flotilla 54 members Wayne J ohnson
and Steve Quasha fill bags with oyster
shells on December 12, 2009 at
Bicentennial Park in Ft. Worth, Fla.

Volunteers transfer loaded bags to trucks during the restoration
project at Lantanas Bicentennial Park on December 12, 2009.
Members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 54, Palm Beach
Fishing Club, Lagoon Keepers, the Florida Fish and Wild Life
Commission and other members of the Lake Worth Lagoon
Initiative Committee participated in this event.
The restored
oyster beds.





Page 39

PORT EVERGLADES, Fla.-
- Like King Neptune rising
from the sea majestically
proclaiming his right to
travel the oceans of the
world, the magnificent Oasis
of the Seas seemed to mys-
teriously appear through the
mist in the first light of dawn.
Such was the first appear-
ance of the Oasis of the
Seas on November 13,
2009, when the ships 154-
foot beam nearly filled Port
Everglades' inlet from
shoreline to shoreline. Re-
sponse boats from Coast
Guard Station Fort Lauder-
dale, Auxiliary vessels from
multiple divisions, and an
armada of spectator boats
welcomed the arrival of the
worlds largest cruise ship,
Oasis of the Seas, on its
initial voyage from Turku,
Finland, to Fort Lauderdale,
Florida.
Six years in construction for
Royal Caribbean Cruise
Lines, the behemoth is 1,200 feet in length and weighs
220,000 tons. The Oasis of the Seas cost $1.3 billion to
build, making it the most expensive cruise ship in history.
It is five times larger than the Titanic and can accommo-
date more than 6,000 passengers and a crew of 2,100. It
boasts an ice-skating rink, a mini golf course, a water
zone complete with two surfing machines, a four-story
dining room, and one of the largest gambling casinos
afloat.
The mighty ships voyage to Fort Lauderdale was not
without its challenges. Before leaving Scandinavia, the
16-story Oasis encountered Denmarks Great Belt Fixed
Link Bridge and was forced to collapse its smokestacks,
leaving just two feet of space as it passed beneath the
bridge. Once out to sea, the Oasis encountered the winds
of Hurricane Ida and 40 to 60 foot seas. Captain William
S. Wright and his crew weathered the storm with only
Oasis of the Seas:
Florida Arrival of the Worlds Largest Cruise Ship
By Richard E Tepper
minimal damage to a few of the ships life boats.
Through it all, Wright was able to keep his 8:00 a.m. No-
vember 13, 2009, appointment with Port Everglades'
outer marker where he was met by several Defender
Class Coast Guard patrol boats, Auxiliary vessels (four
facilities from Division 3 alone), and fireboats with water
cannons deployed to pay tribute at the ships arrival.
Two of the Auxiliary boats ran zigzag courses behind the
Oasis to keep spectator boats clear of the mighty ships
wake while it docked safely at its Port Everglades termi-
nal. Several other Auxiliary facilities further assisted with
keeping spectator traffic a safe distance along the Intra-
Coastal Waterway.
Lt. Doug Watson, Commanding Officer of Station Fort
Lauderdale expressed his gratitude for the outstanding
assistance from the Auxiliary saying, The Coast Guard
Auxiliary has come through once again!
The Oasis of the Seas arrives in Port Canaveral on November 13, 2009 amid much fan-fare and
celebration. Several division in D7 East provided escort vessels with some coming
from as far away as Division 16 in the U.S. Virgin Island. Aboard the Auxiliary facility
in the foreground are Elizabeth Clark coxswain and crew members Eugene Cain from FL 37 in
Lighthouse Point, Marc Brody in Boca Raton, J oseph Cleary, FL 34 in Pompano Beach and Lt.j.g.
Christpher Dykeman, USCG, Sector Miami. Photo by J erry Edelman



District Staff Officers
Prevention Department
J ohn Sprague-Williams .....DSO-MS
Tom Hayden ..DSO-MT
Ronnie MerittDSO-PV
Ruth Ann WhiteDSO-PE
William S. Griswold..DSO-SL
Chuck Kelemen ......DSO-VE

Response Department
Rodney Rocky Reinhold..DSO-NS
Cecil Christopher........DSO-AV
J oseph Colee, J r. ..DSO-CM
Kitty Nicolai .......DSO-OP
Elizabeth Clark.QE Coordinator

Logistics Department
Nestor Tacoronte .......DSO-CS
Susan Z. Hastings .......DSO-IS
Thomas A. Loughlin ...DSO-PA
Dorothy J . Riley. ..DSO-PB
Angela Pomaro ......... DSO-HR
Terry Barth .....DSO-MA
Nestor Tacoronte .. Webmaster

Other Staff
Lillian G. GaNun ....DSO-SR
Kevin McConn ....DSSO
J ohn Roderick . ...DFSO
Andrew Anderson ..DSO-LP
Antoinette Borman.....D-LL
William Malone ......DSO-FN
Gwendolyn S. Leys ....PPDCPA
Karen L. Miller ...Grants
Peter Fernandez...Plan Coordinator
Thomas Brickey .. District Materials Center


Past District 7 Commodores
2007-08....Allen Brown
2005-06....Peter Fernandez
2003-04 ....... J ay Dahlgren
2001-02............ Mary Larsen
1999-00.... Helmut Hertle
1997-98... E.W. Edgerton
1995-96.... George E. J eandheur
1993-94....... J oseph E. Norman
1991-92.. Walter W. Bock
1989-90.... Guy R. Markley, J r.
1987-88. Rene E. Dubois
1985-86.... Robert B. Waggoner
1983-84. J ohn C. King, J r.
1981-82. William J . Callerame
1979-80 Bolling Douglas
1977-78.... J ames Titus
1975-76.... Newton Baker
1973-74.. Lawrence G. Danneman
1971-72... Dr. Elbert C. Prince
1969-70... George B.M. Loden
1967-68...... Ernest A. Baldine
1965-66....... Roland Birnn
1963-64.... Miguel A. Colorado
1961-62...... E. E. Vanderveer
1959-60 Richard L. Smith
1957-58... Herbert L. Lutz
1956. A. Harlow Merryday
1954-55.... Stanley W. Hand
1952-53... N.J .M. McLean
1951-52... Fred T. Youngs, J r.
1950.... Guersey Curran, J r.
1948-49... Charley E. Sanford
1946-47.. W. N. Mansfield
1939-45... No DCOs yet, DCPs governed
Auxiliary Sector Coordinators

Ronald Goldenberg . ASC Sector Charleston
Donald C. Hoge .... ASC Sector St. Petersburg
Robert Funk ... ASC Sector J acksonville
J ames E. Dennen .. ASC Sector Key West
Osvaldo M. Catinchi... ASC Sector San J uan
William V. Tejeiro.. ASC Sector Miami
District Administrative Assistants & Aides

Carolyn R. Hooley ...........D-AD
Ronald Goldenberg.......D-AA
Elaine J . Cornell ...D-AA
Rosalind M. Lucash. .D-AA
COMO Mary T. Larson .....Advocate