NavigatorFALL 2008 VOL. 35, NO. 3 ® XILIARY BATaan Au ‘DEATH’ ARD ARD America’s Volunteer Lifesavers Volunteer America’s MARCH U AFRAS AWARDS T G S NACON REPORT COA S UNITED STATE UNITED ContentsNavigator FALL 2008 4 | Thanks from NACO 6 | New RBS Report 8 | Teaching Sailors 9 | Kids Don’t Float 10 1 0 | Coach of Arms 1 3 | AFRAS Awards 1 4 | Recruiting Coasties 1 8 | Hoist Ho! 20 | NACON Report 2 8 | Sisters’ SAR 3 0 | ‘Death’ March 3 2 | Auxiliarist Soars 18 3 6 | Wild, Wild West 3 7 | Comms MOU 20 | 3 8 The Essence 3 9 | PANORAMA ON THE COVER: Dennis Szeba, SO-MS 20 D5SR, reaches out for a rescue collar being lowered from a US Marine Corps 28 CH-46E ‘Pedro’ helicopter hovering above USCG Station Fort Macon (N.C.)-based Vessel 47211 as SSgt Tony Allen (right), USMC, offers some advice to the Auxiliarist. All were participat- ing in joint USN/USMC/USCG search-and-rescue training evo- lutions in the Atlantic, some 10 miles off Morehead City, N.C. Photo: SN Mallory Kelly, USCG SEND SUBMIssIONS TO: DEADLINES Joel A. Glass, BC-ANN WINTER: Nov. 15 P.O. Box 1001 SPRING: Feb. 15 Portland, ME 04104 [email protected] Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters, addresses and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service including the Internet 30 is prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974. 2 | NAVIGATOR SCG U Some 2 Robert Larkin, Larkin, Robert 2 BM Photo: Photo: G D inEggs New Jersey Story & Photo by Prior to getting underway for a USCG Station Great Egg safety patrol, BM1 Brian WALTER ALSEGG Milcetich, the Station Supervisor, accepts one of the packages containing a SOLAS whistle ASO-OP 8 D5NR and accompanying card from Walt Alsegg, ASO-OP 8 D5NR, as SN Kyle Gorham observes. You could say that the Coasties in Great Egg are some really well as an opportunity to promote the Auxiliary’s Vessel Safety good eggs when it comes to working hand-in-hand with local Check (VSC) program and its boating-safety classes. Auxiliary units on recreational boating-safety issues. And so, D5NR Flotillas 81 (Ocean City), 84 (Absecon) and Here’s why: Last fall, BM1 Brian Milcetich, Supervisor, 85 (Brigantine) agreed to finance the purchase of sound-pro- USCG Station Great Egg (Ocean City N.J.) and I, were dis- ducing SOLAS whistles, along with business cards, to hand cussing common violations that Coast Guard boarding teams out to recreational boaters. had encountered on their safety patrols. BM1 wanted to The cards (see above) contain contact numbers and a web- ensure that those infractions were stressed at future Auxiliary site for VSCs and boating-safety classes. On the card’s reverse boating-safety classes. side is the safety message – Life Preservers Float. You Don’t. New Jersey has one of the nation’s most stringent boat- Always Wear Your Life Preserver. ing laws. They mandate that the state’s power-boat operators Every USCG patrol boat out of Stations Atlantic City and attend an eight-hour safety course that is certified by the state. Great Egg now carry on board a supply of these whistles and YBM1 revealed that one of the most-frequent on-water viola- cards. They are given to boaters any time a safety violation is tions was the lack of a sound-producing device on recreational found during a routine boarding. boats. Either they lacked such a device, or it was inoperative. As this summer’s boating season drew to a close, some 27 Other common violations found by the Coasties were the whistles and many more of the cards had been distributed, lack of a Type IV throwable device and fire extinguishers that resulting in a safer and more knowledgeable boating public. were not readily accessible. The icing on the cake is that the Coast Guard is now being The discussion led to the idea that the vessel-boarding pro- viewed positively and the Auxiliary is benefiting from promo- cess should be a positive encounter with the Coast Guard, as tion for its boating-safety activity. FALL 2008 | 3 COMMODORE STEVEN BUDAR NatioNal THANKS FOR Commodore THE MEMORIES … Two years ago, I was given an excit- joined the Auxiliary, and that is why ing and rewarding opportunity that only many leave us after only a year or two. 28 people before me have experienced Your elected leaders have the –leading the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Responsibility to plan our course and as National Commodore. Working maintain our situational awareness. We together, we have achieved marvelous must be responsive to the needs of the things and are on course for even more. members and accountable for our perfor- T One of the first things I did two short mance. Ultimately, it is the responsibility years ago was to establish the National of the individual member to make things Commodore’s watch words: Recruiting, happen; that you execute the mission and Retention and Responsibility – the 3-Rs have fun doing it. that served as my Compass Rose, as I set Back in 1997, as a new District my course. Commodore, I wrote an article entitled, The Auxiliary has done, and contin- “Are You Having Fun Yet?” And, I feel it ues to do, an excellent job of recruiting is as applicable today as it was 11 years new members. Our challenge is to retain ago, when I wrote, in part: those who join our ranks. Retention is a two-way street because, while we want Are you having fun yet? If members to contribute to the work we not, you had better look around do as an Auxiliary, the Auxiliary has an and try to figure out what you are obligation to provide the members with not doing that those of us who are the things that led them to join. having fun are doing. For most of Many members, including myself, us, fun = involvement. joined to improve their boating knowl- I know many flotillas are so edge and skills. busy that the fun is getting out of I have enjoyed and benefited from the hand. Member training is going training received as a coxswain, instruc- hot and heavy in some flotillas. ON THE WEB tor and aircrew. I feel that my time given Safety patrols, regatta patrols, SAR on the water, in a classroom, or at my exercises are happening every week, You can go to the desk is a fair return for the experience, somewhere. We have vessels doing National Commodore’s page knowledge, friendship and satisfaction training with the Coast Guard dur- at www.auxnaco.org I have derived from my Coast Guard ing the week, practicing boardings, for more information on the Auxiliary involvement. doing helicopter training. U.S. Coast Guard auxiliary My concern is that not everyone gets the return they expected when they If you find that you are still stuck in Navigatoris the official magazine of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary www.cgaux.org Copyright 2008 Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DIRECTORATE COMMODORES All rights are reserved. No portion of this publication can be copied or otherwise National Commodore National Area Commodore–Pacific National Directorate Commodore for Operations be used without written permission of the COMO Steven M. Budar, NACO COMO Lois A. Conrado, ARCO-P COMO David N. Hand, NADCO-O editor.Navigator is an official informational National Vice Commodore Immediate Past National Commodore National Directorate Commodore and educational tool for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and is intended to keep COMO Nicholas Kerigan, NAVCO COMO Gene M. Seibert, IPNACO for Member Services the membership and the U.S. Coast Guard National Area Commodore–Atlantic East Chief Director of the Auxiliary COMO Fred C. Gates, NADCO-MS apprised of the activities of the Auxiliary. COMO Peter Fernandez, ARCO-A(E) CAPT Mark D. Rizzo, USCG National Directorate Commodore Accordingly, all articles published in Navigator must be consistent with the stated policies of for Recreational Boating Safety National Area Commodore–Atlantic West National Chief of Staff the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard COMO James E. Vass, ARCO-A(W) COMO Warren E. McAdams, NACOS COMO Ed Sweeney, NADCO-RBS Auxiliary. All articles and pictures submitted to Navigator become the property of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Association, Inc. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS Department Chief: Robert E. Nelson II, DC-A | Editor, Navigator: Joel A. Glass, BC-ANN 4 | NAVIGATOR … AND A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCES the boring part of the Auxiliary, please, accessible. please make a phone call and get yourself The changes are not done. They will involved. Don’t wait for someone in your never be done, but with all the changes flotilla or division to walk up to you and occurring, the one thing that has not beg you to have fun. If you want to get changed is the job of Auxiliarists. We out on the water and aren’t being called will continue to do Vessel Safety Checks, upon regularly, give your flotilla opera- teach boating-safety classes, and provide tions officer a call and get a list of vessels patrols and other missions, as needed by whose coxswain you can call and volun- the Coast Guard. teer to crew with.