SEATTLE — Pass by pass, an old lens turns through the decades. It is part of the rhythm of the Umpqua Coast. Turning with the ebb and flood of the tides, the sun and moon in the sky, its reliable beam shines out onto the sea.

It is an icon of the Coast Guard's ancestry, originally operated by the U.S. Lighthouse Service. It is a regional identity to the communities surrounding Winchester Bay, a sentimental relic to the ships that transit here, but of all the things that it is, a federal aid to navigation it is no longer.

On Apr. 14, 2012, under the precision of an antique Fresnel lens, Coast Guardsman passed the maintenance and operation of the Umpqua River Lighthouse to Douglas County, Ore. The story of the light is the intertwining story of the Coast Guard, Winchester Bay and the settlement of the west.

"We are only effecting this turnover because of our confidence in the ability of Douglas County, supported by community volunteers, to maintain and operate this light," said Cmdr. Daryl Peloquin, Chief of Aids to Navigation Branch for the 13th Coast Guard District.

When early settlers arrived at the Umpqua River, they found a rugged, but providing landscape. The Native American's name 'Umpqua,' translates to 'full belly,' reflecting the river's abundant and sustaining nature.

SEATTLE — Crewman of U.S. Lifesaving Service Station Umpqua River, Ore., pose for a photo in the station boat house in the 1890s. They are surrounded by lifesaving equipment of the era, and a remnant of the steamer vessel Tacoma, a famous shipwreck of the region, hangs above their heads. U.S. Coast Guard photo uploaded by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

To the early settlers a lighthouse could establish a place in the local, national and global economy. It was critical to the region that ships could safely transit and recognize the ports of Winchester Bay, Reedsport and Gardner, allowing the export of lumber and operation of a strong fishing fleet.

Oregon in the early 1800s was still very much 'the Wild West.' Native Americans and settlers were not always in agreement. Settler's designs to construct a tower made local native people suspect that it was the beginning of a military fort, and they are said to have passively retaliated by walking off with tools from the construction site.

Despite these and the challenges of building on the region's sandy shores, the community completed the first lighthouse to identify the Oregon Coast on Oct. 10, 1857. A mineral oil lamp projected a beam through a rotating Fresnel lens.

The endeavor set the tone for the future of local developing coastal communities, however it is not the light that shines at the Umpqua entrance today. In January of 1864, storm damage eroded the foundation and the lens was removed only a week before the structure collapsed.

SEATTLE — Coast Guard personnel pose for a photo on recently modernized search and rescue equipment near Winchester Bay, Ore., in the 1940s. Until recently, shore patrols were conducted on horseback or on foot. U.S. Coast Guard photo uploaded by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

It was 24 years before another light was built here. At the time the light functioned like a clock tower, with pulleys and weight keeping tension on a series of cogs, rotating a first-order Fresnel lens, sending two white flashes followed by one red. A watchman remained on duty to continuously reset and maintain the process, and ensure the lamp was lit.  

Seafaring economic prosperity was restored. Winchester Bay could no longer boast the original functioning Oregon light, but the maritime transportation system was operational again.

In 1883, the steamer Tacoma wrecked near the rivers entrance. The crew was being battered by storm waves within view of an unreachable shore until a group of hastily assembled volunteers gained national attention by rescuing the desperate men. In doing so they showed the need for a local U.S. Lifesaving Service Station. Later awarded gold and silver life saving medals, the volunteers were employed by the federal government to operate the first local lifesaving station, located on the north shore of the Umpqua.

By the 1940s and the end of World War II, both the Lifesaving Service, and Lighthouse Service had been enveloped into the expanding multi-mission service, the United States Coast Guard. The life saver's of Coast Guard Station Umpqua River would eventually inherit the responsibility of keeping the light and a new station and boathouse were built closer to the light on the south shore of the Umpqua.

The light was automated to an electric motor system in the 60s, and continued to shine across the Pacific Northwest seas unmanned. The automation allowed manpower to focus on other areas of the Coast Guard's responsibility.

SEATTLE — A U.S. Coast Guardsman carries a radio on beach patrol during World War II. During the 1st and 2nd World War, personnel at life saving stations were tasked with patrolling these shores in search of foreign threats. U.S. Coast Guard photo uploaded by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

The light continued to shine, into another age of changing times. Large shipping traffic became less of a presence on the Umpqua and small recreational and fishing activity increased. The Coast Guard station moved again, to a location beside the newly constructed Salmon Harbor Marina.

Maritime navigation slowly changed as well. Global positioning satellites and advanced aid placement along the river's path of transit assisted boaters with perfect accuracy in rain, fog or dark of night. The light was now a romantic symbol of locality, antiquated and historic, and seldom used for more than a reference point.

This intricate navigational system requires a great deal of maintenance, and diverting personnel from active aids to maintain a historic one unnecessarily strained the manpower assigned here.

"Due to the weight of the lens, and its method of rotation on a track system, loss of power can damage the system," said Peloquin. "The wheels on which it rotates can only support the lens as long as it continues to turn. If it stops, blocks need to quickly be put in place to prevent the wheels from crushing under its own weight."  

Because of this, the light required an emergency response every time it stopped turning due to power outages or any other reason. This became difficult to manage for local units tasked with Coast Guard missions like search and rescue, homeland security and maintenance of more critical aids to navigation.

"Passing the care of the light to Douglas County enabled the community to keep its beacon, in interest of historical preservation, and its use by any mariners that may still use the light as a point of visual reference," said Peloquin.

It is a solution that allows the light to continue through the ages. To shine on the unknown future for both residence and Coast Guardsman. To remind us all of how the west was settled, and the small communities that ensured our place as one of the great maritime nations of the world.

ILWACO, Wash. — Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Smasne (left to right), Chief Petty Officer Richard Bartel, now Chief Petty Officer Travis Roloff, Mexican Naval Officers Lt. j.g. Alejandro Hernandez Guapo, Lt. j.g. Daniel Alexandro Soto Aleman, Lt. j.g. Jose Ramos Montiel, Lt. j.g. Arturo Morales Desachy, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Conor Bennett stand before the National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Apr. 27, 2012, after a graduation ceremony held at the school.

All four Mexican Naval Officers graduated from the introductory 47-foot motor lifeboat course taught at the school Apr. 16-27, 2012.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

ILWACO, Wash. — Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Smasne (left to right), Lt. j.g. Limas Barragan, Petty Officer 1st Class Brett Malehorn, Petty Officer 1st Class Jason McCommons and Lt. Sario Pichal stand before a nautical map of the Columbia River entrance after a Heavy Weather Class graduation at the National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Friday, April 6, 2012.

Smasne is commanding officer of the school, Malehorn and McCommons are instructors and Barragan and Pichal are course graduates and members of the Mexican Navy.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

ILWACO, Wash. — Petty Officer 1st Class Clifford Hopson (right), an engineering instructor at the Coast Guard National Motor Lifeboat School in Iwaco, congratulates Lt.j.g. Daniel Alexandro Soto Aleman at the 47-foot Motor Lifeboat Introduction Course graduation held at the school Apr. 27, 2012.

Aleman was one of four Mexican Naval officers to successfully complete the course held Apr. 16-27, 2012.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

ILWACO, Wash. — A Coast Guard 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from the National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, conduct man-overboard coxswain training Apr. 2, 2012, during a Heavy Weather Course held at the school March 19 – Apr. 6.

Petty Officer 1st Class Jason McCommons, course teacher, instructs Lt. Sario Pichal, a Mexican Naval officer and NMLBS coxswain student.

U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

 Beyond borders, a partnership in lifesaving education 

 By Petty Officer 3^rd Class Nate Littlejohn

ILWACO, Wash. — If you’re near the coast on a stormy day and have a decent view of the open ocean, you might pause for a moment to watch the surf smash against the rocks or break upon the sand. From the safety of a heated vehicle idling at a beach or state park parking lot, many of us have sat comfortably mesmerized by the tumultuous frenzy created when heavy winds meet open stretches of water near the shore.

For some, adverse weather on the ocean provides far more than a fantastic view, but a condition of employment. Fisherman and other mariners all over the world make a living braving conditions like these on a daily basis. When these mariners face emergency situations out on the water, they rely upon each other and dependable maritime rescue agencies to come to their aid.

The U.S. Coast Guard National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Wash., teaches students how to do just that: operate lifeboats specifically designed to conduct rescue missions in heavy weather conditions in a unique area of the Pacific Northwest, near the entrance to the Columbia River.

The U.S. Coast Guard, in addition to training its own boat operators at the school, has hosted Canadian Coast Guard students at the school for years. Recently, our neighbors to the south have begun training at the school as well.  The school’s two most recent classes graduated not only ten U.S. Coast Guardsmen, but six officers of the Mexican Navy.

Predominantly commanding or executive officers at search and rescue stations in Mexico, these students will take skills they’ve learned at NMLBS and apply them at their units.

“Recently the Mexican Navy purchased 47-foot motor lifeboats from the U.S. and requested training assistance,” said Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Smasne, commanding officer at NMLBS. “As the center of heavy weather excellence, we provide training in all aspects of motor lifeboat operations. The training of MexicanNaval members started in 2010 with members attending our 47-foot Motor LifeboatIntroduction Course. These students progressed to the next level of training, the 47-foot motor Lifeboat Heavy Weather Coxswain course, which allows these selected members to continue their training in a harsher environment and at a higher skill level,” explained Smasne.

Coast Guard instructors for the three-week heavy weather course held March 19 – Apr. 6, 2012, taught advanced techniques for boat handling, towing, gear transfer and person-in-the-water recovery, in seas up to 15 feet and winds up to 40 knots.

“Both Mexican Naval students in the heavy weather course were return students from our first international basic class back in 2010. It was very evident that both students had been practicing the techniques they learned prior to arrival for the heavy weather class,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class Brett Malehorn, instructor at NMLBS.

“Specifically, both students showed improvement in their ability to control the bow in the wind, and to stop momentum despite adverse current and sea conditions,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class Jason McCommons, another course instructor.

The most recent course, held Apr. 16-27, 2012, formally introduced four Mexican Naval officers to operation of the 47-foot motor lifeboat. Though most of the student officers have experience operating the 47-foot motor lifeboats at their stations, the course is specifically geared to reinforce basic skills and fundamentals.

“The introduction course ensures that these individuals will receive proper hands on training for the platform that they operate from the subject matter specialists at the NMLBS,” said Chief Petty Officer Jeremy Bock, Senior instructor at NMLBS. “We hope that each member that attended the introduction course gained confidence in the 47-foot motor lifeboat and its capabilities and confidence in their own abilities as operators. They will not be proficient with the techniques that they learn while at the school but should have a strong foundation to build on back at their respective units.”

“I joined the Mexican Navy because it is a very gallant and honest way to live and serve,” said Lt. j.g. Arturo Morales Desachy, executive officer at Search and Rescue Station Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico and NMLBS student. “I have gained a lot of knowledge at this school and look forward to teaching my crew the things I have learned here. I have gained a lot of knowledge that will help me to safely operate the motor lifeboat and save lives.”

Collaborative efforts of different maritime rescue agencies are critical to the safety of people who make their living on the ocean. Search and rescue operations often involve intersecting and overlapping areas of responsibility. The U.S. Coast Guard routinely works with the Mexican Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Coast Guard in conducting search and rescue operations. The recent participation and education of Mexican Naval students at NBLBS is a crucial step in strengthening our relationship and sharing knowledge with our partner, the Mexican Navy.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Seaman Matthew Williams takes aim with a rubber shotgun during Response Boat Tactics Techniques and Procedures training put on by Station Portland, Friday, April 27, 2012. Crews from Station Portland were put through a number of scenarios meant to test their skill at enforcing security zones. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Shawn Eggert

PORTLAND, Ore. - A Coast Guard 25-foot response boat crew from Station Portland races along the Columbia River during Response Boat Tactics Techniques and Procedures training Friday, April 27, 2012. Crews from Station Portland were put through a number of scenarios meant to test their skill at enforcing security zones. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Shawn Eggert

PORTLAND, Ore. - Coast Guard 25-foot response boat crews from Station Portland undergo Response Boat Tactics, Techniques and Procedures training on the Columbia River, Friday, April 27, 2012. Coast Guard video by PA1 Shawn Eggert

Coast Guard crews gear up for Rose Fest Fleet Week
By: Petty Officer Shawn Eggert 

Two Coast Guard 25-foot response boat crews met under the damp, gray sky of Portland, Ore., Friday.  Their mission: to enforce a security zone around a small vessel carrying a couple of old guys.  Their weapons: some fast boats, empty rifles and a few rubber shotguns.  After a week of Response Boat Tactics, Techniques and Procedures training, all the pieces were in place for a final showdown on the Columbia River.

“This tactical training involves weapons, boat driving and classroom time learning rules and regulations in order to prepare our crews for situations they might encounter in the course of an escort,” said Chief Justin Eaton, Officer in Charge at Coast Guard Station Portland.

A third response boat, bearing Eaton and another crew, posed as an intrusive vessel, presenting the two training crews with a range of scenarios meant to test their ability to provide security to helpful Coast Guard Auxiliary members serving as the crew of the escorted vessel.  These situations ranged from benign trespassing and medical emergencies meant to divert the crews’ attentions to volatile confrontations complete with water balloon grenades and mock weapons.

“Things got more heated when I walked out onto the deck with a rubber rocket launcher,” Eaton explained.

“Our encounters on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers usually only involve educating boaters to stay out of the way of oncoming vessels,” said Petty Officer Matthew Riesberg, Operations Petty Officer at Station Portland.

“You train for the worst, but ninety-nine percent of the time you’re going to get the best-case scenario,” Eaton added.

Station Portland conducts RBTTP training twice a year with certain personnel reporting to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina and then returning to share what they’ve learned with their shipmates from around the Coast Guard’s Thirteenth District. 

“We’re lucky to have the kinds of conditions present in this part of the Columbia River.  The water is normally flat and calm,” Riesberg explained.  “That makes it ideal for this sort of training so we’ve had crews out from Cape Disappointment and we’ve offered to train crews from Seattle and throughout the district.”

The latest training was scheduled to prepare the crews for the Portland Rose Festival Fleet Week that begins June 6.

“We’re going to escort the Navy ships and any other high interest vessels that come up the river,” said Eaton.  “All this training is a way for us to ensure we have qualified crews ready to provide safety and security to those vessels, especially since Rose Fest happens to take place right at the beginning of the transfer season.” 

“I think people get used to seeing the Coast Guard as life savers and don’t expect to see us carrying machine guns and wearing helmets and body armor,” Eaton added.  “Situations like this show them the Coast Guard has more than one mission.”

Recreational boaters planning to attend the festival during Fleet Week are encouraged to monitor or contact Coast Guard and other officials on VHF Channels 13 and 16 on their marine radios for information regarding safety and security zones during the event.

A U.S. Coast Guardsman carries a radio on beach patrol during World War II. During the 1st and 2nd World War, personnel at life saving stations were tasked with patrolling these shores in search of foreign threats. U.S. Coast Guard photo uploaded by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

SEATTLE — The crew of Coast Guard Station Quillayute River gather on a beach at La Push, Wash., for a ceremonial reenactment of an old practice. The assembly imitates a commonly overlooked part of Coast Guard history. During the 1st and 2nd World War, personnel at life saving stations were tasked with patrolling these shores in search of foreign threats. It was one of many homeland security roles the service has performed through this nation's evolution.

Upon completion of one leg of a coastal patrol, a metal token called a 'check' would be passed from one individual to another, who would then carry it for their leg. Checks were collected at stations north and south of one another each day to demonstrate that all patrols had been completed. 

The beach patrols eventually became a thing of the past, but the check evolved through tradition into a symbolic item presented to an individual achieving the Coast Guard's highest level of coxswain search and rescue qualification, now called a surfman's check.

On March 26, 2012, Coast Guardsmen reenacted the old beach patrols to honor Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Harris, a boatswains mate at Station Quillayute River, who achieved surfman status and received check number 465.

A surfman is the most elite level of coxswain training. It requires the skill and nerves of operating a vessel in the confluence of ocean and inner harbor water where a river's current collides with a tidal zone. These harbors are hot spots of search-and-rescue activity.

Roughly ten years ago, Harris joined the Coast Guard at 19-years-old. He was assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Cushing, a 110-foot patrol boat home ported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He didn't know what a surfman was at the time. Harris, who had grown up working the maritime community, planned on enlisting for educational benefits towards obtaining certifications at a maritime academy.

"When a boatswain's mate aboard Cushing began telling me about surf stations, it sounded awesome," said Harris. He had seen pictures of the surf boats, and it seemed like something he would want to do. "I grew up with a search-and-rescue mentality. My dad has been a firefighter in California for 26 years."

After two-and-a-half years on Cushing and advancement to boatswain's mate third class, Harris put in for the busiest search-and-rescue station he had heard of, and it wasn't long before he received orders to Coast Guard Station Golden Gate, Calif.

The biggest challenge for getting qualified at Golden Gate was the number of people there trying to gain experience on the motor lifeboats. "Getting time driving the boat was very competitive," said Harris. "There were times that I was getting extremely frustrated. I had to force myself to keep at it."

SEATTLE — Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Harris, a boatswains mate at Coast Guard Station Quillayute River, Wash., conducts a bar assessment on Apr. 7, 2012. A river bar is assessed by a qualified coxswain periodically to determine the level of restrictions needed to be applied to vessels crossing the river entrance. U.S. Coast Guard high dynamic range photo illustration by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

Qualifying as a surfman is an extensive process and can take eight years or more. It is the most advanced of several tiers of search-and-rescue coxswain qualification. This individual will often be the only hope of a person in distress, and always be responsible for the safety of their four or five person crew in an absolutely unforgiving environment. For this reason, the Coast Guard has created tiered requirements and training certifications.

"The physical aspect of operating motor lifeboats in the surf is only a small portion of the qualification process," said Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Smasne, Commanding Officer of the National Motor Lifeboat School in Ilwaco, Wash. "They must learn all aspects of weather patterns, local area knowledge, expert seamanship skills, strengths and weaknesses of boat crews, their own limits and limitations of the boats they operate."

The Coast Guard's National Motor Lifeboat School is a unique facility that provides resident training as well as motor lifeboat readiness and standardization assessments. The school is located near the mouth of the Columbia River at Cape Disappointment, Wash., an area known as 'The Graveyard of the Pacific' due to its long history of shipwrecks. 

The lessons of experienced surfmen are effectively passed through long hours of underway training in gradually more difficult conditions. A learning coxswain is never put in control of a vessel until instructors are confident in their abilities to operate in any given environment. 

"A member who strives to complete the Surfman qualification is essentially choosing a way of life and career path that they will remain in for the rest of their service in the Coast Guard," said Smasne.

SEATTLE — Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Harris, a boatswains mate at Coast Guard Station Quillayute River, Wash., makes a new friend during the boarding of a small recreational vessel on Apr. 7, 2012. Boarding officers and boarding team members frequently conduct vessel inspections, ensuring that all safety equipment is present and not expired, in a proactive approach to preventing loss of life at sea. U.S. Coast Guard high dynamic range photo illustration by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

"The first time I got to drive a motor lifeboat in surf conditions I was a little scared, but I had a blast," said Harris. "It was intimidating. I had seen it done a lot of times, but it is a lot different being the one at the wheel. There are so many variables, and you have to get it done perfectly every time."

Harris transferred to Coast Guard Station Quillayute River in July of 2010. Operationally, Quillayute River has a lot less search-and-rescue time and a lot more time to train. "Often times when we do get cases here, they are big ones," said Harris.

On Feb. 2nd, 2011, the crew of the fishing vessel Vicious Fisher notified the Coast Guard that they were taking on water 15 miles offshore.  An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., and a motor lifeboat from Station Quillayute River deployed to assist. The two rescue assets are designed to work together and crews practice cooperative rescue evolutions on a regular basis.

The helicopter and boat crews struggled to save the vessel, passing over multiple dewatering pumps. The pumps were unable to keep up with flooding. The Vicious Fisher crew was transferred to the Coast Guard motor lifeboat, and a short time later the fishing boat sank.

"Having a hand in saving lives is an awesome feeling," said Harris. "You can't describe it, you just feel great afterwards. All of your training and everything you have done has paid off. We're carrying on a tradition of lifesaving, carrying on the traditions of the surfmen before us."

Having achieved an eight year goal at the top tier of experience in his field some would believe that things would be slowing down for Harris, but as any military veteran would expect, the achievement brings only more responsibility.

"I am still learning constantly, and also trying to teach all of that experience to newer people, teaching them how to do things the right way," said Harris. "Judgment and maturity is a big part of it and you need to be able to have a crew that can trust you. I am also beginning to learn a lot more of the administrative side of the job."

Outside of Station Quillayute River stands a monument, a reminder of the potential sacrifice of a life of duty. It is a statue of the 44 foot motor lifeboat, hull number 44363. The surfboat wrecked on the Quileute River entrance Feb. 12, 1997, killing three of its four person crew. La Push was also the location of a Coast Guard helicopter crash in 2011, that killed three Coast Guardsman.

"These events are always in the back of my mind when crossing the river entrance," said Harris. "It reminds me to never get complacent, that the conditions are always changing."

Upon the monument of the lost motor lifeboat crew is engraved an inscription, 'These poor plain men, dwellers upon the lonely shores, took their lives in their hands, and at the most imminent risk, crossed the most turbulent sea..., and for what? So that others might live to see home and friends.'

"For a member to earn the qualification a command must trust all aspects of their performance knowing that they will be able to safely operate motor lifeboats in extreme conditions, so others may live," said Smasne.

Coast Guard surf vessels also evolved with the service over time. In the 1800s, surf search-and-rescue was most frequently the result of very large commercial or industrial vessels grounding near shore or at the entrance to a river harbor. In the early 1900s boating rescue rapidly began to transition to the recreational boater. Surfman, vessels and tactics needed to reflect these changes.

The title 'surfmen' originally belonged to boat crews of the United States Life Saving Service, one of many ancestral services that merged over time to form the United States Coast Guard. It is a humble community, largely unknown to the world, carrying the tradition of a service of lifesavers well over a century old. The lore and heroism of these few hundred men and women are archetypes of the service's ideals, the U.S. Coast Guard's vigilant watchmen of the Pacific Coast.  

Coast Guard feature by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Bradshaw

SEATTLE — Members of the Coast Guard and United States Border Patrol work in conjunction on Lake Koocanusa, which borders Mont. and B.C., Canada, June 22-26, 2011, in an effort to prevent illicit smuggling and educate the public on recreational boating safety. The exercise was called Operation Big Sky. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

On January 27th, 2011, authorities responded to an oil sheen extending 14 miles on the Columbia River, quickly tracing it to an illegal scrap metal salvage near Camas, Wash. So much steel had been removed from the aging ship's hull that its back had broken and inner compartments were exposed to the river's currents. Davy Crockett Unified Response consisted of the Coast Guard, Wash. Dept. of Ecology (DOE) and Ore. Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ), a rehearsed and practiced Pacific Northwest partnership.

The 431-foot flat-deck barge Davy Crockett, a repurposed 1940s Navy liberty ship, was found leaking a cocktail of bunker fuel and other harmful substances into the environment, from compartments not readily accessible prior to the salvage operation. It was a sleeping giant of environmental blights, a WWII time capsule reminding us that our past maritime industrial practices are not gone and forgotten.    

The Davy Crockett was sold and refitted as a flat-deck barge for commercial use following its military service life. Changing owners repeatedly, it found its resting place near the bank of the Columbia River, a body of water that reaches the sea where it separates the Wash. and Ore. border.  

PORTLAND, Ore. - Petty Officer Michael Shannon, a marine science technician from Coast Guard Pacific Strike Team, stands safety watch over the 433-foot flat deck barge Davy Crockett as disassembly continues on the Columbia River, Wash., Ore., border on June 8, 2011. Metal is cut away from the floating stern section, transferred to a decontamination barge and then to a scrap barge to be hauled away. Meanwhile salvage divers prepare submerged areas for disassembly. U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

"Due to the owners attempt to scrap the vessel in the Columbia River, we were left with a vessel who's keel was broken and who's inner tanks were open to the Columbia River," said Coast Guard Capt. Daniel LeBlanc, Commander of Marine Safety Unit Portland and Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC) of the Davy Crockett Unified Response.

As the Coast Guard moved forward with investigations and possible prosecutions, the disaster required immediate management and response. In situations where a responsible party has not been definitively or legally established, or a dispute would delay funding of a pollution response, the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund is used to fund a cleanup. This emergency fund is managed by the National Pollution Funds Center.

The cleanup effort began by ballasting the vessel. "Safety of workers was the main factor considered in the decision to ballast the stern section. After consulting with the Coast Guard Salvage and Environmental Response Team (SERT) and a contracted naval architect firm, the unified command concluded that the stress upon the hull/keel near the point where the stern and mid sections bent in opposite directions posed an unacceptable safety risk to divers," said LeBlanc.

He explained, "the fear was that the hull/keel would fracture at the stress points and cause catastrophic movement of the sections, thereby causing diver injuries or death. The stern section was ballasted to re-align it with the mid section, thus relieving the stress on the hull/keel." The ballasting lowered the strongly upward pointing stern by 17 feet.    

In February of 2011, Adm. Robert Papp, Commandant of the Coast Guard, authorized the destruction of the Davy Crockett to address the threat of continued hazardous discharges into the river.

An initial plan was to return watertight integrity to both the bow and stern sections separately, and then refloat them for separate removal by tug boats. Later, a plan was adopted to build a new containment system and dismantle the vessel on site.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The 433-foot flat-deck barge Davy Crockett continues disassembly on the Columbia River, Wash., Ore., border on May 31, 2011. Metal is cut away from the floating stern section, transferred to a decontamination barge and then to a scrap barge to be hauled away. Meanwhile salvage divers prepare submerged areas for disassembly. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

The problem faced with this solution was that absorbent boom surrounding the vessel until now would not contain the potentially high volume of pollutants released as inner compartments became more exposed to water. A cofferdam was determined to be the most certain method for containment.

In essence, a cofferdam is a system of tall interlocking metal plates driven into the sea floor to encircle the vessel. The steel cofferdam was then lined with a protective material curtain that prevented oil, pollutants and silt from escaping and entering the river environment. The completion of the cofferdam successfully produced an area of total containment.

"The cofferdam is not a common solution used in response to pollution threats from vessels.  In this particular case, the responders were faced with a partially salvaged and structurally crippled vessel that was leaking oil and threatening to spill all of its oil into a pristine river environment.  When the options to utilize local drydocks became unattainable to the unified command, the cofferdam (and the impermeable barrier which lined the inside) became the best option to protect the environment during the in-situ deconstruction work," said LeBlanc.

"The failed salvage attempt by the owner left a vessel whose entire mid section was gone (above and below the waterline) and whose inner tanks were virtually open to the river.  Had the vessel's hull been intact below the waterline and structurally sound, there would have been no practical need to construct the cofferdam," said LeBlanc.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Luke Potter, a marine science technician assigned to the Davy Crockett Unified Response in Portland, Ore., maintains a safety watch over the 431-foot flat-deck barge Davy Crockett on the Columbia River, Ore./Wash. Border, Friday, Feb. 10, 2011. The Davy Crockett began leaking oil into the Columbia River during a civilian salvage operation on Jan. 27, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

Civilian contractors were employed to construct the cofferdam as well as conduct the dismantling work, this labor requiring a crew of very diverse specialists. The vessel was disassembled stern first, frame by frame. Welders cut the deck as teams of salvage divers spent two to three hour shifts rigging and cutting sections beneath the waterline and within flooded compartments. Coast Guard and civilian safety observers maintained a presence throughout the operation.

The larger stern section was refloated before it was taken apart, using the opposing weight of buoyant and flooded compartments to help break off large sections, which were then transferred to a decontamination barge. Carefully pressure washed sections were then moved to another barge to be hauled away and water was captured for treatment. Next, the bow was dismantled while it rest on the bottom, and processed through a similar decontamination.

Approximately 3.5 million pounds of steel were removed. Additionally, more than 38,397 gallons of bunker fuel, 4,850 pounds of asbestos and more than 1.6 million gallons of oily water were removed. It was an eight month pollution removal effort. The final section of the vessel was removed on August 25th, 2011.

"This project will affect the manner in which we deal with derelict vessels," said LeBlanc. The project was completed when the cofferdam was removed on December 8^th, with a final cost of approximately $22 million.

"From a technical perspective, the project has revealed several lessons learned that could be implemented during future responses.  From an overarching perspective the project led to the creation of a regional Derelict Vessel Task Force.  This task force meets regularly to discuss, plan, and establish protocols for a litany of issues related to vessels that pose an environmental risk," said LeBlanc.

Many aging ships have come to rest in American rivers and waterways. Some of these benign, others may harbor unknown threats. Owners purchase them with dreams of restoration or salvage, but end up placed on the permanent to-do list.

Like the Davy Crockett, some of these vessels contain too much pollution to salvage profitably, if done within federal and state environmental law. Forgotten and unmaintained, these vessels can become an instant emergency, sleeping giants difficult to identify amid genuine restoration projects and with the potential to cause millions of dollars in environmental damage. 

SEATTLE - Authorities respond to the illegal scrap metal salvage of the flat-deck Barge Davy Crockett on the Columbia River near Camas, Wash., on Jan. 27, 2011. This comprehensive summary depicts the efforts of the more than nine month response. U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

ASTORIA, Ore. - Jennifer Bassett, founder of the Coast Guard Family Organization, stands beside a stack of toys and stockings donated to Operation Homefront's annual Christmas toy drive for the children of military families. The toys will be distributed to the children of enlisted servicemembers at Coast Guard units near Astoria and Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Ore. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Shawn Eggert

ASTORIA, Ore. - Jennifer Bassett, founder of the Coast Guard Family Organization, stuffs a stocking with toys donated to Operation Homefront's annual Christmas toy drive for the children of military families. The toys will be distributed to the children of enlisted servicemembers at Coast Guard units near Astoria and Camp Rilea in Warrenton, Ore. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Shawn Eggert

*This posting corrects The Coast Guard Family Organization phone number 978-400-6924* 

ASTORIA, Ore. — The morning sun’s rays fall upon a stack of coloring books, plush dolls and action figures within the niche of a bench window.  Felt stockings embroidered with messages of holiday cheer rest nearby, and each one is cheerfully stuffed with items from the small mountain of toys.  This isn’t Santa’s workshop but, for the children of some Coast Guard and Oregon Army National Guard families near the Columbia River, it’s pretty close.

The Coast Guard Family Organization, with help from Operation Homefront, Dollar Tree Inc. and generous donations from the community, has managed to collect approximately 50 boxes of toys for the children of enlisted service members at Coast Guard units and Camp Rilea near Warrenton, Ore.  Jennifer Bassett, a Marine Corps veteran and the spouse of Chief Joshua Bassett, an active duty Coast Guardsman serving aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Alert, founded The Coast Guard Family Organization in 2008 for situations just like this.

“The families of Coast Guard members aren’t eligible for all of the same benefits as the families of other military service members,” said Bassett.  “The goal of the Coast Guard Family Organization is to help Coast Guard families and one of the ways we’re doing that is by working with Operation Homefront to recognize the sacrifices and hardships of these children whose parents are often away from home for months to years at a time.”

Members of the local community helped the toy drive by making donations through Dollar Tree, which has partnered with Operation Homefront for three years.

"For the last three years, Dollar Tree and its customers have helped boost the morale of our nation's service members," said Operation Homefront Chief Executive Officer Jim Knotts. "Military families are not only dealing with the effects of the war, but also the economic recession. They've been hit especially hard over the last year. These donated toys will allow them to provide a happy holiday for their children."

The toys collected by Bassett and her volunteers will be distributed to the children of enlisted military members who receive the lowest pay and she estimates they’ve received enough toys for 400 kids.

Stocking-stuffing and toy distribution will continue through Dec. 31.  Bassett, who is still looking for volunteers to help stuff and deliver stockings to the units, can be reached at 978-400-6924.

A woman is yelling. I can't tell what she's saying. It sounds like German. Restaurant patrons look uncomfortable, her dialogue frantic and indecipherable. I look at her red mini-van in the parking lot, double parked with the passenger door opened. A road map falls from an opened door to the ground. Oh my god, her husband must have had a heart attack.  

The intuition of 21-year-old Nathaniel Ryma, a fireman at Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, in Newport, Ore., turned out to be correct. "Everyone just stared at her. I knew something was wrong, and somebody had to act," said Ryma. He approached and found a man in the vehicle and checked for vital signs. "He wasn't moving. He was dead." 

NEWPORT, Ore. - Fireman Nathaniel Ryma, a Coast Guardsman at Station Yaquina Bay, Newport, Ore., stands forward lookout on a 47 foot motor lifeboat during a first light sea assessment on Oct. 1, 2011. Coast Guardsman assess sea conditions at most major river entrances to set restrictions and better advise mariners. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

The man was too large to remove from the seat so Ryma climbed in and began chest compressions. There was no decision to make. He knew what needed to be done and continued CPR for more than 25 minutes. "A lady came out and began giving him breaths, and right before the police and ambulance arrived, he began gasping for air," said Ryma.  

Response crews and vehicles arrived in a flurry of emergency lights and noise, taking over CPR and setting up for defibrillation. Ryma went back into the restaurant to await his dinner. A few minutes later the scene was as quiet as it had been before, as if nothing had happened.

The entire incident would have gone forgotten if not noticed by Sergeant Tom Simpson of the Newport Police Dept. Once the ambulance crew revived the man, Simpson returned and told Ryma that his actions had saved a life. "He was very humble and had simply stepped away when more firefighters and medics arrived, going back to his meal at a nearby restaurant," said Simpson. Simpson later stopped by Ryma's station and described the young fireman's actions.    

With less than a year in service, it was the first time Ryma had administered CPR. "I felt calm. The Coast Guard has trained me to be in control of a situation and handle myself well in high stress. There were a lot of people standing around that didn't know what to do. You can't ever assume that someone else is going to do something," said Ryma.

On Sept. 23, 2011, In the first year of his career, Ryma saved a man's life. He was the pivotal force in a moment of life or death. The beginning of the first chapter of his life of service.

A few miles south, another Coast Guardsman was beginning a chapter. Chief Petty Officer Ward Halstead, a Boatswains mate and veteran surfman, held his retirement ceremony at Coast Guard Station Umpqua River, Winchester Bay, Ore. It wasn't his final unit, but the one he had been stationed at the longest, and the community he intended to live in retirement.

REEDSPORT, Ore. - Coast Guard Chief Boatswains Mate Ward Halstead is says some parting words at his retirement ceremony held at Station Umpqua River, Ore., Sept. 30, 2011. Halstead served over 30 years in the Coast Guard, and has participated in multiple lifesaving missions off of the Pacific Northwest Coast. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.

Halstead is a search-and-rescue icon of the Pacific Northwest. With 30 years of professional lifesaving service, he is known for his experience and light-heartedness. Halstead has been involved in countless search and rescue cases, as well as credited for training some of the best rescue personnel in his field.

Halstead and his crew rescued three crewmembers of the ocean going tug Primo Brusco after hearing a distress call at 2:24 a.m., on Dec. 30, 2002. They crossed the Umpqua River entrance bar in a 47-foot motor lifeboat with 20-foot breaking waves and 80 mph. winds, conditions on the extreme side of the vessel's operable limitations. The tug capsized in the heavy seas. Halstead and crew searched a debris field for hours during the storm in the dark, and at dawn found three survivors in a life raft.

Years later, the charter vessel Sydney Mae attempted to cross the Umpqua River bar during inclement weather and capsized. Halstead once again got underway with a boat crew and rescued many of the passengers from the hazardous surf zone.

It isn't only the career of Halstead that made him unique. Like Ryma, it is the impulse of taking action to help others. He spent several years in volunteer fire departments where he continued his search and rescue passion while also teaching CPR and first aid in his community. All of these things he did while balancing his Coast Guard duty.

Many coastal stations in the Pacific Northwest are located in old fishing and lumber towns. The kind of place where everybody knows everybody. Out here, if you save a life, it's someone's brother, someone's husband or son, and you are probably going to run into them at the grocery store, diner and gas station.

So on Dec. 30th, Halstead departed lifesaving as his career. With the power of a will to act, the legend of Halstead will continue among the communities lining the Umpqua River, just as Ryma will likely grow in reputation as a Coast Guardsman.

A military service can take an individual and teach them many things, but a prevalence of heroes is more easily attributed to the character of those compelled to join in the first place. This good nature isn't an eight hour a day job, it's a life on a course. The one who acts, the one in a crowd who knows what to do and the one who is calm among chaos. For them there is no final chapter in a life of service.

ASTORIA, Ore. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Doniphan, a food service specialist aboard Cutter Alert in Astoria, Ore., poses for a photo in front of a Large Navigation Buoy on the Columbia River in Astoria. Doniphan swam to the aid of a young girl who was nearly swept underneath the buoy in September 2011. His actions most likely saved her life. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

ASTORIA, Ore. - Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Doniphan swims to the aid of a girl in danger of being swept under a Large Navigation Buoy on the Columbia River in Astoria, Ore., Sept. 10, 2011. Doniphan's off-duty rescue effort most likely saved the girl's life. Photo courtesy of Rod Hallock

ASTORIA, Ore.- Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Doniphan clings to a chain after rescuing a girl in danger of being swept under a Large Navigation Buoy on the Columbia River in Astoria, Ore., Sept. 10, 2011. Doniphan was able to pull himself and the girl, hand-over-hand, back to shore despite the strong current. Photo courtesy of Rod Hallock

ASTORIA, Ore. - Seaman Hugh Dailey (right) extends a hand to a survivor in the Columbia River in Astoria, Ore., Sept. 10, 2011. The girl was in danger of being swept under a Large Navigation Buoy when Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Doniphan (left) swam to her rescue. Photo courtesy of Lewis Nevel

Without hesitation

Coast Guard feature release by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

ASTORIA, Ore. — Search and Rescue is perhaps the most well known of all the Coast Guard missions.

The idea of the rescue itself, the direct, firsthand lifesaving opportunity, is the reason many Coast Guardsmen sign up.  These individuals crave a chance to rise to the occasion; to be in a position to save a life.

While this desire is the driving force behind many successful Coast Guard rescues, it is something that exists independent of our service, within our men and women.

Nothing demonstrates this driving force better than the recent off-duty actions of Petty Officer 2^nd Class Leon Doniphan, a food service specialist (FS) aboard Cutter Alert, homeported in Astoria, Ore. Doniphan bravely, and without hesitation, swam to the aid of a young girl in immediate danger of drowning in the Columbia River. His actions most likely saved her life.

On the evening of Sept. 10, 2011, Doniphan finished his work on the cutter, changed out and crossed the brow to the pier.

“I noticed a group of individuals on the shore fixated on the river’s edge,” said Doniphan.  “I was unable to tell what had their attention at the moment.”

According to Rod Hallock, a California resident visiting Astoria, what had their attention was a young girl in a dire situation.

“My wife Shirley and I were discussing how fast the current of the Columbia was moving, when we noticed a young girl, about 11 or 12-years-old, swimming around the pilings under the dock,” remarked Hallock. “The girl swam to a large round structure. She tried unsuccessfully to swim against the current and quickly became panicked. She yelled that the current was taking her under the structure. The situation became grim quickly.”

The structure was a retired Large Navigation Buoy, 40 feet in diameter, chained to shore. The girl was nearly swept under the buoy, but managed to grab a hold of small piece of metal on the buoy’s edge. The piece of metal was the only available handhold, and she quickly began to lose her grip.

Washington resident Lewis Nevel, another witness to the event, suddenly realized how much trouble the girl was facing. “She was struggling against the current, fighting to keep her head and shoulders above the water. She was yelling that she couldn’t hold on,” explained Nevel.

Doniphan reached the group of onlookers, read the situation and sprang into action.

“The young sailor wasted no time,” Nevel said of Doniphan. “He dropped his backpack, pulled off his sweatshirt and called to the girl, ‘Hold on, keep your head up!’ He called out to another nearby sailor to go get a life preserver. He quickly skirted down some very slippery rocks on the jetty. It looked at one point that he slipped and fell against one of the rocks before entering the water. He kept talking to the girl, ‘You’ll be okay, hold on!’

Doniphan’s words of reassurance were backed by his actions as he lunged into the water and swam the approximate 40 feet to her aid. He was able to grab and hang on to the same small piece of metal the girl clung to.

“The current was very strong and was trying to pull me under the buoy also,” said Doniphan. “I had to exert a great deal of effort to keep myself right and face to face with the girl in the water. The water was very cold and I had jumped in wearing sweat pants which caused drag. I told her that I was going to get her off the buoy, but I told her first that she couldn’t panic. I explained to her how if she panicked she could drown us both.  As I calmed her I told her to trust me and to get onto my back.”

Doniphan was able to twist his body around despite the current. The girl clung to his shoulders. The crowd on shore held their breath as the next moments would determine the fate of both the young girl and her would be rescuer. Doniphan let go of the buoy and swam with all his might, clearing both he and the girl of the looming metal structure.

“I kicked as hard as humanly possible to get us away from that buoy,” stated Doniphan. “Once we were away from the buoy I realized we were still being swept downriver. I managed to swim just far enough to be able to grab a hold of the chain that helps secure the buoy to shore. With the girl still on my back, using the chain I was able to pull us, hand-over-hand, back to the rocks on shore.”

Seaman Hugh Dailey, one of Doniphan’s shipmates aboard Cutter Alert, met the two at the water’s edge and helped the exhausted girl up the rocks. The girl’s friends joined the small crowd that had gathered. The girl gave Doniphan a big hug and thanked him. Members of the crowd, including Hallock and Nevel, extended handshakes. Doniphan had put himself at risk and brought the girl to safety.

Doniphan’s actions inspired Hallock and Nevel to write letters to Cmdr. Daniel Pickles, Doniphan’s commanding officer. The detailed letters included photos of the rescue and commended Doniphan for his actions that day. 

Doniphan remains modest, despite the recognition. Like many lifesavers before him, he maintains that his rescue efforts were circumstantial.

“I have courage, but I don’t feel like a hero. I’m a regular guy, a cook. I was in the right place at the right time. I could never stand by and watch someone die if I thought there was something I could do.” “Besides,” he joked, “I wasn’t about to let someone drown next to a Coast Guard Cutter! The media would have a field day with that!”

Doniphan, who is married with two children, enjoys working as an FS in the Coast Guard.

“My son Javon, daughter Nia, and wife Vanessa are why I stay motivated to achieve great things. My family is a big part of why I am who I am. Going FS made sense for me because of advancement opportunities, and there were openings right away.  I like the job because by working hard to feed everyone, you earn the admiration of the crew.”

Though Doniphan’s job in the Coast Guard does not routinely put him in life or death situations, his desire to step up and put himself on the line is why he joined, and a big part of who he is. He remains adamant that it was his obligation to enter the water that September day.

"As Coast Guardsman, we may be called to serve, to fight, to die anytime, any place. I keep myself in good physical condition and was glad that I could respond adequately."

Doniphan’s rescue did not involve an emergency call to a Coast Guard command center. Nobody ordered Doniphan to act. Though a Coast Guardsman, he performed the rescue as a civilian. People like Doniphan, however, are the reason the Coast Guard exists.

ASTORIA, Ore. - Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin, homeported in Bellingham, Wash., maintains a safety zone while airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., undergo Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Specialist Training (SST) off the coast of Garibaldi, Ore., Sept. 14, 2011. The Coast Guard has been working with the Air Force to assist with the completion of the open-water portion of SST twice a year since September 1967. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

ASTORIA, Ore. - A 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Tillamook Bay, Ore., creates swells while airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., undergo Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Specialist Training (SST) off the coast of Garibaldi, Ore., Sept. 14, 2011. The Coast Guard has been working with the Air Force to assist with the completion of the open-water portion of SST twice a year since September 1967. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

The Coast Guard & Air Force partnership: A tradition of training for more than 44 years

ASTORIA, Ore. — The success of United States Coast Guard missions depends largely on the experience and expertise of our members.  Sometimes, Coast Guard missions and missions of other U.S. armed services overlap, providing the opportunity to share our knowledge and capabilities. The United States Air Force has called upon the experience and expertise of the men and women at Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay, in Garibaldi, Ore., for 44 years.

Coast Guard Station Tillamook Bay and other 13^th  Coast Guard District assets have been working with the Air Force to train airmen from Fairchild Air Force Base (AFB), Wash., twice a year since September, 1967.

Airmen attending the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) Specialist Training (SST) School, come to Garibaldi to undergo the open water portion of the six month technical training program required of all potential SERE Specialists. Successful completion of the course prepares future SERE Specialists to instruct any Air Force SERE related program and be world-wide deployable.

The Air Force relies on the Coast Guard for expertise in open water transportation, recovery and overall safety.

Coast Guard motor lifeboat crews transport airmen and their instructors to the open ocean. They are required to jump overboard, wearing dry suits to maintain body temperature in the frigid water. Instructors deploy life rafts and airmen and instructors climb inside. They spend six hours afloat in the open ocean, learning first-hand the harsh realities of survival at sea.

Motor lifeboat crews generate wake in the absence of heavy natural swells, simulating the often tumultuous seas off the coast of the Pacific Northwest.

For the final stage of the open water portion of SST, Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews hoist the airmen from the water, simulating an aerial rescue at sea.

On Sept. 14, 2011, Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin out of Bellingham, Wash., helped Station Tillamook Bay provide a suitable training environment for the Air Force by remaining on scene with the airmen as they floated in life rafts.

Motor lifeboat crews from Station Tillamook Bay transported airmen and trainers to and from the open ocean.

Lt. Col. Jeremiah Monk, Commander of the 66th Training Squadron responsible for running the SST school at Fairchild AFB was excited about not only the training that day, but the training tradition that the Air Force has shared with the Coast Guard.

“We had yet another excellent training experience, due in no small part to the United States Coast Guard support received from both Station Tillamook Bay and Cutter Terrapin,” stated Monk. “SERE has been working with Tillamook for 44 years. That duration stands testament to not only the consistently outstanding training conditions for SST, but also largely to the world-class support provided by the men and women of Station Tillamook Bay.”

As head of the SST school, Monk recognizes dangers posed by treacherous environments all over the world. He commends the Coast Guard’s ability to successfully operate in one of the most dangerous: the open ocean.

“Open water training is one of ten training periods in the course, but because of the inherently hostile environment, it is arguably our most complex and dangerous training phase.  We mitigate that risk by our close working relationship with the Coast Guard.”

Monk stated that in addition to the training, his airmen gain a valuable experience by watching Coast Guard crews operate assets in the field.

“As a side benefit, the partnership also allows us an opportunity to showcase the USCG to our young airmen, most of whom have no experience working with our sister services,” added Monk.  “Our trainees had the exceptional opportunity to be aboard as our Coast Guard Tillamook Bay partners were diverted to escort six civil vessels back to safe harbor amidst a quickly-developing weather situation.  After seeing the case first-hand, I speak for all my men in saying we have a new-found appreciation for all the Coast Guard does for our country and our citizens, day in and day out.”

Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Saindon, Commander of Station Tillamook Bay, is proud his station has played such a longstanding role in ensuring defense readiness in conjunction with the Air Force.

“We are extremely proud to be able to work with the Air Force in providing survival training for combat situations,” gleamed Saindon. "For 44 years Station Tillamook Bay has played a key role in the training, thus a critical role in national defense. Our location provides an excellent training environment and our personnel provide the expertise required to operate within it.”