When people hear the words “U.S. Coast Guard," usually the first image that pops into their heads is a helicopter flying low over stormy seas, searching for a distressed boater, or a small-boat station crew heading out to conduct law enforcement or search and rescue operations. An image that most have never thought of is a windswept buoy deck on a cold Lake Erie morning.

(Right: Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay and ATON Barge)

One of the most versatile assets in the Coast Guard Fleet is the 140-foot Icebreaking Tug Bristol Bay, combined with the 120-foot Aids to Navigation Barge. Under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Matt Ten Berge, this combination allows the Bristol Bay to service over 160 aids to navigation per year, in conjunction with its duties as an icebreaker during the winter months.

From November 9th through the 11th, Bristol Bay was underway in Western Lake Erie as part of Operation Fall Retrieve, the largest domestic buoy recovery operation in the United States.
Operation Fall Retrieve, which includes lighted and unlighted buoys and beacons, commenced Oct. 14, 2009, with a goal of retrieving 1,284 navigational aids, and should be completed by Dec. 21, 2009.

Bristol Bay’s crew of approximately 25 sailed from Detroit, Mich. and headed out into the lake. Along with their aids to navigation duties, the crewmembers of Bristol Bay also stay proficient in damage-control procedures.


On their first day underway, the crew conducted a toxic-gas drill. For the simulated casualty, a crewmember entering an auxiliary machinery space smelled something similar to rotten eggs, a sign of a possible sewage leak and presence of Hydrogen Sulfide, a gas that displaces oxygen and can cause possible death. After securing the space, the bridge was notified and the general emergency alarm was sounded, notifying the rest of the ship of the situation.

(Left: Crewmembers of Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay respond to the report of a toxic gas leak during a damage-control drill while underway in Lake Erie.)

Bristol Bay’s crew quickly took proper action. Personnel wearing Self Contained Breathing Apparatuses (SCBA’s) used a Ram Fan to ventilate the space and remove any harmful substances. By maintaining proficiency and readiness, Bristol Bay’s crew ensures their safety while out on the water.

After the conclusion of their damage control drill, Bristol Bay launched its small boat with three crewmembers aboard to conduct maintenance on a reportedly malfunctioning aid to navigation. Over the course of three days the Bristol Bay serviced more than 7 aids to navigation in the Western Lake Erie Basin.

(Right: Seaman Christopher Waters swings a sea-painter line out to Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Reggio, a Boatswain's Mate, during small-boat recovery operations.)

The Ninth Coast Guard District's aids to navigation system facilitates safe and efficient maritime activity in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway region by marking safe passage for domestic, international, commercial and recreational vessel traffic. The Coast Guard manages 2,628 federal aids in the region.

The waters of the United States and its territories are marked to assist navigation by the U.S. Aids-to-Navigation System. This system employs a simple arrangement of colors, shapes, numbers and light characteristics to mark navigable channels, waterways and obstructions adjacent to them.

After their aids to navigation work is finished for the season, the Bristol Bay’s crew must be ready to switch gears and shift into icebreaking mode, helping to facilitate navigation to meet the reasonable demands of commerce on the Great Lakes.

Labels: Aids to Navigation, CGC Bristol Bay, Coast Guard, Fall Retrieve, Great Lakes, Ninth Coast Guard District

In October, Youngstown State University in Ohio completed the construction of its Armed Forces Boulevard. This refurbished section of road recognizes the service and sacrifices of those who have served in the military.

(Right: Petty Officers from Ninth District Units represent the Coast Guard in a joint-service color guard during the dedication ceremony for Youngstown State University's Armed Forces Boulevard, October 30, 2009. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener)

The ceremony officially dedicating the Boulevard was held on October 30^th. Coast Guard members from the Ninth District participated as one of six Color Guard teams Representatives from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps Veterans and the Youngstown State Army ROTC took place in the Colors Ceremony before a crowd of approximately 200 veterans, Youngstown State students, alumni and faculty and their friends and relatives. Capt. David Callahan, Ninth District Chief of Staff, represented the Ninth Coast Guard District as an honored guest.

(Left: Capt. David Callahan, Ninth District Chief of Staff, stands with members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and other honored guests at the Youngstown State University Armed Forces Boulevard dedication. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener)

Other distinguished guests included U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan, Ohio State Senators Capri Cafaro, Joseph Schiavoni, Jason Wilson and Ohio State Representatives Ronald Gerberry, Robert Hagan, Sandra Stabile Harwood, Tom Letson, Deborah Newcomb and Mark Okey.

Petty Officer 2^nd Class Lauren Linville, of the Ninth District Staff, is a Coast Guard Reservist and student at Youngstown State. She is a criminal justice major with a focus on legal process. Linville also works in the Office of Veterans Affairs there and her hard work directly contributed to the success of the Armed Forces Boulevard Project and the designation of Youngstown State as a veteran-friendly campus by G.I. Jobs Magazine, a publication that offers advice to active-duty military members who are separating from the military and looking to further their education.

(Left: Petty Officer 2nd Class Lauren Linville, a Reservist on the Ninth District Staff and member of the Youngstown State Office of Veterans Affairs, addresses the crowd of veterans, students and their friends and family during the Armed Forces Boulevard Dedication, October 30, 2009. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class George Degener.)

"It feels so good to finally see this project finished," said Linville. "The last three weeks leading up to the event has been really stressful, but to finally see everything done is really exciting; this is the first time something like this has ever been done on campus."

G.I. Jobs Magazine has named Youngstown State as one of 2010’s most military-friendly schools.

Labels: Armed Forces, Coast Guard, Great Lakes, Ninth Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard, Veterans, Youngstown State

Story by PA3 Brandon Blackwell, photos by PA3 George Degener, Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs.

President Obama’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force held its sixth and final public hearing in Cleveland Oct. 29.

The Task Force, comprised of Chair Nancy Sutley, White House Council on Environmental Quality; Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Cameron Davis, Senior Advisor to the Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency; Rear Admiral Sally Brice O’Hara, Deputy Commandant for Operations, U.S. Coast Guard; and Captain Byron Black, Senior Maritime Safety and Security Advisor to the Secretary, Department of Transportation met at the Cleveland Marriot Downtown to gather public comments and suggestions regarding the Task Force’s development of new policy intended to ensure protection, maintenance, and restoration of the oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.


(Right: Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara fields questions from the press about the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force's role in developing recommendations to help protect the Great Lakes at a press briefing in Cleveland Oct. 29. U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The day’s events began at the Great Lakes Science Center with a presentation of the documentary ‘Mysteries of The Great Lakes,’ a film which paints the history of the largest fresh-water mass on earth and its environmental, cultural and economic impacts on the region.

Following the film’s screening, members of the Task Force held a press briefing and fielded questions from local media before moving to the Cleveland Marriot Downtown, where the Task Force listened to public concerns during a 3-hour session.

Each speaker was given a 2 ½ minute time limit to address the Task Force. Comments ranged from such topics as invasive species and recreational fishing to advanced energies and environmental protection.


(Left: Members of the public were afforded the opportunity to address members of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force about regional concerns at a public meeting in Cleveland Oct. 29. U.S. Coast Guard photo)

The Task Force, which held six public hearings around the country, will now compile the comments submitted and present a report of their findings and policy recommendations to the President.

The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force was chartered to create new ocean, coastal and Great Lakes policy that protects, maintains and restores these valuable resources. For more information or to submit a comment to the Task Force, visit the OPTF official website.

Labels: Coast Guard, environmental protection, Great Lakes, Ninth Coast Guard District, Ocean Policy Task Force, U.S. Coast Guard

Today's post was written by Lt. j.g. Jerrold Federer from Marine Safety Unit Chicago. His story illustrates the importance of outreach in the community as a way to increase the public's awareness of the educational benefits afforded through service in the Coast Guard, which ultimately helps the service increase its diversity.

Here's Lt. j.g. Federer's story:

"Marine Safety Unit Chicago partnered with Recruiting Office Chicago and Janice Jones of Auxiliary Flotilla 10-11 to participate in the 35th Annual Chemical Industry Council of Illinois (CICI) Career Conference. This conference targets Junior High and Senior High School students interested in pursuing math and science studies at higher level institutions. This year over 800 schools throughout the State of Illinois were invited and approximately 2,400 students and teachers attended the conference.

(Left: Marine Science Technician Third Class Salvatore Loggia of MSU Chicago explains how oil is sampled to a group of Illinois students at the 35th annual Chemical Industry Council of Illinois Career Conference Oct. 23. Photo courtesy MSU Chicago)

Coast Guard active duty members explained the service's missions and particularly the Coast Guard's role in environmental stewardship using static displays and interactive props such as an MSD900 suit, oil spill sample kit and sampler rod, a 'pollution city' diorama, brochures and Coast Guard videos.

Based upon the strong interest and positive response by students and teachers alike, MSU Chicago plans to canvass other operational commands and recruit their talents and participation to help tell the broader story of Coast Guard operations and the importance math and science play in our mission-sets.

(Right: Illinois high school students speak with MSU Chicago and Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 10-11 representatives about the benefits and opportunities afforded by service in the COast Guard during the 35th annual Chemical Industry Council of Illinois Career Conference Oct. 23. Photo courtesy MSU Chicago.)

This effort helped raise much-needed awareness about Coast Guard roles and missions and provided a great opportunity to reach a broad, diverse group of future leaders, mathematicians and scientists, and we look forward to participating and having other operational units participate in next year's event."

Labels: Coast Guard, diversity, environmental protection, Great Lakes, Ninth Coast Guard District, Oil Spill, U.S. Coast Guard

Story by PA3 George Degener, Ninth District Public Affairs. Photos by PA3 Degener and courtesy former Coast Guard Chief Machinist Mate Jack Read.

The tragic events of December 7th, 1941 brought about a surge of patriotism throughout the Unites States. Young men working in low-paying, depression-era jobs volunteered in droves to serve their country and earn a better wage in order to support themselves and their families.

One such individual was Jack Read, a Brooklyn, N.Y. native who enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard two weeks after the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

(Left: At his home in Pennsylvania, former Chief Machinist Mate Jack Read takes a moment to show off military decorations he earned during his service with the U.S. Coast Guard in World War II.)

Read’s career in the Coast Guard spanned six years and included such duties as being part of a boarding team conducting inspections of foreign-flagged freighters in New York Harbor, Motor Machinist Mate School (from which Read emerged a 2nd Class Petty Officer), the mechanical shop at Life-Saving Station Sandy Hook, N.J., and as Chief Engineer aboard an 83-foot cutter that played a role in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy in 1944.

I was fortunate to spend the day with 87-year-old Mr. Read and heard his thoughts regarding his time in the Coast Guard and his service during wartime.

I remember a couple of weeks after Pearl Harbor, me and three buddies went down to Battery Row in Manhattan where all the recruiting stations were. The first one we went to was the Marine Corps, where they gave us an eye test. My right eye has always been nearsighted and the sergeant told me that they required 20-20 vision. One of my friends signed up for the Marines.

I always said I would never sign up for the Army because I didn’t want to sleep in the mud.

The Coast Guard was next and I used to go fishing off Rockaway and never got seasick; I liked the water and I could swim fairly well. I remember seeing a recruiting poster [Left] of an 83-footer and a Japanese plane flying over and I remember saying to myself, “that looks pretty good” so I went in and signed up.

Read went through his basic training at Ellis Island, N.Y., and was assigned to a boarding party based out of Staten Island before attending Motor Machinist Mate School. After school, he was assigned a job in the Machine Shop at Life-Saving Station Sandy Hook, N.J.

We would head out with the Pilot Boats and board the foreign freighters out near Ambrose Light before they would head into New York Harbor. I got tired of being a 2nd Class Seaman and really liked mechanical things, so I volunteered for school and came out of there as a 2nd Class Motor Machinist Mate. Life at Sandy Hook was simple; we would maintain the engines on the motor lifeboats.

In early 1943, Read saw a solicitation looking for men to become crewmembers aboard new 83-foot cutters.

I wanted to get out on the water so I volunteered for the 83’s and got sent up to Buffalo, N.Y. to actually build the engines for them a the Sterling Engine Plant. Working on the production lines was good training; it was nice to know how the engine was built right from the “plates up” before having to work on it out in the real world.

I was assigned to CG-83464 in July of ’43 and we ended up based in Charlestown, S.C., patrolling the Southeast Coast of the U.S. looking for submarines off of the Carolinas. I made Chief Petty Officer there because the Chief we had failed the physical fitness exam. I was very fortunate that I had such good people working under me. In some cases they knew way more than I did. Your subordinates can either make or break you.

In March of 1944, the crew of 12, led by an ensign, received orders to New York and ultimately Poole, England, to begin preparations for the Allied Invasion of Europe.

We headed up to New York, and we didn’t really know what we were going to do or where. They loaded the cutter onto a Liberty Ship for the 17 day trip across the pond. We ended up at Poole, which was the only Coast Guard Base in Europe. It was about 60 cutters and 800 personnel. We staged up there and got to head out into the town on port/starboard liberty. British beer was cheap and we got to enjoy the nearby town of Bristol.

(Left: Jack Read, center kneeling, and the crew of CG-83464 in 1944.)

Our crew was like a family. We used to chip in five dollars a month each so our cook would buy extra food so we would eat really well. It was a wonderful life. The worst job for engineers was cleaning bilges with tri-sodium phosphate. We didn’t use any gloves or nonsense like they use today.

CG-83464 was designated as CG-43 and assigned to the 1st Rescue Flotilla for the Invasion of Normandy, and then assumed escort duties for the supply convoys crossing the English Channel.

We were called CG-43 and of the 60 cutters, the first 30 were assigned to the troop transports being sent to the American beaches (Omaha, Utah) and the rest were sent to the British and Canadian ones (Sword, Juno and Gold). We drew the Queen Emma, a British ship heading for Juno Beach, and followed her in. There was a hell of a storm going on around us and we were getting tossed around like crazy. The transport ships couldn’t seem to decide how fast to go so they kept speeding up, then slowing down. It got so bad we had to chain our bunks up on a 45 degree angle and sleep in the “V”.

(Right: The crew of a Coast Guard 83-foot cutter relaxes in Poole, England prior to the invasion of Normandy during World War II.)

After the initial invasion we ran convoy duties across the channel, escorting ships carrying everything from tanks to senior officers over to France.

One night we were in a convoy and running darkened ship, of course. Because the wake of an 83 looked like a German U-Boat we had to be on the lookout for the other convoy escorts shooting at us. I poked my head up out of the engine room for some air and off the starboard bow I saw what looked like a “fire hose of tracers” coming around toward us. I ran up to the flying bridge and shouted up to the skipper. He fired the flare into the air that would signal that we were an allied ship and luckily the shooting stopped before it got to us. Maybe it was a little bit lucky I had stuck my head out for some air. We found out later that one of the other convoys had been attacked by a U-Boat that night.

(Left: The crew of CG-83464 during escort duty in the English Channel in 1944.)

When the British took the town of Le Havre, France, someone came up with the idea for the “little Coast Guard Boats” to be the ones who would look for mines in the entrance channel. We were small and wooden-hulled, so we wouldn’t set off the pressure or magnetic mines. Our draft was shallow enough that we wouldn’t hit the moored mines. Our sonar guys would listen for the moored ones and we could see the floating mines, so we would drop markers for the mine sweepers to come through and clean everything out.

In January of 1945, Read and the crew of 83464 returned to the United States. They suffered zero casualties during their operations in Europe. Read served at the Coast Guard Base in Cape May, N.J., in the Mechanical Division upon his return and until his enlistment ended in mid-1947.

After his honorable discharge he worked in the sales and transportation industries until he retired in 1987 and settled on a farm in Southwestern New Jersey, where he served on the local Board of Education for 7 years. Read, who now resides in Pennsylvania, has eight children and 35 grandchildren. He is an active member of the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association.

To see more of Jack Read's personal pictures, visit the Ninth District's flickr site.

Labels: Coast Guard, D-Day, Great Lakes, Ninth Coast Guard District, Normandy, U.S. Coast Guard, World War II

Labels: Air Station Traverse City, Coast Guard, Dolphin Helicopter, fish barrier, Great Lakes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard

Today's post from the field comes from Lt. Larry Ouzts of the Investigations/Inspections department at Marine Safety Unit Chicago. His piece touches on the challenges the Coast Guard faces managing competing environmental and public interests in the vicinity of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' electrified Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Romeoville, Ill.

Here's Lt. Ouzts' perspective:

"Since the 1980’s, two species of Asian Carp, Bighead and Silver, have been migrating north through the Mississippi River Basin wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem, displacing native species, and adversely effecting economies in the Midwest. Should these fish establish populations in the Great Lakes, they could have devastating effects on the marine environment and fishing industries.

In an effort to protect the Great Lakes from invasive Asian Carp species, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) constructed an Electric Fish Barrier in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC). The barrier works by pulsing large amounts of direct current electricity into the water from steel conductors laid across the bottom of the canal.

(Right: Aerial photo of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal showing the location of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal Barrier.)

The nearer a fish swims towards the barrier, the more intense the discomfort from the electric field in the water. Eventually, the discomfort repels a fish back south away from the barrier. Since 2002, the barrier protected Lake Michigan from these invasive fish. In July 2009, USACE reported that environmental DNA (eDNA) samples indicated the Asian Carp were closer to the barrier than originally thought. USACE responded to this news by increasing the operating parameters of the electric field.

As the only barrier of it's kind across a navigable waterway, this complex project requires extensive operational and safety testing.

The Coast Guard’s role is to ensure the waterway remains safe and accessible for commercial and recreational users. To mitigate the risk posed by the electrified water in a critical waterway, we established a Regulated Navigational Area and Safety Zone in the vicinity of the fish barrier for vessels to transit that portion of the CSSC.

While most vessels over 20’ long have been permitted to transit through the safety zone if they follow specified safety recommendations, vessels under 20 feet long, all personal watercraft such as jet skis, and all non-power driven craft including canoes and kayaks are not permitted to transit the waterway due to the safety concerns inherent with electrified water.

(Left: Users permitted to transit the Coast Guard safety zone do so at their own risk. While safety measures have been identified to reduce risks to mariners, they do not eliminate the dangers. The Coast Guard and the Army Corps are still working to identify a safe means to rescue a person in the water or disabled vessel within the electrified waters. USCG photo by PA2 Bill Colclough, Ninth District)

The Coast Guard is working with USACE to identify a safe method for rescuing a victim or disabled vessel from the electrified water as no safe option currently exists. If a person or object falls in the water, for the safety of the person in the water, as well as the rescuer, no one should attempt recovery until the person or object is downstream the electrified zone which is approximately 450 feet south of the Romeo Road Bridge. Waterway users permitted to transit the safety zone must do so at their own risk.

The Coast Guard continues to work closely with the Corps of Engineers, collecting and analyzing data, in an ongoing effort to better mitigate the risks associated with the barrier while facilitating commerce and providing safe, open access to waterway users. The Coast Guard has set up a website: www.uscg.fishbarrierinfo.com to provide the latest information on transit restrictions and requirements. For those interested in information regarding the Fish Barrier project, please contact the Army Corps of Engineers or go to: www.lrc.usace.army.mil. "

Labels: Asian Carp, Coast Guard, fish barrier, Great Lakes, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard