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108 14 20UnitasCGC Thetis helps train other nations during the 50th annual naval exercise Unitas.

Regional dive lockers have been created on

the East and West Coasts after to Coast Guardsmen

died while diving.

Coast Guardsmen pitch-in during the inauguration of

President Barack Obama.

Good Morning Mr. PresidentRetired Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon worked his way up from seaman recruit all the way to admiral. Now he runs the White House.

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All CoastImages from around the !eet

Log BookWhat‘s happening in your Coast Guard

Dive Lockers

Inauguration

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Coast Guard WWII veteran Jacob Lawrence was one of the most in!uential American artists of the century. He made art history with his depictions of the service during the war.

Helping the HomelessThe crew from Sector Deleware Bay help feed the Philadelphia homeless.

The Art of History

Adm. Thad AllenCommandant

Vice Adm. Vivien CreaVice Commandant

Rear Adm. Chuck MichelDirector of Governmental &

Public A!airsCmdr. Ron LaBrecChief, Public A!airs

Jordan St. JohnDeputy Chief, Public A!airs

PAC Daniel TremperEditor-in-ChiefPA1 Mike LutzExecutive Editor

PA2 Dan BenderCreative Director

PA3 Victoria BonkAssociate Editor

Subscriptions: Call (202) 512-1800 or write to Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. To subscribe online, follow the

link on our Web site at www.uscg.mil/mag.

Submissions: We need your stories, photographs, comments and

suggestions. Contact the magazine sta! concerning ongoing and future products and submissions to Coast

Guard Magazine. Submit your stories to: U.S. Coast Guard (CG-09221), 2100

2nd Street, S.W., Washington DC 20593, or e-mail them to [email protected]. For more guidelines, visit the magazine Web site and click on

“submissions” or call the editor at (202) 372-4612.

Coast Guard Magazine, COMDT PUB P5720.2, is produced for members of the U.S. Coast Guard by members of

the U.S. Coast Guard. Unless otherwise noted, all stories, photographs and

graphics are produced by Coast Guard employees.

Editorial content is uno"cial and not authority for action. Views and

opinions expressed do not necessarily re#ect those of the Department of

Homeland Security or the Coast Guard. Stories may be reprinted except stories and articles reprinted, by

permission, from other publications.

Cover: BM2 Adonis Kazouris and MK2 Shawn Price exhibit the various equipment used by Coast Guard divers. Photo By PA3

Victoria Bonk

Star-Spangled Buoy

Members of the Coast Guard Cutter James Rankin lower the Francis Scott Key Buoy down to its location in the Patapsco River, May 8. The James Rankin is responsible for the annual placing of the buoy in the spring and for removing it in the fall. Photo by PA3 Ayla Kelley

Rolling Down the River

The Coast Guard Cutter Pamlico, a 160-foot inland construction tender, homeported in New Orleans, transits Baptiste Collette Bayou while working aids to navigation in the Mississippi River Delta near Venice, La., April 29. The Pamlico is manned by 16 crewmembers who construct !xed aids to navigation from Baton Rouge to the Southwest Pass of the Mississippi River and its surrounding waterways. Photo by PA3 Tom Atkeson

All Coastrepairing weapons

MK3 Isaac Blakely repairs a M2 .50-caliber machine

gun while on patrol in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba,

May 21. Blakely is a member of Coast Guard

Port Security Unit 305, which has provided

anti-terrorism and !eet protection in Cuba since

November 2008. Photo by PA2 John Miller

new officersNewly commissioned

Ensigns of the Coast Guard Academy’s Class of 2009 divest

themselves of all symbols of cadet life signifying their accomplishment in earning

commissions as o"cers in the Coast Guard at the academy’s

128th Commencment Exercises in New London,

Conn., May 20. Photo by PA3 Victoria Bonk

drug bust

A crewmember of the Coast Guard Cutter Aspen stands on a pier in San Diego after the crew o#oaded more than eight tons

of marijuana, March 22. Photo by PA3 Henry Dunphy

6 Coast Guard — Issue 2, 2009

push-upsCandidates of the Deployable Operations Group assessment and selection struggle as they do push-ups guided by an instructor during the rigourous, two and a half day assessment at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, April 20. Photo by PA2 Lauren Jorgensen

helpng

MK3 Dan Fraley of Station Sault Ste. Marie assists an Oxbow, N.D., resident and her faithful friend as they disembark from the station’s airboat along the Red River in North Dakota, March 26. Photo by PA2 Bill

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On April 19, 37 surface, air, and land assets from eight countries converged on Jacksonville, Fla.,

to participate in the 50th anniversary of the event, dubbed Unitas Gold. The Coast Guard Cutter Thetis represented the Coast Guard and participated in multiple exercises including tactical maneuvering, refueling at sea, search and rescue, and a live !re sinking of a decommissioned destroyer, the USS Connolly.

Thetis members began by helping train sailors from the Navy and other nations including Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Mexico, and Peru to safely conduct law enforcement boardings. The crews teamed up and put what they learned into action as they conducted mock boardings of several ships during the exercise. They were presented with scenarios that tested the teams’ knowledge and execution of tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Thetis also hosted SAR exercises for two surface action groups led by ships from Germany and Brazil. The Coast Guard provided two yellow barrels to simulate life rafts and self-locating data marker buoys to calculate set and drift. The Thetis crew acted as umpire monitoring SAR coordination and providing feedback and recommendations to implement during real-life rescues.

Willing as they were to share their knowledge, the Thetis crew had plenty of chances to get in the action too. After

practicing close approaches to other vessels, they refueled alongside the USNS Arctic while traveling at 13 knots with only 40 yards separating them for 2 hours.

During another exercise, this time at night, Thetis was tasked with reconnoitering a target for destruction. They launched the over-the-horizon boat which sped out 30 miles ahead of the surface action group. The OTH team was impressively able to sneak up on the target vessel without detection and relay its location to the German FGS Sachsen for a simulated missile attack.

Going out with a bang, Thetis joined 16 other vessels and eight aircraft in conducting target practice on the

UNITASSTORY BY

ENS LAURA HUTCHINSON, CGC THETIS

Sometimes a name says it all. Unitas, Latin

for unity, is an annual multinational naval

exercise to promote unity and interoperability in the

Western Hemisphere.


decommissioned USS Connolly. Thetis’ 76 mm gun roared as it !red 54 rounds, turning the old destroyer into swiss cheese. Navy P-3 aircraft and the USS Donald Cook !nished the job with harpoon missiles. The Air force was out of luck. There was nothing left for the B-52s to !re on as they swooped in.

Having fun, and building camaraderie was just as important as the teaching and learning during the exercise. The relationships built here will pay o" when these forces meet on the water during real operations.

Working with the other sailors was the highlight of the exercise for SN David McDonald, a deckhand aboard Thetis, who

spent time with the Candian crew of HMCS Montreal.

“I could tell the crew really took [us] in as one of there own and didn’t want us to leave,” he said. “The Canadians were a great crew and I would not trade the experience for anything.”

“Unitas proved to be an invaluable opportunity for the crew to test their skills in real-time, complex operations at sea,” said CDR Richard Mourey, commanding o#cer of Thetis. “They impressed our partner nations by demonstrating ingenuity, capability, and tenacity, earning the Coast Guard a strong reputation as a valuable addition to any multi-national force.”

Close Encounter

A sailor aboard the Frankfurt Main, a German oiler, watches as the Thetis makes a practice

approach to refuel at sea. Photo by PA3 Cindy Beckert

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Two active duty military members’ lives were cut short during a cold-water familiarization diving accident in the Arctic aboard the CGC Healy, Aug. 17, 2006.

The Coast Guard initiated an immediate administrative and safety investigation into the circumstances which contributed and ultimately led up to the regrettable deaths.

“We cannot prevent every Coast Guard casualty,” said Adm. Thad Allen, Commandant of the Coast Guard in a statement included in the investigation report, “Despite the professionalism, bravery and dedication of our workforce, in rare cases we su!er serious injury or death in the line of duty. As Coast Guard men and women we accept this risk, but we will not accept preventable loss or injury. The investigation into this accident revealed failures in oversight at every level

aboard Healy, as well as numerous departures from standard Coast Guard policy. This mishap further highlighted the need to improve diving expertise at units with dive capabilities and missions, address shortfalls in training and experience, and elevate program

The Establishment of Regional Dive Lockers


management and oversight on par with other high-risk, training-intensive Coast Guard operations such as aviation.”

Another goal of the Coast Guard’s study was to initiate several new policies and procedures to prevent future diving mishaps while !nding a cost-e"ective method for increasing the safe execution and reducing the risks of such a dangerous operation.

Consequently, the Coast Guard established regional

dive lockers on the East and West coasts, sta"ed with highly trained, professional divers capable of responding to developing or emergent operations.

“After tragically losing two of our shipmates and fellow divers, it was important to set up the regional dive lockers to provide the management, oversight and inspection process needed to meet all Coast Guard diving missions in the safest manner possible,” said Lt.j.g. Andrew Younkle, deployable operations group diving force

manager in Arlington, Va.Not only will the regional dive lockers help the

Coast Guard execute vital diving missions more safely, but the missions are also expected to assist in the war on terrorism.

“The dive lockers are going to make America safer by deterring terrorists and smugglers who look at sub-surface operations as a means to hurt

our country,” said Younkle.The dive lockers and teams will

MK2 Swawn Price from the Regional Dive Locker East poses for a photo with his

dive gear. Photo by PA3 Victoria Bonk

Semper Dive

The Establishment of Regional Dive LockersStory by PA3 Melissa Hauck, Pac Area

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support the polar class icebreaker missions, buoy tender missions, maritime security missions and provide needed services to the captains of the ports.

“During ice breaking missions, divers can provide pitch calibrations and emergency services to assist in keeping the polar class icebreakers at peak performance,” said Younkle. “When the cutter is performing well, it opens key shipping lanes thus improving our economy.”

The dive lockers are sta!ed with a dive o"cer supervisor who is responsible for three primary-duty, six-person dive teams that focus solely on dive operations.

“Prior to the dive lockers, we were running minimally manned dive teams,” said Lt. Trevor Hare, command diving o"cer stati-oned at regional dive locker west in San Diego.

According to Hare the old diving units had the collateral-duty

divers doing so many di!erent things that when it was time to execute a dive the divers were too tired from other duties and not focused on the dive.

“Another safety concern was that the collateral duty divers weren’t staying current on their quali#cations, and even if they did, they weren’t really used to diving,” said Hare. “Now, with the lockers, we have enough personnel to man the dive site optimally instead of minimally.”

Aside from the safety aspect the dive lockers bring to the Coast Guard, dive teams will be able to focus on the mission and com-plete a dive in a timely manner.

“Having more personnel on site is going to enable us to knock out a mission much quicker than before,” said Hare. “These are guys who dive all the time - the focus on diving every day - and that’s all they do for the Coast Guard, so you know they do it

Nap Time

Crewmembers from Regional Dive Locker West position Lt. Trevor Hare onto a miller board during an emergency procedure drill at Naval Submarine Base Point Loma, Calif., October 20, 2008. Photo by PA3 Melissa Hauck.


professionally, e!ciently and safely.” The dive teams are comprised of Coast Guard members from

all rates whose minimum quali"cation is the 88-day Second Class Diver Course at the Naval Diving Salvage Training Center.

“We have about every rate you can imagine, and they are coming from every single unit via maritime safety and security units, polar divers and buoy tender divers,” said Hare. “It gives us such a wide range of experience, and it’s good diversity for our unit.”

Divers must maintain diver currency by completing 13 annual and 13 semi-annual training tasks, complete at least four re-quali-"cation dives and pass two physical "tness tests annually.

“The training tasks and re-quali"cation dives were determined by the Coast Guard to be the minimum necessary items to mainta-in pro"ciency and certi"cation in the Coast Guard diving commu-nity,” said Hare. “We dive to serve America, and we train and PT to serve as safely and e#ectively as possible.”

Training is crucial because the classroom, dive and physical training tasks keep divers sharp with respect to dive protocol, diving medicine, diving physics, practical diving performance, in-water pro"ciency and physical conditioning pertinent to

military diving.The Coast Guard is creating a new process for selecting potenti-

al candidates for the regional dive lockers. Until that process is established, a Coast Guard member can compete for diver selec-tion by sending his or her dive package to NDSTC after obtaining command approval.

“The dive billets are typically three years,” said Younkle. “However, many of our divers seek follow-on assignments to buoy tenders, NDSTC or the DOG to continue diving for the Coast Guard.

According to the "nal action memo from the CGC Healy’s mishap investigation, Allen identi"ed areas of the dive program management that needed improvement and reevaluation. The es-tablishment of the regional dive lockers improves the Coast Guard dive program and enables the mission to be accomplished.

Diver Down

BM2 Greg Seufer, attached to Regional Dive Locker West, pulls on a buddy line while preparing to inspect the hull of the CGC Sea Otter, October 20, 2008. Photo by PA3 Melissa Hauck.

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Marching to a new drummer

The U.S. Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard marches down Pennsylvania

Avenue during the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Parade rehearsal in Washington,

D.C., Jan. 11, 2009. DoD photo by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd

Class David Coleman

The !rst beams of light begin to !ll the sky over the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on a frigid January morning as anxious onlookers !le in to catch a glimpse of the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. The mood in the

city is festive and hopeful as police o"cers, military personnel and Secret Service agents silently take their positions and prepare to respond to any threats or emergencies.

Along the perimeter of the festivities, silent guardians patrol the waters around the National Capital Region. Their mission is to protect the public from anyone who would do harm or attempt to disrupt the day’s events. These guardians of maritime security are part of the U. S. Coast Guard.

The men and women who have been charged with accomplishing this security mission are not just

randomly patrolling areas or simply providing a presence. They are part of a much larger

plan, a plan that has been carefully crafted to ensure the maximum amount of security for the waterways around D.C. in

the most e"cient way possible. Just o# the banks

of the Potomac River, tents and trailers host a $eet of Coast Guardsmen who have

worked for months in an e#ort to plan,

implement and execute this

mission. Success will take precision, patience and skill. With history in the making, there is no room for error.

According to the Washington Times, an estimated 1.8 million people $ooded the National Mall for inauguration day events. Approximately 50,000 law enforcement and military personnel from across the country maintained a secure environment.

In addition to record breaking crowds, other records were broken as well including online video feeds of the inauguration being viewed by 7.7 million people simultaneously according to CNN. Metro rail records were also reportedly shattered as they hosted 1.2 million trips on inauguration day alone according to Metro o"cials. With so many records being broken due to the vast amount of people $ooding the city, the security mission was paramount.

With such a large undertaking as inauguration security, several months of preparation were needed for the operation. To meet mission demands Sector Baltimore used a response framework known as the Incident Command System as a platform to begin their planning and implementing process. They focused on planning, operations, !nance and logistics in order to successfully execute the mission.

The ICS is typically used in response to oil spills, natural disasters or other large-scale operations that involve multiple agencies, assets and personnel. This was the !rst time Sector Baltimore had ever used an ICS to facilitate a major law enforcement evolution. Planning the mission was the !rst step.

Planning began in late August 2008, and many issues had to be addressed before Sector Baltimore’s sta# met with partner agencies in the inaugural maritime security committee.

Team Effort

Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty O!cer Je"rey Dietzman and Army Lt. Col.

Edward Windisch discuss operations at the dispersal area during the 2009

Presidential Inaugural Parade rehearsal in

Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2009.

Photo by PA1 David Mosley

Coast Guard considerations for the inaugural events included: locations where events would be held, what assets and agencies would be available, contingency plans in case of emergency, and weather forecasts. It was critical for the Coast Guard to ensure that the appropriate forces and personnel were in place to counteract possible maritime threats against the NCR.

“I thought the planning was fantastic,” said Capt. Brian D. Kelley, the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator for the NCR. “We undervalue planning in our society and to plan, it takes time, e!ort and a certain degree of discipline. We were able to pull that o! because it was important to me personally and it was important to the Coast Guard as an organization to get this right.”

It takes money in order for the mission to get started. It also takes people to properly manage that money. The "nance section handles all the costs of the mission to ensure proper accountability and mission e!ectiveness. The section was made up of "ve Coast Guardsmen reporting from various duty stations across the country. Working alongside the logistics section, "nance is responsible for purchasing the everyday items and commodities, tracking all cost and personnel and making sure "nances are accurate to ensure the budget is not exceeded.

“It’s a full-service accounting unit,” said Lt. j.g. Michael Cavanagh, the "nance section chief from Marine Safety Unit Cleveland, Ohio.

The "nance section must plan for expenses ahead of time and keep track of how much money they have spent to ensure funds are available for any service required throughout the duration of the event.

“If we don’t have the money and aren’t able to purchase the equipment needed, then operations will stop,” said Cavanagh. “Anything from the o#ce supplies to pumping sewage from the cutters, all of that has to be paid for.”

Sector Baltimore was the host unit and had to pay for initial costs for the inaugural maritime security mission.

“The host unit ends up fronting the money, and if it’s not documented properly, they won’t get refunded the correct amount,” said Cavanagh.

The variety of experience and personnel working inside the "nance section proved to be bene"cial as they were able to collectively put their knowledge to work.

“I felt well prepared for this event,” said Cavanagh. “I have experience from Hurricane Katrina as the "nance section chief for the entire Mississippi gulf coast. This prepared me for operating in an ICS environment and especially tracking costs over multiple accounting strings with a very complex operational environment at as high a tempo as this one.”

One challenge the "nance section had to overcome was the event happening during a holiday weekend. Businesses they would ordinarily purchase items from were working on either reduced hours or were closed.

“We had to be creative and start using resources we had on hand to solve problems that we didn’t think of in the "rst place,” said Cavanagh.

Working within the rigid constraints of the budget was a challenge that had to be contended with. The

"nance section worked hard to "nd avenues that would reduce unnecessary costs.

“We like to go by what’s called the minimum needs doctrine,” said Cavanagh. “The Coast Guard is very good at operating at a higher level with less money. We look at every request to ensure that it’s mission critical, we won’t strain the operation, but if we can save money, we will.”

Eight Coast Guardsmen who worked with the "nance section and shared similar goals and objectives supported the logistics section.

“The logistics section is responsible for facilities, tracking "nances and supplies, and ensuring food and medical services

“We like to go by what’s called the minimum needs doctrine. The Coast Guard is very good at operating at a

higher level with less money.”

Lasting Memory

Coast Guard Capt. Scott Decker meets U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., Jan. 8, 2008. Photo by PA1 Kyle Niemi

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are adequate,” said Lt. Cmdr. Je!rey W. Hall, the logistics section chief.

With hundreds of people showing up from all over the country, proper planning was key to the success of the operation.

“Our planning started in early November,” said Hall. “We met with the Deployable Operations Group to get an understanding of how many people to expect.”

After determining how many people to support, work space arrangements needed to be made.

“We had a number of Coast Guard units bring their own workplace such as tents and trailers, yet we still had to rent two tents to house the check-in station and logistics station,” said Hall. “We also had to ask the Electronics Systems Detachment to set up the computers and electronics.”

Once the work space arrangements were addressed, housing arrangements needed to be made for the 600 Coast Guard personnel that showed up from all over the country.

“Acquiring approximately 80 hotel rooms was a big challenge,” said Hall. “It was very di"cult #nding enough hotel rooms close to the staging area while taking things into consideration such as

tra"c conditions and limited bridge crossings.”Once the housing needs were met, various o"ce supplies were

purchased to support the mission. The logistics section then had to create a suitable work space from various tents arranged in a parking lot.

“We didn’t have any notes or blueprints to work o! of, mostly due to the heightened security and this being the #rst time Sector Baltimore provided security services for the inauguration,” said Hall. “We just worked through all of the scenarios, pre-staged people at the site and everything went well.”

The most visible section of the mission was operations. Hundreds of people worked within the operations section including federal, state and local agency personnel along with Coast Guard active duty, reservists and Auxiliary members. The members of the operations section made up the teams of law enforcement personnel patrolling the waters

“This was a historic inauguration, and the security of all of the

inaugural events was important to the American people.”

Practice makes perfect

Participants in the 56th Presidential Inauguration march by the U.S. Capitol east front during the rehearsal in Washington, D.C., Jan. 11, 2009. Photo by PA1 Kyle Niemi


around the NCR.“The operations section is responsible for securing the ports

and waterways of the NCR and enforcing the waterway security zone,” said Lt. Cmdr. Patti Mitrowski, the operations section chief.

The operations section had a large number of experienced people and was well prepared for the mission.

“Due to our fantastic sta! and amazing cooperation with our partnering local, state, and federal agencies, we were fully prepared for any event that would be placed upon us,” said Mitrowski.

As the freezing temperatures began to blanket the Potomac River with ice, the operations section faced several new challenges.

“Some challenges we faced were trying to predict the weather, dealing with jurisdictional issues and covering every possible angle,” said Mitrowski.

Even though the weather conditions were harsh, the operations section kept a watchful eye out for potential problems.

“We had the appropriate forces and people in place to counteract any possible maritime threat against the NCR,” said Mitrowski. “This was de"nitely a team e!ort, and because of that, we have greatly expanded our partnerships with the many organizations in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C.”

Working side-by-side with the operations section, the planning section’s success was also based upon teamwork. Their continued e!orts to implement and execute a sound security plan didn’t end prior to the inauguration. Section personnel signi"cantly contributed to the day-to-day operations to ensure mission e#ciency with limited resources.

There were more than 30 members working day and night making it possible for the planning section to manage its four sub-departments throughout the course of the mission.

“The planning section is broken down into situation, documentation, demobilization and resources,” said Lt. Bryan Naranjo, the planning section chief. “We are responsible for not only the process of planning, but also keeping up with resource changes, updating operations with the current situation, sending "eld observers out for speci"c information, maintaining documentation and producing the incident action plans.”

The incident action plan is a daily report co-developed with the operations section to plan for the upcoming day.

“We are a forward-looking department, therefore, we have to look to get the plan out,” said Naranjo. “This was di#cult because our plan had to coincide with the operation section’s needs.”

Depending on the situation, the planning section may have to create two separate plans ensuring they are ready for possible weather conditions and other contingencies.

“The biggest challenge was the icing of the Potomac River,” said Naranjo. “We had to alter our operations to accommodate the weather conditions.”

Though each section faced challenges throughout the mission, their ability to adapt and overcome aided in the overall success of the mission.

“This was a historic inauguration, and the security of all of the inaugural events was important to the American people,” said Rear Adm. Fred M. Rosa, Jr., Fifth District commander.

“Overall I was very impressed with the performance, professionalism and cooperation displayed by the hundreds of Coast Guard men and women as well as their partners from the Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, and many other federal, state, and local agencies. It exempli"ed how Americans expect critical homeland security operations to be planned and carried out.”

As the sun sets on the day’s events the nation welcomes its new commander in chief amid one of the largest security undertakings in recent history. Silently the guardians stand down from their readiness stance while the "nance, logistics, operations and planning sections dot their i’s and cross their t’s. After packing up their tents and before returning to their normal duties, members took a moment to re$ect on how they kept the peace during a historic milestone in American history.

POTUS Patrol

A boat crew from Maritime Safety and Security Team Galveston, Texas, conducts a patrol along the Potomac River in front of the Washington Monument during an exercise leading up to the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Photo by PA1 Adam Eggers

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The Lincoln Room

Retired Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon, director of the Executive Residence and chief usher at the White House, poses in his favorite room.

It is the home of the leader of the free world and the epicenter of the world’s only superpower. But running the White House hasn’t gone to his head.He hasn’t forgotten that he was once a

seaman recruit. The enlisted insignia of a third class petty o!cer in the ordinary oak shadow box on his o!ce wall is proof.

But above this are his two stars and all of the ranks in between, including the anchors of an honorary chief. Together they represent the journey of a man of uncommon virtue through a life of unassuming service. They represent the reason why he was chosen for this daunting job and why sometimes Laura Bush had to come down the marble steps from her o!ce above his and politely ask him to pipe down.

Rochon has a warm and genuine smile that only disappears when he is absorbing what someone else has to say. He is a ubiquitous character in the White House,

revealing his "rst lesson on leadership. Walk around.

“You learn a lot from people walking around you normally wouldn’t learn if you sat at your desk the whole time handing down directives,” he said.

It’s a brisk Wednesday in January, six days before the inauguration. In spite of the mountain of work ahead of him, he begins his methodical morning walkabout. On his way towards the basement he stops in the kitchen to say good morning to the executive chef who is surrounded by hundreds of delicate racks of lamb on tall rolling carts. He listens intently as she lists her preparations for a 500-person luncheon in a few hours. He jots a quick note in the slim black leather folio he is carrying as the focused look of someone who is not just listening but absorbing is displaced by his normal smile.

Down a set of stairs, on the chilly

“Good morning Mr. President“Story and photos by PA2 Dan Bender, Coast Guard Magazine

That’s how retired Coast Guard Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon starts each day. As the director of the Executive Residence and chief usher at the White House, he is responsible for the 55,000 sq. ft. of White House built by George Washington and the rest of the 18 acres between Pennsylvania Ave.

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basement !oor, he turns into the o"ce of the National Park Service groundskeepers and horticulturalists where President Bush’s Scottish Terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, are grabbing breakfast. Even they get a hello and a scratch behind the ears from the admiral. After a quick chat, and one with the groundskeepers too, Rochon is o#.

He checks in on his carpenters and pokes his head in the !orist shop and is soon back up to the ground !oor where he runs into James Ramsey, the chief butler, who has worked here since the Carter Administration. He and Rochon slap each other $ve like cool kids meeting up after school.

Rochon introduces him as “Mr. Ramsey, the president’s favorite.” They laugh loudly and Ramsey reveals two more of the

reasons for Rochon’s success. Follow the rules and be fair.

“He’s a man who believes in being right and treating people right,” says Ramsey. Rochon is still smiling but visibly humbled by the older Southern gentleman’s words, probably because they ring so true.

“Treat people fairly; if you take care of your people, they’ll take care of the

mission,” is how Rochon describes being a good leader. But it’s not quite that simple. Doing the right thing won’t always endear your people to you in the short-term. “Some people will think you’re too rigid.” That doesn’t seem to be the case with Rochon’s team at the White House. They all light up in the admiral’s presence and it’s plain to see that they all carry with them a sense of purpose. This is the admiral’s next lesson. Tell your people

Walking with purpose

Rochon walks away from the Oval O!ce in the West Wing passing

the rose garden on his right.

Rochon said he couldn’t remember the last time he gave a direct order. “I ask or put it in a way that they want to do it.”


why their job is important.“It’s a privilege to be here and I try to

tell my folks to think about that every single day,” he said.

Later in the morning, after a quick meeting with his team he puts his words into action. Rochon is talking with someone about getting the Obama family’s belongings to the White House during the inauguration. After they’re done, I ask what the man’s job is. He says he’s in charge of a warehouse. Rochon politely interjects and reminds him, “it’s not just a warehouse, it’s the Executive Storage Facility.”

The man grins a bit, obviously buying into the admiral’s way of thinking. On the surface it’s a miniscule comment but his comments have a cumulative e!ect because he’s constantly making them. “If these vans aren’t here on time we could ruin the president’s schedule. The "rst lady is counting on you. The President really needs to impress these people, we’ve gotta get this right.”

When people believe in their work, the work just gets done. When he was interviewed for this job by Josh Bolten, President Bush’s chief of sta!, he was asked how he would handle being outside of the military and unable to order people around. Rochon said he couldn’t remember the last time he gave a direct order. “I ask or put it in a way that they want to do it,” Rochon said.

He is living, breathing proof that leadership has little, if anything, to do with giving orders. His principles elevated him from a seaman to an admiral and then to the White House. They aren’t

complicated to understand, but they aren’t easy to master either.

It’s crunch time at the White House and people are buzzing around on every #oor in every room. Most of them are working long days, some are even having to stay overnight in the run-up to the inauguration, but everyone on Rochon’s sta! is upbeat. There are no long faces.

No one even seems tired. You can’t help but believe the climate Rochon has created has a lot to do with this.

It’s going to be another 14-hour day for Rochon, but that won’t phase him. He’s too busy having fun planning a playground on the South Lawn for Sasha and Malia Obama. This is his "nal secret to success. Have fun and love what you do.

Butler-in-Chief

Rochon jokes with Chief Butler James Ramsey in the co!ee mess. Ramsey has worked at the White House since the Carter administration.

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Jacob Lawrence’s lifework was the painting of the narrative of African-American history: Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, the northern exodus

known as the Great Migration, the vibrant community of early twentieth-century Harlem, N.Y., and countless others.

Lawrence’s own life imitated his art when he made history in 1944 as part of the !rst racially integrated a"oat unit in the military, the USS Sea Cloud, a Coast Guard weather patrol ship. Lawrence described his time there as “the best democracy I have ever known.”

He was born in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1917 to parents who themselves had left the South. After a childhood partially spent in foster homes, Lawrence was re-united with his mother in Harlem in 1930. Here African-American art was "ourishing in the city as part of the black cultural revival known as the Harlem Renaissance. All of this enthused the budding artist.

The movement’s celebration of African-American history inspired Lawrence to use his racial heritage as subject matter, and the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Harlem encouraged his use of expressive techniques associated with early twentieth-century modernism. Lawrence favored bold colors, geometric patterns and abstract representations of events in black history as well as his experiences of the Harlem streets.

His talents and themes attracted the

What’s this button do?

“No. 2, Main Control Panel, Nerve Center of Ship,” 1944. Courtesy the Coast Guard

Museum, New London, Conn.

The art of history

Story by PA2 John Miller, 5th Dist.

Jacob Lawrence paints the

Coast Guard


The art of history

attention of wealthy white patrons, and the showing of his 26-panel “The Migration of the Negro” in New York’s Downtown Gallery marked the !rst time a black artist crossed the mainstream art scene’s color barrier. However, the show’s opening date was itself portentous: December 9, 1941, just two days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Answering the call to duty, Lawrence entered the Coast Guard in October 1943. After attending basic training in Curtis Bay, Md., Lawrence was initially assigned to St. Augustine, Fla. The painter was now a steward’s mate, responsible for serving meals at a training facility for white o"cers. However, “The Migration of the Negro” had brought Lawrence national renown, and the

base’s commanding o"cer, Capt. J. S. Rosenthal, o#ered space in his home so that his artistic steward could continue painting.

Lawrence’s next connection to African-American history began in 1944, when he was assigned to the Sea Cloud. A year earlier, its white commanding o"cer, then-Lt. Carlton Skinner, desegregated the vessel, including opening all occupational specialties to the ship’s African-American crewmembers. Prior to this, black Coast Guardsmen were limited to working as stewards and did not berth with whites. Skinner removed these barriers, and the harmony among the crew and the ship’s superior performance evaluations demonstrated to the military that integration was not only possible, it was

also desirable. “I think everyone was really relieved

that integration had !nally come,” Lawrence told author Mike Tidwell.

“Segregation was such a burden to everyone, really. We were like a family on that ship.”

Aboard the Sea Cloud, Lawrence’s reputation again came before him. Skinner authorized ship’s funds to pay for art supplies and allowed Lawrence to spend a large amount of time with his work. The rest of Lawrence’s shipmates remember him as very congenial, but also as someone who took this newly o"cial duty very seriously.

“He was just one of the crew,” says retired Master Chief Mate Robert Hammond, another member of the African-

Original Art

“Landing Craft,” is one of Lawrence’s original paintings. Courtesy the Coast Guard Museum, New London, Conn.


American crew of the Sea Cloud, “but he would go to the engine room, go to the bridge, or be on deck with his sketch pad, drawing every day.”

Lawrence’s paintings there re!ect this interest in the crew at work. Similar to his pre-War images, he captured Coast Guardsmen doing routine things in remarkable contexts. “A man may never see combat, but he can be a very important person,” the painter explained. Consequently, he illustrated the stoic dignity of labor and maintenance in paintings like “Chipping the Mast” and “Painting the Bilge.” Likewise, Lawrence depicted the elegant symmetry of technological pattern and form in the Sea Cloud’s displays, including “No. 2, Main Control Panel, Nerve Center of Ship.”

More than forty of these paintings were displayed as part of a solo exhibit at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in 1944, a "rst for not only a Coast Guardsman in uniform, but for an African-American as well. The exhibit was well received by the wartime public. Art Digest commented on how Lawrence’s abstracts were

“handsome in

their simpli"ed yet somehow sophisticated design.” Unfortunately, though, these paintings are also the subject of an art world mystery, if not tragedy. The canvasses were disbursed to Coast Guard units without documentation or were taken by service members as souvenirs and the whereabouts of only a few are known today.

After the Sea Cloud was decommissioned in November 1944, Lawrence was re-united with his previous commanding o#cer, Capt. Rosenthal, at his new command, the troop transport ship USS General

Wilds P. Richardson. However, now Lawrence was a public relations petty o#cer 3rd class and the ship’s artist. He was free to devote all his time to drawing.

Lawrence was discharged from the service in December 1945, but with the help of a Guggenheim fellowship began work the next year on another group of images about his wartime experiences. Simply called “War,” the 14-painting series represents the overlooked but meaningful aspects of life during war.

The series is now part of the permanent collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

In a long life spent witnessing and documenting history, Lawrence recalled his Coast Guard service as one of its highlights. “[It was] a wonderful experience . . . one of the peak experiences in my life,” he told Charles Hollingsworth "fty years later. Cancer ended that talented life in June 2000. Nevertheless, Lawrence’s illustrations live on as an important piece of American history.

Painter’s Portrait

A portrait of Jacob Lawrence taken later in his life. He served with the Coast Guard during World War II, creating several of his paintings aboard ship. Photo courtesy Coast Guard Historian.

Lt. Carlton Skinner, second from right, commanding o!cer of the USS Sea Cloud, stands with crewmembers prior to the ship’s decommissioning in 1944. Lawrence stands to the right of Skinner. Photo courtesy Coast Guard Historian

Ground breakers

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The cinder-block walls of the cafeteria were painted an antique yellow. A tattered American !ag hung in the

doorway of the small table-"lled area. The clanking of silverware and utensils overwhelm the undersized kitchen quarters. The limited serving domain was brimming with aluminum containers "lled with a variety of nourishing foods donated to the cause.

An assembly of men of all walks of life

patiently waits their turn, out the building, around the corner and down a busy street in central Philadelphia.

This building holds a sign tall and proud, which states clearly: Saint John’s Hospice seeks to be a community grounded in faith and service where homeless persons "nd dignity, respect, nourishment and opportunities for a new beginning.

A group of Coast Guard members from

Feeding the homelessCoast Guard members doing their part to help...

Story and Photo by PA3 Crystalynn Kneen,

PADET Atlantic City

Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia, and Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., have volunteered their time to engage in providing the comfort and assistance for Saint John’s Hospice, and serve the homeless during the lunch hour.

“Saint John’s Hospice o!ers a variety of services to homeless men in the Philadelphia area,” said DC1 Michael Goglia, a member of the facilities engineering department at Sector Delaware Bay. “They serve lunch daily, o!er a mail program, help with resumes and counseling.”

Goglia has been in charge of organizing the community relation with Saint John’s

Hospice for more than a year and also organizes a clothing drive for donations to the hospice.

“The group of Coast Guard volunteers participate once a month and help serve food and "ll water during lunch,” said Goglia.

The volunteers usually serve anywhere between 200 to 400 people in an hour.

“I recruit volunteers from the Sector most of the time,” said Goglia. “Some are repeats but today we have some volunteers from Atlantic City, so I’m hoping to expand to our other stations, cutters and Aids to Navigation teams in the area to be part of this experience.”

Coast Guard members who volunteer in the community build good relations to the public by not only serving their country but serving their local communities.

“I think volunteering as a Coast Guard member is something to look forward to,” said YN3 Brieanne Gregory, a logistics team member at Sector Delaware Bay. “A lot of people don’t know what the Coast Guard does. Part of our job is to help people on the water, and o!.”

Maximum participation in local community activities by Coast Guard active duty and Coast Guard reservists members is strongly recommended by their commands.

“We as Coast Guard members have an obligation to our communities,” said Goglia. “To be hands on with the community has always been within our job frame, so we volunteer at Saint John’s Hospice.”

Gerry Huot is the Volunteer Coordinator for Saint John’s Hospice and deals one-on-one with Goglia and the Coast Guard volunteers.

“Having the Coast Guard as part of the mission is wonderful,” said Huot. “It o!ers people hope and gives them something to look forward to.”

“When the Coast Guard volunteered here, I thought it was an absolute perfect "t,” said Huot. “A lot of the veterans really appreciate seeing the Coast Guard. It’s a connection for them.”

In the same way, the appreciation of this opportunity is also seen from the volunteers.

“Whenever I volunteer I feel really good about myself,” said Gregory. “I believe it makes me a better person.”

In addition to just volunteering, the Coast Guard has always been trained in equal opportunity and diversity, which makes this community relation a success.

“The Coast Guard volunteers have always presented themselves in a professional manor,” said Huot. “They are genuinely themselves. They measure the greatest of dignity and respect with smiles and hello’s to all of our people. I have never been around a more wonderful group of people. They show a softer side when they are here. It’s not the hard-core military you see in the movies.”

“We as Coast Guard members have an obligation to our

communities.”

Serving It Up

ET3 Jordan Perry and ET3 Matthew Thompson help volunteers work the serving line for there !rst time at Saint John’s Hospice.

29uscg.mil/mag

Log Book

CWO4 Randy Salenski, main propulsion assistant aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley, was named the service‘s 12th Master Cutterman during an informal ceremony in Kodiak, Alaska, Feb. 12.

While many Coast Guardsmen proudly wear the Cutterman’s insignia, which represents !ve years of sea service, the distinguished title of Master Cutterman is awarded to those with more than 20 years at sea.

The new master cutterman reached 26 years of sea time in May. His career has spanned 36 years aboard nine cutters with four tours ashore. The award came as a complete surprise.

“I really appreciate getting the award,” he said.

“I had no clue this thing even existed, let alone being a candidate for it. I’m honored to be one of twelve people to actually get it in the Coast Guard.”

In 1973 Salenski began his Coast Guard career as an engineman, a rate later renamed machinery technician. At that same time the Coast Guard was preparing

to institute the newly created Cutterman’s insignia. The insignia, worn on the uniform, is comprised of a helm wheel surrounded by waves which represent the heritage of the sea, a !ve point star noting !ve years sea service, and a shield representing the service and its seagoing traditions. Prior to 1974, no recognition was given to those serving extended

periods at sea. Recognition as

a Cutterman meant that an individual had, in the tradition of professional mariners, performed duties a"oat in keeping with their grade and rate and had endured the rigors and dangers of sea duty for a substantial period.

For Salenski, this recognition came in 1982 shortly after he was promoted to

chief petty o#cer. Today, after more than 20 years of sea service, he has exempli!ed the de!nition of cutterman. But for some, the criteria of being called a cutterman fell short in recognizing individuals, like Salenski, with a lifetime commitment to service at sea. In 2006 discussions began

in Washington, D.C., to devise an award to recognize those with more than 20 years of service.

The !nal criteria for the award was settled and the title of master cutterman was chosen. The award would be presented as a certi!cate signed by the commandant of the Coast Guard. It would also depict all the cutters the individual served on during their career. After deciding on the criteria of the award, the wording seemingly proved to be the most di#cult. After two drafts of the award failed to meet the “salty” language the commandant was looking for, he wrote the award himself.

The !nal text of the certi!cate reads as follows.

To all sailors who have crossed the deck of a cutter, from ghosts of the Revenue Marine to the United States Coast Guard, wherever ye may be; And to all Ancient Mariners, Albatrosses, Pterodactyls, Surfman and various Breeds of dogs:

Let it be known that CWO4 Randy S. Salenski has stood watch, laid before the mast, made rounds, checked the navigational lights, monitored engine temperatures, launched boats as required, balanced the electrical load, provided rations, and otherwise attended to the watch, quarter and station bill for all evolutions required to guard the coast and

Story by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson,PADET Kodiak, Alaska

Coast Guard photo

Master Cutterman


defend the Nation for 24 years.Accordingly, all cutterman with lesser

sea time and those unaccustomed to venturing o!shore shall show due honor and respect at all times.

Salenski accepted the framed certi!cate with few words, but a notable appreciation. As an added bonus his son, MK2 Randy Salenski, was able to literally jump ship to attend the presentation. Since the Hickory, homeported in Homer, Alaska, was already scheduled to conduct training o" Kodiak, the cutter was able to nose up to the pier and let Salenski jump o" to be part of the ceremony. Like his father before him, he is a machinery technician. Salenski said his father deserves it and although he doesn’t want the attention the award carries, he appreciates it.

Salenski’s oldest son is a sergeant in the Marine Corps currently stationed in Camp Pendleton, Calif. Salenski’s wife lives in Sitka, Alaska.

“I really enjoy my job,” Salenski said. “Being able to teach someone what I know, that’s where I get the most satisfaction out of my job.”

After more than three decades of service, Salenski has three pieces of advice to pass on to Coast Guardsmen just starting out. “Separate your work and home time, pursue your hobbies and stay out of trouble.”

Story by PA1 Kurt Fredrickson,PADET Kodiak, Alaska Ross Barfuss died at the age of 16 attempting to

rescue a 12-year-old boy who was caught in heavy surf near Cutler City, Ore., March 8, 2008. He was posthumously awarded the Gold Lifesaving Medal

during a ceremony at his high school in Aloha, Ore., Mar. 19. The medal was presented to the Barfuss family by Rear Adm. John Currier, commander of the 13th Coast Guard District.

The 12-year-old boy had been swept out to sea when Barfuss put his own life in danger by attempting a rescue. Depoe Bay Fire and Rescue recovered the 12-year-old boy and transported him to the Lincoln City Hospital where he was declared dead. Barfuss went missing shortly after his rescue attempt.

Coast Guard crews from Station Depoe Bay, Ore., and Air Station North Bend, Ore. searched for Barfuss without any success.

Barfuss was recognized for his unsel!sh and heroic actions despite imminent personal danger.

The Gold Lifesaving Medal was established by Congress in 1874 and is one of the oldest military medals. Since then, approximately 700 medals have been awarded. In contrast, the Medal of Honor, established approximately 10 years earlier, has been awarded 3,448 times. The Gold Lifesaving Medal is awarded by the Commandant of the Coast Guard to any person who rescues, or endeavors to rescue, any other person from drowning, shipwreck, or other peril of the water. To merit the award of the Gold Lifesaving Medal, the rescue must be made at the risk to one’s own life and show extreme heroic daring. The Coast Guard is the ultimate award authority for the Lifesaving Medal and issues the decorations to members of all military branches as well as civilians.

Story and photo byPA2 Eric Chandler, 13th Dist.

Proud memory

Rear Adm. John Currier, commander of the

13th Coast Guard District, presents a

Gold Lifesaving Medal to the family of Ross

Barfuss who died trying to rescue a 12-

year-old boy.

Gold Lifesaving Medal awarded to 16-year-old

31uscg.mil/mag

Log Book

When the call came in that a plane had just crashed on the Hudson River, BM1 Jessica

Wolchak was taken aback but not surprised. The 23- year-old was the o!cer of the day at Station New York and would be responsible for the boats responding to the crash.

Two of her crews aboard 25-foot and a 33-foot response boats were just returning from security patrols and were diverted to the scene.

While search and rescue is never routine, it is business as usual for the Coast Guard. So when Wolchak was informed minutes later that it was a commercial airliner carrying more than 100 passengers who were possibly still trapped inside the sinking aircraft, she realized the case would be anything but business as usual.

“We had a sea plane that had crash landed a few weeks before on the Hudson,” said Wolchak, recalling the day US Airways Flight 1549 ditched on the river. “They got that pilot out of that plane ok, so when I heard the initial call and was told there were six people on the wing waiting to be rescued, I didn’t think it to be anything too out of the ordinary. But as soon as I heard that it was a commercial plane, I knew the entire thing had changed.”

After the "rst two response boats had been diverted, Wolchak mustered all of the available personnel from her unit and told them to suit up to

respond. “It was controlled chaos,” she said. “We

had people getting dressed out even before I mustered them. Boat coxswains would walk by someone in a dry suit and ask, ‘Are you on a crew?’ If not, they would say, ‘You’re on mine now. Let’s go.’“

As things quickly spun up, Wolchak was relieved of her duty as OOD by the command

and told to get underway.“By that time all of the people had been

taken o# the aircraft, but there was a lot of debris in the water,” she recalled. “We didn’t have an o!cial count that all passengers were accounted for, so we still searched the water for survivors.”

By the time all was said and done, the Coast Guard would have rescued 14 of the 155 passengers and crew that had been aboard Flight 1549 in what would later be dubbed

“The Miracle on the Hudson.” While Wolchak did not physically take any of the passengers aboard her own vessel, the "rst class petty o!cer was hailed for her superior performance by her command, who recommended her for the Military Leadership Award as presented by the United Services Organizations of Metropolitan New York.

“She was an easy choice for this award,” said Lt. Patrick Gallagher, the executive o!cer of Station New York. “Even though she was already a top performer, she took the initial call for the plane crash and once relieved of OOD duty, got underway. For her to have set up the initial response and then to be underway within minutes to respond to the scene herself, it is a testament to her training and commitment to her job. There are very few out there who could have accomplished that mission.”

Wolchak, a Braintree, Mass. native, was invited to represent the Coast Guard along with women from the other branches of the military at an awards luncheon at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in New York City, N.Y., April 7. “It was an incredible experience,” she said as she kept a sharp watch on a Staten Island Ferry boat just leaving the Staten Island terminal. “To have stood on stage with women who have done things like served in Iraq and performed medical miracles and such – it was so wonderful to have met them. I felt incredibly honored to have been chosen and to have stood with heroes.

“Flight 1549 showed everyone here that all the training we do, we put it to use,” Wolchak said. “When I was out there I was mission oriented and focused, and things went smoothly without complications. That’s what I’ve been trained to do.”

Flight 1549 responder

honoredStory and photos by PA3 Barbara Patton,

PADET New York

Heavy Medal

BM1 Jessica Wolchak, Station New York, displays her Military Leadership Award.


NASA photo

Photo by PA3 Tasha Peters, 9th Dist.

EndnotesPT Gear Mandatory 1Known as the Basic Physical Fitness Uniform, the BPF is now a seabag item. Members are required to maintain four gym shirts and four pairs of gym shorts. More details are available in ALCOAST 278/09.

Hurricane Season 2Experts expect 9 to 14 named storms during the 2009 hurricane season and there are many tools to help prepare. The National Hurricane Center has plenty of tips available at nhc.noaa.gov.

Paternity Leave 3Fathers are now authorized 10 days of paternity leave following the birth of a child. Up from 5 days, the policy laid out in ALCOAST 155/09 is also retroactive to 14 Oct., 2008.

G.I. Bill 4The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill details are out in ALCOAST 250/09. and applications are being accepted now. Applications and more information are available at gibill.va.gov.

Manual Updates 5The Uniform Manual, COMDTINST M1020.6F, and Pay Manual, COMDTINST M7220.29B, have been updated and can be downloaded from the Directives System.

LES Goes Paperless 6The Pay and Personnel Center recently announced members may soon be able to opt out of receiving paper Leave and Earning Statements.

All Hands

Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle steer the ship into downtown Charleston for Harbor Fest June 25. The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle is a 295-foot training vessel taken as a war prize from Germany after WWII. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Bobby Nash

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