This document is the January 2007 newsletter of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-8 in Charleston, South Carolina. It contains articles from various flotilla staff officers providing updates on their areas of responsibility. The Commander's Corner article emphasizes the need for more member participation in patrols and staff positions. The Vice Commander discusses an aircraft crash response mission. Other articles provide information on training, the flotilla website, fellowship events, and upcoming operations and public affairs activities.
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The Scuttlebutt: Commander's Corner Vice Commander
This document is the January 2007 newsletter of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-8 in Charleston, South Carolina. It contains articles from various flotilla staff officers providing updates on their areas of responsibility. The Commander's Corner article emphasizes the need for more member participation in patrols and staff positions. The Vice Commander discusses an aircraft crash response mission. Other articles provide information on training, the flotilla website, fellowship events, and upcoming operations and public affairs activities.
This document is the January 2007 newsletter of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-8 in Charleston, South Carolina. It contains articles from various flotilla staff officers providing updates on their areas of responsibility. The Commander's Corner article emphasizes the need for more member participation in patrols and staff positions. The Vice Commander discusses an aircraft crash response mission. Other articles provide information on training, the flotilla website, fellowship events, and upcoming operations and public affairs activities.
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The Scuttlebutt: Commander's Corner Vice Commander
This document is the January 2007 newsletter of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-8 in Charleston, South Carolina. It contains articles from various flotilla staff officers providing updates on their areas of responsibility. The Commander's Corner article emphasizes the need for more member participation in patrols and staff positions. The Vice Commander discusses an aircraft crash response mission. Other articles provide information on training, the flotilla website, fellowship events, and upcoming operations and public affairs activities.
Copyright:
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THE SCUTTLEBUTT
Jan. 2007 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Scuttlebutt Flotilla 12-8, 7th District Charleston, South Carolina Vol. 33, No. 1-January 2007 Page 1
Flotilla Web Site: http://www.uscgauxcharleston.org
Commander s Corner Allen James, FC 12-8 We start 2007 the same as we left 2006. That is, needing more participation from all our members! We have not met all our patrols scheduled in November and December because no OPFAC and crew came forward to do the job. I will be contacting our members to fill FSO jobs for 2007. We need officers for Public Education, Public Affairs and Marine Dealer Visitations (PV).If you are interested in any of these staff positions let Joe or me know. If no one steps up then someone will be asked to do double duty to cover these jobs. We have coming up in January two events, the Charleston Boat show and Division Change of Watch. Both occur on the weekend of 27-28 January. If you do not plan to go to the COW I need members to man our booth at the Boat Show! Same procedure as always, stay 2-3 hours to recruit members, sign up people for Vessel Examinations and take names of those who want boating classes. Please make time for attendance now so when I call for members to man the booth you have the time set aside. We had outstanding performance in ICS courses and Personal Security Package (Continued on page 4)
Vice Commander Joe Fleming, FC 12-8 I would like to thank the members of 12-8 for another year as Vice Flotilla Commander and hope to do the best job I can. I plan to put some new things for the members to work on this year; first, operations on the water with things to do, second, a Quick Inside Response Team for FC ............. 1 supporting sector and third, more VFC .......... 1 fellowship with each other in a more relaxed setting. CS ............. 3 By now almost everyone Fellowship 3 has heard of the plane crash on MS ............ 3 the Stono river. Hap received a MT ............ 2 call from Sector requesting our OP ............. 4 help with the mission. He asked PA ............. 3 them to contact me because he PB ............. 2 was out of town. After I received SR ............. n/a the info from Sector I mustered up VE............. 4 a team for the mission. Thanks to the help of Richard Daniels and Calendar... 6 Bob Mathews we had orders and Trivia........ 4 equipment for the mission. All this took place at 2300 hours the night before. Dave Beaudrot, Tom Beauchemin and I were on the water at 0800 hours in route to the scene. Arriving just after 0900, Sector put us to work looking for debris and then to secure the area of boat traffic. From our position, we watched Rescue and Police recover the airplane from the water. It was a very rewarding day. Joe Fleming, VFC 12-8
Dont forget the Division 12 Change of Watch in Myrtle Beach 26 & 27 January.
Confidentiality Notice: Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters, addresses, and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service including the Internet is prohibited by the Privacy Act of 1974. The Auxiliary is guided by the current equal opportunities policies of the Commandant of the Coast Guard. No Person shall be subject to
Jan. 2007
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Member Training Bob Mathewes, DSO-MT D7
Publications Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB
he past year saw a number of challenges in the area of training. The biggest was the requirement that all those involved in various important areas of Auxiliary activity be qualified in Incident Command Systems modules 100, 200, 700 & 800. This year, my understanding is that more training workshops will be requited by 7th District. There may also be another ICS module offered, Whether this one will be optional or not has yet to be determined. There are changes in the boat crew and coxswain requirements. Annual Currency Maintenance requirements have disappeared but re-qualification by a QE will be changed from every five years to every three years. Dont think that just because you dont have to document ACMs annually, you dont need to do them. If you wait to do them for a QE every three years, youll find that you probably wont be proficient enough to requalify. Practice your skills on every patrol. When the time comes that you need to have those skills to aid a boater in distress, you dont want to appear as an unskilled amateur. As the New Yorker said when asked by the tourist how to get to Carnegie Hall, Practice, Practice, Practice! We have been hearing for a couple of years about changes in the AUXOP Program. Thus far, they havent materialized. We need to work with the program as it exists to make ourselves better able to assist the Coast Guard. I will be happy to hold classes on the Specialty Courses if there is enough interest. Contact me if you are interested. Bob Mathewes, SO-MT 12
ere we are at the beginning of a new year. I hope that, with the help of the Flotilla Staff, we can make the Scuttlebutt a better publication and one that is more informative and useful to the members. The key to that is to have an article every month from each of the staff officers. Many of our members are not present at every meeting and the Scuttlebutt is their source of information as to what is going on within the flotilla. This is not my publication. It is yours. This month we have a guest article about another opportunity we have to serve the Gold Side We are always open to appropriate submissions for publication. The monthly Nautical Trivia will, once again, be a part of the newsletter. Last year we had a small group of faithful players. I hope to see that group expanded. It is an opportunity to increase your nautical knowledge and have fun doing it. Another feature of last year that could be revived is the monthly biographical sketches. That fell by the wayside last year when some folks failed to send me bios as promised. The real benefit of this is to give us a chance to know one another. Ill kick it off with my own bio this month. I would like each staff officer who didnt submit one last year to go ahead and send me it and Ill print one monthly. I am open to suggestions as to how the content of the Scuttlebutt can be improved. This is a work in progress and needs your input. The goal for 2007 is 100% participation by every staff officer. That means twelve articles this year. Bob Mathewes, FSO-PB
Jan. 2007
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Communication Services John Sikes, FSO-CS
Marine Safety Agnes Wright, FSO-MS
ith January comes the usual influx of new flotilla staff officers. It's also a busy time for your CS officer, what with necessary changes on the web site. I'd appreciate any comments that our new staff officers might have on their respective pages if there is already one, or ideas on new pages to convey their messages. I also welcome thoughts from others in the flotilla on what they'd like to see on the site. By this time I should have received a list of the new staff from our Commander and gotten the links set up for respective email messages. Each officer is encouraged to try the link to him/her and send a message using the link. Please let me know if the message does not go through and I'll check on it. And don't forget that this is YOUR web site. It provides an opportunity to get the Auxiliary message across to the public as well as to our own members. John Sikes, FSO-CS
here are a lot of exciting things happening in Marine Safety. Not the least of them is the Trident Program. This may be one of the best kept secrets in the Auxiliary. We are all familiar with operations but many of us are unaware of possibilities on the M side. Only a very few Auxiliarists have won the right to wear the Trident device. To be awarded the Trident "Marine Safety Device," Auxiliarists must qualify in at least four of the sixteen specialties in a four year period, including at least 96 hours documented (captured in AUXDATA) in M missions in each of the years plus they must complete the "Introduction to Marine Safety (INTRO-MS/MEP), as well as the Advanced Course (ADV-MS/MEP) components. Individuals who have met this requirement are considered experts in Auxiliary marine safety programs. Agnes Wright, FSO-MS
Fellowship Jane Orenstein
Public Affairs
ark the dates of January, 26 - 28, for the North Charleston boat show. Remember, this is the biggest show of the year. This is the weekend of the Division 12 Change of Watch in Myrtle Beach. It is urgent that those of you not going step up to the plate and help cover the booth for the Boat Show We hope you will be able to come out and show the colors to the boating public for a few hours! Barney Holt, FSO-PA
ur thanks go to the Kreilings for once again hosting the holiday party at their home. It was a lovely evening enjoyed by all. Does anyone have a suggestion for where to hold our usual mid-winter Brunch? Weve gone to the Sunfire Grill several times, but theyve changed their policy and now demand one price ($16.95++) and a limited menu. Please send an email to me at [email protected] or call 821-0233. Thanks! Jane Orenstein, Fellowship
Jan. 2007
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Operations Richard Daniel, FSO-OP
appy New Year to all and best wishes for a very Healthy and Happy 2007. Yes 2007 -- it is hard to believe. This is a year of change and opportunity for all of us and certainly we will experience this in 12-8. We continue to have our Safety Patrol commitments for each weekend in 2007. The need does not go away so this gives you more than ample opportunity to get yourselves and your boats on the water frequently. We have a wonderful roster of qualified Crew and Coxswain along with Facilities for 2007. Our challenge is to apply the roster to reality. This could very well be your year to serve the Coast Guard and general public at a renewed level this year. We have Frank Leister and Joe Fleming in Coxswain training. We are more than happy to train more Crew and Coxswain in 2007. We would also love to have more Operational Facilities Certified and on the water this year. Please give a little of your time to be part of Operations this year. Feel free to email me or call: 557-0033(Home), 6708850 (Cell), or work at 745-9600. My email address is [email protected]. Richard Daniel, FSO-OPS Boaters Must Not Operate 121.5/243 MHz EPIRBs After 31 December 2006 WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard reminds all boaters that beginning January 1, 2007, both 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) are prohibited from use in both commercial and recreational watercraft. Boaters wishing to have an emergency rescue beacon aboard their
vessel must have a digital 406 MHz model. The January 1, 2007, date to stop using 121.5 MHz EPIRBs is in preparation for February 1, 2009, when satellite processing of distress signals from all 121.5/243 MHz beacons will terminate. Following this termination date, only the 406 MHz beacons will be detected by the International Cospas-Sarsat Satellite System which provides distress alert and location data for search and rescue operations around the world
Vessel Examinations Joe Fleming, FSO-VE Vessel exams for 2007 will begin soon. I have 2007 decals and forms now, and will bring them to our next meeting. I hope more of our members can help this year, we need more Vessel Examiners. Let me know if youre interested Please. Joe Fleming, FSO-VE
Nautical Trivia
he United States Coast Guard began as part of the US Treasury Department. On 1 April 1967, they became part of the Department of Transportation. On 1 March 2003, the Coast Guard formally transferred from the Department of Transportation to the newly-created Department of Homeland Security. Twice in the history of the Coast Guard it has been placed under the Navy Department. What were the dates of these periods and the reason for the shift to the Navy Department? (FC Continued from page 1)
submission, both of which had to be in by the end of the year. Thanks to all for that good work. Hap James, FC 12-8
Jan. 2007
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An Opportunity to Help the Gold Side Imagine being married and having a spouse and baby at home. Imagine spending the past twenty four times five in rough and cold seas, doing the work of the US Coast Guard aboard a Coastal Patrol Boat interdicting drug and human smugglers, enforcing Fisheries Regulations, carrying out Search and Rescue Operations, repeating endless training evolutions, and so on. Then, imagine returning to your home mooring, washing the salt off the ship, and watching your fellow crew members depart the brow, one by one, to spend the weekend with their loved ones and friends, doing as they wish, recuperating You spend the weekend aboard the cutter, alone and lonely, doing duty as Officer of the Deck. Its too cold and windy and wet for your baby to visit you aboard ship, so you settle for a few phone conversations and emails. The weekend seems endless, but it seems that only a moment has flashed by before your shipmates arrive at 0645 and you head out to sea for another grueling 24X5. Imagine, if you will, arriving at that dock five days later, and the first person aboard is YOU! An Auxiliarist trained and certified as an Officer of the Deck aboard this 87 foot Coast Guard Cutter! You smile as the last crew member departs the brow, after saluting the ensign that you will soon strike from the stern mast, knowing that the lonely crew member who served duty last weekend will spend this weekend with spouse and child, friends, shopping, whatImagine the smiles that you will get when the crew returns Monday at 0645 they will be talking about you and the Auxiliary a lot for the next five days, and long afterwards! A few months later, having arranged a week off from your regular activities, you depart that dock as Member of the Crew!
Going to sea with this cutter is one of the perks that go along with the job of Auxiliarist OOD. You are about to embark upon an unpredictable journey that could bring anything from rescuing the passengers from a sinking cruise ship, to serving as a decoy for Marine fighter jets conducting war games, to setting up the perimeter for a public event, perhaps serving as a platform for dignitaries, to conducting search and rescue operations for a missing fishing vessel, to who knows what?! When nothing of import is occurring, you may be engaged in training exercises, learning how to operate the RADAR system, participating in fire drills, communicating with a container ship Captain about his manifest, perhaps even hanging out in the galley with the Crew, watching a DVD or satellite show on the HUGE LCD screen! If you are a member of the Charleston Flotilla, you could become involved in a test program for direct recruiting, selecting, and training potential Auxiliary OODs by the CG. Just contact the Yellowfins XPO, BM1 Christopher Groom, at 7247672 to arrange for an interview. This would be a great time of year to get started, so you could be ready to GO by warm weather! If you would like additional information about this program, please call me at 906-2852 or email me at [email protected] or chat with me after a Flotilla meeting. Dan Cowley
Correction In the December issue, I listed those that had submitted an article for every issue of the Scuttlebutt during 2006. Unfortunately, I missed someone. Although fellowship is not an official staff position, it is an important part of our activity. Jane Orenstein did not miss an issue last year. My apologies , Jane, for my oversight.
