Shipmate of the Week – Chrisman Abernethy
Written by Petty Officer 1st Class Krystyna Hannum. The clock read 7:19 a.m. when the man walked through the communication center door, a small donut bag and coffee in one hand and black briefcase in the other. He offered a [...]
Baptism by fire: Veterans reflect on their service in WWII
It was baptism by fire for USS Callaway as she landed troops at Kwajalein on Jan. 31, 1944. Just months before, Callaway had set sail from her homeport of Norfolk, Va. After embarking Marines in San Diego the ship left for the Pacific and performed their first of several assault landings.
The strength of the military family
Behind every member of the Coast Guard stands a proud parent, sibling, spouse or child. Together they form a strong family, a military family. Alongside their loved ones, family members share the weight of deployments as Coast Guard men and women stand the watch. But they also share the same spirit of service, whether it is to country or community. As a true testament to this service, Coast Guard families came together in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
Willow works the waterways
Just hours after “Superstorm” Sandy had made landfall, Coast Guard Cutter Willow was deployed. Homeported in Newport, R.I., Willow is a 225-foot buoy tender with the ability to perform many of the Coast Guard missions. But it wasn’t icebreaking or enforcing laws the Eastern seaboard needed. It was safety on the waterways.
Fulfilling a promise: The commissioning of Coast Guard Cutter William Flores
Written by Chief Petty Officer Judy L. Silverstein, 7th Coast Guard District Public Affairs. A gleaming white cutter, the William Flores sat at berth as crewmembers stood solemnly at their stations. The commissioning ceremony had just begun and it was [...]
Shipmate of the Week – Rescuers of the HMS Bounty
The search and rescue operation to save the crew of HMS Bounty has already become one of the enduring images of Hurricane Sandy, but for 14 men and women who called Bounty home and the families of the two who have not returned it will be the bravery of the rescue crews who willingly put themselves in harm’s way to save those in peril that will last a lifetime.
Opening U.S. ports after disaster: An all-hands on deck evolution
In every one of America’s ports, the Coast Guard has plans in place to protect lives and property from natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. U.S. cities contend with the threat of natural and manmade disasters every year as a major port taken out of commission could devastate local businesses and ripple into the national economy. Despite some ports opening just hours after the storm had passed, there is still work to be done in harder hit areas. Currently, the Coast Guard is focused on getting the ports of New York and New Jersey back to full operations.
What scares you?
Because today is Halloween – a day of spooky ghost stories, haunted houses and trick or treating – we thought we would take a moment and ask Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Mantell what he feared most. Mantell is a junior surfman responsible for operating in one of the nation’s most perilous maritime environments – Cape Disappointment. Commonly known as Station Cape “D,” crewmembers respond to more than 300 calls for assistance every year. Here, in his own words, is Mantell’s response to “What scares you?”
Coast Guard responds in the wake of Sandy
The Coast Guard has a proud tradition of preserving life in even the most adverse conditions and stood ready to continue that tradition in the wake of Sandy. Coast Guard helicopter crews were busy responding to multiple requests to rescue people who were trapped in their homes in the wake of the storm. Coast Guard aircrews were sent from both air stations Atlantic City and Cape Cod to provide search and rescue response.
Coast Guard rescues 14 during Hurricane Sandy
In the first major U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue operation associated with Hurricane Sandy, the Coast Guard has rescued 14 people from life rafts in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C., and continues the search for two people who remain missing from the crew of HMS Bounty.
