AUXILIARIST OF THE YEAR

Transcription

1 Fall Edition 2013 AUXILIARIST OF THE YEAR Photo: GerlindeHigginbotham USCGAUX The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary District Eight Eastern Region is proud to present JIM ARMOUR Auxiliarist of the Year Captain Larry Hewett, Sector Ohio Valley, presents this prestigious award to Jim for this great accomplishment. CONGRATULATIONS! Inside The FALL 2013 Edition of the PILOTHOUSE DIRAUX: Discipline in the Auxiliary 2 DCO: Year To Date 3 DCOS: Semper Paratus 4 Situational Awareness 5 District Awards 6 District Awards, continued 7 Recruiting and Retention 8 Meanwhile Back at the Ranch 9 The Worth of D-Train 10 Proud New Member 11 Thoughts of an Auxiliarist 12 Your Ship s Store 13 D-Train Sessions 14 Fall D-Train 15 Photo: GerlindeHigginbotham: DDC-L and National USCGA Photo Corp.

2 The Pilothouse is now accepting articles for future issues. U.S. COAST GUARD Commandant ADM Robert Papp Commander Eighth District RADM Kevin S. Cook Chief Director of the Auxiliary CAPT David J. Rokes Director Of Auxiliary CDR Juliet Hudson Operations Training Officer CWO3 Philip Pinto Storekeeper SK2 Nathan Giles Auxiliary Affairs Specialist Robin Randle-Brown OFFICERS DCO DCOS DCAPT- E DCAPT- S DCAPT- W IPDCO Pres, Past Commander s Assn. Commodore s Staff D-AA D-AD DSO-DV DDC-GA DSO-FN DSO-LP Auxiliary Sector Coordinator District Ombudsman DDC - Response DSO-NS DSO-AV DSO-CM DSO-DFSO DSO-OP QE Coordinator DDC - Prevention DSO-MS DSO-MT DSO-PA DSO-PE DSO-PV DSO-VE DDC - Logistics DSO-CS DSO-IS DSO-MA DSO-PB DSO-HR DSO-SR DCDR 1. Ray Nunweiler Jr. 2. Mattew Morris 4. Rick Goranflo 5. Mort L. Mullins 6. Loren S. Gannon, Jr. 7. Robert Davis 8. William G. Husfield 11.Jack Woods 12.Albert J. Vance II 16.Donald C. Moak 18.Jeffrey A. Tinklepaugh 24.DeAnne C. Rodenburg COMO Joseph W. Bill McGonigal George Rick Schal Donald J. Metz, II Randy Ventress Jimmie L. Hufnagel STAFF DIVISIONS COMO Richard A. Washburn Chris M. Whitacre COMO Gordon W. Scholz Geralyn N. McKee Stephen E. McLain John P. Whelan Mark W. Dever Keith D. Blosser John R. Ellis III COMO Warren McAdams David F. Stroup Gregg L. McKee Mark A. LaPenna Randy J. Hawkins Kevin Gallagher Jay G. McDonald Chris M. Whitacre Robert O. Bruce William T. Siler C. Duncan Wilkinson Michael P. Heid John E. Kleymeyer Doris J. Armour William G. Husfield Gerlinde Higginbotham Nancy A. Reece DeAnne C. Rodenburg Mary A. Ward Thomas McQueen Eric Piper Roseanne R. DeRamus VCDR Chris Dowless John Gorell William E. Seymer Matthew L. Meyer Burl Shulaw Norman Arbes Alan E. Wade James C. Williamson David C. Roberts David L. Maul Eric Piper Joseph F. Kleri CDR Juliet Hudson DIRAUX Discipline in the Auxiliary One of my main responsibilities as Director of Auxiliary is my role in the discipline process. The overwhelming majority of Auxiliarists are good people doing good work. However, some members are overzealous and lose sight of the mission of the Auxiliary that is helping the public through boating safety. Others lose sight of the importance of respecting their fellow Auxiliarists. The first group negatively impacts the public s view of the Auxiliary and the second group drains the joy out of being a member of this fine volunteer organization. This past year, several people have had to leave the Auxiliary because they could not remain within the limits of the Auxiliary. The Auxiliary is not a law enforcement agency. Members of the Auxiliary are not allowed to represent themselves as active duty members or representatives of the Department of Homeland Security. As you recruit new members you must make clear the distinction between USCG and USCG Auxiliary. It may be helpful to explicitly tell new members that Auxiliarists are never permitted to carry a firearm. Auxiliarists are also not authorized to use blue lights on their vehicles or facilities. When you are working with existing members, misunderstandings about this role must be addressed. If the local flotilla cannot correct these misperceptions, problem behaviors must be reported up the Auxiliary chain of leadership. Respect is one of the core values of the USCG and the USCG Auxiliary. Respect of fellow Auxiliarists includes listening to one another s opinions, giving fellow members the benefit of the doubt, and addressing issues directly with the member. You do not have to like all of your fellow Auxiliarists, but you do need to treat them as fellow human beings on this sometimes difficult journey through life. Please take the opportunity to discuss these issues within your flotillas. Unfortunately, sequestration has severely limited my ability to interact with the Auxiliary. I miss being able to meet with members at division meetings and events. Regardless, I hope that you all have a wonderful year full of great Auxiliary activities.

3 3 We are hoping our new detachment in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, will soon achieve Flotilla status and provide operational facilities (both surface and air) to help fill a gap in the coverage of two major river systems. As most of you know by now, the Auxiliary Order Management system has gone live and replaced POMS. Pat Linesch is the coordinator for AOM, under the watchful guidance of CWO Pinto. COMO William McGonigal District Commodore Year to Date While seemingly quiet, this has already been a busy year. Our aviation and communications folks let the Oklahoma Auxiliarists know we are ready to assist them. The Ventrilo District Conferencing System has gone live, and several staff, Division and leadership areas have taken advantage of this quick communication system. This not only enhances our ability to share information, but also facilitates readiness to respond to events and emergencies as they happen. I attended a Change of Command for the new 8th District Commander in New Orleans, with RADM Cook relieving RADM Nash. Another change of Command is taking place in Louisville when CAPT Richard V. Timme replaces CAPT Larry Hewett as the commanding officer of Sector Ohio Valley (SOHV). Division 11 has been busy creating a new flotilla in Tennessee. The chartering ceremony for flotilla 11-7 is tentatively scheduled for late July. Not to be outdone, Division 1 in Indianapolis has their own new flotilla in the works: the Lake Monroe Detachment of Flotilla Our Aviation folks, Auxiliary Squadron 82, performed a quick response to a request from MSU Paducah and Sector Ohio Valley. They provided an air asset to fly the Executive Officer of a cutter up the Mississippi River to look for AToNs that were off station or missing due to Winter ice. This happened almost immediately after the members of our air squadron returned from a successful workshop at the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center (ATC) in Mobile, Alabama. Consistent with Coast Guard units, we now have our own Ombudsman. Commodore Warren McAdams has agreed to fill the position. His first focus is on the new mandatory training classes and the impact that they will have on our members. You can expect to hear more about participation in the Auxiliary Skills Bank. Our Leadership has taken on that project, at the request of John Ellis. ICS 210 is now online. You can expect to see some of the C-Schools and other courses come online as well. The 8th Coastal Region is planning to hold a DSAR this Fall. Hopefully it won t conflict with our Fall D-Train at Lake Barkley Lodge and Convention Center in Cadiz, Kentucky, on September 19-23, 2013, complete with a Moonshine demonstration for the Friday night Dinner Event. Division Commander is Bill Husfield. (Save the Date!) Planning is also underway for the Spring 2014 D-Train to be hosted by Division 11 (Jack Wood, DCDR) in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Holiday Inn Opryland / Airport on March 13-16, The Fall 2014 D-Train will be hosted in Columbus, Ohio. They are already looking for a suitable location for the event. Sequestration has had an impact on almost everything we do. Even though SAMA has been lowered slightly, the fuel allowance for the Auxiliary has actually been increased. There were concerns whether we would be able to hold our National Conference (NACON) in San Diego this Fall, or our upcoming District D-Trains. After numerous discussions, including with Coast Guard admirals, I am pleased to report we should be able to make things happen as planned. You know, maybe this hasn t been that quiet of a year... Bill

4 4 Semper Paratus (Always Ready) Rick Schal, DCOS On Monday, May 20, 2013, an EF5 tornado devastated the town of Moore, Oklahoma. The 210 mile per hour winds killed 24, including 10 children, injured 377, and destroyed over 1200 homes. The tornado was on the ground for 50 minutes, cut a path 17 miles long and up to 1.3 miles wide. Why am I rehashing a story that everyone is aware of? Moore, Oklahoma, is in the Eighth Western District, which is the district just west of our district. We all know from past experience that we are also vulnerable to similar devastation. The time to prepare for such a catastrophe is before it happens and not afterwards. The question we need to ask ourselves is how well are we prepared for such an event? The first step after such an event is assessment. We must know immediately after the event if all of our members are accounted for, if they require any assistance, and if so, what type of assistance is needed. In order to perform this initial assessment, we as Auxiliary members in the Eighth Eastern Region have two primary tools. The first is the calling tree program which should be handled by each individual Division. It is the Division Commander s responsibility to insure that he or she has an effective calling tree program and that it is kept up-to-date. Most Division Commanders delegate the responsibility to either their SO-HR or SO-CM. To date, most Divisions have responded that they have a current up-to-date working program in effect. The second is the Everbridge program. This is an automated system that can make mass automated calls with specific messages to Auxiliary members home phone numbers. It can also make mass calls, send voice messages or send s to cell phones. Messages can also be sent to home computers. This system can be filtered to target different geographical areas, skill groups or Auxiliary member ranks. In order for this system to be effective, each member must ensure his or her contact information is current in AUXDATA, since this is where Everbridge gets its contact information. Neither of these two programs are difficult to maintain and keep updated. We pray that we will never need them for emergency situations; however, it is prudent on our part to have them ready to be used if the situation should ever arise. Leadership Principles LEADING SELF: Fundamental to successful development as a leader is an understanding of self and one's own abilities. This includes understanding one's personality, values and preferences while simultaneously recognizing one's potential as a Coast Guard Auxiliary member. LEADING OTHERS: Leadership involves working with and influencing others to achieve common goals. Coast Guard Auxiliary members interact with others in many ways. Positive professional relationships provide a foundation for the success of our service. LEADING PERFORMANCE AND CHANGE: We are constantly facing challenges in mission operations. To meet these challenges, leaders must apply performance competencies to their daily duties. LEADING THE COAST GUARD: The Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary do not exist in a vacuum. As leaders we must understand how we and our mission fit into the broader structure of the Division, District, National, the Coast Guard and the nation as a whole. from the "Spotlight on Leadership" campaign. Admiral Thad Allen, USCG (retired)

5 5 Situational Awareness Mort Mullins, DCDR 5 While there is lots of good stuff going on in Division 5, this issues space is devoted to sharing highlights of the recently issued FAM (Final Action Memo) that was issued by VADM Currier, Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard, on 28 January. It contains instructions to convey the findings to all Coxswains and Crew. While not addressed specifically to the Auxiliary, this could easily have happened to us and is a story worth telling and remembering as we perform our operational duties. While some TCT Facilitators are using this case in their 8 Hr. classes, the five years required to expose every Boat Crew participant is too long a period to learn from this tragic happening. The following is an unofficial abbreviated summary of the FAM. For the full text of this and other investigations, go to www. uscg.mil/foia/foia_library.asp On the evening of 20 December 2009, CG33118, a SPC-LE, collided with a 24 ft. Sea Ray recreational vessel carrying 13 people in San Diego Harbor during the annual Parade of Lights marine event. CG33118 overran the Sea Ray s stern, causing fatal injuries to an eight-year-old boy, serious injuries to four persons and minor injuries to six all aboard the Sea Ray. None of the five crewmembers of CG33118 were injured. What happened: CG33118 was assisting the 87 ft. CG Cutter Haddock in clearing the parade route. At 1738, chose to respond to a MARB (Marine Assistance Radio Broadcast) that reported a sailboat had run aground. After conducting a brief search, the SPC stopped to report to Sector that they had negative results and then began a high speed run back to their original station. One minute later they struck the Sea Ray that was on roughly the same heading traveling at clutch speed (2-4 kts.) CG33118 traveled across the Sea Ray diagonally from starboard to port. They came to a stop within 100 ft., returned to the Sea Ray and rendered assistance. The incident occurred half an hour after civil twilight and an hour after sunset. There were hundreds of vessels underway and anchored along the parade route ranging from kayaks to large passenger vessels. There was significant background lighting from both boats and shore facilities. The SPC crew reported that at impact they were still accelerating with a raised bow further restricting forward visibility. While there were numerous additional findings and recommendations at the Station and Sector levels, the following are directly applicable to Auxiliary Operations: The BM3 Coxswain failed to assign any lookouts and the crew failed to perform lookout duties The Coxswain failed to perform an initial Operational Risk Assessment (GAR) nor was one done prior to responding to the MARB The Coxswain operated at excessive speeds given the traffic, poor visibility and low mission priority The Coxswain decided to self-dispatch on a mission that Sector had determined required no Coast Guard presence. There clearly was no benefit that outweighed the risk of responding to the MARB. Four of the five crew on were tried in either Special or General Courts Martial. The Coxswain was convicted of dereliction of duty specifically for neither assigning lookouts nor conducting a risk assessment. This does not make for light reading, but it s relevance to the Auxiliary s typical operations cannot be ignored. One can only wonder how the same scenario would have played out had this been an Auxiliary platform instead of active duty and in a civilian court instead of under the UCMJ. If one does much in the way of patrolling, the likelihood is that we have experienced one or more of the above behaviors. This case dramatically illustrates the potentially tragic outcome.

6 6 DISTRICT AWARDS The following is a list of awards presented at Spring D-Train. In total, seventy-four awards were presented to our members by Captain Larry Hewett, USCG; Commander Juliet Hudson, Director of Auxiliary for the Eighth Eastern Coast Guard Region; Deputy National Commodore Rick Washburn, and District Commodore, Bill McGonigal. Auxiliary Commandants Letter of Commendation (ACLOC) Nancy Reece - for work on the District Website as District Staff Officer for Communications Services Alan Hall - for work as District Staff Officer for Human Resources Bob Bruce - for work on the Ever Bridge System Mark LaPenna - for work acquiring PPE and implementing Air Facility Equipment Policy and Procedure Meritorious Team Commendation the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Eighth Eastern Region Radio Team Members: Robert Spera, Mike Wagoner, Mary Husfield, Bill McGonigal, Bill Reisa, Dave Stroup and Randy Hawkins Auxiliary Achievement Medal Lynn Miles - for work as District Staff Officer for Public Affairs Auxiliarist of the Year Jim Armour Plaques were awarded to Divisions, Flotillas, and individuals following in the order listed of First/District Commodore Award, Second/District Chief Of Staff Award, and if applicable, Third/District Captain Award. Program Visitor Vessel Safety Check Air Operations, Pilot Doris Armour 16-9 Doris Armour 16-9 Mark LaPenna 05-5 Jim Armour 16-9 Jim Armour 16-9 Don Hunnicutt 24-6 Jim Hufnagel Burl Shulaw 06-8 J.B. Chapman 04-3 Member Training Air Operations-Crew Coast Guard Support Michael Brzezicki 11-5 Walker Fuqua 05-5 Randy Hawkins 11-2 John Ellis Loren Schafer 06-2 Eddy Smith 16-2 Jim Armour 16-9 Jim Williamson 11-4 Jimmie Hufnagel Public Affairs Marine Safety Surface Operations Marty Schuett Bill Husfield 08-5 Phil Mammano 11-4 Randy Ventress 11-5 Mary Husfield 08-5 Bill Husfield 08-5 Ray Nunweiler 01-7 Larue Turner Mary Husfield 08-5 Public Education Auxiliarist of the Year Randy Ventress 11-5 Jim Armour 16-9 DeAnne Rodenburg 24-5 Randy Hawkins 11-2 Anita Marie Daniel 06-8 Bill Husfield 08-5

7 7 DISTRICT AWARDS Streamers awarded for 2012 and presented to Divisions, Flotillas, and Members: DCO Division of the Year DCO Flotilla of the Year DCOS Division of the Year DCOS Flotilla of the Year DCAPT Division of the Year DCAPT Flotilla of the Year DCO Program Visitor-Division DCO Coast Guard Support-Div DCO Program Visitor-Flotilla DCO Coast Guard Support-Flotilla DCOS Program Visitor-Flotilla DCO Coast Guard Support-Div DCO Member Training-Division DCO Operations-Division DCO Member Training-Flotilla DCO Operations-Flotilla DCOS Member Training-Flotilla DCOS Operations-Flotilla DCO Public Affairs-Division DCO Public Education-Division DCO Public Affairs-Flotilla DCO Public Education-Flotilla DCOS Public Affairs-Flotilla DCOS Public Education-Flotilla DCO VSC s-division DCO Marine Safety-Division DCO VSC s-flotilla DCO Marine Safety-Flotilla DCOS VSC s-flotilla DCOS Marine Safety-Flotilla DCO Membership Growth-Div DCO Publications-Division DCO Membership Growth-Flotilla DCO Publications-Flotilla DCOS Membership Growth-Flotilla and the Survey Says Thom McQueen, DSO-PB At the Spring D-Train, the Publications department was directed by Commodore McGonigal to develop a survey regarding district publications. That survey was sent to the members; we appreciate your responses, and here are the results and tally. The survey found that 93.9% of you read the Pilothouse. Of those, 78.6 % said that the Pilothouse offered valuable information and 75.7 % of you found the articles interesting and informative. Many of you offered ideas of how to improve those numbers as well as improving the publications. Ideas such as what you would like to see published in the Pilothouse; 54.5 %, want more stories about Auxiliarists; 29.7 %, more Education; 5.4 %, reports from our Leaders and 10.8 %, up-coming events. For the distribution method, 37.8 % of you wanted your Pilothouse by mail, 32.9 % wants it to be electronic and 29.7 % want it both ways. The survey found that only 62.5% of you read the Heartland Guardian. Of those, 88.9 % said that the Heartland Guardian offered valuable information and 84.0% of you found the articles interesting and informative. Again, many of you offered ideas of how to improve those numbers. Ideas such as what you would like to see published in the Heartland Guardian; 43.8 %, want more stories about Auxiliarists; 31.3 %, more Education; 9.4 %, reports from our Leaders and 15.7 %, up-coming events. As for the Heartland Guardian being a viable publication, 95.2% agreed that it was indeed. All of the information, numbers, comments and suggestions provided by the members will be looked at, studied and debated. In closing, I would like to offer some suggestions of ways to improve our district publications; get involved. Write that article that you have been thinking about, take that photo, send in those ideas. We have a staff that can help you develop that idea into an article. After all, it s your District, your Division, your Flotilla and in the final tally, it s your publication.

8 8 Recruiting and Retention Randy Ventress, DCAPT- South A lot has been said over the years about recruiting and retention. As an organization we seem to have no problem getting members on board. Retaining members appears to be the problem. The push now is to find a way to keep our members on board. Mentoring is an answer. What is a mentor? A mentor is a member that will take the time to work with another member and give answers and sometimes direction to the other member. A vast knowledge of the organization is not always a requirement to mentor, desire to help another is. A few questions on retention have been on the table for some time. Why do members join and then not stay on board? Why do we have so many members leaving usually in the first year of membership? What causes the member to leave? The answer is that there are many answers, or reasons. One reason may be that the member isn't busy thereby not feeling a sense of worth to the organization. The remedy for this could be mentoring. Another reason is that the member may have become disillusioned. Perhaps the pulse of the flotilla he or she has joined has been faint. Perhaps there may be an aura of separation from the rest of the Division from the flotilla. Are we promoting within our Flotillas and Divisions a club-like atmosphere or are we promoting the duties we took a pledge to do? As Elected and Appointed Leaders it is our responsibility to follow the pledge we raised our right hand and repeated. Have we revisited this pledge and really read what we swore to do? As members have we really read the pledge we took and vowed to uphold? On one exit interview of a member that was leaving the organization, the question was put to him of what drove him away from the organization. There was a list of reasons, spanning from lack of participation of the members, to lack of seriousness of the Leadership. The member went on to say that he felt that there was a reason the Auxiliary existed and that was to do more than sit around and do nothing. He was looking for a reason to be a part of the organization and this wasn t being shown by the membership. What type of culture do we have in our flotillas? What type of example are we setting? What type of view does the Public, the Coast Guard, and even our members have of us? If we take a good long objective look at ourselves and our flotillas, we may realize where our members are going. After the Swearing in Randy Ventress, DCAPT-South Being in Human Resources for quite a while I have the opportunity to speak with potential members to our organization and gain a lot of insight into what these potential members expect out of the Auxiliary, and what they expect to put back into the work we do. Most do not really have any direction, usually about nine out of every ten. They don't know much about the organization and almost all are willing to learn. Human Resources generally is the potential new members' first "look" into the Auxiliary. A potential member relies heavily on the HR Officer at first for information on everything connected to the Auxiliary and our missions and programs. The HR Officer must be ready to answer questions or find the answers or we could lose this potential member. Okay, your flotilla has a functional FSO-HR. Your Staff Officer spends time putting the application package together for potential members. This same person checks his or her frequently to check to see if there are any inquiries coming down from National and if there is one in the "neighborhood" doesn't hesitate and picks up the phone, contacts the potential member, and doesn't wait for a "closer flotilla" to make the call. This proactive HR Officer will more than likely get the potential new member into his or her flotilla. The HR Officer makes contact with the individual, "talks up" the Auxiliary, "sells" the missions and programs and the potential member fills out the paperwork, gets fingerprints and photo, and is ready to go. At this point the HR Officer checks over the paperwork for correctness and then the FC signs the application package, after looking it over as a "second set of eyes".

9 9 After the Swearing in, continued The paperwork is processed through the Director's Office, an Employee Identification Number is issued and we get the now new member on the trail to become a functional member of the Auxiliary. Or do we? This is the critical point of whether the new member will be a functional member or another "contribution" to our flotilla bank accounts. We go through the stages of integration, from welcoming the new member to the swearing in. Then what? Do we have a "plan" for integration of the new member into the flotilla? Do we have a "team" to work this plan and who consists of this team? Are there Mentors assigned to the new member? If the answer is no to any of these questions, then why not? Who is responsible for mentoring a new member? Answer, everyone in the flotilla, from the top down. After the swearing in, then what? Every member has a skill set we can use. We need to identify these skills and utilize them. We don't need all of our members to be Coxswains. But we need for all of our members to be leaders in their respective area and for the Auxiliary as a whole. We need to reach out to every member and value who they are and what they bring to the Auxiliary. Commodore Richard Washburn, DNACO Yes, membership is important, but I want to emphasize our members period. It s abut the members. Nothing is accomplished without our fellow Auxiliarists. We are in the people business. To be successful, we need all of our members. Commodore Richard Washburn, DNACO Meanwhile Back at the Ranch... Valerie McQueen, ADSO-PB Why did I join the Auxiliary? I think it goes back to when I was young. When I was growing up, we only had one television. My father was V. McQueen, PA III generous enough let my brother and I squabble over programs on most nights but when a western was on, he preempted us. It never mattered if it was a new John Wayne movie or an old Gene Autry, it was playing in our house on HIS television. While watching these westerns with my dad, I noticed that in the middle of the action, they always showed a few minutes of ranch life - the wife or mother was usually cooking or sewing and the children were doing chores or working on schoolwork. A nice picture of domesticity. Then, we d go back to the action. The good guy would win and the bad guys would end up either in jail or a pine box. When I was much younger and much smarter, I would laugh at this and call it the MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH moment. You had to use an announcer s voice, something deep and formal. It seemed like such a waste of time to me. Now that I m older, not so smart (but maybe a little wiser), I think I understand why it was important enough to break up the action; it showed what the good guy was fighting for - not money, or fame, or glory but home and family. To live free and in safety. The Coast Guard Auxiliary gives us the unique opportunity to reach out and protect those moments. SNOWFLAKES: Nondirective procedural guides, ideas and thoughts for Auxiliary activities. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. No two are exactly alike. As snowflakes fall, if they fit they become a drift and grow to be substantial; If they flop they quietly melt into a puddle. Any member can create a snowflake to be tried on for size by the membership. Loren S. Gannon, JR DCDR 6 EDITORS NOTE: Watch for the SNOWFLAKES falling throughout the pages of the Pilothouse. It may seem like a minor thing we do but lives may be saved or lost because we did or didn t do a Vessel Safety Check or teach a boating safety class. We will never know. But I can say with some certainty that whatever reason you give for joining, at bottom, you did it to make people a little wiser and a little safer for their own MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH moments. Photo provided by: Valerie McQueen, ADSO-PB

10 10 The Worth of D-Train Norman C. Arbes, SO-PB With the sequestration, the funding cutbacks and ever rising prices of...well, of everything: the question has been asked by quite a few, are D-Trains worth the time and effort and expense. In a word, yes. The positive result of sending a Division Commander, Vice-Commander or a District Officer to the sessions is the possibility that they learn just that one thing that will improve the success quotient of their missions and programs by that one point. Not to waste a precious moment, Commodore McGonigal instituted a Thursday night session. Check in, freshen up, go to work. This was recieved well and worked so well that it will become part of all future D-Trains. And it continues over breakfast the next morning. Meeting new officers, new members and making new friends in fellowship; exchanging business cards and networking. All to make you a better auxiliarist, a better person. The breakout sessions conducted by the District Captains with their Division Commanders and Vice Commanders is worth the trip. The DCAPT chairs the meeting of the division leadership in an exchange of ideas and a sharing of proven procedures that work. It is surprising how the problems in one division may lead to a cure in another. From the starting bell, Commodore McGonigal runs a time conscious program and commands the ebb and flow of speakers invited to the podium during the General Session on Friday. Following the conducting of business that keeps the wheels rolling for the district, the Commodore invites speakers of note to address the gathering of elected and appointed Auxiliary Officers. From the Gold Side were CDR Juliet Hudson, Director of the Auxiliary, CWO3 and OTO Philip Pinto with the keynote speaker being Captain Larry Hewett, Commander, Sector Ohio Valley. A new program (Focused Lens) was introduced and an old program (Patrol Order Management System) was dismissed. Deputy National Commodore Richard Washburn spoke of the changes being made at the National level to meet the demands of both the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. There were presentations from the Indiana Conservation District Commander, Sector Ohio Valley Response Officer, the COM Center Sector Ohio Valley, Sector Ohio Valley Logistics, and Prevention for Sector Ohio Valley. This is just a few of the speakers and all presented exciting and beneficial items. Friday night is Fun Night. The host Division offers entertainment ranging from a play, to a Riverboat Cruise to learning all about moonshine, a night of fun relaxation and fellowship to prepare you for Saturday. Saturday is devoted to member training and a plethora of courses and seminars are made available to the membership. Intense training sessions start early, break for lunch, then back to training. The training is varied and a member could elect to take one seminar in the morning and an entirely different seminar in the afternoon. Proctored sessions are offered for members who have prepared for an OPS course or similar that demands an internet proctor. continued on next page

11 11 The Worth of D-Train, continued OTO Phil Pinto is on hand and when possible, the Coast Guard offers a 25 foot response boat -small (25 RBS) for training. Saturday evening offers the Commodore s Ball, held to celebrate the Fourth Cornerstone, Fellowship. Usually it is a formal affair and a sight to behold. Time is taken during this night to recognize those Auxiliarists who have gone beyond the norm in their time and services and to award the ribbons and plaques to these well deserving Auxiliarists who have excelled during the prior year. Jim Armour was awarded the prestigious Auxiliarist of the Year award at this year s celebration. With the sequestration, the funding cutbacks and ever rising prices of...well, of everything: the question has been asked by quite a few, are D-Trains worth the time and effort and expense. In a word, yes. In another word, a LOUD, RESOUNDING YES!!! Proud New Member Timothy Wayne Meunier, Division 11, Flotilla 05 My participation in the Coast Guard Auxiliary began on 20 APRIL 2013 when I drove out to The Boat Locker in Hermitage, Tennessee early that Saturday morning to visit with Randy Ventress and Zell Andrews who were coinstructing a Recreational Boating Safety Class. When I took my first step into the Coast Guard Auxiliary it was via the National website where I submitted my contact information - within 5 minutes of sending my inquiry, I received a phone call from Randy Ventress. Randy spoke to me as a recruiter since I had conveyed my interest about joining the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the invitation to attend the free RBS class followed so, I took advantage of it. Now back to the Recreational Boating Safety Class; Semper Paratus really is Randy's mantra as he met me with a Coast Guard Auxiliary enrollment form, finger print cards, digital camera, Prospective Member quiz and quite literally "the shirt off his back" (for my photo identification). Before I left that day, I had gained a wealth of new boating safety knowledge and just like that - I had completed my first required Boating Safety Class and my Auxiliary Membership paperwork was on its way for a background check all before attending my first Flotilla meeting. I am very excited to see what lies ahead for me as a Proud Member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, Stones River Flotilla in Nashville, Tennessee. Head Table at the General Session; from left to right are CWO3 Philip Pinto, DIRAUX-Commander Juliet Hudson, LT Dan McMahan, COMO Richard Washburn, DNACO and Commodore Bill McGonigal, DCO, at the podium. Rick Schal, District Chief of Staff, and D-CAPTs Donald Metz, Randy Ventress, and Jim Hufnagel. photo provided by: Norman Arbes, SO-PB DID YOU KNOW... Each year Auxiliarists (people just like you) save almost 400 lives, assist some 10,000 boaters in distress, conduct more than 100,000 free vessel safety checks of recreational vessels and teach over 130,000 students in boating and water safety courses. The results of these activities save taxpayers well over $100,000,000 every year. A DEFINITE, LOUD, RESOUNDING YES!!! Thanks for having me. We need hands-on, face to face personal contact with the public in order to target, attract and sign up new members who are well trained and ready to carry the Auxiliary Ensign into the future. Derene Watt, USCGAUX Fall D-Train September 19-21, 2013 Save The Date!

12 12 Thoughts of an Auxiliarist Thom McQueen, DSO-PB What goes on around you compares little with what goes on inside you. - Ralph Waldo Emerson On the morning of September 11, 2001, our Nation was attacked and lives were lost. I was stunned. Shocked. Numb. No one knew what was happening nor what was going to happen. No longer in a profession that would react to a situation like this, I stared at the TV screen. I could do nothing. I felt helpless. I felt useless. I simply cried. The desire to be useful in an emergency and looking for a way to be helpful and return some of what America has given to me, I discovered the Coast Guard Auxiliary. I took it to heart. With the idea that though I could not be on "the front lines", I could at least do something, even if it was to answer the phones at MSD and free up the active Coast Guard personnel to be on the front lines. I trained. I attended classes. I trained. Went to conferences. Trained. Trained. Trained. On Monday, April 15, 2013, our Nation was attacked and lives were lost. I was stunned. Shocked. Numb. No one knew what was happening nor what was going to happen. I stared at the TV screen. After all of the classes, all of the training, all of the conferences, all of the meetings. I did nothing. I felt helpless. I felt useless. I simply cried. My thoughts were that we could be on alert, in action in the boat, on the river. In the car, along the river. At MSD ready to answer those phones. We have the training. We have the people. We have the equipment. We are capable of being eyes and ears for the Coast Guard. We have Everbridge. We have the flotilla calling trees. We have...we have...we have... Instead, I was in my living room watching the aftermath on Television. I was stunned. Shocked. Numb. No one knew what was happening nor what was going to happen. I stared at the TV screen. I did nothing. I felt helpless. I felt useless. I simply cried. I realize that an emergency was not declared and that our Commodore and leaders are be on top of that and will let us know immediately if we are needed. I have full faith in our leadership. Everbridge works. It has been tested and proven. I am not pressing that point, what I am really wanting to bring out is that when they DO call, are we ready to answer? Do we have the procedures in place to get our flotilla mustered and boat crew on the water? Do we have our "Go Bags" packed and ready? Have we ever drilled for this possibility? Are we mentally ready? Was this the wake-up call that we have been needing? For me, it was. The following morning, I packed my "Go Bag". Polished my boots. ODU's are cleaned and hanging. I, for one, want to be ready when we are called. I do not intend to simply watch the aftermath of a event on Television. I do not intend to be stunned. Shocked. Numb. I do not intend to feel helpless. I do not intend to feel useless. I do not intend to simply cry. Our organization is built on people willing to contribute and help each other. People willing to give leaders respect and the chance to improve their leadership skills. People with patience and tolerance when things aren t perfect. Our strength is not in one person or leader. It is truly based on that overworked word, TEAM. Look again...and see if you can find any accomplishments that are the result of just one Super Star. Nope. Not there. Commodore Bill McGonigal

13 13 Your Ship s Store Mary A. Ward, DSO-MA I would like to introduce myself; my name is Mary Ward, DSO-MA for the Eighth Eastern Region. My job is to run the Ships Store at D-Train. I have been a member of the auxiliary for five years. I joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary to spend more time with my dad, Jim Myers. My dad loved everything about the auxiliary and he had such a fun time, I wanted to share this experience with him. While he went on to become DCAPT-South, my enjoyment has been running the Ships Store. Be forewarned, my dad was the entertainer/writer/resident ham in the family so bear with me as you read this. The Ships Store has changed in the last few years, I no longer keep a large inventory. A few weeks before D-Train, I will order items on consignment from AUXCEN and the unsold merchandise is returned to AUXCEN. I try to order a little bit of everything AUXCEN carries. You never know what someone is looking for or what they might need. I do have a small inventory of items that I keep in the trailer year round, crew t-shirts, ribbons, some devices, hats, etc. I can always order items for auxiliarists anytime during the year. I am always looking for new items to sell in the store. One problem I have come across is the minimum order requirement for logo items. If anyone has seen any products that you feel would be a good fit for the auxiliary, please send me the information. Working the Ships Store during D-Train has been a rewarding experience and I love to meet my fellow Auxiliarists. The Ships Store can become a meeting place for fellowship, catching up with members who are in another Division and making new friends. Sometimes, a tall tale or two has been shared. I will have several new items for our upcoming D-Train in Cadiz, KY. I hope to see you there! photos provided by: Mary Ward, DSO-MA Visit Your Ship s Store Fall D-Train September 19-21, 2013 Save The Date! DISTRICT EIGHT EASTERN COAST GUARD REGION HEARTLAND GUARDIAN The Heartland Guardian is the District Eight Eastern Region Electronic Publication. Found on the District website at: the HG is published monthly to keep you up with the news and happenings within our district. You are invited to submit your articles, photos and story ideas to: Publisher: Randy Ventress ADSO-PB (randyv19@comcast.net) Editor: Thom McQueen DSO-PB (kyhoops1@fuse.net)

14 14 D-Train Sessions Duncan Wilkinson, SO-MT September Cadiz, Kentucky Save The Date! Three training sessions need advance registration. These are: (a) eight hour TCT, (b) VE Hands on Training session one (am), or (c) session two (pm). On Friday afternoon there is a session on Inland Navigation Rules and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) or NAVRULS. The proctored NAVRULS 70 exam can be taken on Saturday. Need a proctored test? Then you are in luck. Didn't bring your PC? Not a problem. On Saturday, in the Ships Store, there will be an approved proctor with some PCs waiting to administer the on line NTC tests. Wireless internet is also available in the class rooms at the lodge, so your wireless device should work there as well. The National Weather Service Office will provide both basic and advanced spotter training. This is a super plus training opportunity not likely to be repeated soon. For this D-Train we have changed how Vessel Examiners receive VSC and Facility inspection training. The requirement for attendance, is the completion of the VE Examiner Test (New). This exam is available online at the NTC and listed as Vessel Examiner Test - NEW. Review of other VE material found at DEPT&category=job-aid-kits would be a big benefit as there is no formal instruction planned. Preregistration for either the morning or afternoon sessions is the DSO-MT at weethree2@mindspring.com. The ODU uniform is advised, but not required. The Eight hour TCT will be presented and all blocks must be attended to get credit. Two four hour Boat Crew program training sessions are planed and will be conducted by our OTO Phil Pinto at the outdoor pool. The MSU has scheduled two 25 foot response boat -small (25 RBS) [mission dependent] for participation. Actual events available will depend on summer crew rotations. The ODU uniform is advised, but not required. Three two hour Leadership Training Sessions will be presented by Michael Brzezicki, Division 11, LAMS instructor and National Branch Chief. These are designed for all levels of membership and are not linked (each is stand alone, but may contain connecting material). A two hour session on AUXDATA, AUXINFO, and Member Directory training will be conducted by our DSO-IS, DeAnne Rodenburg. This is a basic start to the IS systems and attendees should bring their lap tops or other web capable tools. If you want to use AUXDATA, make sure you have requested a password from DeAnne or your current password is active. For those who are not computer literate, a two hour session on computers is offered. The training will be tailored to the attendees' needs. This is not intended to be website training session, but may offer tips if the students so request. A two hour VHF Marine Radio training session will be available. There should be a review of proper radio procedures as defined in the Boat Crew Seamanship Manual (Chapter 11), the TCO PQS process, and AUXCOM study material. Other communication material or information is scheduled. You may bring your handheld radios, but they SHALL NOT BE USED in the transmit mode. Check the District web page for updates.

15 15 Fall D-Train Geri McKee, SO-PB Fall D-Train will be held in Cadiz, Kentucky, September 19th through the 21st, at the Lake Barkley State Lodge and Convention Center. This area known as the land between the lakes, it also is a long history in producing Moonshine. Golden Pond, a nearby attraction, at one time produced large quantities of the then illegal liquor. Today there are several legal moonshine distilleries in the area. Thus our theme this year is Hillbilly Moonshine. Marketing the event to the district is crucial, so come join us for fun, networking, socializing, Auxiliary business and training. The local members are a priority to the committee. Letting them know the opportunity to be trained by the best of the best from the district in our own back yard does not happen but every eight to ten years. The Active Duty Color Guard from MSU Paducah will be present to kick off the events on Friday. They are also going to assist with operations, communication and safety information during the Crew and Coxswain training. This same group is making themselves available for any other exercises they can partner with the auxiliary for the three day event. Come and join us in September for down home Hillbilly Moonshine fun at the historic Lake Barkley Lodge and Convention Center, located on the Cumberland River near Cadiz, Kentucky. You will enjoy every minute of your stay! Extending the training to Friday afternoon with New Member Training will be a big draw for the division s new members. This will also give them an opportunity to attend the Fun Night activities of music, games and a warm welcome with the Hillbilly Moonshine theme. The night planned will keep everyone smiling and laughing as we enjoy a flavor of local entertainment. Four Rivers is working hard to provide innovative training at the Fall D-Train. Commodore Bill McGonigal along with Duncan Wilkinson, DSO-MT have been communicating with Paul Memmer, SO-MT to firm up such topics as; Crew and Coxswain Academy, Vessel Examiner Academy, NAV Rules, Weather, Computer training for the beginner and beyond, IS Training and much more. The committees are working closely with MSU Paducah, CDR Malcolm McLellan and other personnel to partner in the training and other events throughout the time in Cadiz. Commodore McGonigal has been corresponding with the DCOS and DCAPT s to keep current on topics, issues or concerns so each staff officer will be available to provide specific training during the general sessions, round table discussions and classroom activities scheduled for this year s D-Train activities. The quality of our D-Trains is well on track to better serving our members." Commodore Richard Washburn, DNACO

16 Department of Homeland Security United States Coast Guard U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY DDC-L 8ER PO BOX 329 POWELL OH PRESRT STD US POSTAGE PAID U.S. COAST GUARD PERMIT NO. G-157 OFFICIAL BUSINESS U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Eighth District, Eastern Region Division 8 Invites you to the USCGAux Fall DTrain September 19-22, 2013 Cadiz, KY