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Black History Month: Honoring the service of African American Guardians

As part of the Coast Guard Compass’ ongoing celebration of Black History Month, we bring you the following article by Coast Guard Atlantic Area Historian William H. Thiesen. Mr. Thiesen’s piece on the history of African American service is a reminder not only of how far we’ve come as a nation, but also of the [...]

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• Earlier this week, President Obama forwarded his Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget request to Congress. The Coast Guard portion of that budget calls for $10.08 billion. Click here to read Commandant Allen's All Hands e-mail to the Coast Guard family detailing the request, the current budget environment and the impacts of the proposed budget on the Coast Guard. #
• Everyone knows the Coast Guard operates on the front line of the war on drugs, but few grasp the enormity of the task and just how big a difference drug interdiction operations make on an annual basis. On Friday, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, held a press conference in Clearwater, Fla. to announce the 2009 interdiction numbers in the war on drugs and the results were impressive. Click here to watch a local news report on the event. "2009 was one of the best year's ever," declared Allen. "We are making a difference." In 2009, the Coast Guard and federal partner agencies prevented more than $5-billion in illegal drugs from entering the United States. Guardians worked closely with partners including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney's office in Tampa, Fla. in apprehending more than 300 drug runners, more than 175 tons of cocaine and in excess of 35 tons of marijuana. Click here to read more on 2009 drug seizure statistics and click here for the most up to date drug seizure numbers from 2010. For a more in-depth look at the anatomy of a drug bust at sea check out this week's Parade Magazine. Author Bob Reiss takes readers to the Pacific Ocean with the Guardians of the Coast Guard Cutter Sherman as they seized more than $1.3 billion worth of cocaine on a 10-week drug interdiction patrol. Click here to read the story. #
• Post Written by Public Affairs Specialist 2nd Class Dan Bender Wednesday Adm. Allen delivered an address to the Coast Guard on its response to the earthquake in Haiti. He emphasized how their actions were a direct reflection of the service's values and of it's strengths, pointing out the speed, flexibility and compassion of those who are responding. Specifically he noted that the first Coast Guard cutter was on scene within 18 hours and the early C-130 overflights laid the groundwork for an effective response by the rest of the government. He also pointed out that while the service doesn't have the massive resources of the other branches of the military, the Coast Guard has some very real strengths. "We don't have the bench strength of the larger armed forces of the United States," he said, "but we can be there first, we can be flexible, and we can fight a holding action until larger resources arrived to relieve us in support of a larger operation." The full address is available in CGVI and on YouTube. #
• We just received a video interview with HS1 Larry Berman, live from Haiti.  Click here to see HS1's updated post and to watch the video.  You can also watch the video on the Coast Guard's YouTube channel here. HS1 Berman and HS2 Gomez have been prominently featured on the Compass over the past few weeks as they care for the injured Haitians after the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010. #
• Yesterday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano authorized the activation of the United States Coast Guard Reserve in support of relief of operations in Haiti. The action by Secretary Napolitano today authorizes Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen to order the activation of up to 900 reservists—comprised of units and individual members—of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve for a period of up to 180 days to support DHS operational missions and humanitarian assistance efforts in Haiti. “Activating our reserve Coast Guard forces will expand our capacity to assist in aid efforts in Haiti,” said Secretary Napolitano. “These brave men and women will join the thousands of U.S. and international personnel already working together on humanitarian and recovery efforts in response to this tragedy.” Click here to read more. #