Protecting & serving the heartland rivers
Would you believe it if someone told you the Coast Guard was in Minneapolis, Minn., or Omaha, Neb.? As a matter of fact, the Coast Guard has units in both places and many others in the upper Midwest region. Their work may be local, but the missions they perform have a global effect.
Rip tips
Sunny days, fresh water, sandy beaches; all of these could be used to describe summer on the water. It’s the time of year when the snowsuits go into storage and the swimsuits come out. Every year, however, rip currents continue to claim lives on America’s beaches.
Shipmate of the Week – MKC Shawn Vaupel
From our maritime borders to the U.S Exclusive Economic Zone to our ports and inland waterways, the men and women of the Coast Guard are sentinels in preventing threats from reaching the United States. In the fight to secure the homeland, Coast Guard units often deploy overseas. On this leading edge to strengthen global capacities in fighting international drug trafficking and crime is Chief Petty Officer Shawn Vaupel.
‘Prepare for the worst, hope for the best’
As Hurricane Isaac inched towards the Gulf Coast in August 2012, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Hockenberry was assigned to an aircrew tasked with relocating a Coast Guard helicopter outside of the storm’s path. Left behind were his wife and two boys. A flight mechanic at Air Station Orleans, Hockenberry’s duty to respond doesn’t stop when there is a storm on its way and he ensures his family is prepared well in advance of the storm first and foremost.
Welcome to the fleet Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell
She was a leader. She was a trailblazer. She was a lifesaver. She’s the namesake of the Coast Guard’s newest cutter – Margaret “Madge” Norvell. The Coast Guard welcomed their newest fast response cutter to the fleet this weekend as Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell was commissioned in New Orleans. The cutter is the first in its class to be named after a Coast Guard heroine.
Brace for another active hurricane season
It may feel like Superstorm Sandy happened just yesterday, but this weekend already marks the first day of the 2013 Atlantic hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts we’re in for an above-average season, which means there is an extremely high probability of at least one major hurricane making landfall in the Gulf Coast and East Coast.
#boatingadvice
In honor of National Safe Boating Week 2013, we asked our virtual friends and family – our followers on Twitter – for boating safety advice. Share, retweet or favorite the advice, or use #boatingadvice to share your own tips. We look forward to hearing how you stay safe on the water!
U.S. Coast Guard to unveil Arctic strategy
Tomorrow, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp will release the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic Strategy to guide our efforts in the region over the next 10 years. This strategy is based on nearly 150 years of Coast Guard experience in maritime operations in the Arctic region, since the U.S. Revenue Cutter Lincoln first arrived in the new U.S. territory of Alaska in 1867.
National Safe Boating Week 2013
National Safe Boating Week 2013 is here! It is no coincidence this week, focused on educating boaters about the latest safe boating practices, takes place in the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the recreational boating season. Many Americans will be visiting our nation’s lakes, rivers and coasts for the first time in months and should keep safety at the forefront of their plans.
Deployment to South Korea: Base camp
With air temperatures hovering around freezing every night, steaming hot showers were a welcomed luxury for more than 1,200 deployed Coast Guard, Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force personnel at Camp Baldwin, especially once the camp was transformed into a giant mud pit after steady rain showers drenched the clay grounds during the day. Camp Baldwin, a large-scale, temporary military camp built in the middle of a Korean Marine base in Pohang, South Korea.
