U.S. Coast Guard News
How the Coast Guard Supports Maritime Commerce
[By Lt. Amanda Faulkner and PA1 Seth Johnson] The Coast Guard is known for saving lives at sea, but did you know the service plays a huge role in the economy, too? As a regulatory entity, the Coast Guard conducts marine inspections on vessels entering United States ports to make sure the vessels do not pose a safety, security, or environmental threat to the country. With 90% of U.S. imports and exports entering or exiting the country by ship,...
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Unsung Coast Guard Rescue: The Empire State Building Crash
[By Petty Officer 1st Class William Bleye] Few people today know that on July 28, 1945, a large aircraft crashed into the Empire State Building. Fewer still know that the accident produced the world record for surviving an elevator fall, and that the fall’s victim was rescued by a coastguardsman. Saturday, July 28, was an extremely foggy day in New York City. A B-25 bomber was on a routine transit flight from Massachusetts to Newark Airport in New Jersey. The...
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Cadets Study the "Tears of the Arizona"
This summer, First Class Cadets Marshall Grant, Ali Re, Terry Jung and Third Class Cadet Linda Duncan, with the help of the National Park Service, placed four racks with metal test samples in the water on the USS Arizona. The metal test samples will be removed at different times and studied to determine their corrosion rate, which will then be used to determine how long until the hull of the USS Arizona has before it collapses. “This is the first...
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Coast Guard Ensign Seeks Olympic Gold
[By Carol Bareuther and Trueson Tarinelli] On average, less than two percent of collegiate athletes have the opportunity to compete at the next level. That opportunity is even more rare among service academies and Division III institutions like the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. In fact, while there have been a handful of elite athletes that have had some affiliation with the Coast Guard - including Arnold Palmer and Jack Dempsey, who both served enlisted - there has only been one Academy alum who competed...
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Dredging for Gold in the Bering Sea
The snow has thawed enough for the gold dredging season to kick off, and dredgers in Nome, Alaska, are ready to be on the water in search of hidden treasures on the Bering Sea floor. With boats in the water and deckhands aboard, these gritty and independent men and women are ready to hit the season hard in hopes of finding their lucky cache. However, before these pioneers can seek out their awaiting treasures on their unique vessels, they must...
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Coastal Cutter Voyages to Marshall Islands
In 1849, the Revenue Cutter Lawrence made history as the first Coast Guard crew to sail into Honolulu Harbor, safely escorted in by Native Hawaiians in outrigger canoes. This entry and escort not only exemplifies local customs but also demonstrates the Coast Guard's effort in establishing positive relationships with the communities we serve. For the next 90 years, vessels from the West Coast regularly patrolled the Pacific, and in 1939 the 14th District was created. That commitment improved in 2017 as...
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USCG: Hoax Distress Calls can be Deadly
“This is the fishing vessel Sol e Mar. This is a mayday, we’re sinking, we need help now!” These were among the last words of 19-year-old Billy Hokanson, as the fishing boat that he and his father were on sank to the bottom of the ocean on March 25, 1990. Coast Guard Stations Menemsha and Brad Point, both off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, received the distress call on marine radio channel 16 – distorted by heavy amounts of...
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The Cutter that Dates Back to the Apollo Program
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to step onto the surface of the moon. Half a century later, the U.S. Coast Guard is still using the same technology to conduct modern-day operations. The Coast Guard cutter Active, a 210-foot Reliance-class cutter homeported in Port Angeles, Washington, is the eighth Coast Guard vessel to bear the name and was officially commissioned Sept. 1, 1966 - almost three years before Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. Petty Officer...
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Seafarer's Invention: the Hammer Hook
Petty Officer First Class Kevin Spratt, a boatswain’s mate aboard the buoy tender Spar out of Kodiak, Alaska, has worked buoys for most of his Coast Guard career. His understanding of the workflow on deck and the real needs of ATON workers ultimately won him the service's top innovation award. “Working in [Aids to Navigation], you have multiple tools that you have to use,” said Spratt. “You have to use a sledgehammer and chain hook. The sledgehammer is used to...
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Electronic ATON Helped Reopen Ports After 2017 Hurricanes
The U.S. Coast Guard was recently recognized by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) for its use of electronic Aids to Navigation (eATON) during the 2017 hurricane season. IALA's members selected the U.S. Coast Guard for its best practices award during its recent conference in Incheon, South Korea. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains more than a quarter of the eATON in use around the world today. Using the Nationwide Automatic Identification System (AIS) network of...
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