the 1790 blog | U.S. Coast Guard

Holiday posting break

Ryan Erickson — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:10:10 +0000

The holiday is in full swing here at the house… hence the lack of posting over the last week or so. Couple that with a dull news time and not much is getting posted. Nonetheless, enjoy the season and Happy New Year! ~Ryan

Coast Guard eases TWIC requirements for thousands of mariners

USCG Press Release — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:40:00 +0000

WASHINGTON – The Coast Guard announced Thursday publication of a policy letter that exempts a number of mariners from the requirement to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential when renewing or obtaining a Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner credential.

The policy letter, effective as of Tuesday, provides immediate relief for mariners who otherwise would need to obtain a TWIC to get or renew their Merchant Mariner Credential. The policy letter also provides the Coast Guard with an expedient means to comply with a portion of the requirements set forth in Section 809 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010.

“These changes eliminate the TWIC requirement for mariners who operate vessels not required to have a vessel security plan or who are not actively sailing on their merchant mariner credential” said Captain Eric Christensen, Chief of the Office of Vessel Activities in Washington, DC. “This policy letter solution uses Coast Guard resources and capabilities to lessen the impact on an estimated 60,000 mariners while we work on a regulatory solution to address the full scope of Section 809.”

Prior to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 becoming law, all mariners holding a Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner credential were also required to obtain and hold a valid TWIC. Section 809 of the Act, however, permits the Coast Guard to exempt any mariner not requiring unescorted access to a secure area of a vessel from the requirement to hold a valid TWIC as a precondition of receiving a merchant mariner credential.

The policy letter can be found here.

The Coast Guard Image: Panorama of CG Headquarters at St. Elizabeths

Ryan Erickson — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:02:33 +0000

Click to enlarge

The Coast Guard PA’s keep giving us some great shots of the new Coast Guard Headquarters complex at St. Elizabeths. You’ll recall that this is part of the greater DHS move to consolidate the departments core agencies into one location. However, as of last word the whole project, less the Coast Guard, has been pushed back some five years. Nonetheless… it’s a cool photo.

Coast Guard releases Top 10 videos of 2011, announces Video of the Year contest

USCG Press Release — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:00:00 +0000

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard announced Wednesday the release of its Top 10 video compilation for 2011, highlighting the year’s most compelling cases from the work done every day by America’s Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard also announced its 2011 Video of the Year contest in which the public is invited to vote for their favorite video. The contest begins Thursday, with voting open through Jan. 13, 2012. Starting Thursday, and continuing through Dec. 31, the Coast Guard’s official blog, the Coast Guard Compass, will publish one of the Top 10 videos each day including commentary from a service member who participated in the mission. Voting for the 2011 Video of the Year will remain open through Jan. 13, 2012, so each video will have ample opportunity to be “Liked.”

Each day of the contest people may vote for their favorite videos by choosing “Like” on the Coast Guard’s Facebook page or on the Coast Guard’s YouTube 2011 Videos of the Year playlist.

“The service of Coast Guard men and women is often out of sight of the public occurring offshore, at night or at the height of a ferocious storm at sea, so we are proud to show citizens our Top 10 videos that represent this work,” said Capt. Ron LaBrec, chief of Coast Guard public affairs. “We are part of the communities we serve throughout the country. The Coast Guard has the ability to deploy military capability, law enforcement authority and life-saving expertise whenever and wherever needed to safeguard our nation and its citizens.”

The Top 10 video compilation includes:

The rescue of a man who was trapped on the rocks near the South Padre Island jetty, March 5 by a Coast Guard Air Station Houston helicopter crew.
The rescue of a 77-year-old man and his dog from a disabled, adrift sailboat southwest of San Diego, March 2 by a helicopter crew from Air Station San Diego.
Coast Guard Crewmembers assisting Moody Garden’s Aquarium and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the release of eight endangered Kemp’s Ridley and two Loggerhead turtles into the Gulf of Mexico, July 14.
Crewmember training with Coast Guard Station Merrimack River, Mass., July 13.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Henry Blake maintaining aids to navigation in the Puget Sound area.
The first Caribbean Sea interdiction of a cocaine smuggling, self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk Sept. 17.
The rescue by an aircrew from Air Station Barbers Point of a pilot who had to ditch his Cessna airplane in the ocean 13 miles northeast of the Big Island, Hawaii, Oct. 7.
The rescue of a family of four, including a six-month-old baby and a dog, from their disabled sailboat by Coast Guard and Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol crews, March 20.
An Air Station Astoria rescue of an injured climber near the North Head Lighthouse outside Ilwaco, Wash., July 7.
Helicopter familiarity training for law enforcement canines, conducted with various law enforcement agencies in Alameda, Calif., May 24.

Video of each case, as well as the Top 10 video compilation, is available for viewing and download from the Coast Guard visual information site.

In 2011, the Coast Guard:

Responded to more than 22,000 search and rescue cases and saved more than 4,300 lives.
Screened more than 257,000 commercial vessels carrying 71 million crewmembers and passengers prior to arrival in U.S. ports.
Investigated 4,650 marine casualties, including two marine boards of investigation.
Seized more than 37,000 pounds of marijuana and more than 200,000 pounds of cocaine bound for the United States.
Conducted more than 11,000 inspections on U.S. vessels and 9,000 port state control safety and environmental exams on foreign vessels.
Interdicted more than 2,000 undocumented migrants attempting to illegally enter the United States from the sea.

The Holidays are officially here… Thank you from ADM Papp

Ryan Erickson — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:14:26 +0000

R 131330Z DEC 11
ALCOAST 566/11
COMDTNOTE 1000
SUBJ: COMMANDANTS HOLIDAY MESSAGE
1.  SHIPMATES, DURING THIS VERY SPECIAL AND MEANINGFUL TIME OF THE
YEAR, LINDA AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES FOR YOUR
CONTINUED SERVICE TO THE COAST GUARD AND OUR NATION.
2.  MANY OF YOU TODAY ARE STANDING THE WATCH ABOARD SHIPS AT SEA, ON
STATIONS ALONG OUR COASTS AND WATERWAYS, AND IN PORTS. SOME OF YOU
ARE FORWARD DEPLOYED IN COMBAT ZONES IN DISTANT LANDS. I AM SURE YOU
WOULD RATHER BE WITH YOUR LOVED ONES, ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT YOUR DEDICATION TO DUTY AND VIGILANCE ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING OUR LIBERTY, SAFETY AND SECURITY. WE
APPRECIATE THE SELFLESS SACRIFICE OF YOUR FAMILIES WHO REMAIN ON THE
HOME FRONT AND SUPPORT YOUR ABILITY TO SERVE.
3.  IF DUTY KEEPS YOU APART FROM YOUR FAMILIES THIS SEASON, THANK YOU
FOR STANDING THE WATCH. IF YOU ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO CELEBRATE THE
HOLIDAYS WITH YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND SHIPMATES, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO
SAFELY ENJOY YOUR TIME TOGETHER AND LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER.
4.  AS WE BRING THE YEAR TO A CLOSE, YOU CONTINUE TO INSPIRE US WITH
HONOR, RESPECT AND DEVOTION TO DUTY.
5.  WE WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES A HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND SUCCESS
IN THE NEW YEAR.
6.  SEMPER PARATUS, STAND A TAUT WATCH.
7.  ADMIRAL BOB AND LINDA PAPP, SEND.
8.  INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

The Coast Guard Image: An Erickson Christmas Tree

Ryan Erickson — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:05:21 +0000

Christmas is in full swing at the Erickson house and I’ve busted out my favorite ornaments, as have my kids, to make the tree ours. I hope your holiday is a good one…

Coast Guard Dependent Scholarships… get your applications in NOW!

Ryan Erickson — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:05:59 +0000

One of my favorite gigs I’ve done, working in the Coast Guard, has got to be my stint as an Education Services Officer… I’m a big believer in the power of education. Not only does this power pertain to our active duty members but it easily extends to our spouse and children too. As such I’ve got some dependent centric scholarships to tell you about.

The first is a program funded by Women of the WAVES. This particular scholarship has a very specific caveat attached to it though; it’s only open to the relatives (male or female) of a SEA SERVICE WOMAN who has served or is currently serving in the Navy, Coast Guard or Marine Corps or their reserve components. In this instance “relative” is defined as “by birth, legal adoption or marriage”

So by way of your personal connection to a SEA SERVICE WOMAN you may be eligible for a $1,500 scholarship if your applicant essay, with the topic of “How My Service Changed
My Life,” is selected.

For more details on the WAVES National College Scholarship see this (.pdf warning) information sheet; deadline is 09 March 2012.

The second of the two scholarships on my radar today is the annual Coast Guard Exchange System (CGES) Scholarship Program. This program is to provide scholarships to students who are dependents of Coast Guard active duty, Reserve, military retired members, current civilian non-appropriated fund (NAF) and appropriated fund (APF) employees, and Coast Guard Auxiliarists that are embarking on undergraduate college/university studies.

If your application is selected (the rules and application process (.pdf warning)) you may be the recipient of $500 to $1,500 depending on the outstanding-ness (no, not a real word) of your application. As a side note- CGES has awarded $13,750 in scholarships to CG dependents over
the past five years. The deadline for this one is 28 February 2012.

Best of luck and happy schooling!

The Coast Guard Image: Portraits of the MSST

Ryan Erickson — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 18:01:14 +0000

Here’s some images from a portrait project of some of our MSST types. I found these via the Coast Guard’s Flickr page… Click ‘em to enlarge.

How does the Coast Guard use social media? [video]

Ryan Erickson — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:02:49 +0000

So exactly how does the Coast Guard use social media? Well if you watch this video of my friend Ana Thorsson from her trip to BlogWorld Expo you’d know exactly how. It’s nice to be friends with the Coast Guard’s first official blogger…

Via

Coast Guard pay charts for 2012… and other monies

Ryan Erickson — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:21:31 +0000

As we enter into a new year I thought it would be a good time to share and/or remind you of our impending pay raise… that is, if you’re a member of the U.S. Military reading this. Though, granted, it is not a sufficient amount when compared to those of past it’s the opinion of this guy that we should be grateful that we are getting one at all.

The current U.S. and world economic condition could have easily prevented us from getting one, and in fact, could still as this is still labeled as “proposed.” However, the 1.6% is one of those nominal numbers that didn’t require much thought. It is actually an increase prescribed by law to match the Employment Cost Index. But I guess if Congress really didn’t want to give us a raise they could have changed that.

Our base pay isn’t the only thing changing this year though. There is also supposed to be an increase in our Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to the tune of 4.2%; along with an increase of 3.4% covering Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS).

Other items which have gotten attention with the new year’s money are military healthcare and care for Wounded Warriors. There are more funding items too; just not having to do with DHS/USCG. You can read the Summary of the DOD Fiscal 2010 Budget Proposal (PDF Warning!) for yourself. It will be interesting to see what actually get funding come January 2010 though.

For the actual charts it’s Military.com that still has the best looking for pay- thus I’m using them as 1790′s pay resource. As a side note- this raise is .2% percent more than the 2011 military pay increase and is among the smallest increases since 1962.