An Unofficial Coast Guard Blog

WMEC270 to OPC

Chuck Hill — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:37:29 +0000

As another way to look at what we need in the new ship, start with the 270 and tell me how it should be improved.

Guns for the Offshore Patrol Cutters

Chuck Hill — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 23:14:43 +0000

In the interest of saving a big chunk of money, I think the Coast Guard and Navy should reconsider the proposed fitting of the 57 mm gun to the new Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), and perhaps recycle existing Oto Melara 76mm Mk 75s instead. If the Navy is going the stop supporting the Mk 75, [...]

NSC, Have we been lucky or good?

Chuck Hill — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:08:06 +0000

Navy Times has reported the Navy has had serious quality problems with their ships built by Northrop Grumman’s Gulf Coast Yards. http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/01/navy_ships_problems_012110w/ “Navy engineers are tackling a raft of problems discovered aboard warships built at the Gulf Coast yards of defense giant Northrop Grumman — including faulty welds, lube-oil problems and a defective engine — in the [...]

Multiple crewing of National Security Cutters

Chuck Hill — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:16:09 +0000

Considering the multi-crew concept for the National Security Cutters, I have my doubts. Here is a brief explanation from the official USCG acquisitions web site: http://www.uscg.mil/acquisition/NSC/crewing.asp “Initially, the Coast Guard will employ four crews for three NSCs at a single homeport, rotating the cutters among the crews to limit crew PERSTEMPO to 185 days while maintaining each [...]

AMVER….there’s an app for that

Anastacia Thorsson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:26:26 +0000

Long time no post I know! I have been slammed studying for my boards, a class, my GRE, etc. The last thing I have wanted to do was look at a blank screen with the cursor taunting me to write something, and make it interesting! But sometimes? There is something just too interesting to pass [...]

Remembering the USS Serpens AK-97

Jim Dolbow — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 02:49:07 +0000

From The Coast Guard Manned USS Serpens AK-97 Commemorative Website: The USS SERPENS AK-97 was a United States Coast Guard manned World War II cargo [Liberty] ship. Late in the evening on January 29, 1945 the Serpens was anchored off Lunga Beach, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands hurriedly loaded depth charges, preparing for the Battle of Okinawa. While [...]

What can we do to help the Haitian Coast Guard?

Jim Dolbow — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:11:58 +0000

Does anybody have any ideas on how we could help our shipmates in the Haitian Coast Guard? Better yet, know of any drives underway to help them directly? If so, please let us know. Thank you!

Coast Guard Called “Absolutely Essential” by Commander of Joint Task Force Haiti

Jim Dolbow — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:06:54 +0000

Last night, I participated in a Department of Defense’s Bloggers Roundtable with Lieutenant General Ken Keen, commander of Joint Task Force Haiti. My Q & A follows: Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the role of the Coast Guard in JTF Haiti? A: GEN. KEEN: Well, like all of our services, the Coast Guard [...]

JTF Haiti USCG Updates as of 18 January 2010

Jim Dolbow — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 12:38:00 +0000

Excerpts from USSOUTHCOM Update: Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE 18 January 2010: There are five U.S. Coast Guard cutters operating in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince and 17 aircraft moving cargo and personnel. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) reports that eight ports are fully operational (Labadie, Cap Haitien, Port de Paix, Gonaives, Saint-Marc, Miragoane, Les Cayes and Jacel. [...]

BZ to the Crew of the USCGC Tahoma

Jim Dolbow — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:20:50 +0000

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post has a gem in today’s issue entitled “Coast Guard cutter delivers medical supplies, help; ‘we saved a lot of lives’”: There was no time to keep track of how many young patients had been seen Thursday at a U.S.-built medical clinic at a Haitian coast guard station in Killick, 10 [...]