Air Force One: We need a new one … or three

O.K. so Air Force One may not seem like a Coast Guard story, but Coasties do provide security to any waterfront landing site, so we’re willing to go there.  David Axe at WIRED Danger Room bring us this story.

And you thought the U.S. Air Force’s $40-billion tanker program got nasty.

After a couple years of speculation, yesterday the air branch officially announced its search for a new high-tech jumbo jet to haul around the President and his peeps. And like the bitter, now-canceled tanker contest, AF1 2.0 will pit a Boeing product (a new 747) against a plane from a European firm (the Airbus A380).

The three VC-25 jets currently in use for the Presidential role entered service beginning in 1990, with a planned 30-year service life. The three new Air Force One planes must enter service starting in 2017, according to the government solicitation.

Read the entire story here.

Coast Guard investigates second boat

The Gloucester Daily Times is reporting that there may be more to the story of the sinking of the Patriot than previously thought.

Hours after a funeral Mass and burial of the father and husband of Josie Russo, the Coast Guard revealed last night it had made a potential break in the investigation into the mysterious sinking early Saturday of the men’s modern, well-equipped fishing boat, the Patriot.

At a Boston news conference, Capt. Gail Kulisch announced the investigation has come upon “the possibility of another vessel in the area at the time of the sinking.”

Coast Guard swimmer receives medal for rescues

from DelawareOnline.com

The Coast Guard awarded it’s Air Medal today to one of its own for his role in two rescues off Delaware and Maryland.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Tye Conklin, a rescue swimmer from the Atlantic City air station, received the medal at the Hughes Technical Center in Pomona, N.J. Capt. Paul Ratte, commanding officer of the air station, made the presentation.

Conklin rescued two crewman from the research boat Russell W. Peterson on May 12.

Read the entire story here.

Life after the Coast Guard: David Burger

Our series Live after the Coast Guard will feature former Coasties and what they’re up to now.

David Burger is the pop music/pop culture writer at The Salt Lake Tribune. He’s been at several newspapers, including

David Burger

Scranton, Pennsylvania, the home of “The Office.” Before that, he spent five years in the Coast Guard. There, on boring midnight watches on the bridge, he would try to keep himself awake and/or keep from throwing up by singing “Thunder Road” to himself while balancing a sextant on his nose. (He’d also look for drowning people, of course.) He also likes condiments, except when throwing up.

Northrop Grumman Receives U.S. Coast Guard Identification System Contract

Thursday, January 8, 2009 | Northrop Grumman

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Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract potentially valued at $68 million to design, integrate, install and test the U.S. Coast Guard’s Nationwide Automatic Identification System (Nationwide AIS) core data exchange capability.

This new capability will serve as the foundation for Nationwide AIS, which will enhance maritime security, marine and navigational safety, search and rescue efforts and environmental protection.

Nationwide AIS will be a two-way maritime digital communication system, which will continually transmit and receive voiceless vessel data, including vessel identity, position, speed, course, destination and other data of critical interest for navigation safety, marine mobility and maritime security. In addition, data collected by Nationwide AIS will be combined with other government intelligence and surveillance data and shared with authorized government operators, contributing to maritime situational awareness, in part by identifying and locating vessels offshore.

Former President George H.W. Bush Tours Namesake Aircraft Carrier

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Barrie Barber, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) — Former President George H.W. Bush took an emotional journey into his past with an eye to the future as he toured his namesake aircraft carrier Jan. 8, two days before it’s commissioned in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet.

The World War II naval aviator took a first tour of a tribute room aboard the Nimitz-class Pre-Commissioning Unit George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and he addressed hundreds of Sailors in the hangar bay as he stood near a giant bronze statue of him running in flight gear.

“It is very amazing to me, it’s wonderful and it’s a highlight of my life,” he told the Sailors and an entourage of about 50 who accompanied the former commander-in-chief, including former first lady Barbara Bush.

In an interview aboard the carrier, the former president tearfully said it was “very emotional” to have the massive nuclear-powered warship carry his name.

“It’s a great honor,” he said. “It’s incredible technology, so different than what I flew on years and years ago. It’s just amazing.”

Coast Guard enforces restricted area during USS George H.W. Bush commissioning

by Fifth District Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. - The Coast Guard and other law enforcement personnel will conduct maritime security patrols during the USS George H.W. Bush commissioning ceremony Saturday at Naval Station Norfolk.

The Coast Guard crews will patrol a restricted area around Naval Station Norfolk 1,150 yards from the end of the pier prior to and during the ceremony.

Boaters can transit through Hampton Roads Bay around the restricted area.  Large vessels may request to transit through the restricted area, but no requests are expected.

Coast Guard small boats and cutters will be working with the Navy and Norfolk Harbor Patrol to keep boaters out of the area.

The Coast Guard is transmitting a Safety Marine Information Broadcast on VHF channel 16 to notify boaters of the change.  Mariners may request more information about the restricted area by contacting Sector Hampton Roads at (757) 638-6641 ext. 2.

Annual Review of Coast Guard Mission Performance (2001-2007)

Admiral Taylor, CG-8 gives a very detailed rebuttal to the IG Report.  Reading Taylors rebuttal will give you a much more detailed analysis of areas identified by the IG as needed improvement.   Taylors letter begins on page 33 of the report and is a necessary read to balance out the statements made in the report.

By Richard L. Skinner, Inspector General – Department of Homeland Security

This report presents our annual review of the U.S. Coast Guard’s mission performance as required by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. To address the Act’s requirements, we reviewed the Coast Guard’s performance targets and results for each non-homeland security and homeland security mission, as well as resource hours used to perform the various missions from Fiscal Year 2001 through Fiscal Year 2007. We also reviewed budget figures allocated by mission from Fiscal Year 2004 through Fiscal Year 2007, and projected through Fiscal Year 2009.

The Coast Guard met 6 of 11 performance targets in Fiscal Year 2007, the same overall level of performance as Fiscal Year 2006. For the second year in a row, the Coast Guard met only 2 of the 6 performance targets for non-homeland security missions. Further, Coast Guard data show that in Fiscal Year 2007 compared to Fiscal Year 2006, non-homeland security missions resource hours decreased while homeland security missions resource hours increased. Similarly, Coast Guard budget projections in dollars and personnel from Fiscal Year 2007 to Fiscal Year 2009 illustrate decreases for the non-homeland security missions and increases for the homeland security missions.

You can read the entire report here.

CGA official: Inappropriate sexual behavior has no place at academy

by TheDay.com

New London - Thirteen women and 11 men at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy reported anonymously in an April 2008 survey that they experienced “unwanted sexual contact,” ranging from touching to forced sexual acts, during the 2007-08 school year.

More than three-quarters said that alcohol or drugs were involved and that the offender was a fellow cadet.

Read the complete story at TheDay.

Fishermen question Coast Guard rescue response

Editorial Note: Coast Guard Report publishes stories such at this one from the Boston Globe not to place blame ahead of any Coast Guard investigation, but as a tool of transparency.  We feel it important that as Guardian’s we understand how the public (the customer) perceive our actions.  Perception is reality is the eyes of the beholder, and understanding that perception often helps us in explaining Coast Guards reality.

GLOUCESTER – As Gloucester lay to rest two fishermen who died in a mysterious accident at sea, their fellow seamen raised concerns about a published report that said the Coast Guard did not launch a search-and-rescue mission for more than 2 1/2 hours after it was alerted that the vessel was in trouble.