Coast Guard Report – Holiday Recap

• 234th Birthday of the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps
• Uninvited Guests Crash the State Dinner
• Accomplishments of the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard
• Marine Corps Puts Safety First – Only Sea Service to Issue Thanksgiving Safety Message
• Retired Coast Guard Officer Indicted for Lying About Military Service – The Indictment (Part 2)
• Don’t Open the Windows in Chase Hall at USCGA
• The Question of Honorary Chief Petty Officers – Is This the MCPOCG’s Program
• Retired Coast Guard Officer Indicted for Lying About Military Service (Part 1)

234th Birthday of the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps

Date Signed: 11/23/2009
ALMAR  Active  Number: 038/09

R 201602Z NOV 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 038/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC REL//
SUBJ/234TH BIRTHDAY OF THE U.S. NAVY CHAPLAIN CORPS//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. ON 28 NOVEMBER 2009, THE UNITED STATES NAVY CHAPLAIN CORPS WILL CELEBRATE ITS 234TH BIRTHDAY. FROM THE EARLIEST BATTLES WAGED BY THE CONTINENTAL NAVY TO THE CURRENT CONFLICTS IN ANBAR PROVINCE, IRAQ AND THE HELMAND RIVER VALLEY OF AFGHANISTAN, NAVY CHAPLAINS HAVE PUT THEMSELVES IN HARM’S WAY TO MINISTER TO OUR MARINES, SAILORS, AND THEIR FAMILIES. THESE EXCEPTIONALLY DEVOTED MEN AND WOMEN HAVE PROVIDED OUR WARRIORS WITH THE MORAL STRENGTH, COMPASSIONATE CARE, INSPIRATIONAL LEADERSHIP, AND DEEP FAITH TO MAINTAIN CONSTANT READINESS AND ACCOMPLISH ANY MISSION.
2. WHEREVER OUR MARINES HAVE BEEN CALLED TO SERVE, CHAPLAINS HAVE STOOD BY OUR SIDE. YOUR SAGE COUNSEL IS INVALUABLE, AND YOUR PERSONAL SACRIFICES ON THE FIELDS OF BATTLE ARE LEGENDARY. YOUR CALM, REASSURING PRESENCE IN THE TRENCHES HAS ALLOWED US TO THRIVE DESPITE THE HARDSHIPS WE HAVE FACED AND CONTINUES TO GUIDE US THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES TODAY.
3. AS YOU PAUSE AND REFLECT ON YOUR ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY, KNOW THAT MARINES SERVING AROUND THE GLOBE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE AND UNWAVERING DEVOTION TO DUTY. ON BEHALF OF ALL MARINES, I EXTEND HEARTIEST GREETINGS ON THIS SPECIAL OCCASION AND WISH THE CHAPLAIN CORPS A VERY HAPPY 234TH BIRTHDAY.
4. SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//

Uninvited Guests Crash the State Dinner

They looked like any other guests at Tuesday night’s White House state dinner.  The usher announced “Mr. and Mrs. Salahi” and the tuxedo and sari-wearing couple walked into the room, stopping to be photographed by the gathered press, before milling about with Washington’s elite.

But the Virgina couple didn’t get to stay for the meal because there was no table for them to sit at.  In fact, there was no place setting for them at any table because they were not actually invited.  Michaele and Tareq Salahi had pulled off the unimaginable.  They crashed the first state dinner held by President Obama and the First Lady.

Posted using ShareThis

Accomplishments of the 23rd Commandant of the Coast Guard

Admiral Thad Allen – Past, Present and Future

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection in many ways, and today we are reflecting on the accomplishments of the 23rd Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen.  The Change of Command for the Coast Guards top officer and only four star Admiral is schedule for next summer.  We have confirmed that Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano may name Allen’s successor before the Christmas.  Our source at DHS familiar with the vetting process suggests that the Administration is eager to move on and put issues that have plagued the service in the past and focus on the future.

Admiral Thad Allen

Deepwater and Integrated Coast Guard Systems failures coupled with an inability to make progress over the past four years in obtaining a clean financial audit are exacerbated by the new Administrations concerns of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity issues that still affect the service today.  The three unsolved noose incidents at the Coast Guard Academy are likely troubling to our Nations first African America President.  The time is not only ripe, but in need of acceleration  in naming the 24th Commandant of the Coast Guard.

We have asked this question before on this site, and we’ll aske it again today.  What specific accomplishments can you attribute to Admiral Thad Allen’s tour as Commandant of the Coast Guard.  We offer one warning based on previous discussion of this topic; Allen did not set the course to correct the failures of Deepwater/ICGS until after congress issued the order under legislation to do so.

We look forward to your comments and thoughts and the lively debate that will ensue.  We encourage the Commanders Russell and Soliz to contribute to this discussion either under their names or their usual pseudonyms.

Marine Corps Puts Safety First – Only Sea Service to Issue Thanksgiving Safety Message

Date Signed: 11/16/2009
ALMAR  Active  Number: 037/09

R 161945Z Nov 09
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 037/09
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/2009 THANKSGIVING SAFETY MESSAGE//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. OUR NATIONAL SECURITY DEPENDS ON YOU – THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WILLINGLY GO INTO HARM’S WAY – SACRIFICING TIME WITH YOUR FAMILIES TO DEFEND OUR FREEDOMS AND WAY OF LIFE. FOR YOUR SERVICE IN ANSWERING OUR NATION’S CALL IN A TIME OF WAR, YOU HAVE EARNED HER ETERNAL GRATITUDE.
2. AS YOU PREPARE FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REFLECT ON THE BLESSINGS OF THE PAST YEAR, TO REMEMBER OUR COMRADES DEPLOYED FAR FROM HOME, AND TO ENJOY YOUR OWN WELL-DESERVED TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. BY ALL MEANS, HAVE FUN. BUT AS YOU CELEBRATE, PLEASE USE SOUND JUDGMENT AND COMMON SENSE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. YOU ARE A CHERISHED MEMBER OF AN ELITE FRATERNITY; YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR CORPS ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO RETURN SAFELY.
3. LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS – ESPECIALLY OUR NCOS – SHOULD DISCUSS HOLIDAY PLANS WITH THEIR MARINES.  YOUR LEADERSHIP MAKES A DECISIVE, LIFE-OR-DEATH DIFFERENCE HERE AT HOME, JUST AS IT DOES ON THE BATTLEFIELD. I TRUST EACH OF YOU WILL TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER AND ENSURE EVERY MARINE REMAINS IN THE FIGHT.
4. HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING.  SEMPER FIDELIS, JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//

Retired Coast Guard Officer Indicted for Lying About Military Service – The Indictment (Part 2)

A note to our readers:  Have a Federal Indictment or Federal Courts Case related to the Coast Guard you want to know more about, let us  know.  We will pull the Federal Court Records at our expense if newsworthy.

 

View this document on Scribd

Don’t Open the Windows in Chase Hall at USCGA

The Question of Honorary Chief Petty Officers – Is This the MCPOCG’s Program

Lasseter at right

Sometimes a story comes to us that simply makes us shake our heads.  This is one of them.  We were notified (that happens allot lately) of a thread on Military.com about a retired First Class Petty Officer who teaches Marine Studies at the Coast Guards only JROTC program.  The thread from Military.com points out that:

A YN1 retires from the CG ….

He later gets a job at a school teaching in the CG JROTC program. For whatever reasons (unknown to me) the school, already has an retired CG E-6 employed there…

This YN1 gets someone to sign “Honorary Chief” certificate.

I ‘believe’ this YN1 is told he can wear an E-7 uniform while teaching at this school … (I still don’t agree with this) He is NOT to wear the uniform outside of any school activities.

This same YN1 has worn a FULL MESS DRESS CPO uniform to a friend’s wedding in MD. He had several pictures of himself in a complete Chief’s uniform in various locations with various people.

Once again.. he retired as an E-6.

You can blow this up in Microsoft Picture Viewer for an easy read.

We paid a visit to  MAST Academy a Maritime and Science Technology High School in Miami, FL.  Their faculty and staff page list three uniformed members.  One of which is listed as a Chief Petty Officer.  We Googled this person’s name on the uscg.mil site and found a few hits including one from a 2003 edition of Reservist Magazine.  The magazine has an article about the JROTC program and mentions a CPO (H) .  The “H” we assume marries up with the honorary chief title Master Chief Wray mentions.

If true, what may be more troubling is that at least two senior instructors have allowed this to go on for at least 6 years.

Here a few of the threads on this issue:

Oh, one more point… He is in direct violation of COMDTINST M1020.6F FEBRUARY 2009 (Uniform Regulations Manual) which states:

1.B.5. Uniform Wear by Retired or Separated Personnel

The table below describes the occasions when members who are not on active duty may wear the uniform per U. S. Code Title 14, Chapter 13, Section 483. Such individuals will at no time portray themselves as being on active duty with the Coast Guard. The uniform may be worn traveling to and from the event described in the table below. All retired or honorably discharged members, engaged as an instructor or student at an educational institution or military society, may wear the Coast Guard uniform but may not wear the Coast Guard insignia, devices, badges, or awards. Any insignia worn should distinguish the uniform as distinctly different from the Coast Guard. See 10 U.S.C. Section 773.

Here is some more of the story… The MCPO-CG is already aware of this. He was before I brought it to his attention. Apparently others have questioned this as well.

Supposedly, this YN1 was given “authorization” to wear a Chief’s uniform at the academy, while teaching. The authorization also supposedly came from the ‘CG Recruiting Command’. As time passes, so do people. I have been in touch with the XO there. He tells me they are “working on the issue”. Being the impatient person I am, and considering this is such a cut and dry case (in my opinion) I fail to see or understand the delay.

Wray…

We should probably note that even Coast Guards D-7 has referred to this guy as a Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer.  Coast Guard has issued a cease and desist order to Petty Officer Lasserter.

Retired Coast Guard Officer Indicted for Lying About Military Service (Part 1)

Thomas Barnhart Made False Claims To The Department Of Veteran Affairs

ROANOKE, VIRGINIA — A Virginia Beach man has been indicted by a Federal Grand jury sitting in U.S. District Court, here, for making false statements regarding his military service, claiming to have received medals of valor and falsely receiving disability benefits.

The grand jury has charged Thomas James Barnhart, 58, with two counts of making false statements, one count of theft of government funds and one count of making false claims about the receipt of military decorations or medals.

The indictment, which was returned under seal on October 15, 2009 and unsealed last week, charges that in November of 2005 and April 2009, Barnhart submitted VA 21-4138 forms, (Statement in support of a claim) for service connected compensation related to his claim that he was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder, knowing these forms contained false information.

The grand jury also charged the defendant with falsely representing himself as the recipient of decorations or medals authorized by Congress for the Armed Forces of the United States, including claims he receive the purple heart and service medals awarded to members of the United States military.

According to the indictment, between November 2005 and March 2009, Barnhart willfully and knowingly stole $13,923 in disability payments he was not entitled to from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Barnhart faces a possible maximum sentence of five years in prison and $250,000 fine for each false statement charge, ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the theft of government funds charge and one-year in prison and a $5,000 fine for the false claims about receipt of military decorations or medals charge, which is a misdemeanor.

The investigation of the case was conducted by Department of Veteran Affairs-Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Craig “Jake” Jacobsen will prosecute the case for the United States.

A Grand Jury indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial with the burden on the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Coast Guard Report – Reader Comments

Reader Comments you may have missed.  Click the hyperlink dates and times to visit the original posts being commented on.

CDR Anonymous B. Cuzyouare Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 9:14pm

Since CGReport is generally so quick to bash damn near everyone else in the Coast Guard, where is the transparency in not releasing his comments to the CPOA? Let your readers judge the context, meaning, and sincerity of his words (both initial comments and apology). If CGBlog or any other site had gotten the word out 1st, I could bet that you’d be quick to request the same from them.

Man up.

U/W Guy Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 9:29pm

This guy is a loose cannon and and always has been. Anyone that knows him can tell you that. Finally, finally the secret is out-I’m just surprised it took this long to happen……

Mod C Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 9:30pm

Cuz,

Could you give us an example of bashing, we just report. If you can show we reported it wrong, we’ll fix it.

CGBlog is welcome to publish the comments, we will not. Had Master Chief Isherwood pulled a Bowen and blown it off, we certainly would have ran it. But if you want to cast stones our way for showing some difference to a man willing to do the right thing, then please go ahead.

We’ve had some pretty big dogs at HQ come after us, and we’re still reporting undisputed facts in keeping with ALCOAST 458/08.

Thanks for reading.

Anonymous Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 9:32pm

The Coast Guard’s military identity went away on 30 September 1976 when the service switched from its traditional naval uniform to that of a skycap/busdriver. This coupled with the tacitly anti-military attitudes which permeated society led to the leadership emphasizing the services “Humanitarian” mission and relegating the defense readiness to the backburner. The final death blow to the services military culture (remember the identity was already stripped away some 15 years before) was the unqualified and out of his league ADM Kime who completely refocused the service towards the regulatory and LE aspects along the scale of your standard federal alphabet soup agency where the Coast Guard lies today.

No, what you guys are seeing with this modernization has nothing to do with the Coast Guard not resembling the other military services. The Coast Guard has already not resembled the other military services in years!

Anonymous Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 9:38pm

CDR Anonymous B. Cuzyouare :
Since CGReport is generally so quick to bash damn near everyone else in the Coast Guard, where is the transparency in not releasing his comments to the CPOA? Let your readers judge the context, meaning, and sincerity of his words (both initial comments and apology). If CGBlog or any other site had gotten the word out 1st, I could bet that you’d be quick to request the same from them.
Man up.

Interesting CDR, you are quick to call out Coast Guard Report about, supposedly being quick to “bash damn near everyone else in the Coast Guard”, yet we haven’t heard a peep out of you at CGBlog where one of their Contributors (a LT in the Coast Guard Reserve) has systematically engaged over the past week in bashing the Coast Guard, it’s leadership, it’s ships, it’s cuttermen and it’s engineering and logistics professionals using lies, innuendo and disinformation in an obvious attempt to discredit the service!

CGBlog Copyright Infringement Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 9:52pm

Did you notice that Jim Dolbow just published a post that violates USA Today Copyright. He gave no attribution, no link and no indication that he obtained permission to reprint the article.

Mod C Submitted on 2009/11/24 at 10:13pm

CDR Anonymous B. Cuzyouare :

I am merely pointing out that your “reporting” is selective, it seems. I respect any man or woman who can admit mistakes and my issue is more of the style of “reporting” (your word, not mine) that you and your team employ then the Master Chief’s comments. I respect all those who serve and who have served, and believe that there are more efficient ways to enact change in government then through sites like your own. I merely wanted to state an opinion and ask that you be fair in your treatment of all reported on.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We would love to hear your thoughts on more efficient ways to enact change. In case you’re a new reader, I would share with your that this blogs humble beginnings stemmed from Coast Guard employees who tried to use the Chain of Command to report Fraud, Waste and Abuse. When the Chain of Command failed them, retaliated against them, they then turned to DHS OIG, that failed too. It was only after going public and getting the attention of Congress that they were able to “enact change.”