USCGC Eagle - District 8ER

District Eight Eastern Region
MSU Huntington COC
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Two members join HG staff
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J U LY- AU G 2 0 1 5
USCGC Eagle
America’s Tall Ship
PART II: A Peek Behind the
Curtain of America’s Tall Ship
In Part II of his story about his visit aboard the USCGC Eagle, Bill
gets access to parts of the boat seldom seen by the public, led by
Quartermaster of the Watch and 8ER Commodore Rick Schal.
Ask about anyone what ship most represents the United
States Coast Guard and they will say the USCGC Eagle,
America’s Tall Ship. Thousands of visitors walk her deck
each year and marvel at the rigging and a technology
that is more akin to the past than present or future. But,
few visitors have ever seen what the ship is like on the
inside. Recently the Heartland Guardian was given that
privilege. Coast Guard Auxiliary District 8 ER Commodore
Rick Schal serves each summer sailing season as a
Quartermaster of the Watch on Eagle. Recently Schal
The Eagle rests in her birth at Norfolk, Va. during the Harbor Days
festivities earlier this summer. About 21,000 visitors walked her
decks during the three day visit.
Auxiliarist awarded MOM
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USCGC Eagle, Part I
Continued from page 1
took time out of his busy schedule to give the Heartland
Guardian a guided tour below decks during the Eagle’s
visit to Norfolk, Virginia during Harbor Days.
A Crew-Only Look at Eagle
Above decks and in the rigging the Eagle is all about the
business of moving the 295-foot ship across the world’s
oceans under sail. The three masts and their rigging
dominate the top decks. One of the first places Schal
stopped on the tour of the ship was the pilothouse, which
serves as a nerve center for the ship while underway.
Situated just aft of mid-ships, and just forward of the
ship‘s three main wheels and binnacle, the rather small
enclosed area serves as the nerve center for the ship.
engine and two 320 KW generators that supply the ship’s
electrical power. There is about six miles of standing and
running rigging connected to the masts - with the fore
and main masts at 147 feet tall. All of that rigging must
be operated and maintained while at sea. With 22,300
square feet of sail when fully rigged, few Coast Guard
cutters are as complicated to operate when underway. In
short, Eagle is a small American town with a population
of 239 that carries the USCG message around the world.
Moving down a set of steps and going below decks,
the world changes from a very public one to the
world of a working sailing ship. Immediately the tight
quarters constrained by the ships 39-foot beam become
apparent. This is the world that the crew inhabits when
not attending to duties on deck or in the rigging.
While some officers may warrant a private berth, most cabins are
very small aboard the Eagle.
The entire ship’s compliment is housed below the main
deck in quarters that are very typical of any Coast Guard
cutter. For the most part, enlisted personnel and cadets
are housed in a living area that consists of cabins, each
with 12 bunks for the majority of the crew. There are
Fire aboard ship is any crew’s great fear. Damage and fire control
stations like this one are placed throughout Eagle to ensure any
problem stays small.
Throughout the ship there are reminders that Eagle is
a working ship at sea. Damage control stations, storage
areas for all the equipment needed to maintain a threemasted barque under sail and power crowd every
available space. More than 23,400 gallons of fuel oil are
stored in tanks that feed a 1,000 horsepower diesel main
The cabins set aside for visiting officers and dignitaries are
immaculate and have the classic sailing ship look.
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(Above) The beautiful wood-paneled furnishings of the Captain’s suite take the visitor back to the earlier days of sea travel. (Below) The
lounge in the Captain’s suite is impressive and can serve as a meeting place for dignitaries on the Eagle.
more individualized cabins with two bunks for the upper
enlisted ranks and officers, a captain’s cabin and a cabin
for visiting officers and dignitaries.
Captain Matthew Meilstrup also has a suite with a
beautifully appointed cabin that serves as a dining
area and a lounge area that serves a number of uses,
particularly when there are visiting dignitaries aboard.
When underway, the captain invites four other members
of the crew to dine with him in a tradition that is ages
old aboard ships at sea. The décor, furniture and wood
paneling on the walls harkens back to the ship’s youth
and is beautifully preserved. The officers mess and
dining facilities accommodate the other commissioned
and warrant officers who serve on board.
The enlisted mess, like most ships, is not large enough
to accommodate the entire crew. Crewmembers eat on
a schedule that is dictated by their watch duties. The
enlisted mess also serves as an area where shipmates can
gather, study or socialize. A glassed in case at one end
contains information that the crew needs for each day’s
activities. The enlisted galley adjoins the mess area, again
in an economy of space typical of crowded quarters.
Throughout the below decks area of the ship there
are mementos of the ship’s past cruises and history
that serve to remind all on board of Eagle’s long, and
distinguished, service as both a school for seamanship
and a public representation of the Coast Guard. Cruise
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USCGC Eagle, Part I
Continued from page 3
plaques denote each cruise and different wall
exhibits and artworks serve as reminders of the
mission of Eagle, her history and those who have
served aboard her. The pride in the ship, and their
service on her, is evident in every crewmember
encountered.
The tour came to a close with a return to the
upper decks for a walk from bow to fantail. The
unique status of Eagle was driven home by the
looks on the faces of the people visiting the ship.
EDITORIAL STAFF
Curt Pratt
DSO - PB
Division 18
Geri McKee
ADSO - PB
Division 8
Bill Smith
ADSO - PB
Division 12
Alesea Casto
Smith
ADSO - PB
Division 2
DISTRICT REVIEWER
Diane Gilman
(Above Right) COMO Schal walks under some of the many plaques highlighting Eagle’s history.
(Above)The modern but small galley requires the crew to eat in shifts.
At each turn, individuals were seen asking questions, gazing up at her rigging and
talking about how special Eagle is. The thousands of visitors that visit Eagle and
took in her majestic presence are left with the most positive of impressions of the
big sailing ship and her crew.
That a member of that crew is also a member of the Auxiliary, is a point of great
pride to Schal, he said, adding that in a small way he represents the entire Auxiliary
when underway on Eagle. The pride in Eagle is etched on his face and charting her
course, is truly a labor of love. America’s Tall Ship is very special and the opportunity
to see her from the inside out was a rare opportunity for the Heartland Guardian.
That opportunity was much appreciated.
ADSO - PB
Division 11
CONTRIBUTORS
Pete Evans - FSO-PA
Lynn Mott - SO-MT (8CR)
LTJG Timothy Lovins - USCG
Mark Farley - IPFC, FSO-MS
Randy Ventress - DCOS
Story and Photos by H William Smith , ADSO-PB
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MESSAGE FROM
The Chief of Staff
AIDS TO NAVIGATION...AND LEADERSHIP
I had the pleasure recently to
attend the Aux-06 Auxiliary
ATON and Chart Updating
- Aids “C” School at U.S.
Coast Guard Training Center
Yorktown. TRACEN Yorktown
is one of four major Coast
Guard Training Centers in the
country. This school, as with
most “C” Schools, has a lot of
information packed into a few
short hours over a weekend, and there is a lot to absorb,
however the opportunities when attending these schools
are great in many ways.
following our own direction, leading from the front.
We are expected to use our resources to inform our
members. We are expected to be the light that keeps our
organization out of the perils that may cause damage.
We are expected to steer a correct course and navigate
using all the tools that are available to us.
Aids to Navigation, ATON, are basically road signs on our
waterways. Each aid gives direction and information for
those using the “liquid highway” and each aid has a part
in helping us help ourselves to keep safe on the rivers
and oceans we may boat on. Knowing the difference in a
nun buoy or a can buoy could make the difference in our
arriving at our destination safely.
In the classroom at TRACEN Yorktown that we utilized
for the weekend there is a plaque on the wall that
states “Leadership is Action, Not Position” and I felt this
a very poignant motto for the school, as well as our
responsibilities as Elected and Appointed Leaders in
the Auxiliary. There are many reasons we are put in the
positions we are in. One reason is the responsibility to
administer our respective offices to the best of our ability.
We are elected or appointed to be active (action) in our
respective offices and not just fill a spot for appearances
sake (position). Active leaders will be leading the charge
for his or her area of responsibility.
An Aid to Navigation gives direction or information.
Leaders are like an ATON in many ways if you think
about it along the lines of why we have ATONs. We are
expected to give direction and many times that involves
At Fall DTRAIN this year we have a Staff Officer Workshop
scheduled for Saturday training. Our District Staff Officers
will be in attendance making this a great opportunity for
any Flotilla Staff Officers or Division Staff Officers to put
a face to a name. This is a great opportunity to increase
communication up and down the Parallel Staffing Chain,
and I invite any FSO or SO, or anyone for that matter,
within driving distance to DTRAIN to take advantage of
this opportunity.
“Everyone is a leader” in this organization. The success
of each leader lies within the “action” each leader takes.
Randy Ventress, DCOS 8ER
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Change of Command
For USCG Marine Safety Unit, Huntington, WV
Timme reviewed CAPT Boone’s
many accomplishments while
serving at MSU, Huntington.
During the COC ceremony
CDR Tanya Giles assumed
command of MSU Huntington,
Sector Ohio Valley from CAPT
Lee Boone. CDR Giles will
take over responsibility for
maritime safety, security and
stewardship activities on
over 350 miles of navigable
waterway in the Tri-State region
of West Virginia, Kentucky and
Ohio. CDR Giles is the 15th
Commanding Officer at MSU,
Huntington.
CDR Giles has more than
two decades of Coast Guard
experience and most recently
CAPT Richard Timme, Sector Commander for Sector Ohio Valley, officiates the transfer of served at Coast Guard Atlantic
command from CAPT Lee Boone to CDR Tanya Giles.
Area. As the deputy for the
The U.S. Coast Guard had a Change of Command U.S. Coast Guard’s International Port Security Program
ceremony at the Robert C. Byrd Lock and Dam facility on she managed the execution of congressional mandates
Friday, June 19, 2015. MSU Huntington said goodbye to to reduce risk to U.S. homeland & ships by assessing
Captain Lee Boone and welcomed Commander Tanya anti-terrorism measures implemented by 150+ nations
Giles. Attending the Change of Command ceremony worldwide and assisting foreign governments with the
were Active Duty Coast Guard, Coast Guard Reserves, implementation of international maritime port security
Coast Guard Auxilarists, many civilians that worked with laws and regulations.
CAPT Boone, and family /
CAPT Boone is heading to
friends of CAPT Boone and
Asia where he will take on
CDR Giles.
a new role working with
The Change of Command
activities in the Far East.
Ceremony is a tradition
The Coast Guard Auxiliary,
of the military services
Division 02 looks forward
and no civilian ceremony
to working with CDR Giles.
matches it. The presiding
Story and Photos by
Official was CAPT Richard
Alesea Casto Smith, SO-HR
Timme, Sector Commander,
CDR Giles brings more than
CAPT Boone thanked the many
Sector Ohio Valley. CAPT people who made his time at
two decades of experience in
Huntington so successful.
the Coast Guard with her.
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THE TRAINING
This class gave us the opportunity to have the Coast
Guard give us some training and visit an ATON museum
on the base. In the museum we got to see ATONS types,
how they worked, to find the discrepancies about them
and see how the on board computers help locate the
ATON locations.
ATON 06 CSchool
A Member’s Perspective
A group of Auxiliary members were able to spend July 4th
at the Yorktown Coast Guard Station in Virginia this year
for the ATON 06 CSchool. Members from California to
New York and as far south as Pensacola, Florida were able
to live like the gold side for a weekend. We stayed in their
quarters and ate in their mess hall. It was a wonderful
experience for those of us that have not had the chance
before to live the life of a Coastie
and brought back memories for
those who had.
For two and a half days, we learned how to assist the Coast
Guard with the task of checking all types of ATONS in
our waters. Our instructors showed us how to fill out the
proper forms and what to look for on ATONs and bridges
while we are out on the water. We were shown how we
can also help NOAA with some of the same information
that we supply to the local USCG stations. Students were
tasked to take this knowledge they learned back to
their local areas to assist others in the training of ATON
inspections. With auxiliary members from all over the
United States, many stories and ideas were shared on
how the different areas dealt with
ATON inspections.
It was a great experience and I feel
very lucky to be one of the members
able to take part in this training.
Story by Lynn Mott, District 8C
Photos by Randy Ventress, DCOS
After hearing the cannons going
off at the pier in the morning we
waited for the fireworks display, a
thunder storm came in for a visit
that interrupted the show. Due to
the lightning the fireworks were
cancelled but we made the best
of the time that evening learning
a little about one another and
creating new friendships.
Students at recent the Aux-06, ATON and
Bridge Discrepancy “C” School at Training
Center, Yorktown, discuss the various
discrepancies on day boards.
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The Guardian Welcomes Two New Members
Alesea Casto Smith joined the USCG
Alesea Casto
Smith
ADSO - PB
Division 2
Auxiliary in 2007. She recently retired
from the civilian work force and hopes to
become more involved with the Auxiliary.
Alesea has been working with non-profit
newsletters since 2001, being an editor
for 4 different newsletter with as many
as 20 pages per monthly newsletter.
She received her degree from Marshall
University in 2006, being the first college
graduate in her family. Alesea is a U.S.
Navy veteran, serving as a Yeoman in
Newport, RI from 1969-1971.
Alesea is now Flotilla Commander for
Flotilla 02-12. She is also the FSO-HR and
PB for her Flotilla along with being SO-HR
and PB for her Division 02. In her spare
time she enjoys spending time with her
daughter, Catherine, and two grandsons,
Richard and Brayden. Her main hobby is
making jewelry followed by researching
her family ancestry. Alesea lives in
Ironton, OH with her husband Dale, who
is also a Coast Guard Auxiliary member
and a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and U.S.
Coast Guard.
Diane Gilman
ADSO - PB
Division 11
Diane Gilman joined the USCG Auxiliary
in August 2001 after retiring and moving
to Chincoteague Island. Diane became
Crew qualified, and held several offices in
12-06, of District 5SR. She also performed
specialized office work for the Sector
Hampton Roads Administration Office
and the CG ATON group, both of which are
located at USCG Station Chincoteague,
Virginia.
After moving to Tennessee about 4 years
ago and becoming active in District 8ER,
she and her husband, also an Auxiliarist,
saw the need for a new Flotilla in
the Clarksville, TN area. Flotilla 11-07
Clarksville/Fort Campbell was chartered
May 14, 2013. Having all new members is
a new experience and she looks forward
to their training as well as and keeping
the Flotilla growing. Diane keeps busy
as FC - Flotilla 11-07, ADSO-PB as District
Reviewer, Div. 11 SO-PA, FSO-IS/PE/PV
and continuing as Crew.
Diane and her husband, Fred, enjoy
traveling and spending time with their
children & grandchildren. They enjoy
going back to the Island of Chincoteague,
Virginia, the home of the wild ponies,
visiting the mountains, and being on the
water whenever and wherever they can.
Operation: Consignment Sale
Beginning Fall D-Train 2015, in Pittsburgh, we will be having a consignment table available
at our Ships’ Store. Members may bring in usable, serviceable Auxiliary items for sale on a
seventy-five to twenty-five (75% / 25% )split on the proceeds with the twenty-five percent going
into the Ships’ Store fund. All items must be Auxiliary related such as uniforms, operational
items, radios or logo wear.
District members are encouraged to use this venue to clean out cabinets, closets, etc.
Outdated, non-serviceable, and soiled items will not be accepted. Any item left when the
Ships’ Store closes on Saturday of D-Train will become the property of the Ships’ Store to sell at
a later date. Pickup is the responsibility of the member leaving the item(s).
This will be a good way to put a little back into the coffers of the Ships’ Store while giving us all
an opportunity to share what we are no longer using.
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“We don’t do it for the awards or the money”
Auxiliarist is presented with the Medal of Operational Merit
your house which is a safe distance from the fire and the
explosions which are still happening. Your family is safe
and then your training as a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist
kicks into gear!
You prioritize what needs
to be done in your head
and start making phone
calls and sending text
messages. Early notification
of the Coast Guard at MSU
Huntington helped speed
things along and the fact
that the Auxiliarist knew
the area and members of
the local police and fire
department was crucial.
Who was this Auxiliarist?
Mark Farley, Immediate Fire shoots high into the
Past Flotilla Commander evening sky as 29 cars loaded
with crude oil, derail from a
and Marine Safety Staff CSX train in Fayette County,
Officer for Flotilla 082-02- West Virgina on 16 Feb 2015.
12, Barboursville, WV. Mark
shared photos and text messages with MSU Huntington
while they were in route to the CSX train derailment in
Mount Carbon, WV. Mark and fellow Auxiliarist, John
Frizby, were the first on the scene for the Incident
Command Post (ICP). There were also responders from
the Montgomery Fire Department, CSX and the Coast
Guard which soon became a Unified Command (UC)
under the Nat’l Contingency Plan (NCP).
CDR Tanya L. Giles, USCG, presents the Medal of Operation Merit
to Mark Farley, as LCDR Robert D. Webb, USCG, reads the award.
Imagine yourself getting off work early one day due to
bad roads and snow conditions. You, your spouse and
children are safe at home after traveling many miles on
snow covered roads. All of a sudden you hear a crash and
explosions that rattles the windows. You look outside and
you can see the fire, a result of the explosions. Before you
have time to think about it, you head out to retrieve your
parents and your sister and her family, bringing them to
The NCP established Federal on Scene Coordinators
(FOSCs) from the Coast Guard and EPA, which provides
for the efficient, coordinated and effective responses
to discharges and releases. Farley and Frizby helped to
coordinate a successful response organization of over
400 people. (Please see the article, “Auxiliarists Play Key
Role in WV CSX Train Derailment Response” article in the
February 2015, Heartland Guardian.)
Besides working with the UC into the night, Farley
offered his home, which was already filled with his family
of evacuees, to the MSU Huntington Response personnel
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Medal of Operational Merit
Continued from page 9
so they would not have to travel icy roads. Farley
continued to help with the UC along with Frizby. They
not only made the Coast Guard Auxiliary look good, but
they made the entire Coast Guard look good!
As a result of the efforts of Coast Guard Auxiliarist,
Mark Farley, the Coast Guard has given him the Medal
of Operational Merit in recognition of outstanding skill
in performing an assist, rescue or other meritorious
operational service. This award recognizes outstanding
achievement or service of an operational nature (defined
as direct, hands on, underway, surface or airborne
aviation mission activity) worthy of special recognition.
For this award, the key words are outstanding operational
performance, skill assist, rescue or other meritorious
operational service. To receive the Medal of Operational
Merit, only skill is required, not extreme skill, and
therefore does not have to be a risk to the Auxiliarist’s
life. Outstanding operational performance and other
meritorious operational service have been included in
this category. This was added to allow recognition of a
cumulative series of operation services, none of which,
standing alone would merit this award, but taken as a
group, do merit this level of recognition.
(Above) Mark Farley with wife, Sirlei cut into the celebration cake.
(Left) A close-up of the MOM proclamation with ribbon and medal.
So on Thursday, 09JUL15, Coast Guard Auxiliarist Mark
Farley was presented with the Medal of Operational Merit
at MSU Huntington by CDR Tanya L. Giles. Also present
was LCDR Robert D. Webb and LTJG Timothy P. Lovins. As
Mark Farley’s Flotilla Commander, I am proud of him and
his achievement. He is a very humble person stating,
“We don’t do it for the awards or the money!” I know this
is true but I am glad he was in the right place at the right
time. His award ceremony was attended by Sirlei, his wife
and his daughters Helen and Elisa; his parents, Elaine and
Steve Farley and friends from Montgomery, WV. Also in
attendance were VCDR John Whiteley, District 082-02;
Members of Mark’s home Flotilla 02-12, Barboursville;
Members of the Huntington Flotilla 02-03, and others.
Story by Alesea Casto Smith, ADSO-PB
Photos by Alesea Casto Smith, Mark Farley and LTJG Timothy Lovins, USCG
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Flagpole Dedication for Fallen Auxiliarist
Flotilla Honors its Fallen Member at 4th of July Service
Flotilla 04-01 Vice Commander Nick McManus assists Mark Sevilla’s nephew, Alex, in the raising and folding the American flag that was
previously flown in Mark Sevilla’s honor over our nations capitol.
Members of the Lexington Flotilla (04-01) participated in
a 4th of July memorial service and flagpole dedication at
Turtle Creek Harbor for former Vice Flotilla Commander
Mark Sevilla. Mark passed away in January due to injuries
sustained in an automobile accident en route to Turtle
Creek Harbor.
In addition to his duties as Vice Flotilla Commander
Mark was both a Vessel Examiner and Program Visitor
in the Recreation Boating Safety Visitation Program. His
leadership and outstanding service to the Auxiliary led
to his Division recognition for the 2014 Commanders
Award for Vessel Exams, Vice Commanders Award for
Boating Safety Visitation Program and the Flotilla of the
Year in Auxiliary Division IV.
Mark was very passionate about recreational boating
and considered Turtle Creek on the Ohio River his homeport. He was an integral part of the Northern Kentucky
boating community and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
His enthusiasm for the Auxiliary and
Recreational Boating was contagious
and had a positive impact on everyone he met. Mark will be missed by
his colleagues and many friends in the
USCG Auxiliary.
Story and photos by Pete Evans, FSO-PA
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SAVE THE DATE
USCG Auxiliary District 8E
Fall D-Train
24-27 September 2015
Hosted By
Division 7 Pittsburgh
Location:
Pittsburgh Airport Marriott
777 Aten Rd. Coraopolis, Pennsylvania 15108 USA
Guests:
Rear Admiral David R. Callahan
Commander 8th District USCG
Commander Leon McClain Jr.
MSU Pittsburgh, Captain of the Port of Pittsburgh
Training:
8-Hour Nav Rules Course
Leadership Courses
Sky Warn
Final Schedule TBD
Registration forms to be sent out shortly
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