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UK. Brixham Coastguard rescues intoxicated teenagers by helicopter Thursday, 07 August 2008   At quarter to one this morning Brixham Coastguard received several 999 calls from an 18 year old teenager reporting that he was in some form of distress on a cliff. The boy told the Coastguard in the operations room that he was epileptic and had suffered a fit. He and a friend that was with him could not tell the Coastguard where they were and communications with the two boys was difficult as it became apparent that they were under the influence of alcohol. Teignmouth and...

The Coast Guard just rolled out the most sophisticated ship it’s ever commissioned, packed with new technology to help in the hunt for drug smugglers and terrorists.The cutter Bertholf — 418 feet from stem to stern — is set to patrol the Pacific from California to Ecuador — a patch of ocean as large as the United States.“The bubble that’s around this ship that we can see and hear and respond to is much larger than any cutter we've ever built,” said Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard, referring to the range of the guns, fast boats,...

For your lunchtime reading and viewing: Popular Mechanics editor-in-chief James Meigs was kind enough to send an advance copy of the magazine’s July 2008 issue. I can’t put it down. The cover story is about an amazing Coast Guard rescue effort in March, when the Alaska Ranger ship sank.Read all about it and watch video here.As an aside, the Coast Guard cutter Munro is named after Coast Guard signalman and Medal of Honor recipient Douglas Munro, whose bravery I wrote about while working at the Seattle Times and recounted here. Amazing stories of heroism, then and now.Go Coast Guard!

Satellite-based navigation has become a ubiquitous tool for business, military and personal use. The downside is that any disruption in the Global Positioning System could wreak havoc down on Earth. This year, the Department of Homeland Security decided that a 30-year-old navigation system used by mariners will be upgraded to back up GPS. The decision preserves the Long-Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) network, which has been teetering on the verge of forced retirement since the 1980s, according to the Coast Guard’s Navigation Center. The backbone of LORAN is a network of transmission stations, many located in remote regions, staffed with...

A family owned commercial fishing business in Virginia and two of its owners paid $6.8 million in fines and forfeitures after pleading guilty to hiring 126 illegal aliens to work on their boats. The charge is a misdemeanor and federal prosecutors had recommended home confinement in addition to the monetary penalties, but U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson sentenced Yvonne Michelle Peabody, the company’s vice president, to three months in prison. At the sentencing hearing last month, the judge said he was making an example out of Peabody, who had served on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Council’s law enforcement subcommittee at...

Our president was busy today with public events. President Bush signed H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, President Bush Signs H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 President Bush marked this the Day of Solidarity with the Cuban people. President Bush Discusses Cuba, Marks Day of Solidarity He met with the Maronite Patriarch of Lebanon Nasrallah Sfeir in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, President Bush met with Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander George Lisicki in the Oval Office. Vice President Dick Cheney delivered the main address during U.S. Coast...

After Action Report Coast Guard Academy Graduation support rally, May 21, 2008 Hi folks, it was good to be back in the saddle again. Today, the following Eagles took part in what is most likely our annual Coast Guard Academy Graduation support rally: Jim Bancroft Larry Baily Carolyn VanZorge Fernando Martinez Bill Wilkins Eva Bauman Kathy Upton Pamela Hall Dave Russo Dan Maloney "NEW" Eagle Ted Bakacs Paul Leblanc The New York/New Jersey Eagles showed up earlier than most due to dedication on their part and computer failure on my part which would have had me only 10 minutes late...

The Gathering of Eagles, a patriotic organization dedicated to honoring our men and women in uniform and those who are honorable veterans, announces our latest event in honoring the graduates of the Coast Guard Academy by welcoming their families and supporters to their graduation ceremony on May 21, 2008. We will be in front of the entrance on Mohegan Ave, at the intersection of Williams and Mohegan from 7 AM to 1 PM that day, waving flags, carrying patriotic signs and singing patriotic songs in an effort to welcome the families to what is a most honored event; the graduation...

Eight ships that were supposed to be the government's latest, best weapon for stopping terrorists, illegal immigrants and smugglers now float unused in a U.S. Coast Guard shipyard in Baltimore, the symbol of a nearly $100 million taxpayer debacle. Instead of patrolling, the ships were deemed unfit for the high seas after just a couple of months of use and eventually will be dismantled without ever fulfilling their promise. The Coast Guard hopes to finally put the problems with its much maligned "Deepwater" program behind it, taking ownership this month of a brand new 418-foot national security cutter that was...

Folks, I want to invite all Freepers and Lurkers in good standing to attend the rally to welcome the families of the graduating cadets of the Coast Guard Academy on May 21, 2008. Vice President Dick Cheney will be the honored speaker.

WASHINGTON - The House has overwhelmingly passed an $8.4 billion Coast Guard bill despite a threatened veto from President Bush. The bill would make the Coast Guard enforce security zones around eight liquefied natural gas terminals. The White House objects to the bill saying Coast Guard assets would be diverted from other high-priority missions. The measure was approved Thursday 395-7, a veto-proof margin. The bill also sets stricter crime reporting requirements for cruise ships and mandates double hulls on large cargo ships to prevent oil spills. It also requires oceangoing ships to install ballast water treatment equipment to protect the...

6th Annual Rally for the Troops will be held on Sunday April 20, 2008 at 11:00 PM in downtown Cleveland’s Public Square. Free Parking at Tower City Parking lots. Last year an estimated 5000 motorcyclist attended the Rally. Bikes will stage at 8:30 AM from Cleveland Harley Davidson Sales Company (W145 and Lorain), Lake Erie Harley Davidson (Avon Ohio); South East Harley Davidson (Bedford Hts. Ohio) and Western Reserve Harley Davidson (Mentor Ohio). Bikes will depart for downtown Cleveland at 9:30 AM. Jim Mantel of WGAR will MC the Rally and Monica Robins of WKYC will sing the National Anthem....

By Ann Shibler Published: 2008-04-07 New "anti-terrorism" rules ordered up by DHS for those who fish the Great Lakes are causing a wave of dissent. While still leaving our southern border wide open, the northern border will be protected by stricter security rules heavily enforced by the DHS, particularly for those tall-tale-telling anglers. Follow this link to the original source: "Going fishing? Pack your passport" COMMENTARY: Starting with the 2008 charter fishing season on the Great Lakes, and particularly impacting Lake Erie because of its geography and popularity among anglers, fishermen will now have to have their passports or two...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Four crew members died Sunday and another was missing after a Seattle-based fishing boat began sinking in high seas off Alaska's Aleutian Islands, the Coast Guard said. The dead were among 47 crew members who abandoned ship after the 184-foot Alaska Ranger developed problems. Forty-two crew members were recovered safely, but a search was continuing for the missing person, said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane. The vessel started taking on water shortly before 3 a.m. after losing control of its rudder 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, which is on Unalaska Island.

A few months ago, a day before one of the occasional marches the Capital sees demanding an end to the Iraq War, I began the descent into the Metro stop near my office, looked up, and saw a number of representatives of Code Pink standing at the railing overlooking the escalator. Or rather, I heard them first. They were screaming at the parade of commuters, at the top of their lungs and in a tone somewhere between simple frustration and righteous anger, "End the war!!!" Well, I thought, that ought to take care of things. Good work, hippies! I kid...

SAN FRANCISCO, Actor Sean Penn and Peace Activist Cindy Sheehan will headline "Iraq: 5 Years Too Many", an event marking the fifth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. Also featured will be Reverend Gregory Stewart, Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church; Matt Gonzalez, former President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; and Justin Raimondo, Editorial Director of Antiwar.com. The program will begin at 5pm on Sunday, March 16th, 2008 at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin Street (near Geary) in San Francisco. After the speakers finish, attendees will march to the War Memorial Auditorium on Van Ness...

FOLCROFT, Pa. - A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued two PECO workers who became trapped Wednesday more than 100 feet in the air after their ground equipment malfunctioned. The men were not injured. They couldn't get down after the bucket truck they were in malfunctioned and was no longer stable, authorities said. The men had strapped themselves to the 140-foot pole to await the rescue that occurred approximately two hours later. The incident took place on the 1500 block of Chester Pike near railroad tracks. The unidentified PECO workers became stranded at 10:15 a.m. The aerial platform seemed to be...

Some columns write themselves. Some are a struggle and leave me confused, conflicted and a little angry. This is one of those. It started out as a tongue-in-cheek look at the recent action by the city council in Berkeley, Calif., to oust the U.S. Marine Corps recruiting office and brand the Marines “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.” I planned to compare the situation in that strange city with our fairly-liberal-but-not-ridiculously-so approach here in Corvallis. Then I started doing research. I learned that an anti-military organization has access to our high school students equal to that of the U.S. Armed Forces. The...

A U.S. Coast Guard officer and devout Catholic has filed suit to prevent being forced to receive a vaccination derived from the lung of an aborted child after a higher ranking officer disputed his understanding of Church theology. The Alliance Defense Fund filed a complaint last week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Healy, charging the government with using its own arbitrary judgment of what constitutes Catholic theology while permitting religious exemptions to others, effectively discriminating against Healy's sincerely held religious beliefs. Healy's request for religious exemption cited a 2005...

Coastguard who saved girl twice quits over health and safety row     Steve Bird A coastguard who risked his life to save a teenage girl stranded on a cliff ledge has resigned after he was criticised for breaching health and safety rules during the rescue. Paul Waugh, 44, was so concerned for the 13-year-old girl that he clambered down to her in gale-force winds without waiting to fit safety harnesses. The father of three, who was hailed as a hero and received an award for stopping the girl from falling 300ft as she waited for an RAF rescue...

Recording an entry in the Coast Guard log is usually a staid affair. But once a year, on New Year's Eve, some writers show their poetic flair. This year, the tradition of applying verse to the midnight log - normally a matter-of-fact accounting of the day's events - fell at the Curtis Bay Coast Guard station to Petty Officer Stephen Park...

The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard have expressed interest in the 30-ft.-long Protector, which comes mounted with a machine gun and could be retrofitted for commercial use. Robots versus pirates -- it's not as stupid, or unlikely, as it sounds. Piracy has exploded in the waters near Somalia, where this past week United States warships have fired on two pirate skiffs, and are currently in pursuit of a hijacked Japanese-owned vessel. At least four other ships in the region remain under pirate control, and the problem appears to be going global: The International Maritime Bureau is tracking a 14-percent increase...

A U.S. Coast Guard cutter is searching part of Prince William Sound this morning for a LifeGuard helicopter that went missing last night en route to Providence Alaska Medical Center with a patient aboard, the Coast Guard said. The U.S. Air Force is expected to launch a C-130 and a helicopter this morning to assist in the search...

11/12/2007 - Several remain closed, as crews in hazmat suits work to clean up the shoreline. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi grilled the U.S. Coast Guard Monday during a tour of her district's environmental disaster caused by last week's 58,000 gallon oil spill in the San Francisco Bay. It's clear a Congressional investigation is coming over the notification: why it took 8 hours to determine it was much more than the 140-gallon spill, they first reported. And why it took another four hours after that to notify the public. "The fact that this could happen raises serious questions about what the...

Would anyone like a free dinner at Golden Corral? Well, there is an easy way if you are an American military veteran. Golden Corral just announced this year’s Military Appreciation Monday will be November 12, 2007, from 5 to 9 pm. For the past 6 years, Golden Corral has been honoring the US Military with a free “thank you” dinner and beverage at any Golden Corral restaurant on Military Appreciation Monday (first Monday after Veteran’s Day), to honor any person who has ever served in the United States Military. In the past the only requirement to receive the free meal...

Mr. Chairmen, Ranking Members, Members of the Committees, thank you for the opportunity to provide my assessment of the security situation in Iraq and to discuss the recommendations I recently provided to my chain of command for the way forward. At the outset, I would like to note that this is my testimony. Although I have briefed my assessment and recommendations to my chain of command, I wrote this testimony myself. It has not been cleared by, nor shared with, anyone in the Pentagon, the White House, or Congress. As a bottom line up front, the military objectives of the...

The ignominious fall of Senator Larry Craig casts new light on the importance of the nation’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy banning open homosexuals from military service. If preventing public sex in airport men’s rooms is important enough to justify the deployment of undercover cops, isn’t it similarly significant to avoid, at all costs, sexual encounters in military latrines? Imagine the impact on morale and unit cohesion if two guys from the same barracks engaged in toe-tapping hanky-panky (and perhaps much more) while occupying adjacent bathroom stalls in the military facilities? Of course, advocates for gays in the military will...

TOMS RIVER (1010 WINS) -- A fiery streak across the sky got the attention of the Coast Guard Saturday night, after the reported fireball crashed into the waters off the Jersey Shore. Concerned calls started coming in from South Carolina to Long Island about 9 p.m. Coast Guard boats were searching near the site of the reported impact, off Normandy Beach in Toms River, about 10 miles off shore. No debris has been found in the water. The Toms River Fire Department says it also got some calls and there were at least 20 people on the beach with the...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2007 – The September edition of the Pentagon Channel’s monthly documentary “Recon” will focus on the Coast Guard’s efforts in the Caribbean Sea’s most perilous waterway. Small-boat crews from the Coast Guard cutter Escanaba transfer Haitian migrants from an overloaded sail freighter to the Escanaba. The 101 Haitian migrants eventually were repatriated to Cap Haitien, Haiti. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Newland  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The show, titled “Perilous Passage,” will provide an inside look at the men and women of the Coast Guard who patrol Mona Passage,...

AN EPIDEMIC of obesity could have serious consequences for America's economy and its ability to defend itself, according to a leading politician. Self-confessed "recovering foodaholic" Mike Huckabee, a Republican Party presidential candidate, told a group of governors from the American South that the increasing numbers of people who were either over-weight or obese meant more and more people were having to take time off work for health reasons. And Mr Huckabee, who lost 110lb - nearly 8st - several years ago when he was governor of Arkansas, said he was concerned by reports that nearly two-thirds of American military personnel...

Standing atop a pile of rocks in Lower New York Bay nearly four miles north of Sandy Hook, the faded Romer Shoal Lighthouse has a colorful past and an uncertain future. The 109-year-old lighthouse was recently honored with a designation as an historic site on both the national and state registries. But that doesn't ensure it will even remain in New Jersey. While the sparkplug-like, 54-foot-tall lighthouse still throws its signal of two white flashes every 15 seconds as far as 15 miles to sea, it is a forlorn sight. Dirty paint -- top-half red, bottom-half white -- is peeling...

Four top-tier presidential candidates have accepted invitations to speak to the 108th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., which starts Aug. 18 in the hometown of the VFW's national headquarters, Kansas City, Mo. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ) are scheduled to speak Aug. 20, and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will speak Aug. 21. "This is the candidates' opportunity to address the national convention of America's oldest and largest organization of combat veterans," said VFW Commander-in-Chief Gary Kurpius, from Anchorage, Alaska. "In our audience will be...

WASHINGTON - Everyone knows the Coast Guard has saved countless lives in U.S. waters. Now they've gone back and counted: more than 1 million rescues from the days of wooden sailing vessels to the current era of swooping high-tech helicopters. After reviewing old log books and records dating back nearly to 1790, when Congress created the 10-boat fleet that would eventually become the Coast Guard, the agency concluded that it has saved at least 1,109,310 lives. The Coast Guard is touting its exploits to mark its 217th birthday on Saturday — at a time when it comes under increasing criticism...

There are still many surviving veterans of the June 1944 Normandy Invasion. Also many who landed at Iwo Jima in February 1945. But how many can claim to have participated in both battles? Not to mention Operation Dragoon in southern France and the “Typhoon of Steel” at Okinawa? If he can, there is a good chance he was a member of the United States Coast Guard, which celebrates its 217th birthday this Saturday. One such veteran is Marvin Perrett, a Coast Guard landing craft coxswain assigned to the USS Bayfield (APA-33). He joined up in 1943 when he turned 18...

My son who is in the Coast Guard, was in Boston Saturday when his Cutter pulled in and was out with some of the crew doing bar hopping. He steps outside and down an ally to make a cell phone call. Two older ladies (his mom's age) were in the ally taking a smoke break. A "bum" walks in to the ally leans his back against the wall and starts to relive himself. My son then suggests the ladies leave the ally and then he goes back and gives the guy the riot act (using sailor's language) over his behavior....

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Coast Guard has recovered the body of a pilot whose F-15 fighter jet crashed during a training exercise over the Pacific Ocean, officials said Wednesday. ADVERTISEMENT The remains of Maj. Gregory D. Young, 34, of St. Helens, Ore., were found nearly 40 miles west of Cannon Beach in north Oregon, the Oregon Air National Guard said in a statement. "He was a very talented young man with many years of dedicated service to the protection of the freedoms we enjoy today," said Col. Steven Gregg, commander of the 142nd Fighter Wing stationed in Portland. The plane...

Two Coast Guard helicopters and a cutter are racing to an area 46 miles off the northern Oregon Coast for an Oregon Air National Guard F-15 that went into the sea about 1:30 this afternoon. There was only a pilot on board during a training mission. The Coast Guard said a parachute was seen. The F-15 was from the Air Guard's Portland base.

Mexican crew believed fishing U.S. waters jumps ship Mexican nationals caught illegally fishing in U.S. waters were rescued from the Gulf of Mexico Friday morning. The four men leapt or were thrown from their boat after crashing into a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. Shortly after 6:40 a.m., Coast Guard officials patrolling the U.S. Exclusive Zone near the U.S.-Mexico border spotted a 25-foot vessel, Executive Officer Phil Jackson said. As the Coast Guard approached, the boat headed south, toward Mexico. “We tried to stop it,” Jackson said. “Eventually, it did stop, but it tried to cross our bow.” Jackson said the...

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- The Memorial Day holiday means it's a day on the water with the family. Chuck Singleton does what he can to makes sure his kids are safe out here. The concern is who else is out there. "You don't know where they come from," said Singleton. "You know, they could load up with a bomb or whatever and come right out here." With thousands of boats on the waterways, the worry is the recreational boat is now a Homeland Security threat. "Just the sheer numbers and ability to hide among recreational traffic is something that makes it...

Passion Was There For The 'Other Side' Bush's Visit Attracts Gathering Of Eagles For Show Of Support By Julie Wernau, Published on 5/24/2007 New London — It was 8 a.m. Wednesday, three hours before President Bush was scheduled to arrive at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Keith Soileau had been ready since 4:30. Soileau, a member of a newly formed national group called Gathering of Eagles, was one of the first to situate himself in front of a fence decorated with American flags at the academy entrance. Across the street, anti-war, anti-Bush demonstrators had taken over the hill. “You may...

. Today, President Bush Delivered the Commencement Address at the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Transcript Here Various ”Fact Sheets”, “In Focus”, Announcements and Statements may be found HERE The First Lady attended a meeting of the Senate Women's Caucus on Burma on Capitol Hill. Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne Cheney, pose with their sixth grandchild, Samuel David Cheney - Congratulations Vice President Cheney and Lynne! Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island

After action report: New London and the Coast Guard Academy I left Bristol, Ct, with Larry Baily, Larry Hoffa, George Samet and Jim Sorry-I-forgot-your-name! Anyways, we got there late because I drive an old vehicle, and it needed water. After we got coffees, we headed out at high speed to the location where we found that the Army landed First, instead of this Marine! Chris Hill was there with the Good Doctor Raoul. Also, the American Legion Riders were there in force with about 30 riders. Additional riders showed up as the rally went on. Due to the security issues,...

In a hit piece on the U.S. Coast Guard, CBS 60 Minute's Steve Kroft made the following statement: "This is a story the Coast Guard didn’t want 60 Minutes to tell. It refused to make Commandant Thad Allen or any other officer available for an interview." At the very end of the hit piece, when most viewers were in the bathroom, or in the kitchen making a sandwitch or getting another beer, Kroft made this statement: Late last week, after our story had been completed, the coast guard finally offered to make Commandant Thad Allen available, but only for a...

Yesterday my son's Cutter was commissioned. This is a 110' Patrol Boat used as a law enforcement platform. This is his 1st assignment in the Coaust Guard. WOODS HOLE, MASS. - The Coast Guard Cutter Tybee was commissioned during a ceremony here today. The Tybee, a 110-foot Island-Class patrol boat commanded by Lt. Blake Stockwell, will be homeported here. During the traditional commissioning ceremony, Capt. Roy Nash, commander of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, read the commissioning orders and granted Stockwell permission to assume command of the newly refurbished Coast Guard cutter. The vessel's commissioning pennant was raised and...

Back in 2002 - and still in May 2007 - Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) wanted the United States Coast Guard, FEMA, INS, and U.S. Customs Service to remain independent and directly responsible to the local communities they serve to increase their efficiency. USCG - "The Coast Guard and its mission are very important to the Texas Gulf coast, and I don’t want that mission relegated to the back burner in a huge bureaucracy." FEMA - "FEMA needs to be a flexible, locally focused, hands-on agency that helps people quickly after a disaster." U.S. Customs - "My coastal district also relies...

The Gathering of Eagles, a patriotic organization of Veteran's and supporters will be holding a rally to welcome the families of the graduating Coast Guard academy cadets on May 23, 2007. In addition to our support of these families and graduating cadets, we will be welcoming the President of the United States as he addresses the graduating class. Normally this would be a private event that we would welcome with silent respect. However, this event is already marred by the planned attendence of a radical left wing group known as A.N.S.W.E.R. We believe that this left wing group's presence is...

When Heinz Richter visits the Olympus Dive Center in Morehead City, he talks personally about a wreck site that brings many divers to the area. But he stops short of taking the dive with them. Richter's last trip to the ocean's bottom was 65 years ago today, when the German U-boat on which he served was sunk off the coast of North Carolina. He isn't interested in going back. "One dive was enough for me," Richter chuckled.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Gathering of Eagles, an honorable group of Veterans and concerned Patriotic Americans has requested a permit for a rally to be held at the Coast Guard Academy on May 23, 2007, during their graduation ceremony. This rally is being held to counter the left wing A.N.S.W.E.R. Rally being held on the same day. The Graduation of some of America's finest citizens from one of our most prestigious academies should not be marred by the vocal outrage of what is a minority in our country. The GATHERING OF EAGLES requests that all concerned parties make an effort...

Marine General Peter Pace – decorated war hero and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – continues to find himself fending off a vicious and unfamiliar rapid fire assault from his extreme left-flank. In recent days, the good general has been widely and unjustly vilified by America’s self-appointed thought police as they step up their unified and widespread campaign of homofascist speech enforcement. During a recent interview with the Chicago Tribune, Pace violated one of the cardinal rules of political correctness by noting that, “homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral.” While defending the military’s “don’t ask don’t tell”...

Echoes of the past are heard as vets gather in D.C. to back the troops, oppose war protesters. Chris Hill visits the Wall every Veterans Day. He follows the path to Panel 4W, Line 36, and stops at the name Curtis R. Smoot. It's the same name on the POW-MIA bracelet Hill has worn for 22 years. Hill picked up the bracelet at an ROTC recruitment table in high school. He didn't know Smoot, but the bracelet was a poignant reminder of service and sacrifice during Hill's years with the Seventh Infantry Division in the late 1980s. At Panel 4W,...