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The Coast Guard Thinks You've Put on a Few PoundsBy Dashiell Bennett | The Atlantic Wire – Mon, Jan 2, 2012 The Coast Guard recently raised its "Assumed Average Weight Per Person" standard to 185 pounds, reflecting the growing waistlines of the American populace. The number — which is 25 pounds higher than the previous average — is used to the determine the safe operating capacity of passenger boats around the country. The change may force tour operators, ferry services, and other charter companies to adjust the capacity of their vessels or risk failing their next Coast Guard inspection.

* Vessel brings emergency fuel supplies to U.S. town * Tanker ploughs through two-feet-thick ice on 10-day voyage By Alissa de Carbonnel MOSCOW, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A Russian tanker escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard reached the frozen Alaskan port of Nome with emergency fuel supplies on Friday after a 10-day voyage through ice-choked seas, the Russian company that owns the vessel said. The mission to Nome is the first mid-winter marine delivery to western Alaska and comes as oil and gas development and climate change increase commercial traffic along trade routes in the Arctic. ... The Renda herself...

ASTORIA, Ore. -- A Coast Guardsman was being honored as a hero Monday for his efforts in saving a woman from drowning in the Columbia River in September. Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Doniphan, a cook aboard Cutter Alert in Astoria, had just finished his shift on Sept. 10 and was heading on to the pier when he noticed some commotion on the river's edge. It turned out, a young girl about 11- or 12-years-old, who had been swimming around the pilings under the dock, got caught in the river's current. Moments later, it was apparent she was about to...

Like showing disrespect and contempt for Americans in uniform. A femal member of the Coast Guard was harrassed and spit upon as she walked by the Occupy Boston demonstration. Fox news (MyFoxBoston.com) The Coast Guard in Boston confirmed that a woman in uniform was harassed and spat upon near Occupy Boston protesters. The woman was walking to the train and said protesters spit on her twice, called her foul names and even threw a water bottle at her. Now, the Coast Guard is warning all staff working on Atlantic Avenue to avoid those protesters while in uniform. Devon Pendleton, a...

BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - The Coast Guard in Boston confirmed that a woman in uniform was harassed and spat upon by Occupy Boston protesters. The woman was walking to the train and said protesters spit on her twice, called her foul names and even threw a water bottle at her. Now, the Coast Guard is warning all staff working on Atlantic Avenue to avoid those protesters while in uniform.

Coast Guard set port condition Zulu for Port of Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA — The Captain of the Port for Philadelphia set port condition Zulu for all commercial waterways effective 4 p.m. Saturday in preparation for Hurricane Irene. Gale force winds are expected within 12 hours. 1. All cargo and bunker handling operations must cease at this time.2. A safety zone has been established, prohibiting vessel movement and activities unless specifically authorized by the COTP.3. All commercial vessel and barge operators who have received permission from the Captain of the Port to remain in port must be at their mooring site...

The United States Coast Guard was established August 4, 1790. United States Coast Guard Tribute "Semper Paratus"

The sheer clumsiness of the mission almost sounds like the makings of the screwball comedy. A Nazi submarine mission to the United States during World War II that aimed to unleash a wave of terror ended in farce after being hit by a series of disasters, newly released files showed on Monday. The Germans planned to bomb roads, railways and factories on "Operation Pastorius" in June 1942, according to the files from Britain's MI5 domestic intelligence agency. But even before it got under way the plot descended into a farce worthy of a comedy film. One of the saboteurs, Herbert...

NEW ORLEANS -- The Coast Guard says a miles-long patch of discolored goop floating in the Gulf of Mexico appears to be caused by river sediment. The Coast Guard tested the patch Sunday and found only trace amounts of petroleum that were well below the state of Louisiana's standard for clean water. A news release says The Coast Guard believes the discoloration is the result of sediments brought down the Mississippi River.

History rates as losers those leaders who fail to deal with big problems. Consider the Iranian Revolution. President Carter fretted about the turmoil as protesters took to the streets of Tehran, writing in his diary, "The situation in Iran varies from bad to terrible." Still, it was just one of many issues on his plate. In fact, Carter spent far more time on normalizing relations with China and arms talk with the Soviets. Days later, he even penned hopefully, "[Khomeini] indicated he might return to Iran and would be receptive to friendship with the U.S."

MORE THAN 335 MILES OFF THE COAST OF COSTA RICA - A boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett pulled up alongside the 35-foot-long submarine and tried to hail the crew in both English and Spanish. ... The Midgett took the four sub crewmembers onboard the cutter. The men told the Coast Guard the vessel was from Colombia - and the purpose of their voyage was to transport cocaine. The next morning, the Coast Guard boarded the vessel and found 300 bales of what was later determined to be cocaine - 6,000 kilograms in all. All in a day's...

NEW ORLEANS, (AP) -- The Coast Guard admiral overseeing cleanup of the BP oil spill says extensive sampling of the Gulf of Mexico seafloor has found oil in quantities too small to merit collection. The Coast Guard's findings — to be released in a report Friday — are in contrast to reports from independent scientists who say oil has extensively damaged the seafloor. "We are not finding any recoverable amounts of oil," Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft told The Associated Press. "We are finding traces of oil."

“I think we've got every service here tonight,” Obama said at Bagram Air Base. He then called on the branches as their members cheered: “We’ve got Army. We’ve got Navy. We’ve got Air Force. I think we may have a few Marines around, too.” Obama continued, “And a whole lot of folks from the 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles.” Moving to his remarks, Obama said, “Now, here in Afghanistan ...” Then, someone in the crowd shouted out, “Coast Guard!”

Prince William County police and the FBI responded to shots fired at a Coast Guard recruiting center in Woodbridge, Virginia Tuesday morning, the latest in a series of five non-lethal shootings at military related facilities in the Washington D.C. area. So far the FBI has concluded three of the shootings are connected, saying last Thursday ballistic evidence shows the same weapon was used during shootings at the Pentagon, the Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, Virginia, and a Marine Corps recruiting station in Chantilly, Virginia. More testing is underway to determine if that same gun was used at today's shooting, and...

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) — Police in northern Virginia say shots were fired overnight at a Coast Guard recruiting station, the latest case of someone shooting at military buildings in the DC area. Prince William County police say they're investigating multiple bullet holes at the building.

All right... all you guys... listen up! I just got off the phone with Sarah Palin. She is coming to Orlando for a big Victory 2010 rally.... and she has invited all vets to attend for free! That's right, she wants all us current and former Grunts, Squids, Blue suiters, Marines, and Coasties to be her special guests this Saturday, October 23d. The event is at the Marriott World Center near Walt Disney World. Admission is normally as much as $90 for this Victory 2010 fundraiser, with all the profits going to ensure a strong Conservative victory this year! If...

Kristin Ruggiero of New Hampshire figured it would be a slam dunk. The gambit worked like a charm during the divorce hearing; now she would bring the case to criminal court. Her husband Jeffrey, an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, was an incorrigible batterer, at least that’s what she led to the judge to believe. That got him convicted of criminal threatening, and she won custody of their 7-year-old daughter. But Kristin Ruggiero wasn’t finished. One day, the woman bragged to her startled ex, “I took all your money, I took your daughter, and now I’m going to take...

Kristin Ruggiero of New Hampshire figured it would be a slam dunk. The gambit worked like a charm during the divorce hearing; now she would bring the case to criminal court. Her husband Jeffrey, an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, was an incorrigible batterer, at least that’s what she led to the judge to believe. That got him convicted of criminal threatening, and she won custody of their 7-year-old daughter. But Kristin Ruggiero wasn’t finished. One day, the woman bragged to her startled ex, “I took all your money, I took your daughter, and now I’m going to take...

A small plane carrying four people, including three park rangers, is missing in southwest Alaska. A Coast Guard HC-130 crew is among searchers looking for the Dehavilland Beaver between Swikshak Lagoon and King Salmon, about 285 miles southwest of Anchorage.

MARSHALL - Due to higher than acceptable levels of Benzene in the air, the Calhoun County Health Department is recommending the immediate evacuation of the residents who live on, in, and around the Kalamazoo River Oil Spill. This area has approximately 30 to 50 homes North and Northwest of the spill site. Benzene is a chemically commonly found in crude oil. According to the health department, It is a colorless, or light-yellow liquid at room temperature. It has a sweet odor, and is highly flammable. People who breathe it in may develop drowsiness, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, headaches, tremors, confusion or...

The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!”...

With the massive amount of US military on the way to Costa Rica, has our country rolled over and now admitted that it has lost control of the trafficking of drugs, money laundering and crime in general? Ever since I can remember Costa Rica has said, “If ever invaded, it´s neighbors would come to its rescue.” In times past that referred to Venezuela, but now we have Chavez and….well that´s another 100 pesos. The new friendly neighbor must be the United States who is sending 46 war ships, 200 helicopters and 7,000 Marines to rescue us from invading drug cartels,...

Perhaps it is frustration, as expressed by Anderson Cooper, with the new White House rules inhibiting reports about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that is now causing a big crack in the Mainstream Media wall which until recently mostly avoided direct criticism of the Obama administration response. However that crack has now turned into a flood of surprising criticism coming from formerly friendly outlets such as the Associated Press. Read this amazing AP report and keep in mind that it is no longer just conservative sources that are harsh in their criticisms of the Obama Gulf oil containment efforts:...

NEW LONDON, Conn. — New recruits at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy are supposed to look straight ahead, but Rasheed Breland was able to glance at his classmates long enough to realize that many besides him were minorities. Swabs from racial and ethnic minority groups make up 24 percent of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy's Class of 2014 -- the second highest percentage in the school's history, surpassed only by one class that was a percentage point higher. The academy has been criticized for its lack of racial and ethnic diversity, with some in Congress attempting to bring the admissions...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-national-broadband-plan Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release March 16, 2010 Statement from the President on the National Broadband Plan America today is on the verge of a broadband-driven Internet era that will unleash innovation, create new jobs and industries, provide consumers with new powerful sources of information, enhance American safety and security, and connect communities in ways that strengthen our democracy. Just as past generations of Americans met the great infrastructure challenges of the day, such as building the Transcontinental...

Eight days ago, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ordered barges to begin vacuuming crude oil out of his state's oil-soaked waters. Today, against the governor's wishes, those barges sat idle, even as more oil flowed toward the Louisiana shore.

Gov. Bobby Jindal chastised the Coast Guard today for stopping eight barges equipped with vacuums to siphon oil for an unnecessary inspection Wednesday. "The last 24 hours have been incredibly frustrating," Jindal said at a news conference at Fort Jackson in Buras, following an aerial tour of oil-fighting efforts on the coast. Calling for "more urgency" in the federal government's response to the growing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, Jindal described how it took calls to the White House to clear the way for the barges to commence with cleaning up surface oil today. "Twenty-four hours were lost...

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. -- Extensive measures aimed at keeping the Gulf spill from penetrating Perdido Pass failed their first test early Wednesday as globs of hazardous oil rode a rising morning tide through the inlet and settled on beaches, bulkheads and grass beds in the city's inland water bodies. "I'm mad," Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon told about 500 of his constituents during a midday public forum. "I'm absolutely sick to my stomach." As slicks approached the pass overnight, city officials said they asked that heavy-duty boom strung across much of the pass be used to close off the inlet...

The 1991 spill into the Persian Gulf, which began on January 21, was purposely caused by the Iraqis in order to delay or prevent a threatened US-led invasion of Kuwait, including possible landings by US Marines. On February 23, American forces, including the 1st Marine Division, 2nd Marine Division, the 1st Light Armored Infantry, overran Iraqi defenses quickly, but expressed shock at the extent of the environmental disaster surrounding them. The US lost 148 service members in combat, 458 were wounded in the First Gulf War which lasted from August 2, 1990, to February 28, 1991, when America and its...

It's been a big week for Coast Guard Cmdr. Thad Allen, who is in charge of overseeing the federal response to the BP oil leak. This morning, he announced that BP's "top kill" is working, halting the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico since last month's Deepwater Horizon explosion. But earlier in the week, with far less media attention, Allen, 61, stepped down from his position as Commandant of the Coast Guard, the highest position in that branch of the military. He had plans to retire soon after being relieved of command, but was instead tapped to run...

""This video was shot by the local parish government in South Pass. When we [CBS] tried to reach the beach covered in oil, a boat with BP contractors with two Coast Guard officers on board told us to turn around under threat of arrest. "This is BP's rules, not ours." We spoke to Coast Guard officials today. They say that they are looking into it.""

When it comes to dealing with incidents in and around New Orleans, it appears there's only one man for the job: Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen. Allen, of course, was the go-to guy in the Hurricane Katrina response after the initial federal effort went awry. Now Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has tapped him to serve as "national incident commander" for the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He'll work with the Defense, Interior and Commerce departments, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies, to coordinate the response to the looming environmental disaster.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Coast Guard discovered Saturday that oil is leaking from the damaged well that fed a massive rig that exploded this week off Louisiana's coast, while bad weather halted efforts to clean up the mess that threatens the area's fragile marine ecosystem. As recently as Friday, the Coast Guard said no oil appeared to escaping from the well head on the ocean floor. Rear Adm. Mary Landry said the leak was a new discovery but could have begun when the rig sank on Thursday, two days after the initial explosion. "This is a very serious spill,...

President Barack Obama's pick to lead the Coast Guard wants to make major cuts to the agency's counterterrorism mission over the next five years

I just read an article on Huff Po (Save the Coasties) that their budget is getting cut and they will ahve to cut staff. (I could'nt post the link). My daughter says her DH was told about this and the guys that want to re-up might not be able to. But Acorn gets $4 Billion?

Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday he will ask Boston’s lawyers to see whether the city can block Yemeni tankers from delivering liquefied natural gas into Boston Harbor, calling such deliveries “wrong.’’ “We’re in extraordinary times that call for extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of our city,’’ the mayor said in an interview. “They cannot be coming into a harbor like Boston, where there is less than 50 feet between the tankers and residential areas.’ -snip- The Globe reported yesterday that shipments of liquefied natural gas from Yemen are scheduled to arrive for the first time in Boston as...

2000 x 1330 pixels, 3005 x 2000 pixels, 4256 x 2832 pixels  2000 x 1330 pixels, 3005 x 2000 pixels, 4256 x 2832 pixels  Photographer  Petty Officer 2nd Class Sondra-Kay Kneen, United States Coast Guard Via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-201001.htm (#1, #2)

Navy, Coast Guard deploying forces to Haiti NORFOLK Thousands of Hampton Roads sailors received orders this morning to prepare to deploy to Haiti as part of a massive U.S. effort to deliver humanitarian assistance in the wake of Tuesday’s devastating earthquake. At least four Norfolk-based ships are getting ready to leave for the impoverished country, said Ted Brown, a spokesman with Norfolk’s Fleet Forces Command. The amphibious assault ship Bataan, the guided missile cruiser Normandy and the dock landing ships Fort McHenry and Carter Hall will likely leave port by Friday, the Navy said. Expeditionary forces based at the Little...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/president-obama-signs-executive-order-establishing-council-governors Home • Briefing Room • Presidential Actions • Executive Orders The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release January 11, 2010 President Obama Signs Executive Order Establishing Council of Governors Executive Order will Strengthen Further Partnership Between the Federal and State and Local Governments to Better Protect Our Nation The President today signed an Executive Order (attached) establishing a Council of Governors to strengthen further the partnership between the Federal Government and State Governments to protect our Nation against all types of hazards. When appointed, the Council will be...

Eight years after the U.S. Coast Guard and the NAACP signed a voluntary agreement to work together to boost the number of African-Americans at its 1,000-cadet service academy, the annual enrollment and graduation figures for blacks remain in single digits. ... Under a House bill, sponsored by Oberstar and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the Coast Guard subcommittee chairman, members of Congress would nominate candidates for the academy. ... On a 385-11 vote last month, the House advanced the legislation to the Senate. The Coast Guard Academy historically has taken pride in viewing itself merit-based and choosing its applicants without regard...

A senior Coast Guard official removed earlier this year from his command position in Alaska is facing a long string of charges within the agency, including sodomy, indecent acts and conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman. The U.S. Coast Guard filed 31 violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice against Capt. Herbert Hamilton. It did not provide details of the alleged offenses, which also include fraud, adultery, indecent language and soliciting another to commit an offense.

Investigators are trying to determine why a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 airplane and a U.S. Marine Corps attack helicopter collided on Thursday night, likely killing nine crew members. Aircraft and ships are scouring the ocean off San Diego for any signs of survivors of the nighttime collision, but Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the crash likely killed both the plane's seven crew members and the two-person crew of the AH-1W Super Cobra helicopter.Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the crash occurred minutes after control of the C-130 was handed off from FAA controllers to military air controllers.

BreakingNews San Diego media: 9 missing after collision of Coast Guard C-130 and Marine Cobra helicopter off the SD coast. BNO News working to confirm.

MCALLEN - The U.S. Coast Guard patrols the coasts, and a limited stretch of the Rio Grande, but a bill in the works would change that. Congressman Henry Cuellar wants the coast guard to work out a plan that would help secure the 1200 miles of the river. It's aimed at addressing drug and human smuggling along the river. Right now, the river is only patrolled by local law enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. The bill is called the Coast Guard Authorization Act.

Here is video of CNN's Jean Meserve explaining how they mistook a Coast Guard Training Exercise on the Potomac River in Washington D.C. today, for a real live-fire incident. Meserve explained they heard audio from the Coast Guard saying "10 rounds have been expended." There were boats on the river that appeared to be trying to evade the Coast Guard as well. Eventually, they got the word from the Coast Guard that it was a training exercise and no rounds had ever been fired. With the exercise coming on September 11, it caused quite a stir for about half an...

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs chastised CNN Friday morning for its reporting on a Coast Guard training exercise on ... ... the Potomac River, which suggested a security incident was in progress in the nation's capital. "Before we report things like this, checking would be good," Gibbs said. Responding directly to a CNN reporter's question about whether the public should have been notified about a training exercise, Gibbs was harshly sarcastic: "If anybody was unnecessarily alarmed based on erroneous reporting that denoted that shots had been fired, I think everybody is apologetic about that." When another journalist noted that...

The United States Coast Guard called this morning's confusion a "routine exercise."

The initial reports were frightening, the Coast Guard fires shots at a rogue boat in the middle of the Potomac River, just before the President drives by, and right near the Pentagon building on the Anniversary of 9/11. The follow-up provoked anger---it was just a training mission:

USA Today: CNN broadcasts what it says is audio of the Coast Guard apparently speaking to a suspicious boat. The Coast Guard speaker is heard saying; "Slow down or you will be fired on."

In an incident that sparked a brief panic on the same day mourners marked the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Coast Guard was conducting a training exercise in the Potomac River moments before President Obama and his motorcade crossed a nearby bridge.