We are at the time of the year when the boating season start winding down. If you are part of operations you know there are a lot more boats on the water, than there are boaters. This article has just a few things those of us in operations see every year.

July 4th is hot, and not just

hot but hot, hot!! It is when you go out the door and hit a wall of humidity with 96 degrees temperatures that feels like 105 and no wind. You know what I am talking about. We live in the middle of the United States. District 8 Eastern was predicted to have one of the hottest summers on record, and of course, HUMIDITY.

You have orders for a M.O.M patrol(Maritime Observation Mission). This could be the busiest day for such a mission.

By Geri McKee ADSO-PBYour 21-foot open bow boat is dressed, in the water, and ready to go. Your banners, fl ags, equipment, snacks and Oh yea; your crew are all on board. The gang has come

up with a Medium / Medium on the GAR, you called Sector to offi cially start the patrol. You are underway, on the water ready for the public to show you their common sense, yes, I said common sense.

Your mission is on Kentucky Lake between mile markers 29 and 30 near the Pisgah Bay Rock Quarry, the party spot on the lake. Now remember only a small percentage of the boating public have actually taken a safe boating course, which means they do not even know the basics, like what the red and green markers mean, (they tell you where the channel is).

The Maritime Observation Mission / (MOM) Patrol

Fa l l 2 0 1 8

District Eight Eastern Region

Maritime Observation Missionpage 1

Commodore’s Messagepage 2

Representing the Coast Guard page 3

Music City Triathlon River Closurepage 4

3 Star for Excellence in Diversitypage 7

The Brown Water Auxiliarypage 11

Crazy Cardboard Regattapage 13

Continued on page 9

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MESSAGE FROM THE

Commodore

DNACO-AW ( Elect )Randy Ventress

I was awakened this morning by Natures’ alarm clock, an early morning thunderstormmoving through. As I mentally debated with myself, whether to roll over and go back to sleep or get up and get my day started, another thunderclap boomed, ending the debate. While shaking the cobwebs out and waiting on the coffee maker to do its magic, listening to the rain falling reminded me of the potential for severe weather, fl ooding and possible tornado activity. Already we have had severe fl ooding along the Ohio River, and localized fl oodingin many areas.

The memory of ourhurricane outbreaklate last year is stillfresh on many ofour minds. For ourinland areas, there was not much more than a wind and rain event from the storms,however the impact on the coastal areas was far greater.

As you may have heard me mention since last year, there were many lessons learned from the disasters, both from the Coast Guard point of view and from the Auxiliary side as well.

One lesson learned by both parts of our “One Team” is the need of Auxiliary supportfor the Coast Guard when a major disasterstrikes. From this came the realization that Incident Management training and Incident Command type qualifi cations are needed for the Auxiliary. In December 2017 District Eight, Eastern Region had

ARE WE READY?seven of our membersattend the Coast GuardICS-300 class in Louisville, Kentucky, at their own expense. At our Spring DTRAIN this year, Fritz Wasco, DSO-IM rolled out training for ICS Staff qualifi cations and we plan to have him return again for our Fall DTRAIN. Since then we have had members in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area as well as the Louisville, Kentucky area take specialized ICS training. Three more of our members took training at MSD Nashville to becomeICS Staff Qualifi ed. While some may be ableto deploy to a Command Center for a majorevent, there is a serious need for our members to backfi ll at some of our Marine Safety Units and Marine Safety Detachments,as well as the possibility of working at Sector. Many of our Coast Guard units deploy personnel for major events and there is a need for someone to support the unit in many areas when they do. Our Auxiliary Unit Coordinators (AUCs), under the supervision of Commodore Rick Schal, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator (ASC) should be talking to their respective stations and refi ne a plan for backfi ll when needed.

We have a lot that we can be doing in our home areas to prepare our membership and have a plan in case of an event.

“We have opportunities to step up and support the

Coast Guard in ways that we have never had before”

Continued on page 6

Continued on page 6

EDITORIAL STAFF

CONTRIBUTORS

Curt PrattDSO - PBDivision 18

Bill SmithDSO - PADivision 12

Randy Ventress, DNACO-AW ElectWendy McAdamsD. Keith Johnson, PA3Gerlinde Higginbotham DSO-DV Rosemary Halldorsson

Diane GilmanADSO - PBDistrict LiaisonDivision 11

Geri McKeeADSO - PBDivision 8

David LynchADSO - PBDivision 7

On Facebook? You can follow the Eighth District Eastern Region at U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Eighth Eastern Region or follow us at @USCGAUX8ER1 on Twitter.

Ramon LlorensADSO - PBDivision 11

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Representing The Coast GuardThrough the Coast Guard AuxiliaryBy Ramon Llorens, Jr. ADSO-PB

One of the responsibilities of the Auxiliary is to be a “Force Multiplier” for the Active Duty Coast Guard. We often associatethat mission with disaster response because it would seem that is where the action is. If you really want an eye opener, I would also suggest donning your Bravo’s to bolster the number of Coast Guard uniforms present at events surrounding MemorialDay, and other gatherings where the uniformed services are in-vited to partake. Believe me, this can be an emotionally draining assignment, but if you put yourself out there, you may just make some Coasties Day. Plus it is a great way to reach out locally es-tablishing the presence of the Coast Guard and Auxiliary where the average citizen might not know we exist.

Less than a week after D-Train in West Virginia, some of the men and women of District 8-ER were back on the road. This trip took them to Chattanooga Tennessee where they took part in an early Memorial Day celebration put on by the ChattanoogaArea Veterans Council.

District Commodore Randy Ventress posted this photo and commentary on Facebook which speaks volumes to us all.

Our own District Commodore Randy Ven-tress made his way to Indianapolis Indiana where they pay

Photographer Unknow

“I attended the Chattanooga Armed Forces Day Parade and Luncheon today and was humbled to be able to chat with Connan Crabb, a World War Two Navy Veteran”.

“Thank you for your Service Sir ”

Others who attended were Dave Roberts, Larry Carter, Chris Jones, Rosemary Halldorsson and Buell Noteboom. The CAVC chooses to highlight one branch of the armed services each year, this year was to give special recognition to the US Coast Guard which included some special fl oats and a fl y over by a

Music City Triathlon River Closure 07/21/18Story and Photos By Ramon Llorens, Jr. ADSO-PBStory

For the 10th year, this 40 year old triathlon was held in downtown Nashville. For our part, the Swim in the Cumberland River, was a point-to-point 300 meters for the sprint and a longer loop for the 1.5k Intermediate swim.

The swimmers entered the water at the east end of the boat docks below the Bridge building and would wade ashore at the old barge launching area in front of Nissan Stadium.

Eddie FerrellMusic City Triathlon 2018

Our Coxswain Bill Weeks and Crew which included Rosemary Halldorsson, Buell Noteboom and Ramon Llorens mustered at 6 AM. We put the Cobia in at the launch ramp on the end of McGavock Pike, went over our checklists and orientation of the boat and covered the GAR 2.0 work-sheet. Although severe storms had rolled through Middle Tennessee over night and into the wee hours of the morning, the worst was over and we were a go with low risk.

Race offi cials had issued a special weather statement overnight and posted a slight adjustment to the start for the participants.

The complexity of the mission was a bit higher starting off, as this was still basically a night mission, but the sun began to come up as we got underway.

Part of being on the river and lakes on a consistant basis is getting to know the AOR. It would seem in anticipation of fl ood waters coming downstream Cheatham Lake was lowered about 5 feet overnight. This was apparent by the waterline and soft mud on the launch ramp and the fl oating dock coming down at a 60 degree angle. The most dangerous part of the mission was just get-ting to the boat down the gang plank which was more like a sliding board. We made it alright, but we tried sliding some

This was an interesting mission to say the least. Although the triathlon didn’t offi cially begin until 9:30 AM, Team Magic the race organizers wanted us on station at 7 AM which makes sense because they had to put the swim course markers out ahead of time and wouldnt want a boater to run through them.

5Continued on page 7

Bill Weeks at the helm of the Cobia heading down river on a somewhat chilly July morning.

The view from under the Seigenthaler Bridge, which may still appear on your charts as the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge.of our provisions down the ramp which

didnt work out so well for a couple of bottles of Gatorade. Luckily there was very little storm debris in the water, for us or the triathletes. It was a wonderful sight to see the sunrise from the Cumberland as we entered the city, a sight not often seen and a defi nite perk for being part of a Coast Guard Auxiliary Boat Crew. We tied up at the John Seigenthaler

Memorial Bridge and went ashore to take in the race atmosphere before taking our position on the river. Well, that and some of us were looking for coffee.

We were joined by a couple of other agencies who were on the water for the event including OEM, Metro Nashville Police, and Nashville Fire.

That is great city wide support, I am sure the race organizers loved having that much local buy in.

The storms threatened the events even happening, but as it turned out it brought unseasonably cool weather to the region which was perfect for the athletes. The water was a bit chilly, right at 78 degrees.

Note: For the swimmers this created a di-lemma, wetsuits may be worn and consid-ered legal by USA Triathlon up to and in-cluding a water temperature of 78°F. When the water temp is greater than 78°F, but less than 84°F, participants may wear a wetsuit at their own discretion. A wetsuit can give you an advantage of additional buoyancy which would be quite favorable in the fresh yet muddy waters of the Cumberland River. The disadvantage is it would take extra time to peel it off in the transitions from the swim to the bike. I didn’t see anyone in a wetsuit from our vantage point. On an additional note, the cutoff for wetsuit wear is 84°F because one can actually suffer heat related injuries swimming in such warm water in a wetsuit. I know of one instance where a swimmer died as a result of swimming in warm water and literally suffered a heat stroke because his core temperature became too high. Somthing to be aware of and watch out for when on regular safety patrols.

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Kilo Romeo

919

Photo by Ramon Llorens, Jr. ADSO-PB

Above: Rear Adm. Paul Thomas, commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, fl ew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans to Venice, LA., and then to Gulfport, MS to assess the damage from Hurricane Nate.Updating our accountability processes for our members in times of major emergencies.

While our Flotilla and Division leadership should have a plan in place to account for our members, our members are responsible as well to keep your leadership aware of your situation.

The Auxiliary has the attention of District Eight. Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, D-8 Commander has given the Auxiliary seats at his Commanders’ Conferences he holds with his senior leadership.

The three Commodores in District Eight have quarterly meetings with the Admiral and he listens to and is interested in what we have to say. Admiral Thomas has made the Auxiliary a part of “One Team” and he realizes our value.

We have opportunities to step up and support the Coast Guard in ways that we have never had before and I ask you all to think about and explore what you can and will do to keep us all -

Semper Paratus !

We have a lot that we can be doing in our home areas to prepare our

membership and have a plan in case of an event.

DVIDS photo by PO3 Brandon GilesDVIDS photo by PO3 Brandon Giles

MH-60 Jayhawk. Members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary joined with members of The Gold Side in a place of prominence on the reviewing stand where they were saluted by the passing parade participants. Never taking this for granted, I would like to offer a special thanks to the United States Coast Guard for allowing us the privelege of wearing this uniform.

Above L-R: Rosemary Halldorsson, Buell Noteboom,Larry Carter, Dave Roberts and Randy Ventress along with fi ve of the local active duty Coasties.

Right: Larry Carter shakes the hand of VADM Charles Ray, CG Deputy Commandant for Ops

Photos by Rosemary Halldorsson

Photographer Unknow

Left: The Coast Guard Color Guard Marching Right: Randy Ventress, Dave Roberts, Buell Noteboom and Larry Carterrevue the parade.

Photo by Rosemary Halldorsson

Are We Ready continued from page 2 Representing The Coast Guard continued from page 3

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Music City Triathlon River Closure continued from page 5

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We returned to The Cobia and motored up river to our designated position. Bill fi elded a couple of radio calls from local tow boat operators enquiring about the duration of the river closure. He spoke to the captain

of the Traci K, which would be the last boat allowed through for the next couple of hours. Then we were waved over by some guys loading a barge with scrap metaland asked what was going on. Even though they work on the river they either did not recieve or didn’t read the notice to mariners. But, that’s why Auxiliary was there.

The Triathlon swim portion went well and soon all of the swimmers were out of the water. Team Magic the race organizer has been providing athletes with high quality

multi-sport events in the southeast region since 1985. They seemed to have everthing in place on land, but the water game needed a little work. They only

It’s great to get out on the river, it’s quite peaceful, but we have an important job to do. Above: Rosemary Halldorson stands watch.

had a jet ski a few kayaks and some standuppaddle boards to monitor the racers. Once the swimming was done they relied on thoseof us with boats to help them retrieve the race markers which turned out to be quite a strenuous ordeal. The markers were

anchored by two cinder blocks on quarter inch nylon lines. It was hard to get a grip on them to hoist them back up to the surface. Watching Bill and Buell reminded me of Spencer Tracey in “The Old Man and the Sea”. They manged to haul out one of the markers and motored back to the dock. They thanked us and we bid them a fond adieu. Another successful Auxiliarymission was in the books.

NACO Three Star forExcellence in DiversityAward SubmissionsBy Gerlinde Higginbotham DSO-DV

Congratulations to those who submitted their NACO Three Star Award for Excellence in Diversity applications submitted for 2017 activity this past June.

They are Flotillas: 01-07; 07-05; 07-04 and 18-06. The applications will be reviewed by the Diversity National Commodores and National Executive Board. Awardees will be announced at NACON to be held in August.

“The NACO Three Star Award for Excellence in Diversity is an annual award intended to recognize Flotillas and Divisions for distinction in managing and valuing diversity.” You can view the application requirements by going to the following link:

http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=D-DEPT&category=diversity-excellence-award

Why is it important that the Auxiliary work harder to become more diverse and inclusive? “Over a third of today’s workforce — more than 56 million people — is of the millennial and post-millennial generation, or Generation Z. By 2025, this group will make up nearly 75% of the workforce, and will be a culturally diverse population”, as quoted by Forbes Human Resource Council. Once we wrap our heads around these numbers, it makes sense that this group can impact the Auxiliary’s future.

Diversity and inclusion is all about creatingshared values, embracing our different backgrounds and by working together for a common mission, taking one small step ata time. If the Coast Guard Auxiliary is to besuccessful we must embrace tomorrow’s potential members and be ready to harness their positive and creative energy into executable actions in alignment with

our strategic goals. In 2017, I was hired by The Center of Science & Industry (COSI) to manage their Corporate Volunteer Experiences and recruit Adult Volunteers for their museum. In addition to recruiting new adult volunteers I have endeavored to work with the executive leadership to open up more areas in the museum for adults to be able to volunteer. Two-thirds of the museum’s 600 volunteers are teens rangingin age between 14 to 18 years of age, the majority of their adult volunteers have aged out and retired a second time. Yes, the museum has the same issues that has affected the Auxiliary!

My outreach efforts with new organizationsand new communities in Columbus are paying off, a third of the recruits represent young college graduates, looking to improvetheir soft skills and build their professional development. Another third of the recruits are new to Columbus, or New Americans looking to network and build a friend base; another third are recent retirees, looking to give back, or rebuilding their resumes with new professional experiences and building a new social network. The recurring theme that I hear most often is “it has to be an organization with energy and they want to meet people with different backgrounds and experiences”.

As the Auxiliary looks to increase its membership, one of the themes I hear, “new members are not boaters and thereforeit will not be a positive experience for themor us”. One of things I learned from my current assignment at the museum, very few of the recruits have science backgroundsbut they bring a desire to learn and con-

p

Continued on page 14

While on patrol it is mostly quiet, but every once in a while a boat crew will see things that make them scratch their heads. Such as in this photo, two boats going very fast just missing each other. Oh my!

Or an overloaded pontoon boat. There are so many teenagers on this boat it is sinking, and they left the dock like that. I wonder what dad said when they got home. You Really cannot make this stuff up!

Photo Courtesy of the Lumina News, Wrightsville Beach, NC

So, what is a MOM Patrol really like? It is a lot of sitting on the boat as the look out. Talking with your ship mates, observing and cringing at some of the things you see. You wonder why you need a driver license to drive a car, yet you don’t need to take a single class to operate a boat with no brakes,no turn signals and no lines on the road.. Most boaters get on the water not meaning to do anything dangerous; they just never took the time to know better. Now if a family wants to have fun for just the holiday week-end on Kentucky Lake there are a lot

of rental boats available. For a fee anyone can watch a short video get on a boat and yes, you’re on the water operating a boat, with no brakes.

Back to the patrol, one of the most commonquestions a rental boater asks you while on patrol is; “How do I get back to where I rented this boat”. It is a good thing the rental marina’s put their name and phone number on the side of the boat, so we know which marina to send them back too. Today you are approached by a pontoon from Freddie’s Marina the operator hails you, he asked where is Freddie’s Marina? You answer; “you are in front of the cove, just go on in you will see it”. As you watch the boater go into the marina you rememberlast weekend’s patrol when you had to towa rental boat mile to the rental marina because they ran out of gas. Again, this is really what the Auxiliary patrols go through most of the time, help boaters who just do not know better.

There are times Coxswain or Crewman may think “why am I out here, for the laughs and stories”? We all know that is not true. Here is the summary of the 2017 Coast Guard Boating Statistics:

• In 2017, the Coast Guard counted 4,291 accidents that involved 658 deaths, 2,629 injuries and approximately

Photo by Geri McKeePhoto by Geri McKee

Photographer Unknow

Maritime Observation Mission continued from cover page

9

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$46 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents.

• The fatality rate was 5.5 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. This rate represents a 6.8% decrease from the 2016 fatality rate of 5.9 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.

• Compared to 2016,the number of accidents decreased 3.9%, the number of deaths decreased 6.1%,and the number of injuries decreased 9.4%.

• Where cause of death was known, 76%of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 84.5% were not wearinga life jacket.

• Where length was known, eight out of every ten boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length.

• Alcohol use is the leading known con-tributing factor in fatal boating accidents; where the primary cause was known, it waslisted as the leading factor in 19% of deaths.

• Where instruction was known, 81% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. Only 14% percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had receiveda nationally-approved boating safetyeducation certifi cate.

• There were 172 accidents in which at least one person was struck by a propeller.Collectively, these accidents resulted in 31 deaths and 162 injuries.

• Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, machinery failure, and alcohol use rank as the top fi ve primarycontributing factors in accidents.

• Where data was known, the most commonvessel types involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (46%), personalwatercraft (18%), and cabin motorboats (16%).

• Where data was known, the vessel types with the highest percentage of deaths were open motorboats (47%), kayaks (15%), andpersonal watercraft (7%).

• The 11,961,568 recreational vessels registeredby the states in 2017 represent a 0.84%

increase from last year when 11,861,811 recreational vessels were registered.

After reading these statistics we are makinga difference. Those taking a boating class alone prove we are helping keep boaters safe. So, remember them as you approach a run about and remind the mother her 3-year-old son should be wearing a life jacket, or when you talk to the teen age driver of a pontoon boat that his capacity is 10 persons not 26. Remember the fi shingboat that went aground because he did not know what the red and green markers are for.

Yes, you spend more time looking at near misses, or watching boats go past way too fast, even see them tied to a channel markeror fi shing close to the dam to mention just a few. Being on a M.O.M.’s patrol means you are saving lives.

Photo by Geri McKeePhoto by Geri McKee

Barges carrying everything from coal to hazardous materials on thenavigable rivers of the nation’s interior. Auxiliary aircraft help in tracking their whereabouts.

Specially adapted Coast Guard aids to navigation cutter Ouachita passing through a lock.

Photo by H William SmithPhoto by H William Smith

The Brown Water AuxiliaryWorking the Nations Rivers and LakesBy H William Smith, DSO-PA, District Eight Eastern Region

“U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary? I thought the Coast Guard is only on the coast.” Ask any U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist in District Eight - Western Rivers, Eighth - Eastern Region, or any other Auxiliary district where a majority of their area of response is in the interior of the country and they will say they have heard that more times than they can count.

During the Civil War the U.S. Navy was in effect two navies. There was the Blue WaterNavy and the Brown Water Navy. Both werenecessary and had their own missions, equipment and methods. Both were critical to the preservation of the union.

The U.S. Coast Guard is much the same more than 150 years later. There is the blue water Coast Guard which is tasked with protecting the nation’s coasts. There is also what is affectionately known by some as the brown water Coast Guard which protects the nation’s maritime commerce and recreational boaters on our interior rivers and lakes.

Both elements of the service take pride in their work and unique challenges. Auxiliarists, depending on their Flotilla’s location, do the same.

There are major differences, however. For many Flotillas inthe interior, the closest active duty station is hundreds of miles and several hours away. In many areas along the Ohio, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Cumberland, Hudson rivers and on larger lakes, the only Coast Guard presence the public sees is the Auxiliary. On the Atlantic,Pacifi c and Gulf coasts, the activeduty presence is much greater.

The tools, equipment and types of cutters used on rivers and lakes are often much different than equipment on the coast. A vast number of brown water cutters are small black-hulled craft that are specifi cally designed to work in the constricted wa-terways on rivers and lakes. These cutters, smaller vessels and the active duty personnelwho work them are scattered over thousandsof miles of rivers and lakes and are tasked with responding to a wide variety of incidents,cases and boating safety challenges.

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Photo by CWO Jon TracyPhoto by CWO Jon Tracy

Auxiliarists utilze personal watercraft to practice the rescue of a person in the water. Training for various emergencies ensures that we are Semper Paratus.

AuxAir members gather annually for their aviation training and safety workshop at the US Coast Guard Aviation Training Center, Mobile Alabama so they too will be “Semper Paratus”. l-r front: Peter Evans, Steve Campbell, James Howard, Raymond Rivera, Robert Spera, Nick McManus; back: Jay Huss, Clyde Miller, Jim Williamson, Bill Smith, Walker Fuqua, Michael McKay, Marco Lapenna, and Don Hunnicutt.

The Coast Guard oversees the removal of Stretch Duck 7 from Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, July 23, 2018. Missouri State Highway Patrol divers rigged the vessel, then a barge crane lifted it to the surface before it was towed to shore and loaded onto a fl atbed trailer for transport to a secure facility which members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary were involved in constructing.

12

The same is true of the Auxiliary. Facilitiesused on rivers and lakes range from a developing paddlecraft presence to personalwatercraft, pontoon boats and various typesof traditional fl at-bottomed and v-bottomedpowerboats. Most are of a size that would be unsuitable in the ocean but are well adapted to the rivers and lakes they serve.

Photo by Duncan WilkinsonPhoto by Duncan Wilkinson

Just like the brown water navy of 1865, the adaptation of local river and lake craft suits the needs of the service and the crews who operate them.

In much of the country’s interior the only Coast Guard aircraft are Auxiliary facilities, owned, piloted and crewed by Auxiliarists.

It is the AuxAir squadrons that do ice and fl ood patrols, keep tabs on barge traffi c and are the eyes of the Coast Guard when those eyes are particularly needed. When the Coast Guard is called, often it is local Auxiliary members who have an intimate knowledge of the area and are fi rst on the scene.

Photo by Lt. Paul WilliamsPhoto by Lt. Paul Williams

So, why is this important?

After the recent sinking of the duck boat on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri, an Auxiliary facility was the fi rst Coast Guard asset on the case. Auxiliarists were among the fi rst Coast Guard personnel to respond and were a critical part of the response. The fi rst facility on scene was a pontoon boat that was used throughout theensuing search and security mission and was actually seen in photographs nationally.

A wide variety of Auxiliary facilitiesand personnel took part in the operation and were critical to the Coast Guard’s mission. The Table Rock Lake tragedy is one time that local Auxiliary members would have preferred to never be called to duty. But, they were and responded to the call in a way that the entire Coast Guard Auxiliary can be proud of, Brown Water and Blue Water alike.

DVIDS photo by PO3 Lora RatliffDVIDS photo by PO3 Lora Ratliff

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist Heidi Voss paddles hardas she approaches the fi nish line, neck and neck withthe fi rst place boat at the Butler County MetroParks Crazy Cardboard Regatta.

Heidi Voss paddles hard at the start of her race.

Nedina Liesner adds some fi nishing touches to The GuardianPhoto by Keith Johnson

WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio – It was a tight race. A little wobble at the beginning,but the Guardian stayed close, all the way around the course. After coming around the fourth turn, it was neck and neck all the way to the fi nish. Alas, it was not to be.

Photo by PA3 D. Keith JohnsonPhoto by PA3 D. Keith Johnson

Photo by PA3 D. Keith JohnsonPhoto by PA3 D. Keith Johnson

Members of Coast Guard Auxiliary Division 5, based in Cincinnati, participated in the 9th Annual Crazy Cardboard Regatta, hostedby Butler County’s MetroParks at the Voice of America Park, July 14, 2018. Their entry was “The Guardian”, a miniature version of a Coast Guard cutter.

Heidi Voss, the paddler for the Guardian, participated in her fi rst cardboard regatta. “It was exhilarating! I was all primed and pumped,” she said. “Everybody here on the team was getting me all worked up,high-fi ving in huddles before the race. They dumped me in the water and I took off when the horn went.”

The Guardian fi nished .02 seconds behind the lead boat. “That guy had me in a bad spot,” said Voss. “When I made the turn, I couldn’t get around him. It was real exciting.”

This was the Division’s fi rst cardboard re-gatta. Wendy McAdams, the Public AffairsOffi cer for Division 5, heard about the Butler County regatta a few years ago, but could not drum up enough support. This time, she had a few volunteers.

“This was great exposure for the Auxiliary,” said McAdams, “but it was also great fun for us!” The boat building crew consisted of Bob Welch, Dick Mallon, McAdams, Nedina Liesner and Heidi Voss. “It went well for our fi rsteffort,” said Welch. “It was the fi rst time we built a cardboard boat. We didn’t give it a sea trial, so it was good to see it fl oat.” The Guardian won the Judges Choice Award for the best design.“I put in just a little timeon the building of theboat,” Voss said. “Putting the whole thing together was a wonderful team effort. The boat handled really well,” she added.

spot,” sa turn

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Auxiliarists participate inCrazy Cardboard Regattain Butler County, Ohio By PA3 D. Keith Johnson, Flotilla 82-05-01 Public Aff airs

Continued on page 14

“They did a great jobbuilding it!”

tribute to the growth of the organization they are volunteering with. New Americanshave the energy and the desire to be included. All of the new recruits I work with strive to help the organization be successful,and in return they gain personal satisfactionand professional growth.

The Flotillas that submitted their applicationsunderstand that by working with their HR, and PA offi cers, implementing new outreachactivities and events, they not only build their membership, but they enhance their unit’s visibility in the community.

By increasing visibility, volunteer recruits will apply, and we must be ready to accept their diversity and their new ideas. Just like the museum, reaching out to a more diverse population is a requirement, we will not exist in the future, if we do not.

The National Commodore’s Three Star Award for Diversity Excellence Overview.

Purpose: The NACO Three Star Award for Excellence in Diversity is an annual award intended to recognize Flotillas and Divisionsfor distinction in managing and valuing diversity. Units recommended to receive the award must complete a minimum of four action items in each goal category listed below:

Goal #1 – Create a Positive EnvironmentGoal #2 – Value all MembersGoal #3 - Promote Individual SuccessGoal #4 - Carry out Diverse Outreach Activities in the Community

How to apply for the Award:Flotilla Commanders are encouraged to complete the diversity application by iden-tifying that all tasks have been completed. The District Diversity Staff Offi cer should forward all recommendations to the Branch Chief-DV. There is no limit to the number of Flotillas or Divisions that a District may recommend to receive this award.

Submission Deadline: The Award application is to be submitted no later than June 30th of the year after the calendar year the criteria has been fulfi lled.

“Based on my observations and interactionswith the crowd, our participation in the regatta created a large positive responsein the community,” said Liesner. “People were able to not only learn who we are and what we do, but we’re able to have fun while doing it.” Liesner is the District 8-Eastern Region Coordinator for Auxiliary Paddle Craft Program. Liesner and Voss presented a paddle craft safety presentationfor regatta attendees.

Nedina Liesner and Heidi Voss present a paddle craftsafety presentation for regatta attendees at the Butler County MetroParks Crazy Cardboard Regatta.

Judges Choice Award for Best DesignPhoto by Wendy McAdams

Photo by PA3 D. Keith JohnsonPhoto by PA3 D. Keith Johnson

The Regatta attracted a multitude of boats, from the Guardian, a T-Rex boat, a Con-verse All-Star shoe boat, to simple card-board boxes with a painted logo. There were youth and adult categories for nine heats. Some of the boats sank at the start-ing line. Some made it away from the dock a short distance. Those that survived the races participated in a ‘soggy-bottom race’, a demolition derby on water at the end of the day. The Guardian did not participate in the demolition derby, as it was scheduled to race in the next cardboard regatta in New Richmond, Ohio, on August eightenth.It was a successful day for Division 5and the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

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Crazy Cardboard Regatta continued from page 13NACO 3 Star Diversity Award continued from page 8