WHO: Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans and Coast Guard Station New Orleans.

WHAT: Search-and-rescue demonstration and boating safety expo.

WHEN: May 26, 2012 at 1 p.m.

WHERE: Cabela's, located at 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway, Gonzales, La., 70737.

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard will conduct a search-and-rescue demonstration over the Cabela's parking lot for National Safe Boating Week, Saturday.

An Air Station New Orleans MH-65C Dolphin helicopter and crew will conduct a hoist-basket deployment above the parking lot, and a Station New Orleans response boat and crew will be present and will have on hand an array of search and rescue equipment.

The Coast Guard will be available to the public to discuss various types of equipment such as life jackets, flares, Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons and other devices essential for safe boating.

Editor's note: Media interested in attending the event are advised to arrive 15 minutes prior to start time.

PITTSBURGH — The Coast Guard Captain of the Port Pittsburgh will establish a safety zone from mile marker .4 to mile marker .6 on the Allegheny River, Saturday, for a fireworks display sponsored by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Navigation will be restricted the entire width of the river from mile marker .4 to mile marker .6. The safety zone will be enforced from 9 p.m. until approximately 11:30 p.m.

Persons and vessels shall not enter into, depart from, or move within this safety zone unless specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port Pittsburgh or a designated representative. A Coast Guard patrol commander will be on scene and available on VHF-FM Channel 16.

Questions concerning this matter should be directed to Chief Petty Officer Chris Blank at 412-644-5808 ext. 2504 during normal working hours between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. After normal working hours, contact Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh duty officer at 412-670-4288. All concerned traffic can contact the Coast Guard the day of the event on VHF-FM Channel 16.

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard kicked off the start of National Safe Boating Week, Friday, with Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day at many of its units in downtown.

National Safe Boating Week, which takes place May 19-25, 2012, is an initiative aimed at improving boater behavior through education, awareness and training to make recreational boating a safe and enjoyable experience by reducing boating accidents.

As part of the "Wear It" campaign, the 8th Coast Guard District and its units are taking part in donning life jackets for Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day. The campaign encourages all boaters to wear a properly-fitted personal floatation device when out on the water.

Saturday is the "Ready, Set, Wear It!"  event. In 2011, the event recorded 1,685 participants at 99 events worldwide, which involved the wearing of 1,191 inflatable life jackets and 494 inherently-buoyant life jackets.

Throughout NSBW, the Coast Guard Auxiliary will offer safe-boating classes and free vessel safety checks. To find the location of the nearest Auxiliary flotilla and a schedule of safe-boating classes, please visit their Web site at www.cgaux.org.

In 2010, the Coast Guard counted 4,604 accidents that involved 672 deaths, 3,153 injuries and approximately $35.5 million damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents. Approximately 75 percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, 88 percent were not reported as wearing a life jacket.

Overall, according to recreational boating statistics for 2010, operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed and alcohol rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.

"National Safe Boating Week, and specifically the Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day is a great opportunity for the professionals in the Coast Guard to help people understand the importance of always wearing a life jacket when on a boat -- any type of boat," said Ed Huntsman, recreational boating safety specialist for the 8th district. "By explaining how an inflatable life jacket works, it's important to always read the label inside any life jacket to make sure it’s the best one for the intended wearer's activity. And ALWAYS make sure your life jacket is Coast Guard approved."

In addition to wearing life jackets, the Coast Guard encourages all boaters to file a float plan with a friend or family, have distress signalling devices and check weather conditions prior to embarking on a trip.

Who: Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources

What: Safe boating event

When: May 19, 2012, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Cabela's @ One Cabela Drive, Triadelphia, W. Va., 26059

WHEELING, W. Va. — Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources will be conducting a safe boating event at Cabela's, May 19, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Coast Guard will have a static display of a 25-foot Defender Class Response Boat and will be providing information on how to stay safe on the water as a way to kick off National Safe Boating Week.

In 2010, almost 500 people died nationwide from drowning in boating-related accidents. As much as 80 percent of these fatalities are due to the misuse or absence of life jackets.

“We intend to educate as many boaters as possible about the importance of boating safely,” says Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeff Johnston, a boatswain's mate with Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh. "Boaters are encouraged to learn how to safely operate their vessels through courses offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary."

Auxiliary volunteers will hold a "Ready-Set-Inflate" demonstration in Cabela's Marine Department at 1 p.m. to emphasize the importance of properly inflating and using life jackets. Auxiliarists will also have public education presentations on boating safety in front of the store. In addition, the Auxiliary's Safety Boat Robot, Coastie, is scheduled to make an appearance to teach children about being safe on and near the water.

Questions concerning this matter should be directed to Lt. j.g. Alyssa McDonald at 412-644-5808 ext. 2121 during normal working hours between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

Scan this QR code to access a Coast Guard approved float plan.

PITTSBURGH — The Coast Guard is scheduled to commence the second phase of the Towing Vessel Bridging Program, July 1, 2012, conducting prioritized examinations aboard towing vessels that have not undergone voluntary examination during the first phase.

The initial phase, “Phase One”, has been ongoing for the last three years, allowing towing vessel operators the opportunity to request examinations from the Coast Guard to help identify and remediate potential hazards on board their vessels and achieve compliance with regulatory standards.

The Towing Vessel Bridging Program, currently ongoing, is designed to improve maritime safety, security and environmental responsibility within the towing vessel industry by conducting voluntary examinations on commercial towing vessels. A major intent of the program is to prepare the towing vessel industry for routine inspections which will eventually be conducted under new regulations being created to improve vessel safety.

Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh towing vessel examiners have conducted voluntary examinations on more than 130 towing vessels to date, issuing a total of 119 safety decals.  These towing vessel decals signify the vessels are in compliance with current regulations. Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh's goal is to examine all 175 commercial towing vessels primarily operating within the greater Pittsburgh area.

“It’s great to meet and work with the crewmembers in person, and to let them know that we’re here to help them prevent accidents and improve overall safety,” said Petty Officer Third Class David McVay, a towing vessel examiner for MSU Pittsburgh, who examines vessels in Penn., Ohio, and W. Va., encompassing 328 miles of rivers including the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny. “Sometimes there’s a little apprehension about having the Coast Guard come aboard, but we’re here to help, not to impede on commerce or stop vessel traffic."

The program will be shifting into Phase Two on July 1 and will incorporate examinations that are designed to address vessels that have yet to participate in the voluntary examination program. Vessels will be strategically prioritized and examined by the Coast Guard to ensure every vessel and operator has the opportunity to engage with the Coast Guard before the new inspection regulations come into effect.

These changes to inspection standards for the towing vessel industry are structured to improve the safety of towing vessel operations, not only in Pittsburgh, but throughout the nation’s waterways.

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard medevaced a 74-year-old man from a cruise ship at the Boothville Anchorage, near Venice, Sunday, on the Mississippi River.

Rescued was William Weaver.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at approximately 8:30 p.m. that a passenger aboard the cruise ship Carnival Conquest was suffering from shortness of breath.

Coast Guard Station Venice launched a 25-foot Response Boat - Small and crew to the scene where the crew successfully transferred Weaver from the vessel and transported him to awaiting emergency medical services at the local pier.

“The efficient and effective response by Station Venice can be contributed to the training evolutions these crews participate in 24/7, 365,” said Lt.j.g. Sharon Mezulis, a watchstander at Sector New Orleans. “The basic qualities the nation expects in a first responder – speed, adaptability, reliability, integrity and skill – are part of our organizational DNA and ingrained in our operations.”

Weaver’s condition is unknown.

“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” What Dwight D. Eisenhower meant by these simple words is that plans are only as good as the planning that goes into them. The future can be an intimidating thing to think about, especially when you’re a young man or woman coming out of high school. How do you begin prepare yourself for a new environment and responsibilities?

One day a week, each semester, each school year for the past three years, Coast Guardsmen from ATC have worked with the ROTC to offer a class in ASVAB and standardized test preparation to schools in the Mobile area. Over the course of those three years, they’ve helped approximately 540 kids come closer to their potential, while also exposing them to the type of values that can only come from the military. 

On May 4, 2012, the instructors, students and program managers for the student training initiative shared a meal at the Coast Guard training center, celebrating the third year of knowledge sharing and relationship building.

“It was a great marriage from the beginning,” said Lt. Col. Robert Barrow (Ret.), ROTC instructor with Leflore High School. “These kids view the Coast Guard as their family. For the past three years, I can’t think of a better program and involvement with the community than the relationships that these Coast Guardsmen have fostered with the students.”

Enlisted and commissioned officers, alike, have given their time to support this one-of-a-kind program in increasing volume over the last three years. According to Petty Officer 1^st Class James Nakamoto, participation in the program has never been an issue.

“We’re growing in numbers every year,” said Nakamoto. “The more the active duty members here on base hear about program, the more they see we’re involved with it, the more people who want to come join up with us.”

Nakamoto has been with the initiative since it was originally introduced in 2009. During that time, he’s stepped in for instructors that couldn’t make it and been the general go-to-guy for the program. It wasn’t a surprise to anyone, then, that he was elected to head up the fourth year of ASVAB training, handing him, what Nakamoto calls “the golden reigns.”

The instructors strive to remain objective, not pushing their students in one direction over another. With a background that involves both collegiate efforts and military service, Nakamoto is uniquely qualified to advise his students regardless what they decide.

“I’m an Army brat,” said Nakamoto. “I grew up in the Army. I know the environment that they’re going to be going into and I want to share that with them. If they decide to join the military, if they go to college, I’ve been to college. I have some understanding of what they’re getting into when they get there. I know what to expect. It’s not an easy transition, whatever they choose.”

But, before the students can take that step into the future, they must survive the present.

“Many of these kids live in, what might be considered, dysfunctional environments,” said Barrow. “With this program, the kids are able to see that there are different and better ways to conduct your self. That’s the most important thing. By seeing that, it causes a different way that they approach their schoolwork, the way they treat each other and the way they treat their family at home.”

The “dysfunctional environments” stated by Lt. Col. Barrow were on full display March 15, 2012, when three young men snuck into Leflore High School wearing the school colors and opened fire on a student. Fortunately, no one was injured, although 30 students were caused to flee and the school was put on lock down.

Most people probably couldn’t relate to such an incomprehensible act of violence, but to Nakamoto, there was something eerily familiar about it. 

“My home is, Fayetteville, N.C. The neighborhood I grew up in was just like Pritchard,” said Nakamoto. “I rolled into Pritchard and I literally thought I was going to turn a corner and see my house. So, the environment that they’re growing up in, it’s familiar to me. The school they’re going to is just like the one I went to. They’re environment is something I’m use to and the things they’re experiencing, I’ve experienced, unfortunately, many times, myself.”

Having come from an environment similar to Pritchard, Nakamoto knows the importance of having an outlet for emotions that might not otherwise have one. So, he and the other Coast Guard instructors took action.

“I asked if we could have a special session with students. No ASVAB, no math, no English, let’s just talk about what happened,” said Nakamoto. “That class was the most active class we had. The interactions between the teachers and students was very emotional, very open.”

“They talked to us about it and they had the same attitude that I’d expect, considering I grew up in that environment. It’s part of life. It’s something they hear and see everyday and it’s not easy. It never gets easier, but they’ve learned to cope with it. It’s an unfortunate situation they have to deal with and we help were we can.”

Having been associated with the program for all three years he’s been stationed in Mobile and having dedicated his last year at the training center to leading the education efforts, Nakamoto has invested a lot of himself in future of these students. At the end of the day there’s just one thing he wants back:

“Just seeing them graduate is reward enough,” said Nakamoto.

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CARLYLE, Ill. — The Coast Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hosted the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Outreach Program, Tuesday, on Carlyle Lake.

Thirty-four students from Madison Accelerated High School, traveled to Carlyle Lake to try their hand at fishing, canoeing, boating, and geocaching as a culmination to this year’s STEM Outreach Program hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis District and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River.

The students also learned critical survival skills and the do’s and don’ts of exercise and fitness. For many of the students, the day marked their first time experiencing several of the events.

“The excitement the students brought to our STEM events this year has been amazing,” said Chief Warrant Officer Brandon Hansen, inspector for Sector UMR. “It was a great way to end the year with new and exciting activities for them.”

The students have participated in the joint outreach program for the last eight months, welcoming members from the Corps and Coast Guard into the classroom to lead hands-on activities that enhanced the science, engineering and math concepts specific to school’s geographic location.

Located in the Metro East, the school’s close proximity to the Mississippi River, the third largest watershed in the world, made the federal partnership’s mission dual-fold.

Partners on the river, the two organizations also worked to educate the students on the importance of sustaining the watershed and the navigation channel, which brings more than 58 million tons of cargo between Minneapolis-St. Paul and St. Louis every year.

Through the outreach program, the students had the opportunity to build and better understand structures such as levees, river training structures, watercraft and building designs, and understand the concepts of buoyancy, environmental stewardship, naval architecture and mechanical engineering. The students also toured the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team, response boats house, and the Corps’ Applied River Engineering Center and Melvin Price Lock and Dam.

Educating students in STEM-related concepts and career fields is a passion held by both the Corps and Coast Guard commanders.

“As an engineer, I know how important science, technology, engineering and math are to the development of our country,” Col. Chris Hall, St. Louis District commander, said. “They are critical to our future.”

For more information contact Colin Fogarty with the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River at 314-269-2546.

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