Date: Dec. 31, 2009
Contact: 808-535-3230

***Video available***
14th Coast Guard District 2009 year in review

HONOLULU — It was a busy year for the men and women of the 14th Coast Guard District. With more than 12.2 million square miles to safeguard, each member of Team Coast Guard -- active duty, Reserve, Auxiliary and civilian -- all worked hard to fulfill the roles and missions of Maritime Safety, Security, and Stewardship throughout the district's area of responsibility.

Here’s a brief look back at some of the many accomplishments of the 14th Coast Guard District in 2009:

January

-- A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew rescued a Lanai free diver.

"This was a great example of a quick response to a quick call for help," said Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Jared Friedman-Torres, a search and rescue controller in Honolulu who planned the search.

--The 14th District's Incident Management Division made an early push for Transportation Workers Identification Credential compliance.

"All our ports here in Hawaii got off to a great start," said Capt. Barry Compagnoni, the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Honolulu.

--The 14th District promoted the switch to the digital Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, which will improve search and rescue capabilities.

"This transition will reduce the number of false distress alerts and allow search and rescue resources to give real alerts the attention they deserve," said Lt. Danielle Renoud, a search and rescue coordinator stationed at the district's Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu.

--Crewmembers from Maritime Safety and Security Team 91107, based in Oahu, worked with the Marines and Navy for the first time to increase maritime and homeland security capabilities.

February

--Two Coast Guard air crews from Air Station Barbers Point medically evacuated an ill crewmember from the deck of a cargo vessel 80 nautical miles east of Hilo.

"This is a great example of the Coast Guard partnering with county resources to ensure this crewmember got medical care as quickly as possible," said Chief Petty Officer Seth Haynes, a search and rescue controller in Honolulu.
 
--Coast Guardsmen from units on Kauai and Maui teamed with local Coast Guard Auxiliarists on Molokai to participate in a native Hawaiian festival featuring ancient ceremonies and games.

"We didn't win first place in any of the games, but being part of the traditional Hawaiian cultural events is something I will never forget," said Seaman Tara Blevins, a Coast Guard Cutter Kittiwake crewmember.

--A crew aboard a Coast Guard Station Honolulu 47-foot motor lifeboat rescued three people from the water after their 14-foot pleasure craft capsized while they were diving two miles off Ewa Beach.

"The entire operation went smoothly," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Tobosa, the coxswain of the 47-foot motor lifeboat. "We got to them quickly and were able to get them to safety because of quick thinking, a speedy response and great teamwork between our command center, the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska and the Honolulu Fire Department."

--The Integrated Support Command, located on Sand Island, began a “go green” initiative by banning plastic bags and switching to incandescent bulbs.

"We are working hard on energy conservation and renewable energy solutions, and we are reducing the amount of solid waste that we create. The stakes are high in Hawaii, and we are going to do our share," said Capt. John Hickey, the former Integrated Support Command, Honolulu commanding officer.

--The 14th Coast Guard District proactively encouraged people who live, work or play along the waterfront to stay watchful and participate in the America's Waterway Watch program.

"There are more than 95,000 miles of shoreline in the U.S. and 1,052 miles in Hawaii alone," said Petty Officer 1st Class Desirre Roys, a marine events and AWW coordinator stationed at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. "Local first responders cannot do the job alone."
 

March

--Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kukui teamed with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists to rescue a rare Hawaiian monk seal in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

--The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Assateague, homeported in Guam, rescued three men from an 18-foot vessel that had been disabled and adrift for more than 20 hours in rough seas near Guam.

--The Coast Guard Cutter Rush's crew conducted a six-week joint law enforcement operation with three embarked Republic of Kiribati law enforcement officials under a new diplomatic ship rider agreement signed between the U.S. and Kiribati governments.

--14th District leadership participated in the Quadrilateral Talks (“Quad Talks”) with Australian, New Zealand and French delegates at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The two-day meeting advanced ideas and programs to improve maritime domain awareness.

--Coast Guard Activities Far East members served as judges at the 28th annual Pacific Region Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Tsukuba City, Japan.

April

--Coast Guard investigators from Marine Safety Detachment, Hawaii, on the Big Island, responded to an oil spill in Hilo Harbor.

"The Coast Guard and its partners recognize the value of being prepared in oil spill events," said Chief Petty Officer Dustin Widman, a pollution investigator and incident management specialist stationed at Coast Guard Sector Honolulu.

--Coast Guard crews assisted members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration track an entangled whale calf 28 miles southwest of Oahu.

--Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kukui deployed three new weather buoys for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The buoys help forecast incoming surf and weather in the Main Hawaiian Islands.

--Personnel with Coast Guard Activities Far East helped recognize more than 500 ships from 50 Singapore-based companies. The ceremony paid tribute to crews and shipping companies for their dedication and participation in the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System.

May

--Coast Guard air crewmembers from Air Station Barbers Point joined the Japan Coast Guard in a sea review and comprehensive drills in Tokyo Bay.

--Critical care specialists across the Pacific joined the Coast Guard at Air Station Barbers Point on Oahu for multi-agency Joint Medical Attendant Transport Team training.

--Coast Guardsmen from Station Kauai helped 14th District Auxiliarists launch National Safe Boating Week.

--The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Kukui spent most of the month removing buoys and dayboards at the remote Johnston Atoll. It had been determined by the Coast Guard that the buoys were no longer necessary and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined the removal of the harbor and aids to navigation will help the atoll return to a natural state.

--Crews from the U.S. and Japan Coast Guard completed a rare but important multi-agency training exercise on the island of Oahu. The exercise simulated the interaction between the two services during a rescue at sea and offered both agencies the opportunity to familiarize themselves with their counterparts' operating procedures.

“This opportunity is important to both Coast Guard agencies, as it allows each of us to interact with one another in a realistic rescue scenario,” said Lt. Andrea Holt, a 14th District search and rescue controller.

--A rescue helicopter crew on a routine patrol from Air Station Barbers Point rescued a diver near Waianae Small Boat Harbor.

June

--Coast Guard crews from around the country participated in the first ever joint Boom Deployment Course near Keehi Lagoon.

“This is the first time this type of training has been done in Hawaii with participants that expand from the (U.S.) east coast to Guam,” said Lt. Stacey Crecy, the 14th District's response assistance team commanding officer.

--A foreign-flagged fishing vessel, Marshalls 201, paid a $500,000 fine for fishing illegally within U.S. waters of a remote central Pacific territory, settling a nearly three-year-old case that involved a chase on the high seas.

“This enforcement action and subsequent prosecution of the Marshalls 201 exemplifies the level of cooperation between NOAA’s Office for Law Enforcement and the U.S. Coast Guard as both agencies work together to protect the fishery resources of the United States in the vast and remote Pacific Region,” said Bill Pickering, Special Agent-in-Charge of the NOAA Office for Law Enforcement, Pacific Islands Region.

--The “Fight for Fish” campaign began with a joint operation between the Coast Guard and the Navy. Both services combined efforts to monitor and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Central and Western Pacific.

"This mission will increase the awareness of the maritime domain and further enhance the Coast Guard's interoperability with the Navy as well as law enforcement assets from our regional partners," said Cmdr. Mark Young, chief of enforcement for the 14th District.

--The 14th District Auxiliary celebrated 70 years of dedicated service.

“Members volunteer to use their private vessels and aircraft to aid in Coast Guard missions,” said Luke Bailey, deputy director of the Auxiliary here. "They create a force multiplier and are an intricate part of the Coast Guard’s response capabilities."

--Coast Guard crews teamed with oil spill response experts from the Clean Islands Council on Oahu to conduct Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS) training near Honolulu Harbor.

--The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis, a 378-foot high-endurance cutter, returned from their patrol near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

"It is just great to get this hard-working crew back home to Hawaii after an arduous six months away from homeport," said Capt. Aaron Davenport, the commanding officer of the Jarvis.

July

--The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Walnut recovered 32 metric tons of marine debris from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

“It was a busy 4th of July for Walnut’s crew, but it’s great that we can come to such a historic place and help make a difference by removing the marine debris collected by refuge personnel and help out by removing nets from the nearby islands,” said Cmdr. Jeffrey Randall, commanding officer of the Walnut.

--Coast Guard air crews from Air Station Barbers Point rescued three fishermen after a boat capsized and sank 12 miles southeast of the Big Island. 

--Coast Guard Sector Guam led a "Spill Management Table Top Exercise" for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) component of the Mariana Islands Area Committee.

August

--The 14th District urged all mariners to practice safe boating and prepare for tropical storm Felicia. Aircrews conducted survey flights over Maui and the Big Island, ensuring critical infrastructure and boats were secure.

--Rear Adm. Manson K. Brown signed a bilateral agreement in Tonga to strengthen both countries' ability to enforce laws within Tonga's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

"Our strategic intent is to strengthen cooperation with Pacific Island partners in order to build a maritime security network in the Pacific," said Brown, whose district includes nine separate U.S. EEZs. "Bilateral ship rider agreements are an important step in realizing that goal."

--Two Coast Guard aircrews and a good Samaritan helped rescue a missing fisherman 10 miles southwest of Oahu's Waianae coast.

--The crew of the 110-foot Coast Guard Cutter Washington, based at Sector Guam, intercepted and seized a Taiwanese-flagged fishing vessel for alleged fisheries violations within the boundaries of the U.S. EEZ.

September 

--With piracy off Africa's coast a large focus, Coast Guard officials attended a historic gathering in Port Louis, Mauritius, that brought together more than 120 officials from partner nations and territories to improve port and maritime security networking throughout the Indian Ocean.

"The U.S. Coast Guard presence in the region is small, but we have those relationships already in place and it’s only natural to capitalize on them,” said Capt. Gerald Swanson, commanding officer of Coast Guard Far East Activities.

--A Coast Guard Auxiliary member and rescue boat crew from Station Maui assisted an unresponsive snorkeler off a charter dive vessel near the Molokini Crater.

“This could have gone a lot worse if it wasn’t for the good Samaritans in this case,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Stuart MacDonald, Station Maui's rescue boat crew coxswain. “It’s great to know we have people in this community who are willing to lend a helping hand.”

--14th District crews led the initial response after a devastating tsunami hit American Samoa. As response efforts continued, Coast Guard members conducted shoreline recovery, aids to navigation, pollution response and port security missions.

October

--Coast Guard and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) crews continued to aid American Samoa with supplies and resources.

--The 14th District hosted the International Maritime Organization World Maritime Day parallel event at Aloha Tower Marketplace.

--A crew from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point rescued 10 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service members from Tern Island.

"We are incredibly grateful to U.S. Coast Guard District 14, especially the pilots and crew of today's C-130; they are true heroes in today's world," said Susan White, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Superintendent for Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

--Coast Guard Station Maui crewmembers received a new 45-foot small boat to improve response capabilities throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

"This shifting of resources improves our response times on Kauai and Maui and gives our boat crews the best tools available to perform their duties," said Cmdr. Amy Cocanour, who supervises the Coast Guard's operational response in the main Hawaiian islands. "Our goal is to keep our crews safe in order to better serve their communities of Kauai and Maui."

--Several Coast Guard crews responded to a reported 200-gallon fuel spill at the Phoenician Yard in the Campbell Industrial Park on the island of Oahu.

November

--The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Sequoia, homeported in Guam, transited more than 8,000 miles to complete a "Tailored Ship Training Availability," in Honolulu, established an aid to navigation at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, located an adrift National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration buoy near Wake Island, and responded to a maritime distress signal northwest of Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshalls.

--The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Jarvis returned to Honolulu after a major drug bust in the Eastern Pacific off the coast of Central America. The Jarvis, already patrolling in the area, intercepted a self-propelled semi-submersible, boarded the vessel, and found that it was loaded with five tons of narcotics.

--The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Galveston Island went to the aid of five people aboard a disabled fishing vessel off Kaneohe.

"The weather definitely played a factor in our decision to wait to begin the tow," said Petty Officer 1st Class Lee McMillan, the Galveston Island's operations petty officer. "We were able to communicate with the fishing vessel crew and wait for conditions to be safe enough to begin the tow evolution. We were glad to be able to help them back to shore."

--Search and rescue crewmembers with the Coast Guard in Honolulu and Apra Harbor, Guam, located 24 mariners in a large-scale joint search near Chuuk, in the Federated States of Micronesia.

December

--Coast Guard Station Honolulu crewmembers helped NOAA free an entangled whale in the Maui Triangle.

--14th District crewmembers enforced a maritime security zone and provided Rotary Wing Intercept Guard in Kailua during President Obama's vacation on the island of Oahu.

To view the 14th Coast Guard District 2009 highlight video, please visit our YouTube link here or download the video from our home page under "Recent Updates."

For more information about the 14th Coast Guard District, please visit www.uscgd14.com or call 808-535-3230.

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