Editor's note: click on image above for high resolution photos.

PACIFIC OCEAN – The U. S. Coast Guard is supporting New Zealand’s humanitarian relief efforts to assist the residents of the island nation of Tokelau. Approximately 1,500 residents of three islands are receiving approximately 36,000 gallons of drinking water from the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Walnut. 

Currently the residents of Tokelau have approximately seven days of fresh drinking water.

Walnut made a 358-mile transit from American Samoa to Tokelau. This transit took approximately 30 hours.

“The Coast Guard routinely supports the Pacific island countries in this region during search and rescue cases and fisheries patrols,” said Rear Adm. Charles W. Ray, Commander Fourteenth Coast Guard District. “Our existing relationships between Pacific island countries are essential to facilitate rapid response during times of need.”  

For more information contact the Fourteenth Coast Guard District public affairs office, at 808-535-3230.  

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WAILUKU, Hawaii – Coast Guard Auxiliarist Lawrence Ankrum, center, was awarded the Medal of Operational Merit by Senior Chief Petty Officer Jay Rudometkin, officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Maui, left, and Cmdr. Steven Wheeler, Sector Honolulu chief of response, right, during a ceremony at Station Maui, Sept. 30, 2011.

Ankrum, a long-time Maui resident, was recognized for his years of service in the 14th Coast Guard District and his commitment to boating safety. His contributions include more than 2,500 hours as a communications watchstander at Station Maui, deployment to the Gulf of Mexico for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and for serving as a Coast Guard risk management and communications trainer.

Attendees at the award ceremony included crewmembers from Station Maui and members of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Maui.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is a uniformed civilian volunteer force created by an act of Congress in 1939 to augment the Coast Guard military service.  Their ranks are made up of community members who share a goal of increasing boating safety awareness and assisting with homeland security.

For more information about Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Maui, visit www.MauiBoatClass.com.

Click the following link for another photo of the ceremony: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1420965

For more information contact Senior Chief Jay Rudometkin , officer in charge of Station Maui, at 808-986-0023.

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Denise Ankrum

Editor's note: click the image above for a high resolution version. 

HONOLULU – Representatives from the Coast Guard and Honolulu City and County signed a memorandum of agreement during a ceremony at city hall to improve search and rescue interoperability on and around Oahu, Tuesday.

Rear Adm. Charles W. Ray, 14th Coast Guard District commander, and Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle signed the agreement that sets forth terms by which Honolulu Fire Department, Ocean Safety, Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu, and Coast Guard Sector Honolulu will coordinate and carry out civil and military search and rescue support.

Mayor Carlisle expressed his appreciation to the Coast Guard, the Honolulu Fire Department and the Honolulu Emergency Services’ Ocean Safety Division for working to formalize an already strong relationship. 

“This agreement sets protocol to help save the lives of those who find themselves in danger in Oahu’s waters,” Carlisle said. “It also serves to protect the men and women of the Coast Guard and the city who regularly risk their lives to assist others in distress.”

The objective of the agreement is to encourage collective communications between each agency during an active search mission. Each organization involved in the agreement offers unique assets and capabilities necessary to conduct SAR missions, such as local knowledge of the community, quick response times and various technological assets.

“This memorandum of agreement will enhance cooperation between the city and the Coast Guard," said Fire Chief Kenneth Silva of the Honolulu Fire Department. "Through this agreement we will see an improvement in search and rescue notification, communication, and operation. The public will benefit from this teamwork and the improved ability of our agencies to effectively respond to a search and rescue mission.”

The cooperative agreement also focuses on the prevention of death or injury to individuals and loss or damage to property in the mutual geographic areas covered by the signatory agencies.

“The signing of this search and rescue memorandum of agreement is a testament to the teamwork and dedicated service that our city and county of Honolulu and federal responders provide every day to protect the people of Hawaii,” said Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Derrenbacher, Sector Honolulu, incident management division. “The MOA will provide long-term continuity, and leverage each organizations unique search and rescue capabilities in a cooperative spirit to maximize communications, responder safety and SAR effectiveness to meet our common goal of saving lives.”

For more information contact the 14th Coast Guard District public affairs office at 808-535-3230.

HONOLULU –Petty Officer 1st Class Todd Lenet, left, Command Master Chief Michael Ferreira, Rear Adm. Charles Ray, Evelyn Aczon Hao, Petty Officer 2nd Class Abby Marsden and Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Araki stand in front of school supplies donated from members of the Coast Guard in the Hawaiian Islands at Prince Jonah Kuhio Elementary School, August 3, 2011.

Members of Maritime Safety and Security Team Honolulu (91107), Air Station Barber’s Point and Coast Guard District Fourteen partnered with Prince Jonah Kuhio Elementary staff members to assist in collecting supplies essential to a successful start to the school year.

“The Coast Guard helps us in many ways throughout the year and at the beginning of school, school supplies are a high priority need,” said Hao, Principal of Prince Jonah Kuhio Elementary School. “Our children and teachers are so grateful!” 

The Coast Guard was able to donate more than $500 of supplies which included pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, and notebooks along with other learning tools. 

“In the past, Coast Guard personnel have also participated in science fairs, wellness fairs, along with donating gifts and food during the holiday season,” said Lenet, the Fourteenth Coast Guard District's Partnership in Education program team leader. “Schools and teachers do so much for our children and we just hope that we can offer a support network they can rely on.” 

“District Fourteen's partnership with Kuhio Elementary benefits the school, the community and our units that participate,” said Ray, Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District. “Contributing to the education of future generations is a worthwhile investment of our time and we look forward to the continued support of the Hawaii education system.”

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Angela Henderson.

HONOLULU – Capt. Willard Ellis, left, shakes hands with Rear Adm. John S. Welch, the Coast Guard Pacific Area’s Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Component Affairs, after taking command of the new Coast Guard Reserve Unit Pacific Command at Camp Smith, Honolulu Aug. 1, 2011.

Ellis will lead the unit of 17 Coast Guard Reserve officers and enlisted personnel. The new unit will provide direct support to the Headquarters of U.S. Pacific Command and support regional maritime domain awareness and international engagement efforts.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony L. Soto

Click the following link for another photo of the ceremony:

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1345071

Click the photo above for a high resolution version

HONOLULU – Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Darrell Leciejewski, an aviation survival technician from Air Station Barbers Point, talks to kids about the rescue basket used aboard the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter during Operation Purple on Oahu’s north shore in Waialua, June 8, 2011.

This annual event, hosted by YMCA Camp Erdman, is a program of the National Military Family Association designed to bring children of deployed service members together for an exciting and memorable camp experience. The camp is geared toward giving the children tools to help deal with the stress from their parents’ deployment.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony L. Soto

For more information about Operation Purple, visit the following link:

http://www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/operation-purple/

Click the link below for another picture from this year's event:

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1274263

LIHU`E, Hawaii — Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Kleaver explains how the Coast Guard uses charts aboard the 47-foot Motor Life Boat to local children at Nawiliwili Harbor, Hawaii May 23, 2011.

In recognition of National Safe Boating Week Station Kauai crewmembers, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Sea Scouts joined to help educate the public on boating safety. They also offered free vessel inspections and boat tours.

For high resolution photos, click thumbnails below:

Click the photo above for a high resolution version

HONOLULU — A rescue swimmer from Air Station Barbers Point jumps from an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter during a search and rescue demonstration at the Day on the Docks boating safety event at the Marina & Outdoor Recreation Center on Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii, May 15, 2011.

In addition to the demonstration, members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary provided children and families with boating safety information. Crewmembers from Marine Safety and Security Team Honolulu also provided tours of a 25-foot Response Boat-Small.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony L. Soto

Click here for another high resolution photo from the event.

Editors note: For a high-resolution image click the photo above.

ADELUP, Guam – The Auxiliary Commodore for the 14th Coast Guard District, Burkhard Berger, front row, second from right, attends a Safe Boating Week proclamation signing by Lt. Gov. Ray Tenorio, front row, second from left, May 11, 2011.

The proclamation declares that May 21 through May 28 as Safe Boating Week in Guam. The Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary advise all mariners to take apropriate safety precautions so they can fully enjoy their time on the water without incident.

For more information on boating safety visit the following sites:
http://www.uscgboating.org/
http://www.floatplancentral.org/

For more information, contact Sector Guam public affairs officer Lt. j.g. Wade Thomson at 671-355-4866.

Photo courtesy of the Office of the Governor of Guam.

For a hi-resolution photo click the picture above.

HONOLULU – Coast Guard law enforcement officers are enforcing a temporary safety zone in the waters of Kaneohe Bay starting Monday, to ensure the public’s safety during extraction of a downed Marine Corps CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopter from the Sand Bar.

The temporary 2,250-yard by 3,250-yard safety zone is in the shape of a rectangle extending  west from Pyramid Rock to Kapapa Island, then south to the Marker southwest of Ahu’olaka Island, then east to end at the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Long Pier, then north along the coastline back to Pyramid Rock.  This safety zone extends from the surface of the water to the ocean floor. This temporary 2,250-yard by 3,250-yard safety zone is anticipated to be enforced for two to six-hour periods during actual airlift operations.  The public will be authorized to transit the area when airlift operations are not occurring. 

A smaller section, 500-yard by 450-yard area around the downed aircraft at position 21 ^o 27.78’N, 157 ^o 48.28’W, of this temporary safety zone will be enforced 24-hours a day until further notice. This smaller enforcement area will be marked with six red cylinder buoys and red/orange flagging when being enforced and broadcast notice to mariners will be provided.

The temporary safety zone will be in effect from 8:01 a.m. on Monday through 8:00 a.m. April 11, 2011, unless canceled earlier by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port Honolulu, Captain Joanna M. Nunan.    

The zone will be announced over marine band VHF Channel 16 (156.800) and verbally by on scene U.S. Coast Guard personnel and COTP authorized representatives prior to and during the enforcement of the safety zone to ensure ample public notification.

Under the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (33 CFR 165.33), the temporary law prohibits any unauthorized person or vessel from entering or remaining in this safety zone.  Any person entering the zone without the permission of the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port is subject to a penalty of not more than $40, 000 for each violation or a criminal penalty resulting in imprisonment of not more than 25 years, and a fine of not more than $250,000. Offending vessels may also be seized and held liable for any monetary assessments.

“Again, we would like to extend our appreciation for the public’s patience, support, and understanding during this incident,” said Lt. Cmdr. Marcella Granquist.    

For more information about this news release contact Lt. Cmdr. Marcella Granquist at 808-522-8264 x352 or Marcella.A.Granquist@uscg.mil.