Flotilla 17-6 What's New!
Supporting the USCG
*Exercise
Exercise Exercise*
Recreational Boating Safety
Support for NASA Artemis I Launch Attempt
Space Launch Support
Greg Hendricks Receives Prestigious Coast Guard Award
USCG Recruiting
Honors Dan McIntyre
During a March 24, 2022 ceremony at Station Port Canaveral, the Coast Guard
Recruiting Command honored our member Dan McIntyre with a Letter of Appreciation for his outstanding
contributions to the recruiting effort and for his dedication to the Coast
Guard as a whole.
Dan has worked tirelessly to inform JROTC Cadets, Sea Cadets,
and Civil Air Patrol Cadets about the history of the Coast Guard, its missions,
incentives, and career opportunities. He has also taught boating safety classes
to thousands of Central Florida third graders and high school students with the
latter group being one of the Coast Guard’s targeted recruiting demographics. Dan
began working with Coast Guard Recruiting Office Orlando in 2016. As a result his
diligence, the office has reached and exceeded all its recruiting goals. Dan’s
Letter of Appreciation was presented by Capt. Richter Tipton, Commanding
Officer of Coast Guard Recruiting Command.
Dan is a 42-year veteran of the Coast Guard and the Coast
Guard Reserve, retiring as Chief Warrant Officer (CWO4.) He served as our flotilla commander from 2014-2015
and was named the 2019 Boating Educator of the Year by the Florida Wildlife
Commission. Photos below: Dan with members of Coast Guard Recruiting Office Orlando; Capt. Richter Tipton offers his congratulations as Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath looks on.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
Certified Boat
Crew!
Congratulations
to our members who passed their boat crew qualifications last week: Daniel
Oliveras and coxswain Joe Walsh (photo 1) along with Bill Strawn and Bill Gee
(photo 2). Also, sincerest thanks to our examiners: U.S. Coast Guard Petty
Officer 1st Class Courtney Eastman (photo 3) and Auxiliary examiner
Bob Dicicco (photo 4).
Coast
Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
Launch Support
PATON Patrol
One important mission of the U.S. Coast Guard is the maintenance and
documentation of maritime aids to navigation. On Jan. 21, 2021, we escorted Courtney
Lund, Commanding Officer of the Aids to Navigation Team, Station Ponce de Leon
Inlet, on a patrol to check the status of three sets of private aids to
navigation (PATONS) along the Indian River Lagoon. Not only was this a cost
effective way for the USCG ANT to collect information, but one set of channel
markers near Pineda Causeway was not on the current USCG Light List. Our team
collected all the critical information necessary to correct the omission. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley. Photo 1: Greg Hendricks, FC; Faron Petteys, VFC; Jim Parker, D7 Chief of Prevention; USCG Chief Petty Officer Courtney Lund. Photo 2: Faron Petteys gets a GPS reading on a PATON while Mr. Lund records the data.
Space Ops
Meet Michele and Steve, members of our hard-working launch support
squad. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Space Force
Space Operations Command have tasked us with warning boaters about the need to
stay clear of offshore launch hazard areas. On August 31, 2020, SpaceX launched a Falcon
9 rocket into an unusual polar orbit. The trajectory brought the hazard area
much closer to the Florida coast and required an exceptional degree of cooperation
from both commercial and recreational mariners. Photo 2 shows our Division 17
commander advising a PWC operator on how to avoid the off-limits areas. Photo 3
is the Falcon 9 booster executing a final deceleration burn before settling
back down to earth at the SpaceX landing site just six miles away from us.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
A Paddler's Guide to Safety
The popularity of kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards is skyrocketing but
too many paddlers are unprepared for changing conditions, don’t have
appropriate safety gear, and lack skills needed to stay safe when the
unexpected happens. Click here for a short safety guide presented by the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary in cooperation with the American Canoe Association.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo below by Jill Bazeley.
Brevard County Boating and Waterways
Our May, 2020 online flotilla meeting featured another excellent presentation by Matt Culver, the Boating and Waterways Coordinator for Brevard County. Matt gave our members updates on several ongoing projects including muck dredging of the inland waterways, the removal of derelict vessels, and the placement of offshore artificial reefs. The entire presentation can be viewed or downloaded here.
We Can Do It!
The local USCG active duty asked if our flotilla could supply reusable
cloth face masks for 225 station and cutter personnel. We have now gone well past
that goal and have no plans to stop sewing anytime soon.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo below by Jill Bazeley.
Launch Safety Mission
A January, 2020 SpaceX Crew Dragon in-flight abort (IFA) test mission meant
there would be unpredictable falling debris in the Atlantic Ocean just off the
Space Coast. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force 45th Space Wing requested
the assistance of the Auxiliary in keeping the launch hazard area clear of all
people, especially recreational boaters. Close to 20 personnel from several
Central Florida flotillas were on station well before dawn on launch day to
patrol the waters within Port Canaveral as well as to distribute launch hazard information to
boaters heading out from the boat ramps.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
Canaveral Port Authority Briefing
U.S. Coast Guard RADM (Ret.) Wayne Justice attended our October
flotilla meeting and delivered an excellent briefing on the current state of Port
Canaveral and the many plans that are already in the works for the future. Adm.
Justice is currently serving his second term on the Port Authority Board of
Commissioners. After the briefing, Flotilla Commander Lou Pernice and Flotilla
Vice Commander Greg Hendricks presented Adm. Justice with a certificate of
appreciation.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley (top) and Jimmy Emken (bottom.)
On Patrol in Port Canaveral
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated September 25 as
national “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day. To mark the
event, Central Brevard Flotilla conducted two separate maritime observation
missions – one with Grendel III (CGAUX 6087) shown below and the other with
Anchor Management (CGAUX 6139.)
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Jill Bazeley.
"Operation Shrimp and Grits" on August 9 and 10, 2019
A total of eighteen U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessels took part in
Operation Shrimp and Grits this past weekend - and five of that number were
from our Central Brevard Flotilla! Shrimp and Grits was a two-day multi-state,
multi-agency maritime law enforcement and education operation that focused on
boating safety, marine safety, and maritime security. It covered more than 500
miles of coastline from North Carolina to Florida. And yes, we had shrimp and
grits for lunch!
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
80th Birthday of the Auxiliary
June 23, 2019 marks 80 years since the establishment of the Coast Guard
Auxiliary as the uniformed, volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard. The
members of Central Brevard Flotilla and 25,000 other Auxiliarists in
communities nationwide are proud to be America’s volunteer lifesavers! Pictured
below are coxswain Greg Hendricks (front) and crew member Bob Caldo.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
April 30th Qualification Examination
Last Saturday was QE check-ride day on Florida's Space Coast. Congratulations to our newly qualified Central Brevard Flotilla boat crew members Faron Petteys, Mike Smith and Cooper Aston! Two other crew members and a coxswain also re-qualified. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jimmy Emken.
Lights-on Learning
On Sunday, April 14, Auxiliarists from the Central Brevard and Orlando Winter Park flotillas spent a full day attending a Navigation Systems PQS class hosted by the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team at Station Ponce de Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach. The PQS (Performance Qualification Standard) is the baseline national standard for qualification as an aids to navigation (ATON) verifier. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo below by Greg Hendricks.
USCG Honors BM3 Blass
First Rescue of 2019
In the photo below, Central Brevard Flotilla coxswain Greg Hendricks oversees a side-tow transport of a distressed recreational vessel with three persons on board. The February 7 rescue on the Banana River happened during a routine maritime observation patrol when the pleasure boat was discovered adrift and dangerously close to striking obstacles.
Following the operation, crew members Mike Smith and Bill Strawn (below) placed rescue recognition life ring stickers on the Auxiliary boat "Eco Tours." Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Will Lilienthal.
Coast Guard Support Event - January 18, 2019
Our members partnered with the USO to help the dedicated Coast Guard men and women at Station Port Canaveral.
What an amazing effort! Auxiliarists and USO volunteers set up a full pantry overflowing with donations of food, household, and childcare items. Dinner was served to Coast Guard personnel and their families, and a total of $9,995.00 was collected, including 369 gift cards. The USO gave out 241 gift cards to Coast Guard families in attendance, with the rest of the cards set aside for service members who are deployed or were unable to attend. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
60th Anniversary and Change of Watch
December 1 event at the Veteran's Memorial Center.
Central Brevard County Flotilla 17-6 celebrated its 60 years of extraordinary service to Space Coast waterways during a recent banquet and Change of Watch ceremony at the VMC. Close to 100 Coast Guard Auxiliarists attended the event including the new commodore for District 7. Other guests included active duty U.S. Coast Guard commanders from Station Port Canaveral and Marine Safety Detachment Port Canaveral. The keynote speaker was Rear Adm. (Ret.) Wayne Justice who is currently the chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners. Photos by Jill Bazeley and Jimmy Emken.
The Change of Watch ceremony is an opportunity to swear in new officers and present awards. Outgoing Flotilla Commander Donna Miller was selected by previous recipient Jimmy Emken to receive the Flotilla 17-6 Achievement Award.
From the USCGAux Instagram
Boat Crew Navigation Training
There was a great turnout for this course led by Greg Vasquez and Flotilla Vice Commander Lou Pernice. Thanks to Greg, Lou, and to all the others, such as Gerry Downey (below right) who shared their expertise. Not only did members of our flotilla attend but we were delighted to have guests from our South Brevard sister flotilla. The next half-day training session (boat crew weather/boat crew radio) will start at 9 am on Saturday, November 10, 2018 in the Karen Stallard Rood Community Center at Kiwanis Island Park in Merritt Island. Photo by Jill Bazeley.
NOAA U.S. Chart #1 (Chart Symbols.)
Honor and Remember
In the video below, Commanding Officer Lt. John Beal shares his thoughts on officially signing for the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne at an Oct. 25, 2018 ceremony in Key West. The new Fast Response Cutter is named after Senior Chief Terrell Horne, the son of one of our flotilla members, who placed himself in harm's way to protect a shipmate from being struck by a suspected drug-smuggling vessel.
U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Lally
"We are the Coast Guard Auxiliary"
New release from the public affairs directorate.
"Shrimp and Grits"
August 11 operation on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Below, 17-6 patrol vessel "Anchor Management" passes a 29' Coast Guard response boat with Petty Officer 1st Class John Pettigrew, our liaison officer from CG Station Port Canaveral, at the helm. Both boats were part of "Shrimp and Grits," a multi-jurisdiction boating safety operation that covered 430 miles of the ICW and involved Auxiliarists from South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
An Auxiliary mobile radio facility also was active during Operation Shrimp and Grits. Left to right below are telecommunications operators Jamey McKinley, Jim Parker, Rick Nitz, and TCO trainee Jonathan Urdaneta. Photos by Jill Bazeley.
Coast Guard Day - August 4, 2018
Our members helped Station Port Canaveral mark the USCG's 228th year!
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
Flotilla 17-6 Rescue Saves Three Boaters!
17-6 member Kevin Johnson (below) was the sharp lookout who first spotted distress signals from the disabled boat. Bravo Zulu, Kevin!
More from the @uscgaux Instagram!
"Your vessel may be inspected at any time!"
Video by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Antarctic Division.
2018 Swab Summer Send Off
2018 U.S. Coast Guard Academy appointees from the state of Florida attended the annual “Swab Summer Sendoff” at Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral. Auxiliary members from 17-6 lent a hand with the festivities.
Swab Summer is a demanding initiation program for new cadets. A total of twenty students from Florida were chosen to attend the prestigious service academy in New London, Connecticut. Left to right below: Taylor Leonard (Jupiter, FL,) Hannah Jamison (Tequesta, FL,) Ashley Fuller (Sebastian, FL,) and Meaghyn DeValk (Plantation, FL.) Photos by Jill Bazeley.
2018 National Safe Boating Week Proclamation
As Seen on the USCGAUX Instagram!
Long and
Side Tow Training with USCG
March 3, 2018 Operation at Port
Canaveral.
Auxiliary vessel "Eco Tours" assisted U.S. Coast Guard Station Port
Canaveral with side-tow and long-tow training exercises. Here, a Coast Guardsman
attaches a line to a 29' Coast Guard response boat for the side-tow. The day
also provided a nice view of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter "Mako" returning
to the station (below.) Photos by Greg Hendricks.
Our
Photos on the Station Port Canaveral Facebook Page!
Melbourne Beach Recreational
Boating & Water Safety Day
Multi-agency Event at the
Melbourne Beach Town Complex - March 10, 2018.
Flotilla 17-6 member Greg Hendricks poses with a young visitor aboard a USCG
Response Boat Small (RB-S) from Station Port Canaveral. The event was the first
in our Safe Homeport initiative and was attended by District 7 Commodore Judith
Hudson who presented a Safe Homeport certificate to Melbourne Beach Mayor Jim
Simmons. Photo by Jill Bazeley.
The Last Naval Battle of the Revolutionary War
235th Anniversary Ceremony at the
Veterans Memorial Center - March 10, 2018.
The last naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought off the coast of Cape
Canaveral on March 10, 1783. Joining Auxiliarists Cooper Aston (17-11) and Darlene
Bush (17-6) for color guard duties were USCG Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class (BM3)
Joel Bonilla and Seaman (SN) Suzette Garcia. Many thanks for their assistance!
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Bill Giers.
What's New is maintained by Jill Bazeley, Flotilla Staff Officer for Communication Services. Questions or comments may be sent to [email protected].
*Exercise Exercise Exercise*
Recreational Boating Safety
Support for NASA Artemis I Launch Attempt
Space Launch Support
Greg Hendricks Receives Prestigious Coast Guard Award
USCG Recruiting
Honors Dan McIntyre
During a March 24, 2022 ceremony at Station Port Canaveral, the Coast Guard
Recruiting Command honored our member Dan McIntyre with a Letter of Appreciation for his outstanding
contributions to the recruiting effort and for his dedication to the Coast
Guard as a whole.
Dan has worked tirelessly to inform JROTC Cadets, Sea Cadets,
and Civil Air Patrol Cadets about the history of the Coast Guard, its missions,
incentives, and career opportunities. He has also taught boating safety classes
to thousands of Central Florida third graders and high school students with the
latter group being one of the Coast Guard’s targeted recruiting demographics. Dan
began working with Coast Guard Recruiting Office Orlando in 2016. As a result his
diligence, the office has reached and exceeded all its recruiting goals. Dan’s
Letter of Appreciation was presented by Capt. Richter Tipton, Commanding
Officer of Coast Guard Recruiting Command.
Dan is a 42-year veteran of the Coast Guard and the Coast
Guard Reserve, retiring as Chief Warrant Officer (CWO4.) He served as our flotilla commander from 2014-2015
and was named the 2019 Boating Educator of the Year by the Florida Wildlife
Commission. Photos below: Dan with members of Coast Guard Recruiting Office Orlando; Capt. Richter Tipton offers his congratulations as Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath looks on.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
Certified Boat
Crew!
Congratulations
to our members who passed their boat crew qualifications last week: Daniel
Oliveras and coxswain Joe Walsh (photo 1) along with Bill Strawn and Bill Gee
(photo 2). Also, sincerest thanks to our examiners: U.S. Coast Guard Petty
Officer 1st Class Courtney Eastman (photo 3) and Auxiliary examiner
Bob Dicicco (photo 4).
Coast
Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
Launch Support
PATON Patrol
One important mission of the U.S. Coast Guard is the maintenance and
documentation of maritime aids to navigation. On Jan. 21, 2021, we escorted Courtney
Lund, Commanding Officer of the Aids to Navigation Team, Station Ponce de Leon
Inlet, on a patrol to check the status of three sets of private aids to
navigation (PATONS) along the Indian River Lagoon. Not only was this a cost
effective way for the USCG ANT to collect information, but one set of channel
markers near Pineda Causeway was not on the current USCG Light List. Our team
collected all the critical information necessary to correct the omission. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley. Photo 1: Greg Hendricks, FC; Faron Petteys, VFC; Jim Parker, D7 Chief of Prevention; USCG Chief Petty Officer Courtney Lund. Photo 2: Faron Petteys gets a GPS reading on a PATON while Mr. Lund records the data.
Space Ops
Meet Michele and Steve, members of our hard-working launch support
squad. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Space Force
Space Operations Command have tasked us with warning boaters about the need to
stay clear of offshore launch hazard areas. On August 31, 2020, SpaceX launched a Falcon
9 rocket into an unusual polar orbit. The trajectory brought the hazard area
much closer to the Florida coast and required an exceptional degree of cooperation
from both commercial and recreational mariners. Photo 2 shows our Division 17
commander advising a PWC operator on how to avoid the off-limits areas. Photo 3
is the Falcon 9 booster executing a final deceleration burn before settling
back down to earth at the SpaceX landing site just six miles away from us.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
A Paddler's Guide to Safety
The popularity of kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards is skyrocketing but
too many paddlers are unprepared for changing conditions, don’t have
appropriate safety gear, and lack skills needed to stay safe when the
unexpected happens. Click here for a short safety guide presented by the U.S. Coast
Guard Auxiliary in cooperation with the American Canoe Association.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo below by Jill Bazeley.
Brevard County Boating and Waterways
Our May, 2020 online flotilla meeting featured another excellent presentation by Matt Culver, the Boating and Waterways Coordinator for Brevard County. Matt gave our members updates on several ongoing projects including muck dredging of the inland waterways, the removal of derelict vessels, and the placement of offshore artificial reefs. The entire presentation can be viewed or downloaded here.
We Can Do It!
The local USCG active duty asked if our flotilla could supply reusable
cloth face masks for 225 station and cutter personnel. We have now gone well past
that goal and have no plans to stop sewing anytime soon.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo below by Jill Bazeley.
Launch Safety Mission
A January, 2020 SpaceX Crew Dragon in-flight abort (IFA) test mission meant
there would be unpredictable falling debris in the Atlantic Ocean just off the
Space Coast. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force 45th Space Wing requested
the assistance of the Auxiliary in keeping the launch hazard area clear of all
people, especially recreational boaters. Close to 20 personnel from several
Central Florida flotillas were on station well before dawn on launch day to
patrol the waters within Port Canaveral as well as to distribute launch hazard information to
boaters heading out from the boat ramps.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
Canaveral Port Authority Briefing
U.S. Coast Guard RADM (Ret.) Wayne Justice attended our October
flotilla meeting and delivered an excellent briefing on the current state of Port
Canaveral and the many plans that are already in the works for the future. Adm.
Justice is currently serving his second term on the Port Authority Board of
Commissioners. After the briefing, Flotilla Commander Lou Pernice and Flotilla
Vice Commander Greg Hendricks presented Adm. Justice with a certificate of
appreciation.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley (top) and Jimmy Emken (bottom.)
On Patrol in Port Canaveral
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security designated September 25 as
national “If You See Something, Say Something” Awareness Day. To mark the
event, Central Brevard Flotilla conducted two separate maritime observation
missions – one with Grendel III (CGAUX 6087) shown below and the other with
Anchor Management (CGAUX 6139.)
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Jill Bazeley.
"Operation Shrimp and Grits" on August 9 and 10, 2019
A total of eighteen U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessels took part in
Operation Shrimp and Grits this past weekend - and five of that number were
from our Central Brevard Flotilla! Shrimp and Grits was a two-day multi-state,
multi-agency maritime law enforcement and education operation that focused on
boating safety, marine safety, and maritime security. It covered more than 500
miles of coastline from North Carolina to Florida. And yes, we had shrimp and
grits for lunch!
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jill Bazeley.
80th Birthday of the Auxiliary
June 23, 2019 marks 80 years since the establishment of the Coast Guard
Auxiliary as the uniformed, volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard. The
members of Central Brevard Flotilla and 25,000 other Auxiliarists in
communities nationwide are proud to be America’s volunteer lifesavers! Pictured
below are coxswain Greg Hendricks (front) and crew member Bob Caldo.
Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
April 30th Qualification Examination
Last Saturday was QE check-ride day on Florida's Space Coast. Congratulations to our newly qualified Central Brevard Flotilla boat crew members Faron Petteys, Mike Smith and Cooper Aston! Two other crew members and a coxswain also re-qualified. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos below by Jimmy Emken.
Lights-on Learning
On Sunday, April 14, Auxiliarists from the Central Brevard and Orlando Winter Park flotillas spent a full day attending a Navigation Systems PQS class hosted by the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team at Station Ponce de Leon Inlet in New Smyrna Beach. The PQS (Performance Qualification Standard) is the baseline national standard for qualification as an aids to navigation (ATON) verifier. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo below by Greg Hendricks.
USCG Honors BM3 Blass
First Rescue of 2019
In the photo below, Central Brevard Flotilla coxswain Greg Hendricks oversees a side-tow transport of a distressed recreational vessel with three persons on board. The February 7 rescue on the Banana River happened during a routine maritime observation patrol when the pleasure boat was discovered adrift and dangerously close to striking obstacles.
Following the operation, crew members Mike Smith and Bill Strawn (below) placed rescue recognition life ring stickers on the Auxiliary boat "Eco Tours." Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Will Lilienthal.
Coast Guard Support Event - January 18, 2019
Our members partnered with the USO to help the dedicated Coast Guard men and women at Station Port Canaveral.
What an amazing effort! Auxiliarists and USO volunteers set up a full pantry overflowing with donations of food, household, and childcare items. Dinner was served to Coast Guard personnel and their families, and a total of $9,995.00 was collected, including 369 gift cards. The USO gave out 241 gift cards to Coast Guard families in attendance, with the rest of the cards set aside for service members who are deployed or were unable to attend. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
60th Anniversary and Change of Watch
December 1 event at the Veteran's Memorial Center.
Central Brevard County Flotilla 17-6 celebrated its 60 years of extraordinary service to Space Coast waterways during a recent banquet and Change of Watch ceremony at the VMC. Close to 100 Coast Guard Auxiliarists attended the event including the new commodore for District 7. Other guests included active duty U.S. Coast Guard commanders from Station Port Canaveral and Marine Safety Detachment Port Canaveral. The keynote speaker was Rear Adm. (Ret.) Wayne Justice who is currently the chairman of the Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners. Photos by Jill Bazeley and Jimmy Emken.
The Change of Watch ceremony is an opportunity to swear in new officers and present awards. Outgoing Flotilla Commander Donna Miller was selected by previous recipient Jimmy Emken to receive the Flotilla 17-6 Achievement Award.
From the USCGAux Instagram
Boat Crew Navigation Training
There was a great turnout for this course led by Greg Vasquez and Flotilla Vice Commander Lou Pernice. Thanks to Greg, Lou, and to all the others, such as Gerry Downey (below right) who shared their expertise. Not only did members of our flotilla attend but we were delighted to have guests from our South Brevard sister flotilla. The next half-day training session (boat crew weather/boat crew radio) will start at 9 am on Saturday, November 10, 2018 in the Karen Stallard Rood Community Center at Kiwanis Island Park in Merritt Island. Photo by Jill Bazeley.
NOAA U.S. Chart #1 (Chart Symbols.)
Honor and Remember
In the video below, Commanding Officer Lt. John Beal shares his thoughts on officially signing for the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne at an Oct. 25, 2018 ceremony in Key West. The new Fast Response Cutter is named after Senior Chief Terrell Horne, the son of one of our flotilla members, who placed himself in harm's way to protect a shipmate from being struck by a suspected drug-smuggling vessel.
U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Lally
"We are the Coast Guard Auxiliary"
New release from the public affairs directorate.
"Shrimp and Grits"
August 11 operation on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Below, 17-6 patrol vessel "Anchor Management" passes a 29' Coast Guard response boat with Petty Officer 1st Class John Pettigrew, our liaison officer from CG Station Port Canaveral, at the helm. Both boats were part of "Shrimp and Grits," a multi-jurisdiction boating safety operation that covered 430 miles of the ICW and involved Auxiliarists from South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
An Auxiliary mobile radio facility also was active during Operation Shrimp and Grits. Left to right below are telecommunications operators Jamey McKinley, Jim Parker, Rick Nitz, and TCO trainee Jonathan Urdaneta. Photos by Jill Bazeley.
Coast Guard Day - August 4, 2018
Our members helped Station Port Canaveral mark the USCG's 228th year!
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photos by Jill Bazeley.
Flotilla 17-6 Rescue Saves Three Boaters!
17-6 member Kevin Johnson (below) was the sharp lookout who first spotted distress signals from the disabled boat. Bravo Zulu, Kevin!
More from the @uscgaux Instagram!
"Your vessel may be inspected at any time!"
Video by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy, Australian Antarctic Division.
2018 Swab Summer Send Off
2018 U.S. Coast Guard Academy appointees from the state of Florida attended the annual “Swab Summer Sendoff” at Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral. Auxiliary members from 17-6 lent a hand with the festivities.
Swab Summer is a demanding initiation program for new cadets. A total of twenty students from Florida were chosen to attend the prestigious service academy in New London, Connecticut. Left to right below: Taylor Leonard (Jupiter, FL,) Hannah Jamison (Tequesta, FL,) Ashley Fuller (Sebastian, FL,) and Meaghyn DeValk (Plantation, FL.) Photos by Jill Bazeley.
2018 National Safe Boating Week Proclamation
As Seen on the USCGAUX Instagram!
Long and
Side Tow Training with USCG
March 3, 2018 Operation at Port
Canaveral.
Auxiliary vessel "Eco Tours" assisted U.S. Coast Guard Station Port
Canaveral with side-tow and long-tow training exercises. Here, a Coast Guardsman
attaches a line to a 29' Coast Guard response boat for the side-tow. The day
also provided a nice view of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter "Mako" returning
to the station (below.) Photos by Greg Hendricks.
Our
Photos on the Station Port Canaveral Facebook Page!
Melbourne Beach Recreational
Boating & Water Safety Day
Multi-agency Event at the
Melbourne Beach Town Complex - March 10, 2018.
Flotilla 17-6 member Greg Hendricks poses with a young visitor aboard a USCG
Response Boat Small (RB-S) from Station Port Canaveral. The event was the first
in our Safe Homeport initiative and was attended by District 7 Commodore Judith
Hudson who presented a Safe Homeport certificate to Melbourne Beach Mayor Jim
Simmons. Photo by Jill Bazeley.
The Last Naval Battle of the Revolutionary War
235th Anniversary Ceremony at the
Veterans Memorial Center - March 10, 2018.
The last naval battle of the Revolutionary War was fought off the coast of Cape
Canaveral on March 10, 1783. Joining Auxiliarists Cooper Aston (17-11) and Darlene
Bush (17-6) for color guard duties were USCG Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class (BM3)
Joel Bonilla and Seaman (SN) Suzette Garcia. Many thanks for their assistance!
Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Bill Giers.
What's New is maintained by Jill Bazeley, Flotilla Staff Officer for Communication Services. Questions or comments may be sent to [email protected].