Posted on 8 February 2010 by Anastacia Thorsson | Comments

Long time no post I know! I have been slammed studying for my boards, a class, my GRE, etc. The last thing I have wanted to do was look at a blank screen with the cursor taunting me to write something, and make it interesting! But sometimes? There is something just too interesting to pass up.

Check out the new AMVER app for the iPhone.

Basically it gives you a single app with which you can follow both the live Twitterfeed and the blog of AMVER, so basically you can keep up with all the AMVER news in one place.
There are all sorts of great apps for mariners, what I am curious about is if there are apps on the other smart phones out there too? I know my parents mentioned a couple they found for their Droids. Anyone got some apps for other phones or widgets for your laptops, etc that they want to share?

Posted on 29 January 2010 by Jim Dolbow | Comments

From The Coast Guard Manned USS Serpens AK-97 Commemorative Website:

The USS SERPENS AK-97 was a United States Coast Guard manned World War II cargo [Liberty] ship. Late in the evening on January 29, 1945 the Serpens was anchored off Lunga Beach, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands hurriedly loaded depth charges, preparing for the Battle of Okinawa. While the Commanding Officer, Perry L. Stinson and enlisted men were ashore, the “Sea Serpens” suddenly exploded. 193 Coast Guard crewmen, 56 Army stevedores from the US Army 231st Company 492nd Port Battalion, and Dr. Harry Levin, a US Public Health Service physician were killed in the explosion. The force of the explosion was so great that it killed a U.S. Army soldier who was ashore. Only two sailors aboard survived the incident. The cause of the explosion was never completely determined. The loss of the USS SERPENS AK-97 was the largest single disaster ever suffered by the United States Coast Guard.

RIP crew of USS Serpens AK-97

Posted on 25 January 2010 by Jim Dolbow | Comments

Does anybody have any ideas on how we could help our shipmates in the Haitian Coast Guard? Better yet, know of any drives underway to help them directly? If so, please let us know. Thank you!

Posted on 19 January 2010 by Jim Dolbow | Comments

Excerpts from USSOUTHCOM Update:  Operation UNIFIED RESPONSE 18 January 2010:

There are five U.S. Coast Guard cutters operating in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince and 17 aircraft moving cargo and personnel.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) reports that eight ports are fully operational (Labadie, Cap Haitien, Port de Paix, Gonaives, Saint-Marc, Miragoane, Les Cayes and Jacel. Two ports are partially operational (Aubry and Lafiteau) and one port not operational (PAP).

Posted on 15 January 2010 by Jim Dolbow | Comments

USCGC Tahoma (WMEC-908)

Spencer Hsu of the Washington Post has a gem in today’s issue entitled “Coast Guard cutter delivers medical supplies, help; ‘we saved a lot of lives’”:

There was no time to keep track of how many young patients had been seen Thursday at a U.S.-built medical clinic at a Haitian coast guard station in Killick, 10 miles outside of Port-au-Prince.

At first 10 children came, then 20, then 50. Finally, more than young 100 earthquake victims crowded into the clinic, where crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma were delivering desperately needed medical supplies and assistance late into the night.

“It was one of those days where we didn’t keep count. We treated a bunch of kids. We saved a lot of lives,” said Cmdr. Jim Spotts, commanding officer of the Tahoma, weary but still working with his crew at 9:15 p.m. But, he added, “a lot of older people had to wait.”

Rest of article here.

Sounds like Cdr. Spotts would making an outstanding guest on an upcoming DOD Bloggers Roundtable.

Posted on 14 January 2010 by Jim Dolbow | Comments

From Secretary of State of Hillary Clinton:

“…the Coast Guard has performed magnificently in helping to evacuate the injured, particularly American citizens.”

BZ to the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard!!

Posted on 9 January 2010 by Chuck Hill | Comments

h/t The Coast Guard Compass

Inside Cocaine Submarines airs Sunday 10 pm on the National Geographic Channel:

Colombian drug traffickers are using a new secret weapon to smuggle cocaine north: drug submarines. Up to 100 feet long and nearly impossible to detect , they are capable of distributing several tons of coke in just one shipment. Dozens of subs are thought to be in operation between the coasts of Colombia and Mexico, and law enforcement estimates that another 70 will be built in the next year alone.

For additional photos, video, and more click here.

Posted on 9 January 2010 by Jim Dolbow | Comments

h/t @WWIIToday Teens find Purple Heart medal, urn of WWII vet in trash, secure burial with honors. Moving. Salute

From an article in the St. Petersburg Times entitled “World War II vet’s remains, and those of his wife, finally have an honored resting place“:

Tampa Police Cpl. Edward Croissant had just reported for the night shift that Sunday when his officers showed him the urns. This kid and his girlfriend had found them and brought them to the station.

Then an officer told Croissant about the Purple Heart. The Bronze Star. And the Normandy invasion.

And Croissant became irate. He had served eight years in the Navy.  He’s in the Coast Guard Reserve. “I had three uncles in World War II. That was the greatest generation. If it wasn’t for those men, we would have nothing,” he said.

“That man saw combat. And someone just dumped him there? He deserves a better ending.”

Police called the Department of Veterans Affairs and learned Hahn had died in 1983, at the age of 62 ­— and was a highly decorated war hero. The staff sergeant had served in the infantry and been honored with five Bronze Stars and two Purple Hearts.

A moving article indeed.