Despite having its own infrastructure wiped out by hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Coast Guard was in the air and underway pulling survivors from the wreckage before the winds had even died down. An agency that’s intimately familiar with the destruction that hurricanes bring, they knew they’d be pressed into action long before the storm came, and they answered that call as they always do - quietly, quickly and professionally. At first, the local and neighboring CG Air Stations were flying around the clock hoisting people to safety. Now, virtually every CG Air Station in the country is involved having saved some 4000 people. These are rescue numbers that the agency dedicated to life-saving have probably never seen before. And they continue, all day, all night, quietly doing as they were trained. They were there before the storm, and they’ll be there when all is said and done.
There is no shortage of threads questioning the response of the federal government in this tragedy. This thread, is to point out that at least one component of the DHS is doing everything it can to minimize the suffering. As an active duty Coastie, I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t point that out to people. I can not properly express how profoundly proud I am of my colleagues in the region who are working tirelessly, once again, answering the call. Their commitment can be summed up by an interview that a CG Captain gave Fox News. Paraphrasing, he said it was all he could do to get the flight crews to get some sleep before going back out there. All they wanted to do was keep flying and keep pulling people from the waters. We have rescue swimmers in wetsuits standing on rooftops swinging axes, and all they want to do is keep at it.
This is what they live for. Sometimes, it is also what they die for. “You have to go out, you don’t have to come back.” While that unofficial motto is frowned upon by the upper brass, that spirit is alive and well in the men and women who sail and fly into the unknown.
I’m sure this will be a short lived thread, but it’s just something I had to say. I wish the very best to all of you who are suffering from this event.
As of right now, over 5000 people have been hoisted by air, and another 1600 taken to safety by small boat. I believe these totals take into account those efforts of the ANG, UASF and USN and anyone else over there with helos and boats. It is a shame that those directly involved can’t see all of your kind words.
The CG is taking online requests for rescue of missing/stranded individuals, for anyone who may be reading this who have loved ones still in NOLA: http://homeport.uscg.mil/mycg/portal/ep/home.do
ivylass, jrfranchi has it. Semper Paratus, or Always Ready is the official motto of the service, as well as the title of our service anthem.
Again - thanks. I certainly wasn’t fishing for compliments, I just wanted to point out that while much of the harsh criticism directed at the federal government is warranted, there are many federal employees who are willing to go any distance to get the job done - USCG, NG/ANG, USAF, USA, USN, USMC - and many others. Not all agencies move “at the speed of government”.
I was CGA in the early 70’s. We had a falling out, it was an honor thing, and 30+ years later I still worry about my choice.
“You have to go out, you don’t have to come back,” is frowned upon by the upper brass? WTF, the top no longer lives this? When I was at the academy, that was taught and lived over anything else. I thought the guys I was in with should be about at the top by now, and that would be institutional policy. No?
My heart breaks again for my service. But, again, I do thank you for your work.
If we need to start a new thread, I can do that, but, thanks for all you have said.
I saw that footage and thought to myself, yep, that’s what a CG RS would be doing. That Shield gleams ever more brightly for all wearing it. A tip o’ the hat to the Coasties – and to all those, uniformed and civilian alike, who at least tried their best with what they had while the wheels were grinding slowly elsewhere.
brownie55, the CG nowadays is very much into risk based decision making, and that saying just doesn’t sit well in that environment. The theory being that having such an attitude can result in Coasties getting killed unnecessarily. To that end, I can see where they’re coming from. For example, an aquaintance of mine was killed in 1993 when he became trapped in a sinking tug boat on Lake Erie. The crew of the tug had been safely brought aboard the 41’ UTB when he and another Coastie went on board and down below in an attempt to save the boat. They were pumped up and chomping at the bit to get in there to do some good. When the tug rolled over and sank, only one got out.
To be painfully frank - he was killed trying to save an abandoned tug boat. But he was going, because Coasties have to go. Some surmise that the attitude of always having to go regardless of cost gets people killed. So, as a result of that and other incidents, you don’t hear the phrase in any official capacity anymore. What you’ll hear is: You have to go, but there’s no reason not to come back alive. Or somesuch.
But make no mistake, the original phrase is alive and well in the squad bays at Cape May and in the halls of New London.
The good news is that all the screw ups by other agencies, and levels of government just make the CG look that much better.
A team of pros that are very good at what they do.
::: Raises a glass:::
Well done!