BMC Sheppard, C.O.C., AToN Saugerties, CGC Hawser and Wire.
Article posted on damage to AToN Saugerties, carried by the HVInsider.
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Coast Guard Change of Command
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Saugerties, NY – Captain Gregory Hitchen, Chief of Operations for the Port of New York and New Jersey, presided over the time honored naval tradition, the Change of Command of the CGC Wire (WYTL 62612). Chief Boatswain’s Mate Thomas Cairns relieved Senior Chief Boatswain Mike Koch on June 30, 2011. Senior Chief Koch and his family have been transferred to Jonesport, ME to take charge of the USCGC Moray (WPB-87331) as the Officer in Charge.
Chief Cairns is a native of Chicopee, MA entered the Coast Guard in October, 1991. After serving in various stations and cutters, he graduated from the Chief Petty Officers Academy (class 147) in February 2008 and has earned both Permanent Coxswain and Permanent Cutterman Insignias. Chief Cairns is married to Sarah and has two children Nicklaus and Andrew.
Welcome aboard Chief Cairns.
http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2011/08/08/news/doc4e3f3f563090e684587792.txt
Welcome aboard Chief Cairns.
Release posted in The Lincoln Eagle, September 2011.
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Captain Linda Fagan, Commander Sector New York, sends.
R 281416Z MAR 11
FM COMCOGARD SECTOR NEW YORK NY
TO
USCGC WILLOW, USCGC JUNIPER, USCGC KATHERINE WALKER, USCGC IDA LEWIS, USCGC STURGEON BAY, USCGC PENOBSCOT BAY, USCGC THUNDER BAY, USCGC HAWSER, USCGC WIRE, USCGC LINE.
INFO COMCOGARD SECTOR NEW YORK NY//SCC//
CCGDONE BOSTON MA//DPW/DXO//
COMCOGARD SECTOR NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND ME
BT
UNCLAS //N16150//
SUBJ: 2010-2011 SECTOR NEW YORK DOMESTIC ICEBREAKING SEASON
1. PLEASE ACCEPT MY SINCERE APPRECIATION FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE OF DUTY AND SUPPORT DURING THE 2010-2011 ICE BREAKING SEASON ON THE HUDSON RIVER.
2. DUE TO ABNORMALLY COOL AND HARSH WINTERY CONDITIONS, SIGNIFICANT ICE FORMATION MADE TRANSITING THE HUDSON RIVER CHALLENGING AND HAZARDOUS FOR NAVIGATION. WHILE ASSIGNED TO DOMESTIC ICEBREAKING DUTIES THE CGC WILLOW, CGC JUNIPER, CGC KATHERINE WALKER, CGC IDA LEWIS, CGC STURGEON BAY, CGC PENOBSCOT BAY, CGC THUNDER BAY, CGC HAWSER, CGC LINE, AND CGC WIRE ASSISTED 91 VESSELS AND FACILITIES AND MAINTAINED A OPEN TRACK WHICH ALLOWED FOR THE SAFE TRANSPORTATION OF OVER 10 MILLION BARRELS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS. FURTHERMORE, THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE SECTOR NEW YORK COMMAND CENTER SITUATION UNIT WATCHSTANDERS IN MAINTAINING OVERALL AWARENESS OF VESSEL MOVEMENTS, POSTING DAILY ICE MESSAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHS TO HOMEPORT WAS CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING A HIGH LEVEL OF COORDINATION WITH MARINERS AND THE PORT COMMUNITY.
3. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE COAST GUARD AUXILIARY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEW YORK FOR SUPERB SUPPORT DURING THIS ICE SEASON. THE AUXILIARY AVIATION BRANCH FLEW 72 MISSIONS AND ACCUMULATED 285 FLIGHT HOURS IN SUPPORT OF THE ICE MISSION. THEIR ICE DATA AND PHOTOGRAPHS WERE CRITICAL IN PLANNING MISSIONS AND CUTTER OPERATIONS. THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF COORDINATED NUMEROUS MEDIA REQUESTS FROM NATIONAL, LOCAL, AND REGIONAL NEWS SERVICES AND ASSISTED SECTOR NEW YORK WITH ICE RELATED STORIES. THANKS TO THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS EFFORTS, THE HARD WORK DONE BY THE MEN AND WOMEN ABOARD THE CUTTERS WAS RECOGNIZED BOTH LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY WHILE EVERYONES EFFORTS AS A WHOLE ENSURED THE FLOW OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS WAS NOT DELAYED TO THE DELIVERY POINTS.
4. I COMMEND YOU A JOB WELL DONE, BRAVO ZULU.
5. CAPT LINDA FAGAN, COMMANDER SECTOR NEW YORK, SENDS.
BT
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First Class Machinery Technician (MK1) Jason Leeper gets an early Christmas present.
Saugerties, NY- U.S. Coast Guard First Class Machinery Technician Jason Leeper was promoted to Chief Machinery Technician, an E7, on December 1, 2010. Chief Leeper started his military career after graduating from Evergreen High School, Vancouver, WA in 1992. His USCG basic training took him to Cape May, NJ and in 1994 after two years on the CG Cutter Planetree; he was transferred to ANT Station Puget Sound.
Chief Leeper with new insignia.
When his first enlistment in the Coast Guard ended he joined the U.S. Army. After basic training in the Army he was sent to Korea and later transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2002. When his Army enlistment ended Chief Leeper rejoined the USCG. After serving aboard a number of CG Cutters he was ordered to the USCG ANT Station Saugerties in 2010. Chief Leeper has served 13 years with the USCG and three years with the U.S. Army.
Chief Christopher Sheppard, the Officer in Charge of AToN Saugerties, presided over the pinning of Chief Leeper’s new insignia. If remaining in Saugerties is not in the cards for Chief Leeper, his ‘wish list’ is to go somewhere warm where he can get more time on his bike that he uses to stay fit and relax.
USCG AToN Saugerties and the CG Auxiliary wish Chief Leeper ‘fair winds and following seas’.
News release carried by the Mid-Hudson News, Daily Freeman and Poughkeepsie Journal as well as his home town papers.
http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2011/01/17/news/doc4d339cd0ec783381198365.txt
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Coast Guard: Fall Buoy Retrieval
Saugerties, NY – USCG AToN (Aids to Navigation Team) Station Saugerties has begun its annual retrieval of navigation aids that guide mariners along the Hudson River. The buoys are taken out of service due to decreased vessel traffic and to reduce damage from ice and the severe winter weather.
The 49’ Coast Guard Vessel ‘BUSL’ commanded by BMC Christopher D. Sheppard began removing buoys around Newburgh, NY in early September. The Coast Guard will remove 90-100 aids to navigation along the Hudson River, replacing them with winter can and nun buoys as far north as Troy, NY by late December.
While the ‘BUSL’ and her crew do this vital task, civilian volunteers from the Coast Guard Auxiliary staff the Station and aid in the PATON Program (verifying private aids to navigation) on the Hudson River. When a PATON inspection is done it is then recorded for notation on marine charts.
When the Hudson River freezes the Coast Guard maintains icebreakers that keep the channel open for domestic, international and commercial traffic which supplies the Hudson Valley with much-needed petroleum, natural gas and home heating fuel oil during the cold winter months.
The work done by the crews of AToN Station Saugerties and the Coast Guard Auxiliary insure that mariners using the Hudson River will have accurate data showing the Hudson River’s navigable channel and private moorings.
Seamen Ellis and Booth ready a winter buoy for loading the 'BUSL"
Pictured are Seaman Ozem Ellis and Seaman Alexander Booth rolling a winter nun buoy across the dock as Seaman Cory Adam stands by in the crane ready to reload the ‘BUSL’ for another trip.
Ed Duffy FSO-PA 20-4, article posted in Daily Freeman, Mid-Hudson News on 1Dec10.
http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2010/December/01/bouy_retrv-01Dec10.html
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AToN Saugerties Change of Command
Captain Gregory P. Hitchen, U.S.C.G. Sector New York, presided over the Change of Command at the United States Coast Guard ANT Station Saugerties, New York. Family, friends and Auxiliary members attended the ceremony saying good-bye to BMC John Gagne and welcoming in BMC Christopher Sheppard.
Chief Gagne is a native of Kendall, NY. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in September of 1990 and attended basic training at Center Cape May, NJ. His career took him from Station Ashtabula, OH to USCGC AXE in Morgan City LA. He then served at Station Rochester, NY; Aids to Navigation Team Green Bay, WI and then USCGC Sweetbrier, Cordova, AK. He retired from ANT Station Saugerties, NY on June 25, 2010.
Chief Gagne is married to Kelly Carpenter – Gagne and has three children Alyssa, Courtney and Trisha. After retirement he will attend SUNY Cobleskill for his Fisheries and Wildlife Management Degree. Curt Fleck, Division 20 Vice Commander (Auxiliary), presented Chief Gagne with a framed photograph of the BUSL (Buoy Utility Stern Loading) vessel at a celebration in his honor following the C.O.C.
Chief Sheppard is the incoming Officer in Charge of the Aids to Navigation Team Saugerties, New York. He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in January of 1996. Before being posted to Saugerties, Chief Sheppard served in various Coast Guard Stations in California, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Maryland. During his 14 years of active service he has accumulated 8 years of sea time aboard CG Cutters; his last duty assignment was CGC SLEDGE (WLIC-75303), Baltimore, MD.
Chief Sheppard is a native of Fountain Valley, CA and is joined by his wife, Jessica (nee Garcia) from the City of Warrenton, OR. They have two children Brian, age 11 and Madalyn age 4. Chris Sheppard is the youngest of five children and his parents; Dr. John Sheppard and Jean Hermansen live in California. His hobbies include sailing, snorkeling, skiing on water and snow along with dirt biking and camping. After attending Golden West Community College he joined the Coast Guard at the age of 24. He is still a San Francisco 49ers fan.
Welcome aboard Chief Sheppard.
Posted in Daily Freeman, Saugerties Times, Warrenton , OR and Fountain Valley, CA.
Article posted in Daily Freeman.
http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/07/26/news/doc4c4d129c5fe4e750045511.txt
