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INDIANAPOLIS — Coast Guard Seaman Aaron Such (pictured third from right) holds the Coast Guard Standard as Kelly Clarkson sings the national anthem before Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Feb. 5, 2012. Such, who is assigned to Coast Guard Station Michigan City, Ind., was selected to represent the Coast Guard in the military honor guard alongside other local service representatives. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Felicya Adams

CLEVELAND — A Coast Guardsman who is originally from Indiana, and also stationed there, represented the service in the joint military honor guard before the start of Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Sunday evening.

Seaman Aaron Such, 30, who is currently assigned to Coast Guard Station Michigan City, Ind., carried the Coast Guard Standard into the stadium and rendered honors while entertainer Kelly Clarkson sang the national anthem.

"To me, it was an honor to carry the Coast Guard Standard on the Super Bowl field," said Such, who is married to Brittney Such.  They have one daughter, 18-month-old Kaydence Olivia Such.

Such, who currently resides in Danville, Ind., is a native of Planfield, Ind., and graduated high school there in 1999.  After high school, Such enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2000 and served on active-duty since 2007.  He left the Army as a sergeant and joined the Coast Guard in August of 2011.

He reported for duty at Station Michigan City on Oct. 22, 2011, where he serves as a radio watchstander and is working on ice rescue and boat crewman qualifications.  He is on the waiting list to attend the Coast Guard's school for its operations specialist rating.

The Army Reserve unit at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Ind., that was coordinating the honor guard contacted the command at Station Michigan City to acquire a Coast Guard representative.  To make things fair, all the interested station crewmembers put their names in a hat to decide who would represent the unit and the service, said Senior Chief Petty Officer Rebecca Polzin, officer-in-charge of Station Michigan City.  Such's name was the one that was picked.

"Seaman Such was a great candidate for this opportunity," said Polzin.  "He represents the station and the service exceptionally well and has been doing some really great work since he reported here in the summer."

Following the pre-game ceremonies, Such and the other members of the military honor guard were able to watch the game from the stands.  Although his favorite team is the Denver Broncos, Such said he was rooting for the New York Giants and was happy to see them beat the New England Patriots, 21-17.

Media Note: Media interested in interviewing Seaman Such should contact Chief Petty Officer Kyle Niemi, assistant public affairs officer for the 9th Coast Guard District, at 216-902-6020.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas – The Coast Guard rescued four fishermen, Monday, who had been missing since Friday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station South Padre Island received a call, Saturday, from Rescue Command Center Mexico requesting assistance with a search involving a 25-foot fishing vessel with four men aboard that had departed Playa Bagdad, Mexico, Thursday, and was due back at 7 a.m., Friday.

Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi launched an HU-25 Falcon fixed-wing aircraft and crew, which conducted searches on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew were launched and soon discovered an abandoned vessel on the beach near Port Mansfield Channel matching the description of the missing lancha.

Monday, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew from Air Station Corpus Christi were conducting a patrol and noticed four men waving from the beach, 11 miles south of where the abandoned vessel was discovered the previous day. The helicopter lowered the rescue swimmer who determined the four individuals were Mexican nationals.

The men were taken to Coast Guard Station South Padre Island where it was confirmed that they were the individuals missing since Friday. EMS were called and determined the men had no injuries or medical issues.

Customs and Border Protection was also notified and will be conducting an investigation.

For more information on this Coast Guard rescue contact Lt. Heidi Miller at (361) 438-0176.

ST. LOUIS — Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River received the Adm. Bennett Sparks Award, Monday, for having the most successful Military Reserve Integration Program in the Coast Guard for reserve forces of less than 100.

Sector UMR issued more than 160 orders to reservists to respond to flooding on the Red and Missouri rivers, to assist with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill recovery and to assist with maritime security operations.

“The coalescence of active duty and reserve members ensures better mission execution and aligns our personnel and missions with our commanding officer's vision of ensuring we stand fast to the Coast Guard's Core Values of honor, respect and devotion to duty," said Linda Robinson, head of the Reserve Forces Readiness program for Sector UMR.

Sector UMR is the largest Coast Guard sector in the lower 48 states with an area of responsibility comprised of 11 states and 2,000 miles of commercially navigable, waterways which constitute the upper portion of the Mississippi River, the Illinois River, the Missouri River and their tributaries. The waterway systems include over 33 locks and dams, 238 bridges and seven major population centers. The sector is staffed by more than 277 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel as well as a variety of unique assets including five cutters and three marine safety detachments.

For more information on the award or on Sector UMR's reserve program contact Lt. j.g. Colin Fogarty at (314) 269-2546 or Lt. Timothy Marriot at (314) 269-2541.

PADUCAH, Ky. — The Coast Guard has approved the transit of the Delta Mariner to a safe harbor on the Tennessee River, Monday.

Salvage workers successfully cut the Delta Mariner free from subsurface bridge debris at 10:15 a.m., Monday, and will continue removing remaining portions of the bridge from the bow of the ship once it is safely secured a mile from its current location.

“The salvage operations are proceeding as planned, and it is a significant milestone that the ship has now been relocated downriver and clear of the Eggner Ferry Bridge,” said Cmdr. Claudia Gelzer, commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah.

A 25-foot Response Boat-Small and crew from MSU Paducah remain on site to ensure safety of salvage operations.

The Coast Guard is working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, Foss Maritime and Marshall County Sheriff's Office.

The investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

For more information about the allision, contact Lt. Jennifer Jessee at 270-816-7627.

PITTSBURGH — The Coast Guard honored a World War II hero with the Navy and Marine Corps Medal at an American Legion in Pittsburgh, Friday.

Thomas A. Vitale received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic efforts while helping exhausted and helpless survivors reach the safety of the USS Comanche during a torpedo attack on the S.S. Dorchester, Feb. 3, 1943.

"We were privileged to honor one of our Coast Guard heroes from WWII for distinguished bravery and selfless service," said Cmdr. Richard Timme, commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh. "Mr. Vitale's actions are deserving of our recognition and are a shining example of the Coast Guard's crucial wartime service to the nation."

PADUCAH, Ky.—The Coast Guard approved a salvage plan, Friday, to remove both the supply ship Delta Mariner and a section of the Eggner Ferry Bridge that remains on its bow following an allision a week ago.

Salvage operations are anticipated to begin Saturday. Foss Maritime, owner of the Delta Mariner, has brought in numerous support vessels and technical salvage equipment in anticipation of debris removal operations.

"The Coast Guard is working closely with Foss Maritime to ensure the safest and most efficient salvage of the ship," said Cmdr. Claudia Gelzer, commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah. "The company is cooperating fully and bringing the appropriate resources to bear in support of the operation. The goal is to free the ship from the bridge span debris and assess damages so it can be repaired and put back into service."

The Coast Guard has been enforcing a safety zone from mile marker 41 to mile marker 43 on either side of the bridge on the Tennessee River to protect the public from the damaged bridge and stricken ship since Jan. 26, 2012. The river was opened to commercial traffic on Jan. 28, 2012, with speed restrictions.

The Coast Guard Cutter Obion and a 25-foot Response Boat-Small and crew from MSU Paducah remain on site to ensure safety of salvage operations.  The Coast Guard is working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and Marshall County Police.

There are no reported injuries or pollution at this time.

The investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

For more information about the allision, contact Lt. Ron Easley at 270-816-7627.

Editor's Note: A media availability is scheduled for 2 p.m., Friday, at Kenlake Marina, 888 Kenlake, Hardin, Ky., with representatives from Foss Maritime and the Coast Guard who will be available to answer questions regarding the salvage operations.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Coast Guard students and instructors of the Gulf Regional Fisheries Training Center visited the Texas State Aquarium to familiarize themselves with the various species of marine life in the Gulf of Mexico, Thursday.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Gulf of Mexico was formed as a result of seafloor subsidence approximately 300 million years ago. It is approximately 995 square miles from east to west and approximately 560 square miles from north to south.

Circulating as a loop current, water enters the Gulf through the Yucatan Strait and exits through the Florida Straight, forming the Gulf Stream. This body of water is the ninth largest in the world; it serves as a deposit from the Mississippi River which pushes more than 3.3 million gallons of water into the Gulf every second, and its resources are some of the most productive in the world. 

These resources, such as fisheries, shrimp and oysters, are supplied to states all across the country.  To help keep the supply flowing, the Coast Guard helps regulate those resources and trains its members with instructors based at the Gulf Regional Fisheries Training Center in New Orleans. GRFTC conducts approximately 20 classes a year and trains nearly 400 law enforcement agents from the Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and state and federal fish and wildlife agencies. The students are from units ranging from Brownsville, Texas, to Key West, Fla.

The training center instructors combine classroom lectures that include learning about everything from the different lengths and weight of fish to the different fishing seasons.

They perform practical exercises such as the proper method of measuring fish and turtle excluder devices. Class members were also are given written tests regarding laws and regulations, types of vessels, how to use marine measuring tools and how to identify and preserve the many different species of marine life.

“This course teaches our boarding teams how to enforce the National Marine Fisheries rules and regulations in order to protect our natural resources,” said Petty Officer 1st Class David Walson, an instructor with GRFTC. “Byproduct reduction devices and turtle excluder devices allow unintended species to escape from fishing nets while still capturing the intended catch.”

To identify the marine life up close, class members spent one morning at the Texas State Aquarium with a book about sport fish in the Gulf. This book helps with identification and information on all popular species that are in the 400,000-gallon Gulf of Mexico exhibit.

“Going to the aquarium was a great opportunity for hands on experience to transfer what we learned in the classroom to being able to identify various marine species,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Kyle Timberlake, a student. “Overall the class was fun and I’ve learned new fisheries enforcement regulations to help protect the fishermen and our natural resources.”

After completion of the class, members return to the field to continue the living marine resource and the marine environmental protection missions with their perspective units along the Gulf Coast. They will conduct boardings using the skills taught to them by GRFTC.

The Gulf of Mexico has more than 400 species of shells, it is home to two of the 10 busiest ports in the world, and its shores and beaches are ideal for swimming, water sports and fishing. With all these facts in play, and many more, the goal of GRFTC is to ensure that class members learn and retain everything that is taught, and are prepared when boarding a vessel in the Gulf to help ensure the protection of the Gulf and its resources.

This most recent class included students from Station Sabine Pass, Texas, Station Port O’Connor, Texas, Sector Hampton Roads, Va., the Coast Guard Cutter Brandt stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Coast Guard Cutter Amberjack, stationed in South Padre Island, Texas.

Images are available of this event:
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Video is available here:
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MICHIGAN CITY, Ind.—Senior Chief Petty Officer Colleen McCarthy, (left), officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Kenosha, Wis., and Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Beatty, officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Frankfort, Mich., pin new rank insignia on the collar of Rebecca Polzin, officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Michigan City during her advancement to senior chief petty officer, Feb. 2, 2012. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Kody Felthoff.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind.—Capt. Matthew Sibley (left), commander of Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, Wis., congratulates Rebecca Polzin, officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Michigan City, after her advancement to senior chief petty officer on Feb. 1, 2012.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Kody Felthoff.

MICHIGAN CITY, Ind.—Rebecca Polzin, a native of Preston, Minn., and current officer-in-charge of Coast Guard Station Michigan City, Ind., was advanced to the rate of senior chief petty officer in the U.S. Coast Guard during a ceremony held at Station Michigan City, today.

As officer-in-charge of Station Michigan City, Polzin ensures the 19 enlisted active-duty Coast Guardsmen and seven enlisted reservists assigned there successfully carry out the unit's missions: search and rescue; maritime law enforcement; ports, waterways, and coastal security; and marine environmental protection.

A 12-year Coast Guard veteran, Polzin has been stationed at six different units across the United States, including the Coast Guard Cutter Monomoy, aboard which she deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

A native of Preston, Minn., Polzin graduated from Coast Guard Recruit Training Center Cape May, N.J., in September 1999. Polzin has her 100-ton Merchant Mariners license and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, fitness and health at Purdue University.

Her military decorations include one Coast Guard Commendation Medal, two Coast Guard Achievement Medals and one Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

For more information, contact Coast Guard Station Michigan City at 219-879-8371.

HOUSTON - Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a new facility at Ellington Field, Tuesday.

Sector Houston-Galveston is currently located at a 7-acre site on the Houston Ship Channel in Galena Park. A planning proposal completed in August 2008 recommended the relocation of the unit to Ellington Field.

“The facility will be more efficient, provide better working conditions for our personnel and be less vulnerable to heavy weather conditions,” said Capt. James Whitehead, commander of Sector Houston-Galveston.

More of these images can be found here: 
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WHO: Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Pittsburgh/Thomas A. Vitale

WHAT: Presentation of the Navy and Marine Corps Medal

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 3, 2012 at 10:15 a.m.

WHERE: American Legion, 820 Broad Ave, Belle Vernon, Pa., 15012

PITTSBURGH — The Coast Guard will honor a World War II hero with the Navy and Marine Corps Medal at an American Legion in Pittsburgh, Friday.

Thomas A. Vitale will receive the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic efforts while helping exhausted and helpless survivors reach the safety of the USS Comanche during a torpedo attack on the S.S. Dorchester, Feb. 3, 1943.

"This award recognizes that Mr. Vitales' actions were in keeping with the highest ideals of military service and in particular the Coast Guard life-saving ethos," said Cmdr. Richard Timme, commanding officer of MSU Pittsburgh. "We are honored to have a part in presenting it to one of our genuine World War II heroes."

CAPE MAY, N.J. — East Liverpool, Ohio, native and two others were recognized as the Coast Guard's Shipmates of the Week for helping to rescue five fishermen off the southern coast of Jamaica Jan. 3 at 11 p.m.

Seaman Jarrod Reed of East Liverpool, Ohio, Seaman Charles Gray of Norcross, Ga., and Seaman Pablo Taborda, Jr. of Miami were standing lookout watch during a counter narcotics patrol aboard Coast Guard Cutter Venturous, which was encountering 12-foot seas and 35-knot winds at the time. The trio spotted a light in the distance in the punishing weather and reported it to the bridge.

“The OOD (officer of the day) thought it might be a buoy, but we were confident we had spotted something more than that,” said Taborda, who graduated Dec. 9, 2011, with Recruit Company Whiskey 185 and had only been on patrol with Venturous four days. “Our commitment as Coast Guardsmen and our confidence as look outs made the OOD and the command want to check it out further.”

With no correlating radar contacts in the area, the crew of Venturous went to investigate the light. The crew used their forward looking infrared camera and spotted the five fishermen clinging to the wreckage of their sunken fishing vessel. The light the fishermen used to signal the lookouts was a cell phone that surprisingly survived the capsizing of the vessel. Gray, Reed and Taborda had spotted the cell phone light from more than two miles away in 12-foot seas.

“Even though you’re the lowest man on the totem pole, you’re still capable of making that big difference in somebody’s life,” said Reed, who graduated Sept. 9, 2011, with Recruit Company Lima 185. “We were able to make a difference that night.”

Each recruit at Training Center Cape May receives lookout training as part of their basic training, but the Gray referenced another skill he learned at Training Center Cape May that is even more important.

“The most important thing I took away from training in Cape May is not to become complacent because that’s when someone can get hurt, or in this case, we could’ve very easily missed those guys,” said Gray, who graduated Sept. 23, 2012, with Recruit Company November 185. “They very well would be dead right now had we not seen them.”

Capt. Bill Kelly, the commanding officer of Training Center Cape May, will brief basic training recruits here Wednesday at 10 a.m. on the success of their shipmates already in the fleet and motivate them in their final weeks of training. Members of the media are invited to attend this event, which will begin at 10 a.m. and last approximately 30 minutes. Interviews with Kelly and the recruits will be available following Kelly’s brief presentation.

"What we do here is important, and it does make a difference," said Kelly.  "The basically trained, physically fit, smartly disciplined non-rates we graduate week in and week out will be called upon to serve the day they step aboard their first units."   

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Note: For more information, please contact Donnie Brzuska at O: 609-898-6362, C: 609-224-0214 or E: donnie.c.brzuska@uscg.mil. Please click on the tumbnails above to download the high-resolution photos.

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PADUCAH, Ky. — The Coast Guard has reopened a portion of the Tennessee River, Saturday, after a section of the Eggner Ferry Bridge collapsed following an allision with a vessel.

The U. S. Army Corps of Engineers has deemed the navigable channel safe for commercial transit after completing a channel survey Friday evening and finding no obstructions or debris. The safety zone from mile marker 41 to mile marker 43 on either side of the bridge continues to be in effect. 

At approximately 7 a.m., Saturday, the Coast Guard began allowing commercial vessels to move through the safety zone. Vessels are instructed to transit at the slowest safe speed to ensure minimal wake. Vessels needing to transit through the safety zone must contact the Coast Guard via VHF-FM on channel 16. Recreational boat traffic is still restricted from moving through the safety zone.

"The Army Corps of Engineers have been a crucial partner in assuring that the channel is clear of debris and helping us get commerce moving," said Cmdr. Claudia Gelzer, commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah. "We continue to focus on a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause of this accident and working with the ship's owner on a safe salvage plan."

The Coast Guard is coordinating with the Army Corps of Engineers, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Coast Guard Cutter Cimarron and a 25-foot Response Boat - Small and crew from MSU Paducah have been deployed to the scene.

There are no reported injuries or pollution at this time.

The incident is under investigation. 

For more information about the allision, contact Lt. Ron Easley at 270-816-7627

PADUCAH, Ky. — The Coast Guard is enforcing a safety zone on a portion of the Tennessee River after a section of the Eggner Ferry Bridge collapsed following an allision with a vessel, Friday.

Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley watchstanders received the initial report at approximately 8 p.m., Central time, Thursday, that the cargo ship, Delta Mariner, had allided with the auxiliary channel span of the Eggner Ferry Bridge.

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port Ohio Valley has established a safety zone from mile marker 41 to mile marker 43 on either side of the bridge until it has been deemed safe to transit.

"The Coast Guard is investigating the accident to determine the cause and is working closely with local and state agencies on scene," said Cmdr. Claudia Gelzer, commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Paducah. "It's extremely fortunate that no one was hurt in the collapse. Our priority now is to ensure continued safety on the waterway and oversee the safe salvage of the cargo ship."

The Coast Guard is coordinating with the Army Corps of Engineers, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the National Transportation Safety Board.

There are no reported injuries or pollution at this time.

The incident is under investigation.

For more information about the allision, contact Lt. Roy Easley at 270-816-7627.

HOUSTON — Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston will host a groundbreaking ceremony for a new facility at Ellington Field, Tuesday.

Sector Houston-Galveston is currently located at a 7-acre site on the Houston Ship Channel in Galena Park.  A planning proposal completed in August 2008 recommended the relocation of the unit to Ellington Field. 

“The facility will be more efficient, provide better working conditions for our personnel and be less vulnerable to heavy weather conditions,” said Capt. James Whitehead, commander of Sector Houston-Galveston.

Date: Jan. 31, 2012

Time: 1 p.m.

Location: 11602 Aerospace Avenue,
              Houston, Texas 77034

Media interested in attending should contact Sector Houston-Galveston prior to noon, Monday.  The ceremony is not open to the public.

For more information, contact Lt. j.g. Keric Allen at (713) 293-2610.

Scheduled to attend the ceremony are: Rear Adm. Roy Nash, commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District.