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#21
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Let's Clarify a few things
"I have to say this discussion is both hilarious and offensive."
What I find offensive is the US Government taking all my money for some third world **** pot. And I also find it offensive that my money is going to support a stupid war in Iraq that we should never have been involved in. Where are the weapons of mass destruction? Personally, I like the Coast Guard. I've spoken to many of their personnel as their base is nearby and I like to bicycle to it. I do think, like everything else in the USA, they are becoming part of the fascist forces created by George Bush. Our big hero president, who got himself into the National Guard so he could play soldier rather than be a soldier. I was in the NG at the same time as George, it was a total joke. We drank beer, pretended to be in the Army, and then drank more beer. We were all draft dodgers. At least I admit it! ======== wrote in message ... I have to say this discussion is both hilarious and offensive. Especially when a certain someone posts that the US Coast Guard would have been "on leave or sitting around shining our shoes" had this case not have happened. For your information sir, while Search and Rescue will always be our main mission we have about 16 other priority missions the US taxpayers require us to perform 365 days of the year. I am a crewmember on the cutter TAHOMA and I was involved in the SAR case Grail Pilgrin. We were on a Living Marine Resources Patrol (LMRE) which is a law enforcement mission spanning from Maine to New York out 200NM. In addition to the LMRE patrol we were also a response cutter that performs counterterrorism missions when called upon. This patrol (other military agencies call it deployments) was to span well into the new year, so let me assure you that while you were spending the holidays with your family, we were protecting your homeland. In reference to the S/V Grail Pilgrin, I have no doubt that if we would not have gone out and rescued the sailor in distress, there was a very high probability his family would have been mourning at a funeral instead of celebrating the holidays. I am not going to detail the case because for most of you I don't think you deserve it, and the rest of you might not believe me. I will though highlight the main points from this case: While on a routine patrol (deployment) we were diverted to evacuate the sailor onboard the S/V Grail Pilgrin. We were 240NM west of the S/ V Grail Pilgrin when the call came in. We made best speed to his position where we discovered winds out of the East holding steady at 45Kts gusting up to 60kts. The wind waves were reaching 5ft in height and we recorded swells reaching 18FT in height. To give you an idea of how bad it was out there our 270' ship at one time took a 32 degree roll to starboard. Most ships today are designed to withstand a roll of up to 45 degrees before structural damage starts to occur so if we took a 32 degree roll you can only imagine the pitch and rolls happening on the 29ft sailboat. Now I cannot say why the sailor decided to sail alone from Halifax to Bermuda and it is not my position to judge why, but the man I met was a very experienced sailor, probably more experienced than most of you posting on this account. When we arrived and spoke to the sailor via radio we could tell he was suffering from severe exhaustion and his symptoms described the first stage of shock and dehydration. The S/V Grail Pilgrin bow sail and come loose and was floating in the water, the sea anchor was deployed, and his rigging had been torn from the mast in addition to the engine being out of commission. In other words, he could not motor or sail, which leads me to say I know of no one who could have taken that S/V in that condition anywhere expect straight down to the bottom of the ocean. We as Coastguardsmen are trained to perform rescues in the most severe weather and we had to wait a few hours until the seas calmed enough for us to launch our smallboat to affect the rescue. That is all I am going to say on the subject, take it or leave it that is what happened. Next time you want to criticize my service or the missions we perform come find me and say it in my face. I will stick you on a small boat in 15ft seas for 36 hours and ask you how you feel when we come save you. Respectfully, A United States Coast Guard Cutterman currently serving aboard CGC TAHOMA |
#22
posted to rec.boats.cruising
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Let's Clarify a few things
In article ,
jeff wrote: Oh really? I believe that the officers of the NOAA Corps take the same oath as officers in branches under the Department of Defense. In fact, all sorts of federal employees take the same oath as directly by 5 U.S.C. 3331. I took the oath (I think) when I worked at the Smithsonian, and even postal workers take it. Curiously, enlisted men take a different oath, where they agree to obey orders. Officers (and Postmen) don't agree to follow orders, only uphold the Constitution. Yep, and I took the SAME Oath of Office, when I was Sworn in as a Resident Field Agent for the Federal Communications Commission. I actually had to fly to Juneau, Alaska, and be Sworn in by a Captain in the USCG, at the time they were part of the Dept. of Commerce..... -- Bruce in alaska add path after fast to reply |
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