HEARTLAND GUARDIAN

Volume 3 Issue 8

August 2013

D I S T R I C T E I G H T E A S T E R N C O A S T G U A R D R E G I O N

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PAGE TWO

PAGE THREE

PAGE FOUR

Boy Scout Jamboree

Division 24 Callout

Flags and Ensigns

PAGE FIVE

Division One BZ!

Coastie and Panda

PAGE SIX

DISTRICT

TRAINING

FALL 2013

DIVISION EIGHT

We do not join a team to sit on the bench. We join a team to play in the game.

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Politically Correct

Back in the Day we called it being Hen-Pecked. Today it is known as Political Savvy.

BOY SCOUT JAMBOREE 2013

This year's Boy Scout National Jamboree was held in early August at a

new and very exciting wilderness site. After many years of utilizing Fort

A.P. Hill in Virginia the Scouts finally now have a permanent site outside

of Beckley, West Virginia. A very wealthy donor gave an initial gift that

allowed the purchase of 10,600 acres for the Scouts, and other donors

gave well over $100 million to develop the site.

What does the Boy Scout Jamboree have to do with the Coast Guard

Auxiliary? Well, you couldn't ask for a better recruiting event. There

were somewhere in the range of 30,000 young men and women in

attendance (yes, girls are a part of Exploring, Sea Scouts, and Venturing

along with about 8,000 adult staffers. It was fascinating to watch a city be built in one day. With military

precision large buses arrived, one per minute, and dropped off the Scouts at their designated sites where they

quickly went to work assembling their tents and dining flys.

Our part of the Joint Task Force was comprised of Active Duty, Reserve, and Auxiliary volunteers. The Task

Force was run by the West Virginia Army Guard with all branches of the military taking part. Other than the

West Virginia National Guard, the Coast Guard group was the largest on site with by far the best displays. We

had five trailerable boats, every asset of the Coast Guard that could travel by road. Two other assets that were

very popular were the "Wet Trainer" (damage control simulator) and the M-16 weapons simulator.

Scouts using the "Wet Trainer" donned fireman's helmets, face shields, and fireman's boots and had to stop

high pressure water leaks using wooden plugs, wedges, and rags (all the while being yelled at by the Chief!)

The M-16 simulator used compressed air to mimic the feel and recoil of the actual weapon, the very same

training Active Duty recruits experience.

We had numerous displays on site covering all the jobs of the Coast Guard: SAR, commercial vessel

inspections, law enforcement, etc. During my 11 day stay I interacted with over 4,100 Scouts and Scouters,

promoting the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Academy, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. We were all so busy

manning our displays (no day off, 8 hours per day) there was very little time to explore the other activities.

Originally planned with a staff of 120 Coasties, due to sequestration we ran the event with 52. I saw first hand

how the United States Coast Guard manages to "do so much with so little". From Admirals down to

Auxiliarists all pitching in to "git er done"!

Photo Right: Boy Scouts

setting up display

Photo Left: View from

the hill of campsite

Photos and Article:

Kevin Gallagher

USCGAUX

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Submission Requirements for Heartland Guardian

The following requirements are suggested for consideration of any articles and photos submitted to Heartland Guardian.

• Photos should be .jpg format and minimized for use on websites

• Credits for photos are required with Name and Unit

• Photos not taken by an Auxiliary member or copied from outside sources should be labeled as such

• Please send a caption with the photo, not embedded in the photo itself

• NO facial photos of minors

• Articles should be original unless credit is given to the author and permission has been acquired

• Articles with photos should be no larger than one page due to space limitations

• Articles should be noted with name of Author and Unit

• No Personal Identifying Information will be printed in the newsletter, so please do not submit this. Examples are Employee

Identification Numbers, Social Security Numbers, phone numbers, addresses, or email addresses. If including an email address

is important to the article, please have member send via United States Postal Service a letter authorizing use of the email

address to the Staff of Heartland Guardian.

“If I could I would always work in silence and obscurity, and let my efforts be known by their results.”

Emily Bronte

English novelist and poet

Photo Right: Tennessee Valley Authority power lines over

Tennessee River

Photo Above Right: T.V.A. Facility and M.S.D. Nashville

Response Boat

Photos: Gordon Deramus, USCGAUX

Article Information: Walt and Chris Whitacre

DIVISION TWENTY-FOUR CALLOUT

Decatur, Alabama

Following a boating accident on the Tennessee River near Decatur, Alabama in July, Marine Safety

Detachment Nashville asked for Auxiliary assistance to work with the Tennessee Valley Authority to close the

river. LCDR Doug Salik, Supervisor MSD Nashville, requested rapid Auxiliary assistance.

Bill Weeks, Auxiliary Unit Coordinator for MSD Nashville asked Randy Ventress, DCAPT-S to assist and,

using the Chain of Leadership and Management Randy contacted DeAnne Rodenberg, DCDR 24. DeAnne

worked through her SO-OP Chris Whitacre and Division 24 was able to get a boat and Crew on the water soon

after the call went out.

The Crew consisting of Walt Whitacre, Chris Whitacre, and Gordon Deramus responded to a location near the

Brown’s Ferry Nuclear Plant to impose a river closure to

facilitate restringing of high voltage power wires by

helicopter for T.V.A.

Bravo Zulu to the Crew for a job well-done on short

notice.

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DISCLAIMER: The Heartland Guardian is an official publication of 8th Eastern Region of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The information provided here is for the edification and convenience of members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the

readers of this publication. The Heartland Guardian staff reserves the right to use or reject articles and photos; edit

submitted articles and photos for clarity, space, and or other concerns. Reprints of articles in this publication may be used

by other publications provided proper credit is given and a copy sent to the Staff of the Heartland Guardian.

Photos will be accompanied with caption and proper credit given to photographer. Articles from other publications shall be

accompanied by documentation authorizing reproduction with credit given to author and source of article.

Please direct any comments or constructive criticism to:

Publisher: Randy Ventress ADSO-PB (randyv19@comcast.net)

Editor: Thom McQueen DSO-PB (kyhoops1@fuse.net)

FLAG! DOING THE RIGHT THING - CORRECTLY

As Auxiliarists, it is important for us to set a good example, and

that includes flying all of our flags correctly according to

long-standing traditions.

Flags on boats are often too small. The National Ensign flown at

the flagstaff on the stern should be one inch on the fly (the longer

dimension of the flag) for each foot of boat length. A 32-foot boat

would require a U.S. ensign 32 inches long. When you buy your

flag, round up to the next larger commercially available size: in

this case, 36 inches. No other flags on your vessel may be larger

than the national ensign.

All other flags on a powerboat should be 5/8 inch on the fly for each foot of boat length (e.g., 32 x 5/8=20

inches on the fly). On sailboats, other flags should be an inch on the fly for each foot above the waterline of

the tallest mast on the boat. That is, if the top of the mast is 40 feet above the water, other flags should be 20

inches on the fly. When the proper size for your boat falls between the sizes that are available, choose the

larger size.

The blue Auxiliary Ensign may be flown by Auxiliary members whose boats meet more stringent

requirements than those necessary for a recreational boater to receive a Vessel Safety Check (VSC) decal. The

Auxiliary ensign may also be flown where aircraft or radio facilities are housed or where an Auxiliarist

resides.

Fly the National Ensign on your vessel only from 0800 until sunset except when entering or leaving port.

Care for your flags. When they become tattered or faded, replace them. Take your worn National Ensign to an

American Legion for a dignified disposal.

FLAG EDUCATION Flag Etiquette, Flag Disposal, and Federal Flag Code | VFW

Wayne Meunier

Flotilla 11-5

“Everyone has great ideas in the shower. But only a few people step out, dry off, and do something about it”.

The 21 Indispensible Qualities of a Leader

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BRAVO ZULU DIVISION ONE!!

HELP WANTED!!

Reporters, Photographers, and members with great article ideas are now being recruited for this newsletter.

Please contact either the Editor or Publisher for more information and to volunteer!!

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BRINGING OUT THE KID IN OURSELVES

Sometimes we earn more from the jobs that pay nothing.

The older we get, the more we seem to forget the simple joys of our childhood.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary has two highly effective Public Affairs tools in the form of our Auxiliary outreach

personalities team—our mascots—Coastie the Safety Boat and P.F.D. Panda. These two very special missions

allow qualified Auxiliarists to still hold the maturity of an adult while getting back in touch with his/her inner

child.

Conventional wisdom would tell you that Team Coast Guard mascots are all about creating excitement and fun

for kids and the adult audience. Well yes...but it's a lot more than that. These characters have the capacity to

bridge generations, entertain and engage the public while effectively aiding our primary mission of

recreational boating safety. They can be very powerful emissaries for both the Auxiliary and the Coast Guard.

Like any other asset, their most efficient utilization comes with proper training and the following of

standardized operating procedures and requisite certifications.

Coastie The Safety Boat is a 44-Inch “Low Endurance Cutter” and is the smallest Cutter ever built for the U.S.

Coast Guard. Coastie is a battery powered, remotely controlled, animated robotic cartoon character in

appearance and is very mobile. He has working navigation and searchlights, a rotating beacon, a siren, an air

horn, and eyes and eyelids that move meaningfully. He talks, plays music, and interacts with adults and the

children during the presentation. Coastie also has his own built in squirt gun (for outdoor use) that the kids just

love.

PFD Panda is the bigger than life flirtatious and lovable Panda bear that encourages children to wear a P.F.D

and boat safely. To perform as PFD Panda effectively one must have the following credentials: professional,

dependable, good health and well trained. The training curriculum includes skills on safety and performance

techniques, costume maintenance, facial/body expressions, proper walk/dance methods. PFD Panda Handlers

learn non verbal communications, help create Panda's personality, working directly with children and taught

how to react to and prevent a sudden injury.

“Children are not the only people that Coastie and Panda touch with the RBS

message. Adults learn from the interaction with the lovable little boat and the

bear. There is a little bit of child in all of us and Coastie and Panda brings the

child out of even some of the grouchiest people”. (Randy Ventress District

Captain-South) Acting like a child once in awhile doesn't mean that you are

any less mature then the adult that you are.

Consider getting yourself qualified for a spot on the Auxiliary outreach

personalities team, I assure you it lightens your load of every day stress and

temporarily brings back the time and feelings when everything was simpler.

Wayne Meunier - Auxiliarist & Qualified Member of Team Panda

Photo Right: Coastie interacting with Aaron Meinders Flotilla 11-4

Photo: Randy Ventress USCGAUX