US Coast Guard rocks question

[airbumba]

Hey folks.
I have a question regarding the outstanding performance of the US Coast Guard during this disaster compared to other orgs.

What allowed the Coast Guard to shine through this whole thing by a continious barrage of well planned and dedicated rescue missions, hour after hour, day after day, when it seems everone else was doing circles stuck in the mud?

Is the US Coast Guard, ( who rock by the way) setting their own agenda as far as mission goals? Are they free of Homeland red tape? Or is it just that they have the most dedicated , toughest, mission orientated dudes on the planet? (my personal choice).

You get where I'm going here. What did the Coast Guard do so right, that everyone else couldn't? I wonder.  

Well for the first time ever, the Canadian Coast Guard is leaving it's territorial waters , and sending a cutter, at the invite of The US Coast Guard and headed to the gulf. Well I'll tell ya, the Cdn dudes were all nervous and polishing up trying to get ready to meet their heros, The US Coast Guard dudes. My country will be that much safer when my coast guard guys come back after learning from the US Coast Guard.

I hope the Canadian Coast Guard learns what the US Coast Guard did right, that'll be better for all of us.


Did I mention The Coast guard rocks!!

[Jackal1]

Originally posted by airbumba

Did I mention The Coast guard rocks!!

You may have brought it up.

[Wolfala]

Well....

Seeing as the USCG Academy is more difficult to gain admission to then West Point, Anapolis, or the USAFA, that might speak something of it.

[Nilsen]

Well their job is search and rescue and thats what they do all year round.

They do alot of their work from plattforms off shore so I suppose that made it possible for them to get up close from early on.

Maybe there is less "red tape" when their job is SAR so they didnt need to cut through any to get going?


When there is any sort of emergency or accident somewere along the coast here they are usually among the first to help.

[SaburoS]

The USCG don't need no stinkin' permission from the Fed, State, or Local govt's to do their jobs. They do this on a 24/7 365 (366 leap year) days a year. I believe they have a permanent green light for their rescue ops.
Truly Heroes all.

[derelict]

We had an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure, i.e. written down stored in a binder plan) for everything.  We constantly trained on that SOP.  We held multi-agency drills on those SOP's.  We lived and breathed those SOP's.  Semper Paratus -- Always Ready.


BM2 K.W. East Jr.
USCG Ret.

[lasersailor184]

Seeing as the USCG Academy is more difficult to gain admission to then West Point, Anapolis, or the USAFA, that might speak something of it.

Woo!  I got into the CGA!  I just went somewhere else.

[rpm]

Originally posted by derelict
Semper Paratus -- Always Ready.

BM2 K.W. East Jr.
USCG Ret.

That says it all. There is no other service like the USCG. SAR, Law Enforcement and Aid to Navigation all fall under their domain and have been done 24/7 - 365 since 1790. There are no better sailors in the world.

BM3 M.L. Robinson
USCG Ret.

[Gunslinger]

Yup what RPM and others said.  They really don't have the red tape.

The US military can't go in until they have permission from the federal govt.  The federal govt can't send the military in with out a request from the state.

The CG allready operate with the state and have agreements and such set up since they fall (or used to IIRC) under the DOT not the DOD (unless federally activated in a time of war)  They might be under DHS now but I"m not sure.

EIther way the coasties were plucking poeple out as soon as the wind was under 45kts.  My hats off to them.

[Wolfala]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
Yup what RPM and others said.  They really don't have the red tape.

The US military can't go in until they have permission from the federal govt.  The federal govt can't send the military in with out a request from the state.

The CG allready operate with the state and have agreements and such set up since they fall (or used to IIRC) under the DOT not the DOD (unless federally activated in a time of war)  They might be under DHS now but I"m not sure.

EIther way the coasties were plucking poeple out as soon as the wind was under 45kts.  My hats off to them.

USCG operates now under the auspices of the DOD and DHS, but remain under their own sole control seperate from both.

[Maverick]

I believe the CG has the primary duty for rescue for any water situation already and the agreements are already in place for operation.

[Hangtime]

Some time back the costies were relieved of being pestered by every idot mariner that needed a tow. For the first fesw years channel 16 was kinda buzy with 'sir, is this a life threating situation??' Sometimes the back and forth between benny the skinboat sunday yachtsman and the coastie would get mildly entertaining with the poor coastie tring to triage the dimwits true situation.

"sir, please have all persons aboard don life jackets".. the waterways were littered with outta gas, dead batteried and dejected ahabs and halseys in bright orange kapok vests awaiting a very thorough coastie saftey inspection (and a stack of infraction fines) before a commerical tow and salvage vessel drpped a line aboard and legally owned yer boat till you paid his hideously exorbiant tow fee... coast guard flat refused to tow a vessel a flat inch unless somebodys life was in 'clear and present danger'.

The problem was that when there WAS a life threatining situation nine times outta ten the closest coastie asset was involved in a an idiot mariner response. Getting help from the coasties in a timely fasion was problematic.

Now, the Coasties are incredibly fast responders.. the idiot mariner population was somewhat thinned, the marine tow services were going public and selling shares and the Coast Guard got down to really polishing the 'saving lives' mission.

And, they do it exceptionally well.. my hat's off to 'em.

One of the few times I've ever seen a ferderal service improvement program actually improve something.

[Lazerus]

Pulled a 99 on the ASFAB. They turned me down because of a 4 yr old driving record. Suggested that I go try the airforce.

[Gunthr]

What allowed the Coast Guard to shine through this whole thing by a continious barrage of well planned and dedicated rescue missions, hour after hour, day after day, when it seems everone else was doing circles stuck in the mud?

Unified Command -  (not to mention excellent morale, espirit de core, professionalism and training)

[Meatwad]

I thought it was about rocks the US coast guard was doing something with