The Long Blue Line (Fall 2020)

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FALL 2020 Managing Editor: Drew Forster Graphic Designer: Scott McGuire Contributing Writer: William H. Thiesen, Ph.D. Chief of the Mess: MCPOCG Vincent W. Patton, Ed.D., USCG (Ret.) PUBLISHER: The Long Blue Line is published quarterly by the National Coast Guard Museum Association, 78 Howard Street, Suite A, New London, CT 06320 ADVERTISING: Please contact Mary Joe Clark, Maryjoeclark0@gmail.com 781-707-6565 PAST ISSUES: Current and past issues of The Long Blue Line (formerly The Retiree Newsletter) are accessible at: www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/ retnews/ where you can also subscribe for e-distribution of this newsletter and other important retiree communications. Coast Guard Distribution Lists can be found at the USCG Public Affairs News Room at: www.news.uscg.mil ON THE COVER: Coast Guard VADM. Steven D. Poulin visits the New York, NY 9/11 memorial on September 11, 2020 and inserts a rose into the etched name of Coast Guard Machinery Technician 1st Class Jeffrey Palazzo. Palazzo also served with the New York City Fire Department and lost his life responding to the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 6 7 8 10 14 26 36 48 59 60 61 62 63 CG Retiree Services Program A message from the director CAPT Thomas King Stepping in as acting Director of Military Personnel (CG-13) Reunions, Notices & Items of Interest Everyone is a Recruiter Coast Guard revitalizes incentive program COVER STORY | 911- Jeffrey Palazzo: A Coast Guard Hero's Story Security Deck: Inside glimpse at the missions that will drive the exhibits of the National Coast Guard Museum’s Security Deck Retirement Notices TAPS Notices Audit Error Worksheet (AEW) Update Armed Forces Retirement Home Accepting Applications for Residency! CGEX: Full/part time Developmental opportunities CG Pay & Personnel Center, Retiree & Annuitant Services (PPC-RAS) CG Pay & Personnel Center, Retiree & Annuitant Services (PPC-RAS) - Directory Assistance & Other Important Phone Numbers & Websites CORRECTION: In the previous issue of The Long Blue Line in the sidebar article titled Coast Guard Pioneer Captain Beverly Kelly (page 40) there is an error. The Coast Guard Cutter NEWAGEN is mistakenly spelled NEWHAGEN. Find all of this content at longblueline.org IMPORTANT REMINDERS: WHAT HAS CHANGED? The CG Retiree Services Program (vice Retiree Council) is now partnering with the National Coast Guard Museum to publish this print version of the retiree newsletter. WHAT’S NOT CHANGING? Coast Guard content (e.g. Retiree Services messaging; Retirements, TAPS, and Reunion and other notices; and helpful phone #s, websites). The Retiree Services Program Manager remains the POC for CG content and input to the newsletter. The deadline for input for the winter 2021 newsletter is 20 Nov 2020. I do NOT have the capability to update retiree mailing/e-mail addresses in Direct Access (DA). This is a function of CG PPC. I only upload retiree addresses from DA for mailing of the newsletter and other communications. Robert Hinds, CG-1335, Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) endorse the National Coast Guard Museum Association, Inc, or any other non-federal entity. Further, neither DHS nor the USCG endorse or support the products or services advertised in this newsletter, the organizations advertising in this newsletter, or the statements of any non- U.S. Coast Guard contributors for this newsletter. 4 FALL 2020 THE LONG BLUE LINE
NATIONAL RETIREE COUNCIL CO-CHAIRS WHERE DID THE SUMMER GO? Unfortunately, continued COVID-19 restrictions forced most of us to trade beaches for backyard inflatable pools and hitthe-road vacations for TV travelogues. But remaining safe is the goal and we trust that all of our retiree community is still doing so. We were able to convene a CG National Retiree Council forum, via a three-hour video teleconference, on 20 August. Both of your co-chairs made it to CGHQ and joined VADM McCallister (DCMS); RADM Nunan (CG-1); CAPT Tom King (new Acting CG-13), and Bob Hinds (CG Retiree Services) to reconnect with leaders from our 18 Regional Retiree Councils. Most of our time was spent on receiving updates on current National Council priorities. Of note, RADM Nunan and PPC reported that added personnel and automation continue to whittle away at the Audit Error Worksheet processing backlog. PPC is on glide slope to reduce processing time down to 120 days or less by the end of this calendar year. We were also honored to be joined by LtGen Pete Osman, SECNAV (Navy/USMC) Retiree Council Co- Chair. He briefed us on the status of DOD healthcare facilities consolidation under the Defense Health Agency and the possible impacts on military retirees. Notably, many retirees have been losing access to local military healthcare facilities and forced to seek civilian alternatives. LtGen Osman reported that, in an unprecedented move, all DOD service secretaries and military chiefs co-signed a letter to SECDEF requesting that the consolidation of military RADM Jeff Hathaway, USCG (Ret) hathaway.cgnrc@aol.com MCPO Lloyd Pierce, USCG (Ret) Ipierce38@tampabay.rr.com healthcare (shrinkage) stop immediately. This should be good news to all military retirees that are still enrolled at military treatment facilities. We learned that our USCG is currently not meeting its recruiting goals due to effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. A recent ALCOAST outlined a new “Everyone is a Recruiter” incentive program. VADM McCallister emphasized that this is an area where our almost 55,000 retirees can be of great help. Our USCG needs both active duty and reserve enlisted accessions, along with direct commission aviators, lawyers, engineers and physician’s assistants on the officer side. Point any potential candidates to the closest USCG recruiting office. While retirees can’t be offered all of the incentives available to those still wearing a uniform, a letter of thanks and a unit coin from our Recruiting Command for referring a candidate will be coming your way! In an effort to modernize USCG organizational communications, to include retirees and veterans, the USCG has launched MyCG. It is available on the public website: www.work.uscg.mil/mycg. Please take a look at the USCG’s latest effort to keep the entire Coast Guard family in the know. We will be working with CG-13 to identify appropriate info to post to the “veteran” section of MyCG from the current retiree services (CG-13) webpage – which remains active and current with a new webmaster. Finally, if you have not updated your personal info in the Coast Guard Direct Access system to include an email address, please do so ASAP. Electronic communications are the only way to contact our retirees in near real time. At last check, only about 55% of our retirees have a personal email address on file. If you know that your Direct Access user ID and password are current, simply sign-in at: hcm.direct-access.us/psp/HCPRD/?cmd=login. You can then click on “view/change my email address”. If you require assistance signing into Direct Access, visit PPC’s Retiree and Annuitant Services (RAS) website at: www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/ gp/#guides. Let’s get that percentage up! Thoughts on Retirement You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing. —George Bernard Shaw THE LONG BLUE LINE FALL 2020 5
Page 1 and 2: FALL 2020 YOUR RETIREE NEWSLETTER &
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Page 7 and 8: BIOGRAPHY OF THE NEW ACTING DIRECTO
Page 9 and 10: OHIO BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES NEW L
Page 11 and 12: THE LONG BLUE LINE FALL 2020 11
Page 15 and 16: He was fearless, brave and determin
Page 21 and 22: his life on 9/11 as a member of the
Page 25 and 26: TO OUR RETIREE COMMUNITY, Thank You
Page 27 and 28: IN OUR THIRD AND FINAL INSTALLMENT
Page 29 and 30: With no one other federal agency to
Page 33 and 34: expanded its responsibilities again
Page 37 and 38: BRADLEY, ROBERT BRADSHAW, COREY BRA
Page 39 and 40: GREEN, JAMES GREER, DAVID GREGORIO,
Page 41 and 42: NETTLETON, ROBERT NEWTON, WILLIAM N
Page 43 and 44: VOJVODICH, JOSEPH WAGNER, KRISTOPHE
Page 45 and 46: MCCLAIN, JERILYN MCDUFFIE, KATHLEEN
Page 47 and 48: photo: U.S. Coast Guard Petty Offic
Page 49 and 50: BEAVON, SAMUEL MKC 08-07-2020 COBUR
Page 51 and 52: JOHNSON, PAUL SKCM 08-22-2020 LINNO
Page 53 and 54: SMITH, FRANKLIN WARREN, FRANKLIN YN
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DEPENDENT TAPS TAPS LINDA D. DUNN P
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photo: U.S. Coast Guard Petty Offic
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AUDIT ERROR WORKSHEET (AEW) UPDATE
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Are you or someone you know looking
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RET-2 to RET-1 (on 60th Birthday) P
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CG PAY & PERSONNEL CENTER, RETIREE
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General Correspondence: Office of S
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The Long Blue Line (Fall 2020)

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