The Long Blue Line (SPRING 2025)

THE CITY OF COLUMBUS DISASTER

AND THE DEAD OF WINTER:

THEY PERILED

THEIR LIVES

FOR OTHERS

SPRING 2025

DOUGLAS

MUNRO’S

MEDAL

ON LOAN

UNRAVELING A

GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S

WWI SERVICE:

DISCOVERING

A HIDDEN

LEGACY

2 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

THE LONG BLUE LINE SPRING 2025

3

SPRING 2025

Editor In Chief: Patti Fazio

Managing Editor: Scott McGuire

Art Director/Graphic Designer:

Scott McGuire

CG Retiree Services Program

Manager: Bob Hinds, USCG CWO4

(Ret.), Honorary CG MCPO

Staff Writers: MCPO Jeff

Creighton, USCG (Ret.)

Contributing Writers: Renee

Coleman, National Coast Guard

Museum Director of Public Affairs

Editorial Support: Catherine Janney

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,

125 Eugene O'Neill Drive, Suite 300,

New London, CT 06320

ADVERTISING:

Pentagon Publishing, Inc.

2342 Oak Rd.

Snellville, GA 30078

Contact Jenny White,

jenny@pentagon-usa.us

PAST ISSUES:

Current and past issues of The Long

Blue Line (formerly The Retiree

Newsletter) are accessible at:

www.longblueline.org

Current Coast Guard News is

accessible at www.news.uscg.mil

You may sign up for CG news

updates at https://public.

govdelivery.com/accounts/

USDHSCG/subscriber/

new?category_id=USDHSCG_

C18ou

ON THE COVER:

Cover page for the sheet music of

the song "The Ship That Sailed From

Boston, or, The Wreck of the City of

Columbus" published in 1884. The

Chas Eastman song is a dedication

to the friends of those who were lost

on the City of Columbus, wrecked

January 18, 1884. Oringinally

publisher: S. Brainard's Sons.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

6

8

10

12

22

28

36

44

48

52

56

62

68

78

82

84

86

87

94

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

Dear Long Blue Line Recipients

National Retiree Council Co-Chairs

Message from the Director

Reunions, Notices & Items of Interest

Discovering a Hidden Legacy

The Coast Guard’s only Medal of Honor has a New

Home—for Now!

COVER STORY | They Periled Their Lives for Others:

The City of Columbus Disaster and the Dead of Winter

Portraits of Service: Meaningful stories from shipmates

DSS Operations: D.C. Auxiliarist Leveraged Coast Guard

Training to Amplify DSS Operations

Hoist One: How You Can Help Preserve Coast Guard History

Future Ops: PSUs Test Out the Embarked Security Team

Concept

Retirement Notices

TAPS Notices

Chaplain's Corner

USCG - PSU-301(A) - 35th Anniversary of Service

During Persian Gulf War

Coast Guard Rugby

Transition Assistance Program

PPC-RAS

Other Important Retiree Resources

Find all of this content at longblueline.org

• CHANGES TO RETIREE & ANNUITANT MAILING/EMAIL ADDRESSES: The CG Retiree Services Program

Manager, Mr. Robert Hinds, does NOT have the capability to change mailing/e-mail addresses in Direct Access

(DA). Retirees & Annuitants may change their mailing/e-mail addresses by accessing their DA Self-Service account

at www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/gp/ or by contacting CG PPC at 866-772-8724, e-mail: ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.

mil. For Long Blue Line mailing address updates, please contact the National Coast Guard Museum Association at

860-443-4200 or info@coastguardmuseum.org

• USCG/PHS/NOAA INPUT FOR LONG BLUE LINE: Submit input to Robert Hinds, Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil.

Deadline for input for The Long Blue Line, Summer (JUL) 2025, is 23 MAY 2025.

Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) endorse the National Coast

Guard Museum Association, 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 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE


5

DEAR LONG BLUE LINE

RECIPIENTS

The National Coast Guard Museum Association remains

laser-focused on our mission: to fund and build your

Museum. With your support, we are creating a world-class

museum that will honor the men and women of the Coast

Guard, past and present, and inspire future generations to

serve.

Construction is steadily progressing, and I’m excited to share

an update on our timeline as we move toward opening the

Museum’s doors in 2026. I also had the pleasure of walking

around the site with Mayor Michael Passero, Mayor of the

City of New London, a big supporter of the Museum.

• Utilities Work – Ongoing through early April 2025

• Concrete Pad – Scheduled for April 2025

• Steel Installation – May through September 2025,

with some interior work beginning mid-summer

• Building Envelope – Late summer 2025 through

spring 2026

• Beneficial Occupancy – May/June 2026, at which

point the U.S. Coast Guard will take possession to begin

exhibit installation

• Museum Opening – Late 2026, welcoming the public

to experience our Service’s rich history

The National Coast Guard Museum will stand as a lasting

tribute to the dedication, sacrifi ce, and heroism of our

Coast Guard men and women. It will be a place of pride,

education, and remembrance—one that ensures our stories

are told and our legacy endures.

Your continued support is essential as we move forward.

Together, we are building more than just a museum—we are

creating a home where our Long Blue Line’s history will be

preserved and celebrated for generations to come.

Semper Paratus!

CAPT Wes Pulver, USCG (Ret.)

President, National Coast Guard Museum

Association

6 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

TAX-SMART GIVING OPTIONS

ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL COAST GUARD MUSEUM

• Gift stocks or appreciated assets. Ensures your full stock’s value aids the cause, bypassing capital gains tax. This

maximizes your contribution, supporting the Museum’s mission effectively.

• A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). If you're 70.5 or older, QCDs allow tax-efficient, direct fund transfers

from your IRA, benefitting your tax scenario and our Museum.

• Make a “grant” via your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF). This offers an immediate tax benefit for your charitable

contribution, enabling sustained philanthropic giving.

There are many ways to support the Museum, including a bequest in your will. Help

us preserve and share the incredible Coast Guard history. Learn more at:

cgmuseumassociation.org/how-to-make-a-gift/

THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER SPRING 2025

7

NATIONAL RETIREE

COUNCIL CO-CHAIRS

RADM MERRIE AUSTIN, USCG (RET.): We had a

big snowfall several weeks ago here in Tidewater,

Virginia. Almost a foot of snow. Since we’re in the

south, there was no trace of it a few days afterward.

That’s what early spring is like-freezing cold one

minute, a beautiful warm, sunny day the next. Spring

is a time of transition, budding trees, lawn mower tune

ups, and looking forward to longer, warmer days.

I want to fill you in on a few things that have been

going on these past few months. First, the Coast

Guard has had a change in senior leadership. The

new Senior Leadership Team is as follows: acting

commandant: ADM Kevin Lunday, acting vice

commandant: VADM Peter Gautier, acting deputy

commandant for operations: VADM Thomas Allan,

and acting deputy commandant for mission support:

RADM Michael Day. I personally want to thank ADM

Fagan for her four decades of dedicated, selfless

service to our Coast Guard and the Nation. Fair

Winds and Following Seas as you sail into retirement!

Second, during the past few months there have

been several disruptions to Tricare West and pay

administrative procedures, which affected some of

you. Tricare West changed its contractor in January.

When there is a change in a federal contractor

supplying user services, there is a risk that the

transition will not be smooth, and unfortunately,

that’s what happened in this case. While things

appear to be settling down now, this caused a lot of

understandable anxiety for the people affected, and

the contractor knows it needs to do better.

When pay and personnel issues occur, it’s critical

that PPC be able to reach out to affected members

to help resolve these problems as quickly as

possible. As a reminder, please log on to Direct

Access (DA) and ensure you have a CURRENT

email address and/or phone number listed so that

they can reach you. Speaking of DA, as you may

know, the C5I Service Center, which is responsible

for CG IT systems, relieved PPC of handling DA

password resets for NON-CAC Users (most retirees

& annuitants) on March 17, 2025. This should make

resetting passwords quicker/easier and help PPC

to better assist with pay & benefi ts issues—their

intended function.

You’ve probably also heard and/or seen information

about Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), including

PPC’s website, which will further enhance DA

system security and help to avoid another incident

like the recent DA data-breach, thankfully resolved.

Finally, I want to give a shout out to PPC. I know

it can be frustrating trying to reach them. Please

be patient. They are significantly understaffed. In

addition, due to the limitations of their phone system,

when the call volume supported by the system is

exceeded, you may receive a message stating

“the offi ce is closed” when in fact the operators

are just busy on other calls. Unfortunately, these

problems will not be resolved any time soon, but we

will continue to bring this up in our conversations

with CG-1M staff to hopefully get some relief in the

future. I know CAPT Henry and his staff are very

dedicated to service and are working on ways to

improve service delivery in the current environment.

I hope everyone has a nice spring!

Thoughts on retirement:

“To me, retirement means doing what you

have fun doing.”

—Dick Van Dyke

8 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

MCPOCG JASON VANDERHADEN, USCG (RET):

Does anyone remember “Fred’s Place”? If you

don’t, it was an internet site dedicated to sharing

Coast Guard information. It was a little bit like

Facebook groups, but anyone could participate. It

was a useful tool for a while, and then it devolved.

During the good days of Fred’s Place, you could

go on the site and fi nd information on specifi c

units, ratings, Coast Guard policy updates, and

just about anything else. I miss the good times on

Fred’s Place.

A site like Fred’s Place helped people avoid making

the same mistakes thanks to people sharing their

experiences. Now, too many people navigate

the same problems. It is diffi cult to broadly share

information where everyone can go to access and

learn from others’ experiences.

I know the TRICARE transition on the west coast

has been challenging for some. I hear some

challenges with getting enrolled in VA services and

retired pay. These are just a few of the topics that

people could share about how they handled those

challenges. We need a mechanism to ensure all

that information is easily accessible to the retiree

community. Please know that your Retiree Council

is working on all those issues in earnest and every

challenge is made known to the Coast Guard.

The Retiree Council is putting together

the agenda for our next annual meeting.

Continuous improvement to our

communications process will be one

of the topics. CG-1M and all the Coast

Guard leaders who support the retiree

community work very hard to tackle every

challenge, I am very proud to work with

them. CAPT Ryan Matson, acting assistant

commandant for military personnel, has

a good article in this issue discussing the

support for the retiree community. The

Long Blue Line is a big step forward

for communicating information—and

if you haven’t bookmarked the Coast

Guard National Retiree Services

Program’s website at www.dcms.uscg.mil/

retiree, you should. It’s hard to post emergent

information on the Coast Guard’s website so

a civilian website dedicated to retiree issues

would be useful. For now, we are working with

the CGA Alumni Association, CPOA/CGEA,

and CWOA to pass information as quickly as

possible. If you’re not a member of one of those

organizations, I encourage you to join. The Retiree

Council is constantly working on your behalf and

communication is a key part of our effort.

Semper Paratus!

MCPOCG Jason Vanderhaden, USCG (Ret.):

jvanderhaden@gmail.com

RADM Merrie Austin, USCG (Ret.):

maustincgnrc@gmail.com


9

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION

A MESSAGE FROM

THE DIRECTOR

As we welcome in another spring, I’m pleased to

report your Coast Guard remains Semper Paratus!

I invite all retirees to check out the COMMANDER’S

INTENT 2025.

As Acting Assistant Commandant for Military Personnel, CG

Retiree Services Program Director, and Executive Agent for

the CG National Retiree Council, know that we remain on

course in carrying out our mission in support of the retiree

community.

I want to thank CAPT John Henry, CO CG Pay & Personnel

Center (PPC), and his staff for their continued diligence and

resilience during the government hiring freeze, personnel

turnover, staffing shortages, a Direct Access (DA) data

breach and other system challenges, and emerging

policy changes—staying the course in performing PPC’s

important work.

https://www.uscg.mil/alwaysready/

As it relates to policy change, all non-critical, non-missionessential

Temporary Duty (TDY) travel has been severely limited and planning is underway for a “virtual”

CG National Retiree Council (CGNRC) Meeting in August 2025.

We continue to partner with other Services in supporting retirees. Retired COL John Radke, former

Director, Army Retirement Services, provided invaluable assistance in establishing the CG Retiree

Service Program in 2013. All uniformed retirees, annuitants, survivors, and former spouses will find timely,

useful information in the 2025 U.S. Army Retired Soldier Handbook at: https://soldierforlife.army.mil/

Documents/static/Post/Retired_Soldier_Handbook.pdf (noting Service differences - e. g. CG PPC

vs DoD DFAS). Speaking of handbooks, I want to thank PPC, the CGNRC, Regional Retiree Councils,

and all who helped in developing a CG Estate Planning & Final Affairs Handbook, to be mailed upon

approval to all CG, PHS, and NOAA retirees and annuitants and made available digitally to CG Active-

Duty, Reserve, and Auxiliary members.

Finally, I want to again thank the National Coast Guard Museum

Association (NCGMA) for this exceptional publication and encourage

all readers to OPT-IN to the NCGMA mailing list for free delivery of

The Long Blue Line to your mailbox.

Best wishes!

Sincerely,

Ryan Matson

Acting Assistant Commandant for Military Personnel

10 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE


11

REUNIONS, NOTICES &

ITEMS OF INTEREST

THE UNTOLD STORY POEM AND THE

UNTOLD STORY BACKSTORY

From CWO4 Brad Smith, USCG (RET.)

During my 26-year career in the U.S. Coast

Guard, I was often deployed, standing duty,

or away from home for extended periods of

time. During those frequent absences, my

wife, Megan, stepped into the roles of both

mother and father to our two daughters,

Christie and Alison. Her strength, resilience,

and unwavering dedication ensured that our

family continued to thrive even in my absence.

Over time, my appreciation deepened for the

immense weight Megan carried every day to

keep our family strong. To honor her sacrifices

and express my gratitude, I wrote a heartfelt

poem, The Untold Story. This poem captures

the profound love and support Megan

gave while I was deployed—far from home,

traveling, and often in harm's way. A few

years ago, we faced the heartbreaking loss of

Megan. Just before her passing, she shared

one final wish with me: “Promise me you will

share this poem with others who support our

Coast Guard members, so they too, know how

deeply they are loved and appreciated.” With

that promise guiding me, I now present The

Untold Story to the entire Coast Guard family.

It is a tribute to Megan and to all the loved

ones who stand behind those who serve, a

reminder of their immeasurable impact and

the love they inspire.

Let The Untold Story inspire and remind us all

of the bonds that keep our families strong, no

matter the distance or challenge.

12 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

MEDICARE

& YOU

The "Medicare & You" handbook is your official

guide to Medicare. We mail an updated printed

handbook to all Medicare households in late

September. You can sign up for the electronic

version of the handbook and have access to the

most up-to-date Medicare information faster.

The handbook is available in many different formats

and languages, including large print, braille, and

more.

Keep your handbook as a reference. It has

important information about:

• Medicare benefits, costs, rights, and

protections.

• Health and drug plans.

• Answers to common questions.

Learn more at medicare.gov


13

REUNIONS, NOTICES &

ITEMS OF INTEREST

ROA

With its unequaled credibility on America’s Reserve Components,

ROA is a powerful advocate in Congress, the Pentagon and VA, and

policymaker offices throughout Washington. ROA leads the nation’s

efforts to ensure the Reserve Components are strong and ready, and

Reserve Component families are well cared for.

Learn more at roa.org

14 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE


15

REUNIONS, NOTICES &

ITEMS OF INTEREST

ONLINE UNIFORMED SERVICE

IDENTIFICATION CARD RENEWAL PILOT

Sponsors may request Uniformed Service ID (USID)

Card renewal online, which if approved, are mailed

directly to the card recipient; no in person appointments

necessary. This page provides details on how to renew

your USID card online.

https://www.cac.mil/Next-Generation-Uniformed-

Services-ID-Card/Renewing-Online/

SHIPS FOR

AMERICA ACT

Learn more about Congress' bipartisan support for the

‘Ships for America Act’

https://department.va.gov/administrations-andoffices/congressional-and-legislative-affairs/

https://news.usni.org/2024/09/25/bipartisan-shipsfor-america-act-building-support-in-congress-saysponsors

- September 24, 2024

U.S. Coast Guard Starts Construction of First New

Heavy Icebreaker in 50 Years

https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/us-coastguard-starts-construction-first-new-heavyicebreaker-50-years

- January 3, 2025

CONGRESSIONAL AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Every Member of Congress represents Veterans,

survivors, and caregivers and has a VA presence in

their district and state. The Office of Congressional

and Legislative Affairs is the Department’s central

point for all matters involving the U.S. House of

Representatives and the U.S. Senate. It serves as the

chief liaison for all engagement and interaction with

Members of Congress, Committees of jurisdiction,

and their offices, while maintaining responsive and

effective communications. With offices located at

both the Department’s central office and on Capitol

Hill, this webpage is an online tool to share resources

with Congressional partners on areas of interest within

the Department and ensure accessibility of information

to connect with a member of the team.

16 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

VETERANS’ BENEFITS ADDRESSED

IN NEW VIDEO

FEDERAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS,

DEPENDENTS SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVERS

In a recent video message from his desk at VA Central

Office, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins

addressed media concerns that Veterans’ benefits

might be targeted for cuts.

“I’m the Secretary of VA, and I’m telling you right now,

that’s not happening … the reality is, Veterans benefits

aren’t getting cut,” Collins said. “In fact, we are actually

giving and improving services.”

2025

EDITION

Watch here https://news.va.gov/138326/vasecretary-doug-collins-veterans-benefits/

Download guide here https://department.va.gov/wpcontent/uploads/2024/12/2025-Federal-Benefitsfor-Veterans-Dependents-and-Survivors.pdf


17

REUNIONS, NOTICES &

ITEMS OF INTEREST

ANNUITANT-AT-LARGE:

FILLING IMPORTANT POSTION

The mission of the CG National Retiree Council

(CGNRC} is to:

Sustain an open line of communication

between the Commandant and the CG Retiree

Community through the Commandant’s

executive agent, the Assistant Commandant

for Military Personnel (CG-1M).

The CGNRC annuitant-at-large supports the

Council’s mission as a representative for more

than 9,000 annuitants, including survivors and

former spouses. Mrs. Lula Carpenter illuminated

the need for this important position following the

loss of her husband, the late CAPT Lee Carpenter,

USCG (Ret.), in 2006, serving with distinction as

annuitant-at-large since her appointment at the

2010 CGNRC annual meeting. Thanks to Mrs.

Carpenter, for more than 10 years, the Coast

Guard has been mailing condolence letters and

needed information to survivors upon the passing

of a retiree. Lula also serves as Secretary for the

Capital Area CG Retiree Council and Retiree

Liaison for the Coast Guard Spouses’ Club of

Washington, D.C. After 15 years of tireless service

as annuitant-at-large, Mrs. Carpenter is ready to

pass the torch to another volunteer, planning to

spend more time with family and friends.

The CGNRC plans to appoint a new annuitant-atlarge

during their annual meeting in August 2025.

If you’re interested in serving in this important

role, please contact Bob Hinds, Retiree Services

Program Manager, Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil

and/or Mrs. Lula Carpenter, leecarp@verizon.net

The following are a few examples of initiatives

heightening the importance of the CGNRC

annuitant-at-large:

GRAND HAVEN COAST GUARD

FESTIVAL RETIREES DINNER

Wednesday July 30, 2025

Each year during the festival we make it a

point to celebrate our Coast Guard Retirees.

For more information or to sign up please

visit www.coastguardfest.org

or call the office at 616-846-5940

• Increase engagement by Regional Retiree

Councils (RRCs) in CG Transition Assistance

Program Seminars, encouraging participation

by CG SPOUSES. Search for the Transition

Assistance Program (TAP) at https://www.

dcms.uscg.mil

• Increase partnering between the CGNRC/

RRCs and CG Spouses’ Clubs. See CG

Spouses’ Club of Washington, D.C. https://

cgscdc.wildapricot.org/ and related article in

this issue of the LBL.

• Improve CG communication with/support for

annuitants/survivors/former spouses. e. g. CG

Estate Planning & Final Affairs Handbook.

18 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

VETERANS FEEL ‘SCARED AND DISRESPECTED’ BY MASS

FIRINGS THROUGHOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Originally published in STARS AND STRIPES

(March 4, 2025)

https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2025-03-04/

veterans-services-firings-trumplawmakers-17033584.html

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill. (left), chairman of the House

Veterans’ Affairs Committee, shakes hands with Al

Lipphardt, the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ national

commander, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, before

a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans’

Affairs committees in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars

and Stripes)

(Al Lipphardt, Veterans of Foreign Wars’ National

Commander)

“Everyone who served honorably met [their] end

of this agreement. We demand our leaders do the

same and ensure VA has the staff and resources

so veterans can receive their full earned benefits.

This is not an ask. Honor the contract with our

veterans,” said Al Lipphardt, the VFW’s national

commander. “There is nothing more sacred

than taking care of those who served this nation,

and this has got to be fixed. We have 1.4 million

members, but we represent 18 million veterans.

They all need to be treated with respect.”

Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a Marine Corps veteran,

said he is hearing from veterans fired from their federal

jobs. He said they are feeling a sense of betrayal.

“These are guys who went into federal service

after military duty because they wanted a missionoriented

job and to continue to give back to their

country,” Gallego said. “They’re scared. They feel

disrespected by the fact they’re being treated this

way.”

He said there are better, more effective ways a federal

workforce reduction could be handled, instead of

arbitrary layoffs of thousands of workers.

Note: U.S. Coast Guard 2023 - 58.3% Veterans /

25.9% Disabled Veterans https://www.dhs.gov/

veterans-and-homeland-security


19

REUNIONS, NOTICES &

ITEMS OF INTEREST

THE MILITARY COALITION

The Military Coalition (TMC) is comprised of 35

organizations representing more than 5.5 million

members of the uniformed services--active, reserve,

retired, survivors, veterans--and their families.

The philosophy of The Coalition is that, by working

together on issues of mutual agreement, the

participating organizations can harness the grassroots

support of more than 5.5 million members plus their

families and accomplish far more than by working

on these initiatives separately. When one or more of

the Coalition organizations is invited to testify before

Congress, we frequently coordinate the testimony with

the other Coalition associations and present it on behalf

of the entire Coalition. This lends greater weight and

unanimity to the testimony than if it were presented by

any individual association.

http://www.themilitarycoalition.org/

Coast Guard Members – CWO Randy Reid, USCG (Ret.),

CPOA; BMCS Jon Ostrowski, USCG (Ret.), NCOA; and CWO

Carol Setteducato, USCG (Ret.), CWOA

NEXT GENERATION UNIFORMED SERVICES ID CARD

All Uniformed Services Retirees & Annuitants are

required to replace their paper-based Uniformed

Services Identifi cation (USID) card with a Next

Generation USID card by 31 Dec 2025, including

those with a paper-based card containing an

extended or INDEFINITE expiration date.

Retirees, Annuitants, and sponsors of eligible

dependents can request replacement of USID cards

on-line, which are mailed upon approval; with no

in-person appointment necessary, as described at

https://www.cac.mil/Next-Generation-Uniformed-

Services-ID-Card/Renewing-Online/. To make an

in-person appointment to replace a USID card, see

the list of RAPIDS facilities at https://idco.dmdc.

osd.mil/idco/

For questions regarding any of the information

above, please contact the DMDC Contact Center

at 800-538-9552.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• The Next Generation USID card

additionally contains an important benefits

number used by TRICARE, as described at

Showing Your ID to Providers | TRICARE

• For questions regarding TRICARE, please

contact the TRICARE contractor for your

region. See View All Phone Numbers |

TRICARE

• As always, you should maintain current/

accurate information in the Defense

Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System

(DEERS) through milConnect or by

contacting the DMDC Contact Center 800-

538-9552.

20 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

Get Your

NATIONAL COAST GUARD MUSEUM ASSOCIATION

2025 CHALLENGE COIN

Today!

JOIN. UPGRADE. SUPPORT.

The National Coast Guard Museum Association honors the Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation (ATON) mission and

the USCGC Smilax (the “Queen of the Fleet”). The ATON mission is essential to maritime safety, economic stability,

and national security, ensuring the safe and efficient movement of commercial and recreational vessels by maintaining

buoys, waterways, and other critical navigation markers.

Get your ATON coin by becoming an NCGMA Plankowner ($5 per month minimum) or upgrade your current

Plankowner gift ($5 per month) before September 30, 2025.

cgmuseumassociation.org/plankowner

donate@coastguardmuseum.org

cgmuseumassociation.org/plankowner

860-443-4200


21

Disc vering a

Hidden Legacy:

UNRAVELING MY

GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S

WWI SERVICE

By Joe Felice

Joe Felice's greatgrandfather,

John

Faulkner's, wedding

photo.

In December 2019, an unexpected discovery in a family photo

album sent me on a journey through history. Among the familiar

faces was an image of my great-grandfather, John Faulkner,

clad in a WWI-era U.S. Navy-style uniform. This revelation came

as a surprise, as no one in our family knew he had served in the

military. Fueled by curiosity and a desire to uncover his story, I

embarked on a quest to learn more about his enigmatic service.

The First Clue

The search began in earnest in May 2022 when I stumbled

upon a reference in the book The Philadelphia Navy Yard: From

Birth of the U.S. Navy to the Nuclear Age. It mentioned a J.

Faulkner who served aboard the tugboat U.S.S. Samoset. This

finding was corroborated by the 1920 census, which listed John

as a carpenter at the Navy Yard. These pieces of information

suggested a connection to the Navy, but there was still much

to uncover.

22 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

However, a

significant difference

was that John’s

jumper featured a

white braid around

the right arm ...

John Faulkner clad

in a WWI-era U.S.

Navy-style uniform.

Archives and Mysteries

In June 2022, I enlisted the help of Corey Stewart, an archivist at the

National Archives in St. Louis. She conducted a thorough search

across multiple collections, including Coast Guard, Navy military

files, and Merchant Marine records. Despite her extensive efforts,

no records of John Faulkner’s service surfaced.

Then, in August 2022, Nathan Jordan, an archivist at the National

Archives in Atlanta, made a breakthrough. He found a WWI

classification list indicating that my great-grandfather had joined

the United States Shipping Board (USSB) Emergency Fleet in 1918.

However, the uniform in the photo, which featured three white piping

stripes around the collar, suggested he had also worn an official

Navy uniform, adding another layer to the mystery.


23

Garrett’s uniform

had a Coast Guard

patch on the left

arm, but no white

braid.

Frank Garrett, a WWI era Coast Guardsmen, was used to compare uniform with John Faulkner.

Copper air scoops originally from the Samoset. The Samoset was purchased in the late1960s

and renamed the Alice M. Winslow and shortly afterwards traded hands again. The boat ended up

beached after a bad storm. The scoops were removed and reside in the Winslow's living room.

24 SPRING 2025

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A Coast Guard Connection?

The plot thickened in May 2022 when I consulted Nora

L. Chidlow, an archivist at the United States Coast

Guard Historian’s Office in Washington, D.C., She

noted that John’s uniform was typical of those worn by

Coast Guardsmen during WWI. She provided a service

portrait of Frank Garrett, a WWI Coast Guardsman,

whose uniform bore striking similarities to my greatgrandfather’s.

Both had three white piping stripes

around the collar and wore their neckerchiefs low.

However, a significant difference was that John’s

jumper featured a white braid around the right arm,

indicating he was between the ranks of apprentice

seaman and seaman first class. Garrett’s uniform had

a Coast Guard patch on the left arm, but no white

braid. This detail, combined with the indistinct letters

on John’s hat, left the question of his service branch

unresolved.

Nora’s investigation revealed that no one named

Faulkner served in the Coast Guard during WWI, but

she explained that many Coast Guardsmen enlisted

under aliases. Despite this intriguing possibility, my

great-grandfather’s name appeared in records for the

USSB Emergency Fleet, casting doubt on the alias

theory.

Further Searches and

Connections

Corey Stewart’s continued search in St. Louis yielded no

new records, leading her to suggest I contact the U.S.

Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) in West

Virgina. In February 2024, M.C. Lewis, a government

information specialist at the NMC, confirmed that

their extensive records contained no mention of John

Faulkner.

A surprising connection emerged in March 2023 when

I learned more about the Samoset. Although it was a

Navy vessel, it was later owned by Winslow Marine

Tug and Barge Services in Maine. David Winslow, who

purchased the tug in the late 1960s and renamed it

Alice M. Winslow, shared his personal memories and

photographs of the vessel. Tragically, David passed

away shortly after our conversation, but his stories

added another layer to the history of the Samoset.

Hope on the Horizon

In a final attempt to uncover the truth, I turned to Lori

Miller of Redbird Research LLC in St. Charles, Missouri.

Having successfully worked with her in the past on a

VFW centennial celebration project, I had high hopes.

Lori agreed to take on the task of finding any remaining

records that might shed light on whether John Faulkner

served in the Navy or Coast Guard after his time in the

USSB Emergency Fleet.

As I continue this journey, I am reminded of the

importance of preserving and honoring our ancestors’

legacies. Each piece of information, each connection,

brings me closer to understanding my greatgrandfather’s

service and the sacrifices he made.

Through the dedication of archivists and historians, and

the kindness of those who shared their knowledge, I am

hopeful that one day, the full story of John Faulkner’s

military service will be revealed.


25

COVER THE

WITHDRAWL

This is the Coast Guard painting of Signalman 1st Class

Douglas Munro's last moments while evacuating Marines

at Guadalcanal. The painting’s is titled “Douglas A. Munro

Covers the Withdrawal of the 7th Marines at Guadalcanal”

and was painted by artist Bernard D’Andrea for the Coast

Guard Bicentennial Celebration. The U.S. Coast Guard

celebrated its bicentennial in 1989–1990, with events held

across the country. The Coast Guard's bicentennial year

began on August 4, 1989, in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

The year concluded on August 4, 1990, in Grand Haven,

Michigan. Bernard D’Andrea was a lifelong painter and

spent four years as an artist for the U.S. Army. Munro is the

Coast Guard's lone Medal of Honor recipient.

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"Douglas A. Munro Covers the Withdrawal of the 7th Marines at Guadalcanal"

(1989) by Bernard D'Andrea (public domain)


27

28 SPRING 2025

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By: Zach Shapiro, MyCG Staff

THE COAST

GUARD’S ONLY

MEDAL OF

HONOR HAS A

NEW HOME—

FOR NOW!

DOUGLAS MUNRO’S MEDAL LOANED TO

NEW NATIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM

The Coast Guard’s most important artifact is

moving to Texas—for now. The service has loaned

Signalman First Class Douglas Munro’s Medal

of Honor to the new National Medal of Honor

Museum in Arlington, Texas, to support the new

museum and raise awareness of Munro’s heroism and the

Coast Guard’s legacy of service.

Coast Guard Museum Curator James Brundage hand-carried the medal

from its home at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

He was joined by Master Chief Petty Officer Shawn Burns, command

master chief of the Eighth Coast Guard District. “It was important to have

an enlisted person be a part of [the transfer to the National Medal of Honor

Museum],” Brundage told MyCG.

Left: See previous page.

Top: Douglas A. Munro photo released into public domain by the Douglas Munro

Division of the U.S. Sea Cadets.

Bottom: Depiction of the Medal of Honor (not Douglas Munro's)


29

Munro received the medal for his heroic actions at

Guadalcanal on Sept. 27, 1942. He was killed while

using his Higgins boat to shield nearly 500 withdrawing

Marines from enemy fire. Munro, the Coast Guard’s sole

Medal of Honor recipient, has inspired generations of

servicemembers. Two major cutters and a U.S. Navy

Destroyer Escort have been named in his honor, as well

as Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.,

Munro Hall at the Coast Guard Academy, and Munro

Hall at Training Center (TRACEN) Cape May.

The Munro family has since become an inextricable

part of the Coast Guard’s rich history. Munro’s mother,

Edith, joined the service soon after his death. She

took her oath to join the SPARs just two hours after

accepting her son’s Medal of Honor and retired at the

rank of Lieutenant. Her grandson, and Douglas Munro’s

SHE TOOK HER OATH TO

JOIN THE SPARS JUST

TWO HOURS AFTER

ACCEPTING HER SON’S

MEDAL OF HONOR AND

RETIRED AT THE RANK

OF LIEUTENANT.

Douglas Munro's Medal of Honor was recently put on loan to

the National Medal of Honor Museum in time for the Museum's

grand opening in March 2025. Munro's Medal of Honor will

remain on a short-term loan to the Medal of Honor Museum

until its return to the Coast Guard. Once the medal is returned

to the Coast Guard, it's final resting place will be in the halls of

the National Coast Guard Museum. (Photo by Petty Officer 3rd

Class Perry Shirzad)

30 SPRING 2025

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31

nephew, Cmdr. Douglas Sheehan, carried on his

family’s legacy of service in the Coast Guard Reserve.

The National Medal of Honor Museum, which opened

on March 22, 2025, will display Munro’s medal for six

months. The Museum aims to “preserve the legacies of

Medal of Honor recipients and inspire each of us with

their humanity, courage, and selflessness.”

The loan is “a great opportunity to bring further

awareness to the fact that a member of the Coast Guard

has been awarded the Medal of Honor,” Brundage

beamed.

Sheehan shares this excitement. His late uncle’s medal,

he told MyCG, is “unbelievably relevant today, because

it has everything to do with the Coast Guard’s core

values and culture.” Making the medal accessible to

the public, he added, helps bring history to life. “It’s

not just a date and a medal; it’s something that really

inspires people in the Coast Guard to do their jobs

really well.”

Later this year, Munro’s medal will return to the Coast

Guard Academy, before it is permanently displayed

in the forthcoming National Coast Guard Museum in

New London.

Sheehan can’t imagine the medal’s permanent

home anywhere else given his family’s history. “My

grandmother trained in New London, so it’s a fitting

home.”

Top: Master Chief Shawn Burns, the 8th Coast Guard District's

command master chief, along with Coast Guard Recruiting

Office Dallas were present in January 2025 to witness the

handover. Chris Cassidy, the president and CEO of the National

Medal of Honor Museum Foundation accepted the medal on

behalf of the National Medal of Honor Museum. (Photo by Petty

Officer 3rd Class Perry Shirzad)

Left: Coast Guardsman Douglas A. Munro was posthumously

awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for "conspicuous

gallantry in action above and beyond the call of duty." The

country's highest decoration was presented by President

Roosevelt to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Munro of South

Cle Elum, Washington. (National Archives photo)

Right: The headstone for the grave of Coast Guard Signalman

First Class Douglas Munro marks his final resting place at

Laurel Hill Memorial Park, Cle Elum, Washington. (Public

Domain)

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WHAT YOU MAY

NOT KNOW ABOUT

DOUGLAS MUNRO

By: Renee Coleman, National Coast Guard Museum

Signalman First Class Douglas Munro is arguably one of the

Coast Guard’s most iconic historical figures. The story of his

bravery and valor is ushered throughout the generations of

Coast Guard men and women who dedicate their lives in

service to their country. Munro’s Medal of Honor will be on

display in the National Coast Guard Museum on Deck 3, in

the Valor in World War II section.

Here are five additional facts about Douglas Munro that you

may not know:

1. Douglas Munro died in the arms of his friend and

shipmate, Ray Evans. Prior to succumbing to his

wounds, Munro said to Evans: “Did they get off?” - in

reference to the Marines he evacuated under heavy fire

from the beach in Guadalcanal.

2. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented Douglas

Munro’s Medal of Honor to his mother in the Oval Office

of the White House on May 24, 1943.

3. Douglas Munro’s mother, Edith Munro, joined the

women’s reserve, Semper Paratus Always Ready

(SPARs) and was commissioned as a lieutenant junior

grade within a year of her son’s death to carry on his

legacy.

4. Douglas Munro’s sister had a son named Douglas

Sheehan. Douglas Sheehan is a retired commander from

the Coast Guard Reserve.

5. Born in Vancouver, Canada, to U.S. parents, Douglas

Munro and his family eventually moved to Cle Elum,

Washington, which is Munro’s final resting place.


33

(U.S. Coast Guard photo: National Archives)

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ABOVE AND

BEYOND ...

Bowing his head, a Coast Guardsman stands in silent

tribute to fellow shipmate, Douglas A. Munro in 1945.

Munro was originally buried in the sunlit meadow of

Guadalcanal Cemetery after being mortally wounded by

enemy fire during a rescue mission to save a battalion of

Marines. Munro's remains were recovered from Guadalcanal

in 1947 and were reinterred at Laurel Hill Memorial Park in

Cle Elum in 1948, his family having declined a full military

burial at the Arlington National Cemetery.


35

They periled

their lives for

others:

THE CITY OF COLUMBUS

DISASTER AND THE DEAD OF

WINTER

By William H. Thiesen, Ph.D., Historian

Coast Guard Atlantic Area

Vintage photograph of all the mostly Aquinnah Wampanoag

men that volunteered for the City of Columbus rescue.

(Courtesy of the Martha’s Vineyard Museum)

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In 1884, over 140 years ago, the S.S. City

of Columbus rescue became the most

honored response effort in the history

of the Revenue Cutter Service and the

first time in Coast Guard history that a cutter

worked together with shoreside boat crews to

save victims from a shipwreck. However, the

story’s history began 50 years earlier with the

establishment of the Revenue Cutter Service’s

“winter cruising” mission.

As with many other Coast Guard missions, the

service’s winter cruising mission was written in

blood. In the 1790s and early 1800s, cutters in

northern waters were typically laid up during the

winter months. However, in the 1820s and early

1830s, immigrants from Western Europe began

sailing for America in search of a better life. These

immigrants took passage year-round, including

stormy winter months, and many of their passenger

ships foundered at sea or went ashore as they

neared the coast.

As the number of disasters climbed, the American

public became horrified by mounting body counts.

Awareness of the growing loss of life on American

As with many other Coast

Guard missions, the

service’s winter cruising

mission was written in

blood.


37

The remains of the City of Columbus visible in calmer

weather with Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard, in the

background. (Digital Commonwealth)

The rest of the passengers

and crew were swept into

the water and drowned or

froze to death within 20

minutes.

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shores and at sea peaked in 1837. In January of

that year, the barque Mexico came ashore during

an icy storm near New York with the loss of over 100

passengers. On January 9th, the Adams Sentinel

newspaper reported:

When they perceived that no further help

came from the land, their piercing shrieks were

distinctly heard, at a considerable distance,

and continued through the night, until they one

by one perished. The next morning, the bodies

of many of the unhappy creatures were seen

lashed to different parts of the wreck, embedded

in ice. None, it is believed, were drowned, but

all frozen to death. Of the 104 passengers, twothirds

were women and children.

After the Mexico tragedy, Congress tasked the

Revenue Cutter Service with aiding ships in distress,

especially during the winter. On December 22nd,

1837, it passed an act for winter cruising requiring

cutters to “cruise upon the coast, in the severe

portion of the season, and to afford such aid to

distressed navigators as their circumstance and

Below: An illustration of the City of Columbus prior to her

wreck off Gay Head, Martha’s Vineyard. (Courtesy of the

Martha’s Vineyard Museum)


39

necessities may require; and such public vessels

shall go to sea prepared fully to render such

assistance.”

By 1884, the winter cruising mission had become

an annual duty of the Revenue Cutter Service. On

Thursday, January 17th, the 275-foot iron passenger

liner City of Columbus got underway from Boston

destined for Savannah with a crew of 45 and 87

passengers. The next morning at around 4:00 a.m.,

she was steaming through a gale, when she ran

aground on Devil’s Bridge ledge off Gay Head,

Martha’s Vineyard. As the iron vessel settled in

the shallows, a handful of crew and passengers

embarked two lifeboats while others climbed the

vessel’s masts to escape the frigid waters. The

rest of the passengers and crew were swept into

the water and drowned or froze to death within 20

minutes.

Later that morning, Aquinnah Wampanoag

volunteers assembled on the beach at Gay Head

to man rescue boats in bitterly cold temperatures

and heavy seas. Under the command of Gay Head

Lighthouse keeper Horatio Pease, these Native

American heroes manned two boats, a lifeboat and

a larger surfboat, provided by the Massachusetts

Humane Society.

After launching into the towering waves, the

lifeboat was crushed against the rocks and lost.

The Aquinnah Wampanoag crew were soaked and

stunned but they survived. Meanwhile, their brethren

lifesavers launched the surfboat, which capsized in

the heavy surf. In the bitter cold, these waterlogged

rescue volunteers drifted ashore and tried again

to reach the survivors hanging from the masts of

the submerged steamer. Of these dramatic events,

Aquinnah Wampanoag lifesaver Samuel Anthony

later recalled, “We were on our trip to save lives or

lose our own in trying.” The intrepid Native American

crew retrieved seven survivors and began the return

trip. Again, the surfboat overturned, however, the

crew and survivors got to shore safely and survived.

Risking their own lives, the Wampanoag rescuers

saved seven souls with another five survivors

washing ashore in the ship’s damaged lifeboats.

Meanwhile, the Revenue Cutter Dexter was

performing winter patrols out of New Bedford,

Massachusetts. Her crew spotted the ill-fated City

of Columbus around noon that day and stood by

to assist. The Dexter deployed a lifeboat under

the command of young cutter officer, Lieutenant

John Rhodes. His lifeboat went to the aid of several

persons hanging from the City of Columbus’s masts,

which were still standing above the heavy seas.

Thirteen men jumped from the rigging and were

promptly picked up by the boat crew, however, two

more had passed out and frozen to the masts. Lt.

Rhodes tied a line around his waist and jumped

into the water but was injured by floating wreckage.

Next, he returned in a lifeboat to the masts and

climbed the slippery rigging. By the time Rhodes

reached the men, they had frozen to death, so he

cut down the bodies and brought them back to the

Dexter. Rhodes and his crew saved 17 men from

the ship’s rigging.

For their heroic efforts, the crew of Cutter Dexter were

showered with honors, awards and recognitions.

A joint resolution of Congress thanked them for

their brave and humane conduct and Treasury

Secretary Charles Folger ordered praise for the

crew be read aloud on board every revenue cutter.

The Massachusetts Humane Society presented a

gold medal to Lieutenant Rhodes and a silver medal

to Dexter’s captain and another officer. Rhodes

also received a solid gold Maltese Cross from the

German American community of Wilmington, North

Carolina. With all his medals and awards, Rhodes

became the most decorated individual in the history

of the Revenue Cutter Service.

Aquinnah Wampanoag men also became nationally

famous. Members of the all-volunteer force became

the focus of dramatic press coverage and received

high praise, medals and cash awards from the

Massachusetts Humane Society. In reporting the

story, the press wrote that the Native American

men and their wives, who aided the victims ashore,

were “deserving of all praise and the fund for their

benefit and encouragement should assume large

proportions. Without any expectations of reward,

they periled their lives for others.”

After all the living and the dead had been retrieved

from the wreck of the City of Columbus, she was left

alone in the seas, her icy rigging glistening in the

Sheet music cover art for “The Ship That Sailed from Boston,”

which was written about the wreck of the City of Columbus

(Johns Hopkins University Libraries).

LEARN THE SONG! The sheet music can be found at:

https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection/183/073

40 SPRING 2025

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41

freezing January sun. Of the City of Columbus’s 132

passengers and crew, only 17 crewmembers and

12 passengers survived. The remaining 103 souls

died of exposure or drowned in the stormy seas.

Cutter Dexter later delivered the survivors to New

Bedford, before they were sent back to Boston. The

once proud passenger liner would later be salvaged

for parts and machinery.

Fifteen years later, the legend of the City of Columbus

rescue was eclipsed by another dramatic wintertime

rescue. In 1898, three men from the cutter Bear drove

a herd of reindeer across 1,500 miles of frozen tundra

to save 250 whalers stranded at Point Barrow, Alaska.

Later known as the Overland Rescue Expedition, this

humanitarian mission garnered national attention,

praise from the President and the award of the

Congressional Gold Medal for all three cuttermen.

Of the City of Columbus’s

132 passengers and crew,

only 17 crewmembers and 12

passengers survived. The

remaining 103 souls died

of exposure or drowned in

the stormy seas.

42 SPRING 2025

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Revenue Cutter Dexter tied up at the pier. (U.S. Coast

Guard photo)


43

PORTRAITS OF SERVICE

There are thousands of untold stories that are not in the history books. The Long Blue Line is

a fantastic platform to share your personal journeys from the diverse mission sets of the Coast

Guard.

We are excited to provide a place where readers can share their Coast Guard story. We’ve

made it easy for you with a simple questionnaire at longblueline.org

TELL YOUR STORY!

CWO4 Justin Pardi, USCG (Ret.)*

Arizona

At age 17, growing up in Phoenix, Arizona, with

three brothers and a sister, Justin Pardi made

the decision to join the Coast Guard in August

1974.

A career Cutterman, Justin served aboard cutters

Papaw, Venturous, Acacia, Glacier, and Polar

Sea, rising to material maintenance chief warrant

officer and completing a memorable 27 years

on active duty. Shore assignments included

tours as facility manager at Telecommunications

Information Systems Command, group engineer

at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and as detailer for

engineering CWOs.

Justin’s career was filled with unforgettable

experiences, but one sea story stands out. While

serving aboard Venturous in the late 1970s,

Justin was deployed to support the San Diego

to Ensenada, Mexico, sailing regatta. After an

(*Photo taken prior to Pardi's CWO4 promotion)

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uneventful transit providing assistance to race

participants, the crew arrived in Ensenada and

was granted liberty.

Rather than joining his shipmates in the bars,

Justin, then underage in California, explored

the streets, soaking in the lively atmosphere

filled with mariachi bands, food vendors, and

spirited sailors. Meanwhile, his shipmates

discovered an arm-wrestling competition at the

famous Hussong’s Cantina and, knowing Justin’s

strength, signed him up without his knowledge.

Though hesitant—recalling a previous encounter

wrestling a bear in Kodiak—he agreed to compete.

At Hussong’s, the atmosphere was electric. The

competition featured burly yacht crewmembers,

enthusiastic boat owners, and some overly

confident, inebriated college students. Justin

sailed through the initial rounds—watching as less

fortunate competitors were eliminated or opted

out, choosing to buy a round of drinks rather than

risk injury.

As the finals approached, Justin noticed a

towering opponent: a 6’6” former Navy gunner’s

mate, who was demolishing the competition.

This giant had arms like oak branches and a

commanding presence, though his whiskeyfueled

bravado was apparent. The final match

drew a crowd, the bar packed with onlookers

cheering and dousing competitors with beer to

keep them cool in the sweltering heat.

When the moment arrived, Justin observed the

big man wobble slightly, clearly feeling the effects

of the drinks. Spotting a swollen elbow on his

opponent, Justin saw his opportunity. As soon

as the referee lifted his hands, Justin slammed

his opponent’s arm down, securing victory. The

bar erupted in cheers and laughter. Justin helped

his rival up, both sharing a good-natured laugh


45

over the outcome. The $50 prize went toward

the crew’s bar tab, and the story quickly spread

aboard Venturous.

Justin’s life after the Coast Guard has been equally

adventurous. Following his retirement in 2001, he

worked overseas as a government contractor

before fully retiring. He and his wife Cheryl have

two adult children—Nichols Pardi, director for the

Forest Service, and Dana Lockhart, PhD. They are

also proud grandparents to Noah, Lillian, Eleanor,

and Lucy.

Justin is also a published author of two books on

the horizon: Sea Stories of an Old Coastie: The

Life and Lies of DCC Pardi (October 2024) and

Chief JP in Antarctica: How to Drink Red Wine at

the Bottom of the World (January 2025). Reflecting

on his colorful career and adventurous life, Justin

sums it up simply: “Man, oh man, I had a great

life.”

PORTRAITS OF SERVICE

46 SPRING 2025

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47

U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION AUXILIARY

Photo by Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)

By: John Saran, AUXPA1

When Auxiliarist J.R. Kulik walked

into his new job as the National

Special Security Events (NSSE)

Coordinator in the Diplomatic

Security Service’s (DSS) Offi ce of Protection

in Washington, D.C., he quickly discerned

that change was needed and looked to his

experience and training in the Coast Guard

Auxiliary to facilitate that change. Until the

last few years, for major events like the NATO

Summit, the operations team in the Dignitary

Protection Operations Center (DPOC) tracked

the movement of protection details for foreign

ministers using a white board with posted notes.

There was no formal organizational command

structure in place for an event that involved

hundreds of people nor standard action plans

for each role. Communications with the agents

in the fi eld occurred, but agents would often

become overwhelmed with the amount of

information thrown at them.

While the DPOC had been run successfully

for over 25 years, Mr. Kulik sought to improve

its functionality by leveraging his Incident

Command System training from the Coast Guard

and his experience as a commander of Chicagobased

Auxiliary units. He initiated a series of

changes that amplified detail operations at four

major events including the 2023 Asia-Pacifi c

Economic Cooperation, the 2023 UN General

Assembly, the NATO Summit in Washington,

D.C., in July 2024 and recently, the 2024 UN

General Assembly 79 in New York (UNGA 79):

1. He created a formal organizational structure

that mirrored the standard incident command

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AUXILIARY

structure. There was an incident commander

(himself) that oversaw operations, planning,

logistics and finance sections. Each position

had a job action sheet ensuring that each

individual had a checklist for their role in

the event of a crisis. Above the incident

commander, there was an executive

committee that provided strategic advice to

the incident commander and engaged with

stakeholders with other agencies.

2. His technology team created an operational

interface to provide real-time tracking of the

various details, centralized information on

each detail and capabilities to communicate

with other agencies.

3. A centralized communication system

ensured that official communications

distributed to details in the fi eld came from

one source. The messages also had a colorcoded

scheme that ensured agents knew

what was routine versus critical. He created

unit and offi ce logos that, when added to

messages, helped individuals know the

source of the communications.

4. He instituted close coordination between

the radio operators (watchstanders) and the

equivalent of the Coast Guard’s officer of the

day provided prebaked scripts for calls that

would come into the DPOC. He stressed the

use of common language terms so that other

agencies could understand what needed to

be done.

5. He instituted a tracking mechanism that

recorded the number of calls into the DPOC

and the amount of matters handled by the

team. Just like the Coast Guard, DSS places

an emphasis on data.

While the DPOC

had been run

successfully for over

25 years, Mr. Kulik

sought to improve

its functionality by

leveraging his Incident

Command System

training from the

Coast Guard and

his experience as a

commander of Chicagobased

Auxiliary units.

U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION


49

U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION AUXILIARY

He attributes the recent success to his

tremendous team. Without them, he felt that the

mission would not be accomplished. Mr. Kulik

further elaborated, “one thing I learned from my

division commander days in the Auxiliary is that

as a leader, you must support and advocate for

your team in everything that you do. When you

do that, they will get the mission done.”

Mr. Kulik’s integration of Coast Guard personnel

during the NATO Summit was so successful that

he continued the practice of the Coast Guard

teaching the incident command system to DSS

personnel preparing for the UNGA 79 in New

York throughout September. In addition, two

Reservists were imbedded in the DSS Protective

Intelligence team that worked to provide timely

intelligence and threat information to Mr.

Kulik, as the incident Commander, for UNGA

79. Lastly, on September 22, 2024, Mr. Kulik

hosted CAPT Jonathan Andrechik, (Sector NY

Commander), CDR Brandon Aten (Response

Department Head) and LCDR Melissa Martinelli

(Enforcement Chief) for a tour of the UNGA 79

DPOC. All agreed that the Coast Guard and

DSS partnership was mutually beneficial and

If you are a member of a federal

agency or the armed forces in the

Washington, D.C., area and would

like to continue serving your country

through the Coast Guard Reserve or

the Coast Guard Auxiliary, please

visit GoCoastGuard and for the

Auxiliary, Find a Flotilla.

looked forward to continuing and growing the

relationship going forward.

When asked what principles he drew from the

Coast Guard the most, Mr. Kulik replied, “Span

of control and crew resource management – on

a daily basis, I assess how to utilize all resources

and my team to minimize operational risk.” That’s

important since he manages a team of over 500

individuals, including Coast Guard reservists

and veterans.

In early July, Mr. Kulik tested the new framework

by bringing two Coast Guard reservists into the

DPOC who are Incident Command experts.

The teams ran two successful scenarios and

completed their job action sheets.

J.R. Kulik is a Supervisory Special Agent in the U.S.

Department of State who has used his Coast Guard

Auxiliary training to improve operations in the Diplomatic

Security Service. (Photo by John Saran, AUXPA1)

50 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE


51

U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION ACTIVE DUTY

HOIST ONE:

HOW YOU

CAN HELP

PRESERVE

COAST GUARD

HISTORY

By Zach Shapiro, MyCG Writer

52 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

ACTIVE DUTY

Even for the Coast Guard Historian’s Offi ce, the fl ag

was a special donation. Collections Manager Stanley

Contrades, who has seen more than his share of artifacts,

was in awe. This fl ag, he said, “Saw what the cutters and this

group of ships did [on the Coast Guard’s Northwest Passage

mission]. It’s that tangible connection to the voyage and to the

[service’s] accomplishments.”

This was the original fl ag fl own by Coast Guard Cutter Spar,

one of three Coast Guard cutters to offi cially chart the fabled

Northwest Passage for the fi rst time in the summer of 1957.



53

U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION ACTIVE DUTY

HIS

CROWNING

GLORY

WAS THAT

ARCTIC

TRIP.

The Storis and Bramble also took part in

the famed voyage. Petty Officer 3rd Class

Frederick R. LePalm was a quartermaster

aboard the Spar that fateful summer.

He was inspired by other ships’ custom

flags and got permission from his

commanding officer to create one. “His

crowning glory was that Arctic trip,” said

his daughter, Beverly Selleck.

The quartermaster’s flag is being

considered for display in the National

Coast Guard Museum, which is scheduled

to open in 2026, or as part of a flag

exhibition at Coast Guard Headquarters in

Washington, D.C. Wherever it is displayed,

it will be cared for and preserved by a

team of specialists. “And it is back where

it belongs,” said Selleck. “It’s home.”

Donating the flag back to the Coast Guard

was a clear choice to Selleck and her

two siblings, Gary and Bonnie. The flag

“immortalizes” their father and represents

all the brave men who made the voyage

through the Northwest Passage, Selleck

said.

Every decision to donate items like

LePalm’s flag makes a big difference,

Contrades stressed. “We cannot tell the

54 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

1957 Northwest Passage - CG Cutters Storis, Bramble & Spar,

along with HMCS Labrador, transit the famous and historic

Northwest Passage in 1957. "CGC Spar in the ice" Copy

photograph; from "Northwest Passage" subject history files;

CG Historian's Office Special Collections & Library.

ACTIVE DUTY

Coast Guard’s story the way it should be

told without donations from the public.” In

other words, donating your items prevents

pieces of history from being lost to history.

And it ensures that future generations can

see, hear, and touch the Coast Guard’s

storied past.

The flag is already connecting the Service’s

past to America’s future through LePalm’s

family. It’s even sparked a budding

interest in Coast Guard ships for LePalm’s

seven-year-old great-granddaughter, who

recently enjoyed a tour of Coast Guard

Cutter Mackinaw.

If you or someone you

know has an item that

you think belongs in the

National Coast Guard

Museum or archive,

contact the Historian’s

Office at

history@uscg.mil



55

RESERVE

FUTURE OPS:

PSUs TEST OUT THE EMBARKED

SECURITY TEAM CONCEPT

Story and photos by Lt. Cmdr. Josh Brandt, Atlantic Area Incident Management Assist Team


56 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

When Coast Guard Commandant Adm.

Linda Fagan presided over Joint

Task Force Guantanamo’s Maritime

Security Detachment’s casing of the

colors ceremony in June 2023, it marked not

only the conclusion of the longest continuous

deployment of our forces in history, but also a

significant shift in the operational employment

of our port security units. These units were

continuously employed for over 21 years—

in both Guantanamo Bay and U.S. Central

Command. As we pivot away from these

enduring missions, we are looking at how we

employ the PSUs to meet the ever-evolving

challenges of tomorrow.

“This is an exciting time for the PSU community

as the focus shifts from a long-standing

enduring mission to new opportunities that

highlight the communities’ joint capabilities,”

said Capt. Matthew Michaelis, the deputy chief

of operations for Pacific Area. “Working closely

with DoD, we are identifying and aligning

mission requirements that leverage the unique

PSU capabilities and sharpen our competitive

edge.”

The pace of change is accelerating, and

the demand for the Coast Guard’s unique

authorities within the Indo-Pacific and high-

This is an exciting time for

the PSU community as the

focus shifts from a longstanding

enduring mission

to new opportunities that

highlight the communities’ joint

capabilities.

latitudes has grown exponentially. To continue

to execute our missions and mitigate threats and

challenges in the region, we must coordinate

our activities and find synergies of effort. The

recently published Pacific Area Campaign Plan

(PACP) coordinates operations, activities, and

RESERVE

Members of USCG EST Det-1 Completing nighttime crew served

weapons drills during USN Embarked Security Combat Skills

Course, Camp Pendleton, CA (U.S. Coast Guard photo)



57

RESERVE

Our team underwent an

intensive five-week training

period at the Navy Embarked

Security Combat Skills Course

in Imperial Beach, California,

to qualify as sentries,

chiefs of the guard, tactical

supervisors, and mission

commanders.


58 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

investments to prevail over drivers of change

like geopolitics, technology, economics, and

workforce complexity. The PACP provides

a roadmap to overcome these obstacles to

continue to defend life, natural resources,

property, and our Nation’s sovereign interests.

To support this higher-level guidance, Pacific

Area also developed a PSU Campaign Plan that

provides guidelines for future PSU employment,

including:

• Seek opportunities for shorter, focused

deployments

• Build rotations with pre-deployment

training that seamlessly supports

combatant commanders

• Facilitate robust joint C2 relationships

with Navy Maritime Expeditionary

Security Squadrons

• Leverage increased use of OCONUS,

DoD/partner nation joint exercises to

build PSU expeditionary proficiency to

operate globally and collaboratively with

partners

• Leverage adaptive force packages

tailored to requirements to maximize

effectiveness

The first operational employment under this

guidance occurred in October when a group

of 15 volunteers from all eight PSUs deployed

to support the Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary

Security Group One Detachment Guam

(MESG-1 DET Guam), Task Group 75.3. This

adaptive force package formed an embarked

security team tasked with providing underway

360-degree point defense aboard special

mission ships and other designated high value

assets operating in the Seventh Fleet theater

of operations.

Our team underwent an intensive five-week

training period at the Navy Embarked Security

Combat Skills Course in Imperial Beach,

California, to qualify as sentries, chiefs of

the guard, tactical supervisors, and mission

commanders. We learned all aspects of EST

operations, including less-than-lethal force

options, tactical communications, intelligence

collection, and coordinated responses to

various potential threats. After graduation, we

celebrated Thanksgiving together, boarded a

plane to Guam, and seamlessly integrated into

the Task Group 75.3 structure.

Left: ME2 Dalton Burton during Rifle Training at Embarked Security

Combat Skills Course, Imperial Beach, CA.

Middle: Coast Guard and national flags catch the breeze in Mt.

Lam Lam, GU.

Right: Conducting Embarked Security Team crew training in the

boat simulator.

RESERVE



59

RESERVE

The team recognized that this was an amazing

opportunity to shape the future of PSU

operations and strengthen the relationship

of PSUs in the Navy Expeditionary Combat

Command structure. This mission provided us

with the opportunity to develop new skill sets

and break the mold set by GTMO missions

over the past two decades. We leaned into the

challenge, set the bar high, and paved the way

for future Coast Guard ESTs.

After training alongside other active and

reserve deployed teams from Navy Maritime

Expeditionary Security Squadrons, the PSU

team was certified for mission assignment.

That call soon came and the PSU team

packed their bags for a foreign port to embark

a Military Sealift Command special mission

ship conducting national level-tasking. The

PSU team earned their sea pay and garnered

praise for their professionalism while expertly

handling interactions with foreign assets in

the geopolitically sensitive waters of the Indo-

Pacific region.

Shorter duration deployments with smaller

teams, like the EST mission, represent the

operational first step of the PSU Campaign

Plan. The second part of the plan focuses

on preparing PSUs for the long-term and

developing proficiency across all aspects of

the PSU mission set.


60 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

For over two decades, PSUs relied upon

existing infrastructure and established logistical

lines during deployments to Guantanamo

Bay. That may not be the case for tomorrow’s

mission. The PSU Campaign Plan sets a fouryear

schedule for participation in multiple

large-scale international exercises. Exercises

like Talisman Sabre in Australia, Balikatan in

the Philippines, and RIMPAC in Hawaii provide

the PSUs an opportunity to hone their ability

to rapidly deploy and set up maritime security

to support defense operations, humanitarian

assistance, and disaster relief operations.

The threats of tomorrow are different than

those of yesterday, but in these risks, there are

opportunities. Similarly, the generational shift

in PSU employment presents an opportunity

to reshape the trajectory of the community

to be ready for those threats. The innovative

employment guidance of the PSU Campaign

Plan, combined with fielding of upgraded

equipment, pursuing new technology, and

revising policy to ensure its relevance and

effectiveness are the cornerstones to this

change. These initiatives are necessary to

ensure the PSUs are positioned to meet the

future needs of the Nation.

RESERVE

The threats of tomorrow are

different than those of yesterday,

but in these risks, there are

opportunities.

ME1 Brian Turner fires the M203 Grenade Launcher during

weapons drills at USN Embarked Security Combat Skills Course,

Camp Pendleton, CA (U.S. Coast Guard photo)



61

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION RETIREMENTS

RETIREMENTS

ACHKOV, YORDAN

ACOSTA, MELLANNIE

ADAMS, DANIEL

ADKINS II, EDWARD

ANGCAYA, EMELINO

ARMSTRONG, ASH

ARTAC, CHRISTOPHER

BARTON, MICHAEL

BAUDOIN, CHELSEA

BAZZREA, MICHAEL

BEARDSLEY, DILLON

BECK, CHRISTOPHER

BEESON, TRACEY

BERRYHILL, TIMOTHY

BLACK, TREVOR

BLANCHARD, REBECCA

BLOUNT, CHRISTOPHER

BOLES, ALICIA

BOLLENBACK, WILLIAM

BOUSLOUGH, KENNETH

BOWEN, DANIEL

BROBST, KARL

BROOKS, THERESA

BROWN, SAMSON

BRYCE, CHERYL-GRACE

BUMANGLAG, SETH

BUTLER, ZARELLA

CAGE, AUDREY

CALL, ROBBIE

CAMPBELL, DUNCAN

CAMPBELL, DUNCAN

CANNY, AMY

CARASAS, LUIS

CARROLL, AMOS

USCG

CASSELMAN, SCOTT

YN1

MST2

OSCS

BM1

MEC

SKC

LCDR

CAPT

BM3

MECM

SK1

CS2

AET2

BM1

BM1

SK1

DC1

MK2

ME1

EMC

OS1

BMCM

LCDR

MK1

HSC

CSC

PERS4

OS1

MK1

BMCM

BMCM

OSC

ME3

MSSR3

ELC4

12-28-2024

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-27-2024

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-27-2025

01-10-2025

12-01-2024

11-30-2024

02-01-2025

12-13-2024

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

02-22-2025

12-01-2024

01-06-2025

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

12-26-2024

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

02-09-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

CAUSEY, JUSTIN

CHEEKS, DEMETRIUS

CHILCOTE, LORI

CHRISTIAN, IAN

CHRISTOPHER, DARIUS

COCKRAM, JENNIFER

COCKRAM, SETH

COLEMAN, ADRIAN

COLON, JASON

CORRELL, HEATHER

CORTRIGHT, CLINTON

COX, CHRISTOPHER

COX, JOSEPH

CROWE, ADAM

CYRUS, AALIYAH

DANIELS, ARLIE

DAVIS, DARNELL

DEL ROSARIO CHAN, MARIA

DELACRUZ, ARTURO

DELVALLE, ALVIN

DEMETREON, GARY

EDMONDS, MATTHEW

EISENHART, CHARLES

ERISTAVI, ALEXANDER

EVANS, ERIC

EWIG, JOHN

FABRITIIS, THOMAS

FAGAN, LINDA

FAIN, STACIE

FAIRALL, MARTIN

FERREIRA, JACOB

FINKE, DANIEL

FIORITO DUTTON, JEANNE

FLORES, WILLIAM

FONSECA, CHRISTOPHER

ELC3

LCDR

SK1

BOSN4

ET1

PERS4

YNCM

BM1

OS2

SKCM

BMC

YN2

EM2

MUC

OS3

BM2

EM2

CADET

MSSE3

YN1

LCDR

AMT1

MKC

BM1

SK1

MECS

MEC

ADM

CAPT

ELC4

CDR

BMC

OS1

ME1

BMC

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

02-18-2025

02-01-2025

12-13-2024

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

11-29-2024

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-09-2024

03-01-2025

12-19-2024

11-30-2024

02-08-2025

12-15-2024

12-01-2024

12-18-2024

02-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-04-2024

01-10-2025

12-01-2024

02-03-2025

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

01-12-2025

01-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

62 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

!

FORGAN, THEODORE

FRANCO, FRANCIS

FRANCO, ROBIN

FRANKEL, WILLIAM

FRANQUEZ, JON

FULLMER, JAXON

GAETA, ERIC

GASKILL, AMY

GIBNEY, JOEL

GILL, JESSICA

GOFF, EDWARD

GONZALEZ, ELIEZER

GOODMAN, SEAN

GREEN, GRETCHEN

GREEN, PAUL

GREENWOOD, JEREMY

GREGORY, PEMITON

GRIFFIN, JAY

GRIFFIN, MELANIE

GROSS, CATHARINE

GRULKEY, DANE

GUY, ROBERT

It's been noted that some CG Reserve retirees in RET-2 status (awaiting pay) are missing from this list. Efforts are underway

to include all RET-2 retirees in future issues.

BM3

BM2

MSTC

PSC

YNCM

DC2

BM2

PA1

MKCS

BMC

HSC

CDR

MSSE4

SN

CDR

CDR

ITC

LTJG

MSTC

CDR

MST1

CS1

02-10-2025

01-15-2025

01-11-2025

02-08-2025

01-01-2025

01-23-2025

01-01-2025

01-27-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

02-28-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

01-16-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-11-2024

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-29-2024

HARRIS, ANGELA

HAWKINS, KOREENA

HEATH, JEFFERSON

HERNANDEZ, AMAYA

HEWLETT, BARBARA

HILL, DANIEL

HILL, THOMAS

HOLM, ERIK

HORAN, MICHAEL

IMBROGNA, MICHAEL

JERVIS, SHAWN

JOHNSON, CARLETON

JONES, CALEB

JONES, CAROLYN

KEITH, CLIFFORD

KELLY, JOSEPH

KESINGER, JEFFREY

KIENER, CHRISTOPHER

KING, JARED

KING, MICHAEL

KINNAIRD, NATHAN

KISTNER, ROBERT

YN1

HS2

BMC

SN

BM2

MEC

DVCM

INV4

MLES2

CDR

MK1

BM3

ME3

SKCS

BM2

MEC

MKC

OSC

CAPT

ETCM

MEC

CAPT

02-20-2025

12-20-2024

02-21-2025

02-01-2025

02-20-2025

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-24-2024

12-11-2024

12-19-2024

02-01-2025

11-30-2024

02-15-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

RETIREMENTS



63


KITLER, DAWSON

KITLINSKI, DAREK

KOPP, NICHOLAS

KURTICH, SUZANNE

KYSER, RANDALL

LAPLANTE, KEVIN

LARSON, JEREMY

LASTER, ERIC

LAWTON, KATHY

LAYFIELD, ERIC

LEE, BRYAN

LEE, GEORGE

LEITAO, RICHARD

LINDGREN, JONAS

LINK, CHANDLER

LYNCH, LARRY

MALDONADO, JULIO

ME2

LCDR

BM2

OSCM

MST2

BM2

IVC

AMT1

YN1

ME1

SN

CDR

CS2

YN1

MST3

ETC

MST1

12-20-2024

01-03-2025

12-09-2024

12-07-2024

02-03-2025

12-31-2024

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

02-18-2025

02-05-2025

02-26-2025

01-11-2025

01-01-2025

01-23-2025

02-13-2025

01-01-2025

MALOY, AUBREY

MANDERS, SPENCER

MANSKE, TIMOTHY

MARINELLI, FRANK

MARTINEZ, JOSHUA

MARTINEZ, LUIS

MASCIOPINTO, STEPHEN

MATULONIS, ANTHONY

MCCORMICK, MARK

MCLOUGHLIN, DAVID

MILLER, JOE

MILLER, KATHERINE

MIMS, JEREMIAH

MIRELES, ALISHA

MONTI, ERIC

MORALES, JOSHUA

MOSS, KELLY

MURPHY, WILLIAM

NADJ, DANIEL

NAKOA, MARGARET

NAVARRO, TIMOTHY

NELSON, HUNTER

NELSON, RICHARD

NOTO, JOHN

OBERLIN, JOHN

OCONNOR, DENNIS

OLSEN, OLIVER

OLSON, NICHOLAS

OSTROM, CHRISTINE

OSULLIVAN, PATRICK

PALERMO, ANDREA

PAQUIN, DAVID

PEREZ, KYLE

PETERS, JESSE

PHILLIPS, KAREN

PLANIDEN, PAYTON

PRITCHETT REESE, KAITLYN

PULLEN, LUCAS

PURINGTON, IRVING

RAFTER, TIMOTHY

RALLS, JAMES

REKLIS, MICHAEL

REYES, JORGE

RIVERA, JAMIE

RIVERA, WARREN

ROBSON, BRIAN

RODRIGUEZ, CLAUDIA

RODRIGUEZ, SAMUEL

ROSE, RYAN

RUDEY, STEVEN

SANCHEZ, DANIELLE

ET1

ME3

LT

MKC

DC1

ISC

BM2

MSTCM

MUCS

CDR

AVI3

MK2

LCDR

YN1

AMTCM

OS1

SKC

MEC

AVI4

YNC

AST1

SN

CAPT

CDR

HSC

MK1

MK1

AMT2

YNC

BMCM

CDR

AST1

ET2

LT

CDR

MK3

OS3

BMCM

BMC

BOSN3

BMC

ME1

LT

AET1

MKC

ISM4

YN1

ET2

SK1

AMTCM

LTJG

12-01-2024

12-25-2024

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-16-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

11-29-2024

03-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

01-18-2025

02-22-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

01-23-2025

01-27-2025

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-02-2025

02-10-2025

01-12-2025

12-12-2024

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

12-07-2024

02-03-2025

02-15-2025

12-25-2024

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-20-2024

01-14-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-26-2024

01-20-2025

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

01-10-2025

64 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

RETIREMENTS

SANDOVAL, JOSE

SCHOFIELD, DANIEL

SCHULZ, WILLIAM

SCHWISTER, ANTHONY

SEGURA, ROSA

SHAHAN, DONALD

SHERWOOD, RANDY

SHUM, NICHOLAS

SHYER, JAMES

SIMMONS, BRANDON

SIMONETTI, BRYNN

SIMPSON, ROBERT

SMITH, CHRISTOPHER

SMITH, JASON

SMITH, SCOTT

SMITH, TAYLOR

SMITH, TROY

SPICER, RICHARD

SPURLOCK, CHRISTOPHER

STANO, MICHAEL

STEPANOVICH, JOSEPH

STEPHENSON, DANIEL

STINSON, MONICA

BM1

ET1

LCDR

MKC

CS2

BMC

MKC

BM1

IV1

AMT2

SKCM

PAC

LCDR

CAPT

CDR

LCDR

BOSN3

MECS

BOSN3

BM3

BM3

YNC

MK1

12-13-2024

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

11-30-2024

01-01-2025

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

01-14-2025

12-13-2024

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-29-2024

01-13-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

SWANDA, CHRISTOPHER

SYSKA, ANDREW

TAYLOR, RANDY

THOMAS, ASHER

THOMPSON, JOHN

TRAIL, JASON

ULLOA, ORLANDO

VANCUREN, ERICK

VATH, KEEGAN DAVID

VENABLE, JEREMY

VIDAL, CHASE

VILLARREAL, LONGINO

VOLOSIN, JAMES

WARN, BRIAN

WEINOLD, JOHN

WHEELEY, BRANDON

WHITE, ALLEN

WHITE, CHRISTOPHER

WOOD, PETER

WURGLER, RODNEY

WYLES, JAIMIE

ZOLTEK, MICHAEL

MK1

BMC

MKCS

INV4

MST1

MK1

CS3

BM2

SN

INV3

BM2

MUCS

BMC

LCDR

BMC

DCCS

BM3

MSTC

BMC

BMCS

MK2

AET1

01-20-2025

01-08-2025

01-21-2025

03-01-2025

02-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

01-11-2025

01-10-2025

12-09-2024

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

01-11-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-05-2025

03-01-2025

01-26-2025

02-15-2025

12-19-2024

01-01-2025



65


!

AGUILAR, KARINA

AUSDEMORE, DARREN

AVALOS, JORGE

BALLANTYNE, HELEN

BANTA, ROBERT

BARSAN, MICHAEL

BENSYL, DIANA

BEVANS, MARGARET

BLACKROCK, DENISE

BROWN, LAURIE

CALVERT, GREGORY

CAMPBELL, TODD

CARTER, PAULA

CLIATT, JANET

COCHRAN, JANET

COHN, AMANDA

COLLINS, FELICIA

COMNICK, MARK

CORCORAN, THEODORE

CRUZ, MIGUEL

DAMONZE, ANDRE

DELEON, DANIEL

DENTINGER, CATHERINE

USCG & USPHS are addressing errors in USPHS ranks due to differences in permanent and temporary ranks. Corrected

ranks are denoted with an asterisk.

USPHS

CDR

CDR

LCDR

CDR

CDR

LCDR

CAPT

CAPT

CDR

CDR

CDR

CDR

CDR

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

RADM

CAPT

LCDR

CAPT

LT

CDR

CAPT

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

DUNCAN, CHRISTOPHER

FERRETTI-ACETO, VICTORIA

FITZGERALD, KENNETH

FOX, KIMBERLEY

FURNESS, BRUCE

GAINES, KEVIN

GAVIN, VERONICA

GERDING, JUSTIN

GONZALEZ, HUGO

GOODRICH-DOCTOR, ADRIENNE

HAGER, PAUL

HASTINGS, DEBORAH

HENDERSON, SCOTT

HOARD, MARNA

HOPPER, ALICE

HYON, KYONG

JIMENEZ, VALERIE

JOHNSON, ANITA

KING, MICHAEL

LEWINS, SHANI

LIDGE, TREVOR

LINK, PAUL

LLOYD, ROBERT

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

CDR

CDR

CDR

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

CAPT

LCDR

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

CAPT

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

02-01-2025

02-01-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-01-2024

02-01-2025

66 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

LUCERO, KARLY

MANGIGIAN, STEPHANIE

MEAGHER, ANDREW

MILSTER, GLORIA

MIX, AISHA

MTUNGWA, ANGELA

MUSIKASINTHORN, CHAYANIN

NELSON, REBEL

OQUENDO, SANDRA

ORTIZ, JOSE

OSBORNE, ELIZABETH

PERKINS, JUSTIN

RAEL, JOHN

RAUTH, LESLYE

ROBERTS, NIXON

SABAL, JOVITO

SANDERS, MICHAEL

SCHNEIDER, CODY

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

LCDR

CAPT

CAPT

CDR

CDR

CDR

CDR

CAPT

LCDR

CDR

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

LCDR

LCDR

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

12-01-2024

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

SHARMA, ANDREA

SHIBER, MICHAEL

SMITH, ANDREA

SPELL-LESANE, DORNETTE

SPIKES, PILGRIM

STANLEY, TOSCHA

STOHR, ANNE

THOMAS, JACQUELINE

THOMAS, TERRANCE

TONKINS, WILLIAM

TRANCHITA, ANTHONY

TROMBLEY, DEAN

TRUJILLO, JONATHAN

VODICKA, PAMELLA

WILSON, PHILLIP

YONCE, STACEY

YOUNG, JAMES

CDR

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

LCDR

LCDR

LCDR

CAPT

CAPT

LCDR

CAPT

CDR

CDR

CAPT

CDR

CDR

CAPT

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

03-01-2025

03-01-2025

12-01-2024

01-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

01-01-2025

03-01-2025

RETIREMENTS

NOAA

KUZIRIAN, STEPHEN

SIMON, DANIEL

SOLARI, STEVEN

CDR

CAPT

LCDR

03-01-2025

01-01-2025

02-01-2025

COAST GUARD TRANSITION ASSISTANCE

PROGRAM (TAP)

TAP prepares Service Members separating or retiring from the Coast Guard for their transition to

civilian life. All eligible SMs are required to complete the standardized components of the TAP.

These components are 1) Pre-separation Counseling and 2) the Transition Seminar, encompassing

the Transition Goals, Plans, and Success (GPS) core curriculum.

dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Human-Resources-CG-1/Health-

Safety-and-Work-Life-CG-11/Office-of-Work-Life-CG-111/Transition-Assistance-Program/

TRYING TO CONNECT WITH A FELLOW

USCG, USPHS, OR NOAA RETIREE?

If you need help connecting with a USCG, USPHS, or NOAA

retiree, you may provide the individual’s name (and rank/

paygrade if known), along with your contact information to:

Robert Hinds, CG Retiree Services

e-mail: Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil

phone: 202-475-5451

(An attempt to contact the individual and provide

your contact information will be made by email)

DO NOT SEND PERSONAL IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII), SUCH

AS SSN, EMPID, THROUGH PUBLIC E-MAIL (E.G. AOL, G-MAIL, ETC.)



67

TAPS

TAPS

DEPENDENT TAPS: To place a Dependent TAPS notice in The Retiree Newsletter, provide the dependent’s

name, relationship to retiree, date of passing, and city/state to Robert Hinds at: Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil or

phone: 202-475-5451.

USCG

ACCIAIOLI, DONALD

LINCOLN, RI

MK1

RET. 12-01-1995

TAPS 02-01-2025

BICHNER, JOHN

MAHTOMEDI, MN

CDR

RET. 07-10-1996

TAPS 12-07-2024


ALVARADO, JUAN

PORTSMOUTH, VA

ARANAS, RUSTICO

BOTHELL, WA

BALLARD, MARK

RIVERSIDE, CA

BARNARD, GEORGE

AVON PARK, FL

BARRETT, WILLIAM

YUMA, AZ

BATTIATA, VICTOR

SPRING HILL, FL

BENNETT, WILLIAM

ARROYO GRANDE, CA

BERGMAN, PAUL

FAIRHOPE, AL

BERLAND, KNUT

ALBUQUERQUE, NM

BERRY, WILLIAM

YARMOUTH, ME

BIBBY, STANLEY

LINCOLN, CA

BM2

CWO4

TCC

ADC

PSCS

HSC

LT

CDR

CWO3

HSC

CWO4

RET. 11-01-1994

TAPS 11-05-2024

RET. 07-01-1985

TAPS 10-05-2024

RET. 08-01-1998

TAPS 12-26-2024

RET. 07-01-1994

TAPS 12-17-2024

RET. 03-31-2002

TAPS 01-08-2025

RET. 03-20-2009

TAPS 01-08-2025

RET. 11-02-2013

TAPS 01-22-2025

RET. 08-01-1999

TAPS 01-16-2025

RET. 07-01-1976

TAPS 01-04-2025

RET. 08-18-1998

TAPS 11-04-2024

RET. 09-01-1979

TAPS 02-15-2025

BIELMAN, STEPHEN

FLORENCE, OR

BLAISDELL, PETER

MARBLEHEAD, MA

BOOTH, DENNIS

EVERSON, WA

BORDAS, DAVID

CHARLEVOIX, MI

BRADLEY, RALPH

LUCEDALE, MS

BREITHAUPT, GREGORY

TACOMA, WA

BRITT, WILLIAM

MOREHEAD CITY, NC

BROWN, EDWIN

GAINESVILLE, FL

BUDREAU, LAWRENCE

ANDERSON, SC

CALMA, ROGER

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX

CANN, RICHARD

RATHDRUM, ID

BMCM

LCDR

BOSN3

DCCS

AECS

LCDR

CWO4

LT

CDR

CWO2

GM1

RET. 11-01-2005

TAPS 02-03-2025

RET. 10-01-1992

TAPS 12-19-2024

RET. 10-01-1994

TAPS 12-19-2024

RET. 03-01-1986

TAPS 11-23-2024

RET. 08-01-1989

TAPS 12-20-2024

RET. 06-01-1998

TAPS 11-25-2024

RET. 07-01-1990

TAPS 11-12-2024

RET. 06-01-1984

TAPS 11-24-2024

RET. 04-13-1995

TAPS 11-04-2024

RET. 10-01-1988

TAPS 11-18-2024

RET. 01-01-1978

TAPS 01-17-2025

68 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

CARLSON, CHRISTOPHER

MAGAZINE, AR

F&S3

RET. 07-01-1991

TAPS 12-20-2024

DUJENSKI, ALAN

WOODINVILLE, WA

CDR

RET. 01-01-1993

TAPS 01-17-2025

TAPS

CARPIO, JESUS

EVERETT, WA

FSCM

RET. 09-01-1993

TAPS 11-25-2024

DUKES, STEVEN

SECRETARY, MD

MSTCS

RET. 08-01-2015

TAPS 01-10-2025

CASELLI, VIRGIL

NOVATO, CA

CDR

RET. 05-29-2000

TAPS 11-16-2024

DUNCAN, TIMOTHY

LAUREL HILL, FL

MK1

RET. 02-01-2000

TAPS 10-13-2024

CHARTE, DAVID

NEW BRAUNFELS, TX

TCC

RET. 01-01-1995

TAPS 01-11-2025

DUNIGAN, THOMAS

CHULA VISTA, CA

ELC3

RET. 06-01-1992

TAPS 11-06-2024

CISSON, LARRY

SCOTTSDALE, AZ

HS1

RET. 01-01-1979

TAPS 11-05-2024

DUNN, STUART

ROHNERT PARK, CA

ET2

RET. 10-02-1995

TAPS 01-25-2025

CLAVEAU, BRUCE

LUDINGTON, MI

BMCS

RET. 07-01-1994

TAPS 01-24-2025

EBERWEIN, ERNIE

BURNSVILLE, NC

ELC4

RET. 10-01-1998

TAPS 11-18-2024

CLUKEY, WAYNE

KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC

BMC

RET. 07-01-1993

TAPS 12-01-2024

ENRICO, ROBERT

CASTRO VALLEY, CA

YN2

RET. 07-01-1995

TAPS 11-12-2024

COADY, JOHN

ZION, IL

SK1

RET. 12-01-1976

TAPS 11-30-2024

ESCHENBURG, VERNON

MOBILE, AL

CAPT

RET. 07-01-1994

TAPS 01-20-2025

COLLINS, MATTHEW

LEWISTON, ME

MAT4

RET. 01-20-2013

TAPS 11-13-2024

FERGER, RONALD

BERLIN, MD

PS1

RET. 05-01-2000

TAPS 01-05-2025

CONDON, AMASA

WEST BOYLSTON, MA

COONEY, JAMES

BROOKLYN, NY

CORNELL, RICHARD

INVERNESS, FL

CRICK, JOHN

MEADVILLE, PA

DAVIS, CARSON

ANAHEIM, CA

DEES, WILLIAM

SEMMES, AL

DEHM, KARL

EVERETT, WA

DOBBS, DONALD

MELBOURNE, FL

DOHERTY, RICHARD

BLUE BELL, PA

DOWNES, ALVIN

LAUREL, DE

DUCKWORTH, JOHN

MARYSVILLE, WA

MKCS

PSC

YNCS

ENG4

PS1

FSCS

GM1

LCDR

CAPT

MK1

MKC

RET. 10-20-1998

TAPS 10-24-2024

RET. 02-09-2007

TAPS 10-21-2024

RET. 04-30-1999

TAPS 12-15-2024

RET. 11-01-1994

TAPS 12-18-2024

RET. 06-23-1992

TAPS 11-22-2024

RET. 07-01-1993

TAPS 01-07-2025

RET. 07-01-1996

TAPS 10-06-2024

RET. 11-01-1980

TAPS 11-29-2024

RET. 08-01-1985

TAPS 01-23-2025

RET. 11-01-1998

TAPS 02-05-2025

RET. 01-01-1998

TAPS 01-06-2025

FISHER, JAMES

CHESAPEAKE, VA

FISHER, THOMAS

LUTZ, FL

FLORCZAK, THOMAS

KISSIMMEE, FL

FORD, ROBERT

MILES CITY, MT

FRANKLIN, MILTON

SAINT ALBANS, NY

FREYENHAGEN, JAMES

UNION, ME

GALVIN, ANTHONY

LA MIRADA, CA

GARRETT, ROYCE

GREENSBORO, NC

GAUDETTE, BRUCE

TERREBONNE, OR

GENTZLER, RONALD

PAPILLION, NE

GIMPELSON, ARTHUR

HOMESTEAD, FL

LT

CWO4

BMC

IVC

DC1

MKCS

LCDR

CAPT

CDR

PSCM

ETC

RET. 03-01-2004

TAPS 12-06-2024

RET. 12-31-1993

TAPS 12-19-2024

RET. 07-01-2007

TAPS 10-08-2024

RET. 12-19-2000

TAPS 11-16-2024

RET. 09-17-1999

TAPS 01-23-2025

RET. 05-01-1980

TAPS 10-08-2024

RET. 06-07-2007

TAPS 01-13-2025

RET. 06-01-1987

TAPS 01-14-2025

RET. 01-17-2020

TAPS 01-19-2025

RET. 03-24-1996

TAPS 01-22-2025

RET. 02-01-1988

TAPS 01-25-2025



69

TAPS

GLASGOW, WILLIAM

WASHINGTON, UT

CWO3

RET. 04-01-1981

TAPS 11-28-2024

HALLIDAY, MICHAEL

FEDERAL WAY, WA

BM1

RET. 02-05-1999

TAPS 01-04-2025

GLESS, FREDERICK

VALLEY STREAM, NY

BMCM

RET. 04-11-2000

TAPS 11-20-2024

HAMMITT, JAMES

HOUSTON, TX

RMC

RET. 01-01-1982

TAPS 12-27-2024

GOETZ, WILLIAM

DEER ISLE, ME

CDR

RET. 08-01-1976

TAPS 01-05-2025

HANLIN, JOSEPH

MANASSAS, VA

LT

RET. 06-23-2009

TAPS 12-04-2024

GOODWIN, GUY

WAKE FOREST, NC

CAPT

RET. 01-01-2000

TAPS 03-03-2025

HANNA, JOHN

QUAKER HILL, CT

CDR

RET. 07-01-1988

TAPS 10-21-2024

GRAHAM, DANIEL

NEW BRANFELS, TX

LCDR

RET. 04-14-2003

TAPS 11-15-2024

HANSEN, RALPH

RICHMOND HILL, GA

AVI4

RET. 08-01-1996

TAPS 10-22-2024

GREEN, DAVID

ISSAQUAH, WA

CAPT

RET. 06-01-1979

TAPS 01-24-2025

HARKNESS, JERRY

MILTON, FL

MKC

RET. 08-08-2014

TAPS 12-03-2024

GREGORY, DAVID

ROSEBURG, OR

ATCS

RET. 10-01-1987

TAPS 10-24-2024

HAYES, MYLES

WORCESTER, MA

F&S4

RET. 11-25-2000

TAPS 12-03-2024

GULLAGE, CHARLES

CHATHAM, NJ

LCDR

RET. 08-06-2007

TAPS 01-08-2025

HERKENRATT, PAUL

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL

BMCS

RET. 09-01-1987

TAPS 01-15-2025

GUTHRIE, JOHN

WATSONVILLE, CA

CAPT

RET. 07-01-1980

TAPS 11-16-2024

HERRICK, JOHN

SANFORD, ME

EN2

RET. 09-28-1973

TAPS 01-01-2025


HALL, GORDON

N RIDGEVILLE, OH

HALL, SAMUEL

KNOXVILLE, TN

CAPT

OSC

RET. 07-01-1984

TAPS 12-23-2024

RET. 04-01-2005

TAPS 11-23-2024

HEZEAU, CURTIS

ANACORTES, WA

HICKS, DAVID

POLAND, IN

CDR

AEC

RET. 01-07-2002

TAPS 12-28-2024

RET. 03-01-1980

TAPS 12-22-2024

70 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

HIGGINS, RICHARD

ELIZABETH CITY, NC

ADCM

RET. 07-01-1977

TAPS 02-02-2025

KING, WILKIE

MOREHEAD CITY, NC

FSC

RET. 01-01-1980

TAPS 02-05-2025

TAPS

HINERTH, ROBERT

N BROOKFIELD, MA

PERS4

RET. 06-27-2000

TAPS 01-02-2025

KLOSTERMAN, DALE

DALLAS, TX

CDR

RET. 05-09-1998

TAPS 10-16-2024

HOAGLUND, RICHARD

GRAND PORTAGE, MN

MKC

RET. 11-01-1982

TAPS 11-15-2024

KOPP, PHILLIP

ROSWELL, NM

ETCM

RET. 11-01-1994

TAPS 01-23-2025

HODGES, WILEY

MCALPIN, FL

DCCS

RET. 06-01-1974

TAPS 02-02-2025

KOSIOR, JOHN

WESTPORT, MA

MKC

RET. 01-31-2006

TAPS 11-27-2024

HOHMAN, STEPHEN

GEORGETOWN, DE

CWO4

RET. 07-01-1988

TAPS 11-16-2024

KROETSCH, JAMES

JACKSONVILLE, NC

AMCM

RET. 03-01-1976

TAPS 12-25-2024

HOWARD, MARK

MILWAUKIE, OR

ELC4

RET. 12-01-2007

TAPS 11-27-2024

LAMB, TONEY

SUMMERVILLE, SC

BMC

RET. 08-01-2006

TAPS 12-26-2024

HUBBARD, JERRY

MOBILE, AL

LCDR

RET. 07-01-2008

TAPS 12-22-2024

LAMBERT, GERARD

ROCHESTER, NH

CWO3

RET. 09-01-1974

TAPS 01-07-2025

HUCK, RALPH

PORTSMOUTH, VA

LCDR

RET. 08-01-1980

TAPS 11-15-2024

LANCASTER, WILLIAM

FT PIERCE, FL

CWO4

RET. 04-17-1981

TAPS 10-08-2024

IRVINE, KENNETH

SELAH, WA

HSC

RET. 08-01-1976

TAPS 12-15-2024

LEARNED, DAVID

CANONSBURG, PA

ATCS

RET. 02-01-1991

TAPS 12-30-2024

JACKSON, HENRY

CONVENTRY, CT

JANG, T

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

JANOSIK, JOHN

SCARBOROUGH, ME

JAVIER, JOSE

REDMOND, WA

JENKINS, JACK

CINCINNATI, OH

JOHANSON, ROBERT

VICTORIA, TX

JOHNSON, JEFFERY

JACKSONVILLE, FL

JOHNSTON, RICHARD

UNION SPRINGS, NY

JONES, GEORGE

OKEECHOBEE, FL

JONES, JAMES

CLEVELAND, TN

JORDAN, DAVID

MILLBURY, OH

PS1

SKC

CWO2

FSC

MKCS

RADM

YN2

AM1

CWO3

QMC

DC2

RET. 03-21-2007

TAPS 01-09-2025

RET. 07-28-2008

TAPS 11-01-2024

RET. 04-01-1977

TAPS 12-18-2024

RET. 08-01-1976

TAPS 10-24-2024

RET. 03-23-1982

TAPS 11-21-2024

RET. 07-01-1991

TAPS 02-04-2025

RET. 05-01-1999

TAPS 11-05-2024

RET. 10-01-1978

TAPS 10-15-2024

RET. 07-01-1977

TAPS 12-13-2024

RET. 02-01-1979

TAPS 09-29-2024

RET. 11-26-1984

TAPS 11-30-2024

LEE, MICHAEL

WEST JORDAN, UT

LICH, DAVID

MCHENRY, MS

LINCOLN, BRIAN

LEAGUE CITY, TX

LOFFREDO, NELSON

NEWPORT NEWS, VA

LONG, ARTHUR

KNOXVILLE, TN

LUTZ, HUBERT

DANVILLE, PA

MACDONALD, JOSEPH

PHOENIX, AZ

MACKAY, MICHAEL

MARION, OH

MACNAIR, RICHARD

ELYRIA, OH

MANALUS, WENCESLAO

LAS VEGAS, NV

MANZANO, RENATO

FEDERAL WAY, WA

LT

ASMCM

CDR

ET1

HSCS

MKCM

BMCS

ENG4

CWO4

YNCM

FSC

RET. 06-11-1993

TAPS 02-22-2025

RET. 07-01-1996

TAPS 10-02-2024

RET. 07-01-2013

TAPS 01-01-2025

RET. 01-26-2011

TAPS 02-12-2025

RET. 07-01-2006

TAPS 10-30-2024

RET. 02-01-1992

TAPS 11-14-2024

RET. 06-29-2006

TAPS 01-31-2025

RET. 10-01-2001

TAPS 11-06-2024

RET. 09-01-1987

TAPS 12-29-2024

RET. 03-01-1977

TAPS 11-12-2024

RET. 07-01-1991

TAPS 10-10-2024



71

TAPS

MARQUEZ, PEDRO

ORANGE, CA

FSC

RET. 04-01-1976

TAPS 01-02-2025

MEYER, JOSEPH

HUBERT, NC

TTC

RET. 04-01-1973

TAPS 11-29-2024

MCCARTER, JEWELL

WICHITA FALLS, TX

ETC

RET. 07-01-1979

TAPS 01-29-2025

MILLER, GLENN

SPOKANE, WA

MK2

RET. 02-19-1988

TAPS 11-08-2024

MCCLOSKEY, SHEILA

EAST SANDWICH, MA

YN1

RET. 07-24-1985

TAPS 12-17-2024

MILLS, GERALD

KAILUA, HI

CDR

RET. 02-08-1984

TAPS 10-29-2024

MCGUIRE, JOSEPH

HOMOSASSA, FL

STCS

RET. 10-01-1987

TAPS 10-25-2024

MITCHELL, BENJAMIN

HOMER, AK

BMC

RET. 11-01-1980

TAPS 01-01-2025

MCGUIRE, WILLIAM

ELIZABETH CITY, NC

AE1

RET. 09-01-1997

TAPS 11-18-2024

MOBERG, GEORGE

PORTLAND, ME

GM1

RET. 09-01-1974

TAPS 01-10-2025

MERRIWEATHER, QUINCY

COVINGTON, LA

ENG4

RET. 09-01-2010

TAPS 11-15-2024

MOHR, KENNETH

SPOKANE, WA

RM3

RET. 03-01-1967

TAPS 01-04-2025

MERTZ, HARRY

THE VILLAGES, FL

FS1

RET. 08-03-1976

TAPS 10-26-2024

MOORE, JAMES

KINCHELOE, MI

ET1

RET. 05-01-1989

TAPS 10-08-2024


72 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

MORAN, JAMES

PENSACOLA, FL

LT

RET. 11-01-2003

TAPS 10-27-2024

PREAU, DONALD

RIVER RIDGE, LA

CAPT

RET. 10-01-2009

TAPS 10-16-2024

TAPS

MOULTON, THOMAS

MERRIMACK, NH

PSCS

RET. 08-03-2008

TAPS 12-26-2024

PRIBILA, FRANCIS

BUTLER, PA

MK1

RET. 10-24-2009

TAPS 12-10-2024

NAVAT, RENE

SUNNYVALE, CA

FS1

RET. 08-01-1977

TAPS 01-04-2025

PRZYOJSKI, EDWARD

ST PETERSBURG, FL

MKCS

RET. 08-01-2000

TAPS 12-18-2024

NETTLETON, RONALD

FREELAND, MI

ET1

RET. 08-01-2000

TAPS 12-09-2024

QUARLES, JOE

GILMER, TX

BM1

RET. 04-01-1994

TAPS 12-04-2024

NIUMATALOLO, SIMI

LAIE, HI

FSC

RET. 05-01-1975

TAPS 12-16-2024

RANNINGS, ARTHUR

LEBANON, OR

BMC

RET. 03-01-1983

TAPS 12-23-2024

OCONNOR, KEVIN

WILLIAMSBURG, VA

LT

RET. 06-01-2021

TAPS 12-24-2024

RAY, MONTE

YUMA, AZ

RMC

RET. 08-01-1969

TAPS 11-29-2024

ODER, ROBERT

MAIDEN, NC

DC3

RET. 11-04-1982

TAPS 12-19-2024

REGINA, MARY

ST PETERSBURG, FL

SK1

RET. 11-03-2011

TAPS 11-26-2024

OESCHGER, DAVID

BENTON, IL

CWO4

RET. 09-01-1976

TAPS 10-22-2024

RICHARDSON, ROBERT

COOKEVILLE, TN

ADC

RET. 11-01-1980

TAPS 01-03-2025

OLSON, JOHN

MADISON, WI

CAPT

RET. 05-31-1995

TAPS 01-24-2025

RICHMOND, ALAN

MONTGOMERY, TX

HS2

RET. 07-27-2002

TAPS 01-14-2025

OWENSBY, ROBERT

PARADISE, TX

PARKS, DONALD

ELIZABETH CITY, NC

PARMLEY, MICHAEL

CALDWELL, ID

PENA, EDWARD

CONCORD, CA

PERKINS, CARL

FERNANDINA BCH, FL

PHAUP, JAMES

ZWOLLE, LA

PIAMONTE, CESARIO

ALAMEDA, CA

PIERCE, RICHARD

JACKSON, MI

PLOHOCKY, WALTER

ALPENA, MI

POTTER, DANIEL

LAS VEGAS, NV

PRATT, ERNEST

NOKOMIS, FL

CWO3

ATC

ITC

GM1

LCDR

LCDR

FSCS

CWO3

BMCS

CWO3

BMC

RET. 11-01-1981

TAPS 02-05-2025

RET. 06-01-1976

TAPS 12-07-2024

RET. 05-01-2015

TAPS 12-21-2024

RET. 06-01-1997

TAPS 01-11-2025

RET. 03-01-1993

TAPS 12-02-2024

RET. 07-01-1980

TAPS 10-01-2024

RET. 07-01-1976

TAPS 11-01-2024

RET. 10-01-1975

TAPS 10-24-2024

RET. 08-01-1981

TAPS 01-08-2025

RET. 06-01-1990

TAPS 12-18-2024

RET. 10-01-2005

TAPS 11-01-2024

RICHTER, LAUREN

GREENVILLE, SC

ROBBIO, DAVID

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ

ROSA, RAMON

JACKSONVILLE, FL

ROWNEY, WAYNE

BRANSON, MO

ROY, BRUCE

SCOTTSDALE, AZ

RUTAN, ROBERT

WILLIAMSBURG, VA

SANBORN, ROBERT

LEESBURG, FL

SANSONE, WILLIAM

MILLERSVILLE, MD

SCARBOROUGH, LARRY

MANTEO, NC

SEAGRAVE, RICHARD

PORT ORFORD, OR

SHADIX, NEAL

FORT WALTON BEACH, FL

QMCS

ELC4

MK1

FS1

ADCM

MKC

BMCM

F&S4

LCDR

ET1

CWO3

RET. 09-07-1995

TAPS 02-01-2025

RET. 06-01-2012

TAPS 01-13-2025

RET. 05-01-1976

TAPS 12-04-2024

RET. 12-01-2011

TAPS 01-09-2025

RET. 10-01-1977

TAPS 12-07-2024

RET. 12-01-2005

TAPS 02-08-2025

RET. 12-01-1975

TAPS 01-15-2025

RET. 07-01-1994

TAPS 11-09-2024

RET. 07-01-1974

TAPS 10-30-2024

RET. 02-01-1991

TAPS 11-13-2024

RET. 03-15-1980

TAPS 12-21-2024



73

TAPS

SHAW, RICHARD

GAINESVILLE, GA

CAPT

RET. 10-28-2000

TAPS 11-27-2024

VILLARREAL, RICARDO

CORPUS CHRIST, TX

PS1

RET. 04-07-2001

TAPS 01-23-2025

SHUTTERS, THOMAS

SEMINOLE, FL

CWO3

RET. 04-01-1976

TAPS 10-07-2024

VONNOH, BRIAN

PONTE VEDRA, FL

BMC

RET. 07-01-2017

TAPS 11-14-2024

SIMMONS, DANA

ST GEORGE, ME

MK1

RET. 06-25-1996

TAPS 10-24-2024

VOSLER, WILLIAM

PUYALLUP, WA

FS1

RET. 11-17-1986

TAPS 12-31-2024

SMITH, JOHN

PANAMA CITY BCH, FL

BMCS

RET. 06-01-1974

TAPS 12-31-2024

WARREN, BILLY

MC KINNVILLE, OR

CDR

RET. 12-01-1982

TAPS 11-25-2024

SMITH, LARRY

ST GEORGE, ME

MKCS

RET. 05-01-1977

TAPS 10-20-2024

WATKINS, STEPHEN

MURRIETA, CA

IV1

RET. 09-09-2001

TAPS 12-08-2024

SMITH, SAMUEL

ROCKLEDGE, FL

ETCM

RET. 07-01-2002

TAPS 02-07-2025

WATSON, HAROLD

POINT MARION, PA

CDR

RET. 07-29-2006

TAPS 12-17-2024

SNIFFEN, ROBERT

DURHAM, NC

CAPT

RET. 07-14-2003

TAPS 10-11-2024

WAWRZYNSKI, CHESTER

GLENDALE, AZ

LCDR

RET. 12-01-1974

TAPS 12-29-2024

SPRINGER, KENNETH

SUFFOLK, VA

FS1

RET. 08-01-2011

TAPS 10-26-2024

WEGRYN, LOUIS

FORKED RIVER, NJ

BMC

RET. 11-28-2002

TAPS 10-25-2024

STARKEY, GERALD

FORT PAYNE, AL

HSCS

RET. 01-01-1991

TAPS 12-11-2024

WEHAUSEN, JOHN

GERMANTOWN, WI

PSCS

RET. 12-19-1988

TAPS 01-10-2025


STOUT, JAMES

HADDON TWNSHP, NJ

SYLVIA, RONALD

BURLESON, TX

TAUB, DONALD

HUNTINGTON BC, CA

TAYLOR, EDWARD

PITTSBURG, PA

TELFAIR, JEROME

ST AUGUSTINE, FL

THORNTON, JIMMY

COLUMBIA, LA

TREVINO, EDMUND

HOUSTON, TX

TROTMAN, PAUL

ROCKY POINT, NC

VANCE, ROGER

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

VANHOUCK, FRANCIS

MARCHFIELD, MO

VARGAS, DAVID

WINDSOR, WI

LCDR

ENG4

CAPT

CDR

PS1

GM2

PS1

SK2

CAPT

BM1

EMCS

RET. 07-28-2007

TAPS 11-15-2024

RET. 11-30-1999

TAPS 12-10-2024

RET. 10-30-1982

TAPS 10-11-2024

RET. 07-21-1989

TAPS 10-23-2024

RET. 06-27-2005

TAPS 10-27-2024

RET. 03-15-1976

TAPS 10-01-2024

RET. 03-06-2007

TAPS 10-03-2024

RET. 12-10-2014

TAPS 11-01-2024

RET. 06-18-1992

TAPS 12-08-2024

RET. 01-09-1999

TAPS 12-20-2024

RET. 03-01-1999

TAPS 12-31-2024

WENDELKEN, KARL

MURRELLS INLET, SC

WHEELER, JULIUS

EDMONDS, WA

WILKERSON, KEVIN

LAUREL, MT

WILLS, PATRICK

CORVALLIS, OR

WINES, PAUL

KEAAU, HI

WOLFE, PHILIP

SANFORD, NC

WULLENJOHN, CHARLES

PASO ROBLES, CA

WYGANT, MARTIN

HOUSTON, TX

YECKLEY, DOUGLAS

LUSBY, MD

YOUNG, ROBERT

JACKSONVILLE, FL

BM2

MKCM

YN1

CWO3

CWO4

F&S4

PAC

YNC

PSCS

CWO3

RET. 10-25-1993

TAPS 12-19-2024

RET. 12-28-1978

TAPS 12-18-2024

RET. 09-01-2010

TAPS 12-22-2024

RET. 08-01-1989

TAPS 12-27-2024

RET. 08-01-1976

TAPS 11-01-2024

RET. 02-01-2000

TAPS 01-01-2025

RET. 01-09-2012

TAPS 01-17-2025

RET. 10-01-2023

TAPS 02-13-2025

RET. 04-01-1997

TAPS 11-26-2024

RET. 10-01-1985

TAPS 11-07-2024

74 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

TAPS

USPHS

BARONE, GREGORY

MILFORD, DE

BEGAY, KAREN

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

BELCHER, HENRY

ESTERO, FL

CHILDS, NORMAN

CARY, NC

COLLINS, JAMES

ROCKVILLE, MD

COWAN, KENNETH

OMAHA, NE

DURAND, PAUL

ARLINGTON, VA

EVANS, CLIFFORD

ELDERSBURG, MD

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CDR

CAPT

LCDR

CAPT

RET. 08-01-1980

TAPS 01-04-2025

RET. 04-01-2011

TAPS 02-07-2025

RET. 10-01-1973

TAPS 01-11-2025

RET. 07-01-1995

TAPS 12-16-2024

RET. 07-01-1980

TAPS 12-27-2024

RET. 09-01-1999

TAPS 12-15-2024

RET. 10-01-2005

TAPS 02-24-2025

RET. 10-01-2008

TAPS 11-19-2024

FAIRBANKS, LELAND

TEMPE, AZ

FELSEN, JAMES

GREAT CACAPON, WV

GENZLINGER, LOWELL

BOULDER, CO

GIVAN, MAY

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC

HANDELSMAN, HARRY

CHEVY CHASE, MD

HOMER, BYRON

GANADO, AZ

HOWELL, LEONARD

SEAL BEACH, CA

JACKSON, LEE

TUCSON, AZ

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CDR

CDR

CAPT

RET. 01-01-1988

TAPS 01-21-2025

RET. 07-01-1997

TAPS 11-26-2024

RET. 11-01-1989

TAPS 10-18-2024

RET. 09-01-1997

TAPS 01-12-2025

RET. 01-01-2003

TAPS 11-03-2024

RET. 11-01-2005

TAPS 01-23-2025

RET. 07-01-2013

TAPS 11-23-2024

RET. 04-01-2020

TAPS 10-16-2024



75

TAPS

JARGOWSKY, ROBERT

PUEBLO, CO

CDR

RET. 04-01-1988

TAPS 01-19-2025

POWELL, DOUGLAS

GAITHERSBURG, MD

CAPT

RET. 03-01-2008

TAPS 01-07-2025

KEAST, THOMAS

ST IGNATIUS, MT

CAPT

RET. 10-01-1992

TAPS 12-30-2024

ROWLAND, BARBARA

CHAPEL HILL, NC

CDR

RET. 03-01-2003

TAPS 01-18-2025

KRICK, ROBERT

SHERIDAN, WY

CDR

RET. 08-01-2014

TAPS 01-04-2025

SHERINS, RICHARD

POTOMAC, MD

CAPT

RET. 11-01-1988

TAPS 11-02-2024

LAMPERT, MARSHA

ROCKVILLE, MD

CAPT

RET. 10-01-1990

TAPS 11-14-2024

SHOPE, THOMAS

BLAIRSVILLE, GA

CAPT

RET. 02-01-2005

TAPS 01-10-2025

LINDSAY, J ROBERT

ESCONDIDO, CA

CAPT

RET. 07-01-1976

TAPS 01-21-2025

SLOAN, HUGH

AURORA, CO

RADM

RET. 01-01-2003

TAPS 01-04-2025

MANN, ERIC

SAINT MICHAELS, MD

CAPT

RET. 09-01-2019

TAPS 11-20-2024

STIDMON, DARRELL

SISTERS, OR

CDR

RET. 10-01-1995

TAPS 12-27-2024

MATTSON, CHRISTINE

SHOW LOW, AZ

CDR

RET. 06-01-2016

TAPS 09-29-2024

TODD, JOHN

MURFREESBORO, TN

RADM

RET. 07-01-1986

TAPS 02-06-2025

MEYER, MICHAEL

KETTERING, OH

LCDR

RET. 10-01-1992

TAPS 10-27-2024

TYLER, CARL

RESTON, VA

CAPT

RET. 05-01-1997

TAPS 11-02-2024

MOORE, ERVIN

NEW YORK, NY

CAPT

RET. 07-01-1998

TAPS 12-15-2024

VARNER, RICHARD

JACKSONVILLE, FL

CAPT

RET. 11-01-1981

TAPS 12-28-2024


MOORE, HENRY

POTOMAC, MD

NAMIAN, ESTHER

BALTIMORE, MD

POLCARI, A R

ROCKVILLE, MD

NOAA

COLLINS, JAMES

ROCKVILLE, MD

CAPT

CAPT

CAPT

CDR

RET. 04-01-2001

TAPS 02-12-2025

RET. 11-01-1980

TAPS 12-29-2024

RET. 10-01-1990

TAPS 12-18-2024

RET. 07-1-1980

TAPS 12-27-2024

WAGNER, WILLIAM

LESSBURG, FL

WELTY, THOMAS

MCCALL, ID

CAPT

CAPT

RET. 09-01-1989

TAPS 01-04-2025

RET. 01-01-1997

TAPS 11-14-2024

76 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

DEPENDENT TAPS

TAPS

ROBERTA A. FYFFE

LEWISTON, IL

WIFE OF YN1 JOSPEH A. FYFFE, USCG (RET)

01-22-2025

LINDA WADE

CHARLESTON, SC

WIFE OF SK1 ROBERT WADE, USCGR (RET)

02-21-1995

ELIZABETH A. COADY, PhD

KIRKLAND, WA

WIFE OF CAPT PHILIP P. COADY, USCG (RET)

12-02-2024

MARILEE C. TODD

MURFREESBORO, TN

WIFE OF THE LATE RADM JOHN G. TODD, USPHS (RET)

12-20-2024

JUNE C. GORHAM

XENIA, OH

WIFE OF THE LATE CAPT J. R. GORHAM, USPHS (RET)

12-21-2024

LINDA BINNS

YUMA, AZ

WIFE OF WEPS4 STANLEY BINNS, USCG (RET)

01-20-2025

MARLENE OLSON

MADISON, WI

WIFE OF THE LATE CAPT JOHN OLSON, USCG (RET)

10-01-2024

FRANCES R. ARMSTRONG

SALUDA, SC

SUSAN YARROW

ROCKVILLE, MD

PATTY SAUNDERS

APPLETON, WI

HELEN “FAY” SEAMAN

FAYETTEVILLE, NC

SHARON A. TYSON

SPIRIT LAKE, IA

CHERYL L. BRANDON

COLLIERVILLE, TN

BETTY JOANN THOMAS

PORTSMOUTH, VA

SHIRLEY ANN DENNY MEEKS

SOUTH BOSTON, VA

EVELYN “MERT” KRAUSE

TITUSVILLE, FL

WIFE OF CWO4 RONALD H. ARMSTRONG, USCG (RET)

WIFE OF THE LATE CAPT SHEPPARD YARROW, USPHS (RET)

WIFE OF MK1 TOM SAUNDERS, USCG (RET)

WIFE OF THE LATE CAPT GEORGE T. SEAMAN, USCG (RET)

WIFE OF OSC TYRONE R. TYSON, USCG (RET)

WIFE OF AD1 ZACHARY W. BRANDON, USCG (RET)

WIFE OF HMCS RICHARD “DICK” THOMAS, USCG (RET)

WIFE OF LCDR ROBERT R. MEEKS, USCG (RET)

WIFE OF AVI3 JOHN KRAUSE, USCG (RET)

02-11-2025

02-23-2025

12-27-2024

11-18-2024

01-21-2025

12-31-2024

01-12-2025

01-19-2025

02-02-2025



77

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION CHAPLAIN'S CORNER

TOTAL FITNESS:

STRENGTHENING MIND,

BODY, AND SPIRIT

As winter loosens its grip and spring ushers

in renewal, we are reminded that growth

is not just for the world around us—it is a

call for us as well. Seasons change, and so

must we. Strengthening the mind, body, and spirit

isn’t just about preparing for the mission; it’s about

sustaining a lifestyle of resilience. True readiness

requires total fitness—a holistic approach to

mental clarity, physical strength, and spiritual

grounding.

Mind: The Power of Mental Resilience

In high-stakes environments, a sharp mind is a

lifeline. Mental resilience isn’t about avoiding

stress but learning to navigate it with clarity and

composure. The MEDSS framework (Mindfulness,

Exercise, Diet, Sleep, and Socializing) helps

sharpen focus and build emotional stability.

Mindfulness strengthens awareness and focus,

whether through reflection, prayer, or meditation.

Exercise enhances cognitive function and reduces

stress, reinforcing both mental and physical

endurance. A well-balanced diet fuels the brain as

much as the body, ensuring sustained energy and

performance. Sleep is not a luxury but a necessity,

recharging the mind for better decision-making.

Socializing fosters meaningful relationships that

offer encouragement, accountability, and support.

Just as we maintain our gear to prevent

breakdowns, we must care for our minds—

recognizing stress, seeking support, and

investing in habits that sustain mental wellness.

True strength is not in avoiding struggles but in

confronting them with wisdom, discipline, and

support.

78 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

Body: Strength for the Mission

Physical readiness is non-negotiable. The body

is the engine that drives the mission, and peak

performance requires deliberate discipline.

Exercise builds endurance and strength,

preparing us for the unpredictable challenges

ahead. Proper nutrition fuels performance,

ensuring we have the energy to sustain long

hours and high demands. Rest and recovery allow

the body to rebuild and strengthen, preventing

burnout and injury.

Spring offers a natural reset—a chance to move

more, eat better, and prioritize recovery. A strong

body doesn’t just support the mission; it enhances

every aspect of life.

Spirit: The Anchor of Strength

When the seas of life grow rough, it is the spirit

that keeps us steady. Spiritual fitness is not just

about belief—it’s about meaning, resilience, and

inner peace. Finding purpose aligns our actions

with something greater than ourselves. Resilience

comes from deeply held convictions that sustain

us in adversity. Inner peace is cultivated through

gratitude, reflection, and connection to faith,

values, or service.

A strong spirit isn’t just for the hard days—it’s

the foundation for a life well-lived, a mission wellserved,

and a journey well-led.

A Call to Holistic Readiness

Total fitness is about more than mission

readiness—it’s about being life-ready. By

committing to MEDSS, we strengthen our mind,

body, and spirit, ensuring we are fit not just for

the next challenge but for the long haul. The Long

Blue Line of our Coast Guard family is strongest

when each member is mentally sharp, physically

prepared, and spiritually anchored—ready to

serve with honor, respect, and devotion to duty.

Chaplain

Abraham B. Jiregna

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION CHAPLAIN'S CORNER


79

COILLER TROPHY

THE COLLIER TROPHY

Submitted By

CAPT George Krietemeyer, USCG (Ret.)

georgekriet@gmail.com

The Robert J. Collier Trophy is awarded annually “for the

greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in

America, with respect to improving the performance,

efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value

of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use

during the preceding year.” The trophy is on permanent

display at the U. S. National Air and Space Museum in

Washington, DC.

In 1910, as President of the Aero Club of America,

National Chapter (now the NAA), Robert Collier

commissioned the trophy to encourage the

American aviation community to strive for

excellence and achievement in aeronautic

development.


President Harry S. Truman presented

the trophy, on December 17, 1951. The

ceremony took place at the White House,

and the trophy was presented jointly to the

helicopter industry, the military services and the

U. S. Coast Guard, for "their respective parts in

the development and use of Rotary Wing aircraft.”

Dr. Igor Sikorsky, Secretary of Defense Robert

Lovett, and VADM Merlin O-Neil, USCG

Commandant, accepted the trophy. They

all spoke highly of the pioneering work of

Capt. Frank Erickson USCG and his team

of exceptional pilots and mechanics

at CGAS Brooklyn, NY, and CGAS

Elizabeth City, NC.

https://naa.aero/awards/awardstrophies/collier-trophy/

80 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

COAST GUARD SPOUSES’ CLUBS

Christine.M.Degraw@uscg.mil

Coast Guard spouses clubs are an important part

of the Coast Guard life. They provide an avenue for

spouses and family members to connect with other

Coast Guard family members. Spouses’ clubs

are private associations that are closely affiliated

with the command. A club may be comprised

of family members, Coast Guard members, and

civilians associated with the command and its

personnel. Many clubs provide help to community

members and those in our CG family who are

in need. Each member brings their own unique

talents to the club and each talent, whether it be

creativity, organization, technology, hosting, writing,

networking etc., makes the club function, thrive and

successful.

Spouses’ clubs have four main goals: provide a

support system, create fellowship opportunities,

offer community service, and furnish educational

information. All clubs seek to improve the quality

of life of their members, while promoting the feeling

of belonging to the Coast Guard community. Some

common activities of spouses’ clubs include

assisting/educating incoming new members and

families, assisting with children’s and/or morale

events, charitable fundraising, and other social

events.

Membership varies for each spouses’ club; the

bylaws of the spouses’ club’s defines the different

levels of membership.

Typically, membership includes:

• Regular membership that may include spouses

of active duty, retired, and reserve Coast Guard

members, widows or widowers of Coast Guard

members, and members of the Coast Guard

active or retired.

• Associate membership that may include any

other person interested in the purpose of the

club and will have the right to attend meetings,

vote and hold a committee position, but not be

eligible for to hold appointive office or elective

position.

• Honorary members that may include the

spouses of senior leadership at the command/

unit.

Contact your local ombudsman at https://www.

ombudsmanpfmpregistry.org/homepage for a

spouses’ club POC or to see if there is a club in your

area. See additional information at: Spouses' Clubs

Program | Office of Work-Life Programs (CG-111)

DO YOU HAVE THE USCG Work-Life APP?

Have you downloaded the USCG Work-Life mobile

app? This application contains information about

many quality-of-life resources available for Coast

Guard personnel, family members, and retirees.

The mobile app includes information on work-life

programs, medical services, chaplain services,

housing, legal assistance, and morale, well-being,

and recreation (MWR) services. Search USCG

Work-Life in your app store.

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION SPOUSE'S CLUB


81

USCG - DESERT SHIELD/STORM

USCG - PSU-301(A) - 35TH

ANNIVERSARY OF SERVICE

DURING PERSIAN GULF WAR:

“DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM”

SEPTEMBER 24, 1990 - APRIL 1991

By James Cudney, Former PS1, USCGR, PSU-301(A)


This article is an abbreviated summary of a presentation that was compiled from input

by PSU 301(A) members. The entire presentation can be viewed on the U.S. Coast

Guard Historian's Office Website at: https://www.history.uscg.mil/library/ contained

under the heading “Our Collections, Digital Library”, in the section titled Desert Shield/

Desert Storm.

BACKGROUND AND OVERVIEW OF PSU-301(A) - AUG. 1990

- SEPT. 23, 1990

PSU-301(A) Unit personnel received last minute

training orders to report to Camp Perry, Ohio

on August 19, 1990, for advanced Chemical,

Biological, and Radiological (CBR) Defense

Training and the issuance of equipment to

prepare for a potential deployment to the Middle

East, which came one month later on September

18,1990.

PSU-301(A) ARRIVAL - AL-JUBAYL, SAUDI ARABIA - SEPT.

24, 1990

During the Gulf War, Al-Jubayl was the northern

most port in Saudi Arabia on the Persian Gulf side,

for receiving and unloading ships, approximately

150 miles south of the Iraqi occupying forces.

Along with the ports of Ad-Dammam and Bahrain,

it was vitally important that all three of these ports

remained operational during the first phase,

“Operation Desert Shield” buildup.

OCT 1990 THROUGH JANUARY 1991 - DESERT SHIELD

OPERATIONS ACCELERATED AND INTENSIFIED

PSU-301(A) personnel conducted recurring

waterside patrols of the inner harbor focusing

on the protection of critical assets, such as the

essential Al-Jubayl Desalination Plant, in addition

to ensuring safety and security zones were

monitored along with performing security escort

duties for merchant and military ships.

DESERT STORM BEGINS WITH “OPERATION INSTANT

THUNDER” - JAN. 17, 1991 - FEB. 24, 1991

We were all very relieved when the U.S Led

Coalition air strikes” Operation Instant Thunder”

started on January 17, 1991, but with the Iraqi

response, we quickly became accustomed to

the air raid sirens blasting a warning of incoming

82 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

IRAQI LOCATIONS

THAT INTIATED "SCUD"

MISSILE ATTACKS

“SCUD” missiles on a regular basis, and usually,

unfortunately, in the middle of the night. To say the

least, for those who were off duty, it wasn't great

waking up in the middle of the night, from a deep

sleep, air raid siren wailing, “Gas, Gas, Gas” and

donning gas masks and MOPP suits and rushing

to General Quarters assignment. In the middle of

February, one of these “SCUD” missiles impacted

approximately 2,000 meters from the PSU-301(A)

camp, 150 meters from the commercial pier at Al-

Jubayl, narrowly missing a U.S. Navy Warship at

its berth and the ammunition-laden pier.

The Iraqis continued their onslaught of destruction

from mid-January through the end of February

1991, releasing crude oil into the Persian Gulf,

setting fire to over 600 oil wells in Kuwait as part

of a wicked, reprehensible “scorched earth” tactic,

and deployed numerous free floating waterborne

mines throughout the Persian Gulf, two of which

damaged two U.S. naval ships on February

18,1991.

GROUND WAR INITIATED – “OPERATION DESERT SABRE”

FEB. 24, 1991

The Desert Storm operation proceeded with

an overwhelming superiority of the U.S led

multinational forces with numerous offensive

campaigns at multiple locations throughout Kuwait

and Iraq. The coalition's advance was much swifter

than had been anticipated and on February 26,

1991, Iraqi troops began retreating from Kuwait

and savagely continued to set more oil wells on

fire as they withdrew. Realizing his forces were

being decimated, Iraq President Saddam Hussein

announced on February 26, 1991, that Iraq would

completely withdraw from Kuwait on the same day.

KUWAIT LIBERATED! - END OF WAR ANNOUNCED - FEB.

28, 1991

We were all extremely surprised and euphoric

when, 100 hours after the ground campaign

started, President Bush declared a ceasefire on

February 28, 1991, additionally announcing that

Kuwait was liberated. Later, through multiple

historical accounts of the Gulf War, many highranking

military personnel and government

leaders, had expected a much longer ground war,

potentially up to four to six months, and were all

equally surprised how quickly the U.S and coalition

forces were able to liberate Kuwait.

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION USCG - DESERT SHIELD/STORM


83


CG RUGBY

COAST

GUARD

RUGBY

PROGRAM UPDATES

84 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

The winter season is a slow season in terms

of rugby activity, but we have a few updates.

First, we want to let everyone know where they

can support the teams in the upcoming year

especially when and where the Armed Forces

Rugby Championships will be held. Taking in

one, or all, of these events would be part of an

unforgettable summer. We also have some news

about some Coast Guard Ruggers who have been

recognized for their performances this last season

and throughout their rugby careers to date.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Check the dates and locations below to see if they

fit in a fun filled summer with a great opportunity

to support the Coast Guard Rugby teams as they

compete against the other Armed Forces teams.

2025 Armed Forces Men’s Rugby

Championships

August 22-24, 2025, Glendale, Colorado

2025 Armed Forces Women’s Rugby

Championships

September 05-07, 2025, San Diego, California

Coast Guard Academy Rugby Anniversary

Celebrations

50th Men’s Anniversary & 25th Women’s

Anniversary

September 18-21, 2025, New London,

Connecticut

(Homecoming Weekend at the Coast Guard

Academy)

OTHER RUGBY UPDATES/NOTES

LTJG Ari Jurkowski (CGA Class of '22) has been

selected to play for the Bay Breakers of the

newly established Women’s Elite Rugby League

(WER). The WER is the United States’ first semiprofessional

women’s rugby league and is made

up of the Bay Breakers and 5 other teams across

the country. Only the best rugby players in the

country are selected /invited to participate in the

WER. Congratulations to LTJG Jurkowski.

In January after a busy fall season and welldeserved

time off for the holidays, several

Coast Guard ruggers were getting restless and

needed to get back to the pitch. Coach Sarah

Price (CGA Women’s Rugby Team) and several

Coast Guard Academy cadets were recognized

for their outstanding performances during the fall

season as they were selected to participate in the

North Atlantic Collegiate Rugby (NACR) All-Star

Weekend. Congratulations to all participants for a

great season!

NACR Women’s All Stars –

1/c Avis Akers

2/c Kaitlyn Boggs

1/c Amanda Konieczny

NACR Women’s Rising Stars –

1/c RaileyAnn Westervelt

2/c Savannah McBrayer

NACR Men’s All Star –

1/c John O’Melveny

We need your help to provide support for our

young Coast Guard ruggers as they continue to

represent the service and compete for the Armed

Forces Rugby Championship. To support the

teams, visit the Coast Guard Rugby Foundation

website for information for how to donate to the

teams or get involved in their other support efforts.

www.cgrugbyfoundation.org

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION CG RUGBY


85

WORK-LIFE

TRANSITION

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Coast Guard Active-Duty and Reserve members and their spouses

transitioning back to civilian life and Retirees and/or caregivers

are highly encouraged to check-out and take full advantage of the

TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM at: https://tapevents.mil/

Every year, approximately 200,000 men and women leave U.S. military service and return to life as

civilians, a process known as the military to civilian transition. The Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

provides information, tools, and training to ensure Service members, their spouses and/or caregivers

are prepared for the next step in civilian life.

The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is the result of an interagency partnership between the

Departments of Defense (DoD), Labor (DOL), Veterans Affairs (VA), Education (ED), Homeland

Security (DHS), Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM),

in conjunction with the Military Departments who execute TAP.

The TAP curriculum is an outcome-based curriculum that transforms the way the military prepares

Service members for transition back to civilian life. The curriculum is designed to provide service

members with the resources, tools, services, and skill-building training needed to meet Career

Readiness Standards (CRS). Shortly before departing the military, Service members demonstrate

achievement of these standards to their command through a verification process called Capstone. This

process includes an opportunity to connect Service members who may need additional assistance

to agency partners who provide them with additional support.


Military to civilian transition occurs within a complex and dynamic network of relationships, programs,

services, and benefits, which includes transition planning and assistance efforts by individual Service

branches, the interagency TAP partnership, and community resources delivered through local

government, private industry, and nonprofit organizations.

86 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

NEW IDENTIFICATION CONFIRMATION

PROCESS AT PPC

A change has been made to the process

of confirming the identity of an RAS

customer when reaching out to PPC/RAS

for assistance.

Background: Not long ago, due to several

identity theft attempts, PPC put into place the

requirement for a photo ID being provided

along with a customer’s request in order to

perform a Direct Access (DA) Self-Service

transaction on the member’s behalf. That

process brought with it concerns that personally

identifi able information (PII) could be leaked

during transmission through an unprotected

network. Consequently, the requirement to

provide a photo ID has been removed, and

a new procedure for email requests has been

established.

New process: Customers wanting to have PPC

make changes to their DA accounts will be

sent a template to complete, along with some

rotating security questions. (To save a step,

a blank template can be found at PPC-DG-

CustomerCare@uscg.mil, as well as at the

Customer Care website: https://www.dcms.

uscg.mil/ppc/ccb/)

There is no change for those calling in. When

customers call into the Customer Care Branch

(CCB) on 866-877-8724, they will be asked a

series of security questions to confi rm their

identify. If the transaction is something that

can be performed by the caller through DA

Self-Service, they will continue to either be

encouraged to use DA Self-Service or a help

ticket will be created for them by the CCB staff.

As has been the standard practice, security

questions will still need to be answered

correctly in order for further action/assistance

to be provided from CCB staff.


PPC-RAS


87

88 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

IT’S TIME TO VERIFY YOUR

BENEFICIARY DESIGNATIONS

It is important that PPC/RAS has your most accurate and up-to-date information on file in Direct

Access because your beneficiary designations generally determine who receives funds after your

death. Please always review and update your beneficiary designations whenever you experience a

major life event, such as a birth, marriage, divorce, or death in the family.

Unfortunately, there have been some recent cases when, because of a divorce and remarriage

that we didn’t know about, PPC/RAS had to pay the person (for example, a former spouse) who

was listed in the deceased retiree’s DA account, rather than the preferred beneficiary. Please

ensure your account is up-to-date and actually reflects your current wishes.

The easiest way to view or update your beneficiary designations is to follow these steps:

1. Log on to your DA Self-Service account at https://hcm.direct-access.us/

2. Select the “Self Service” tab.

3. Find “View My Final Pay Beneficiary” and follow the steps.

If you encounter problems, please call us at (866) 772-8724 or e-mail us at:

PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil

Here’s How…

COAST GUARD RETIRED RESERVE MEMBERS IN

RET-2 STATUS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO

SET-UP, ACCESS, UPDATE YOUR CG DIRECT ACCESS

(DA) SELF-SERVICE ACCOUNT

1. Access PPC website at: https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/gp/

2. Click on and sign in at https://hcm.direct-access.uscg.mil/

3. You’ll be prompted to enter your User ID, which is your Employee ID (EMPLID), and your

Password.

4. If you’ve already set up your password and don’t recall it, press “Forgot My Password” and you’ll

be given a password hint and, if needed, prompted to have a new password sent to the e-mail

address you provided to set up your account. Once you log in, you’ll have to change it.

5. If you’ve don’t know your EMPID and/or haven’t already set up your account with a password,

you will need to contact PPC/Customer Care at: 866-772-8724.

!

It is Particularly Important to

KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATED IN DA

Allowing the Coast Guard to Keep You and Your Family

Informed on Matters of Importance

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION PPC-RAS


89


MORE ABOUT VA

COMPENSATION

Currently, over 36,000 of the 58,000 USCG, NOAA, USPHS retirees served by the Pay & Personnel

Center (PPC) Retiree and Annuitant Services (RAS) Branch are eligible to receive VA disability

payments. When the Veterans Administration approves a change in a retiree’s disability rating, the

servicing VA office sends the case to the respective branch of service for validation. PPC’s Retiree

and Annuitant Services (RAS) Branch receives between 2000-3000 cases every month from the VA.

These cases are processed manually by the RAS Branch in the order they are received. Since the

migration of DA to the cloud, turnaround times have increased due to system availability, file transfer

issues and manpower shortages. PPC is addressing this increase by applying more resources to the

team and verifying file transfer success with the VA each time data are transferred.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have gone to the VA for an appointment for any

reason (e.g., to modify your disability rating, etc.), please wait until the process is fully

completed and you have received any funds you may be due. THEN go back to the

VA for another reason/issue. If PPC/RAS is working on your case and the VA transfers

a new file to us during that time, the system requires us to stop the work and begin

it all over again to account for the new change. This starts the clock over again; your

case moves to the bottom of the queue to be worked, and currently, there can be

over 3000 cases in this queue.

90 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

HOW IT WORKS:

When a change to your VA disability account is received by PPC through an

Audit Error Worksheet (AEW), Pay Technicians validate and reconcile the new

pay (both retired pay and VA compensation), and calculate any back pay due

the member. When the work is performed and then reviewed/audited by RAS

staff members, it is then batched in an electronic format and transmitted to the

VA on the second and last Wednesday of each month.

At this point, the VA’s staff members must then review, validate, and reconcile the

work that was completed by RAS against the retiree data within the VA’s disability

pay system. Depending on the complexity of the case, it can take up to 90 days

for the VA to complete their review. Once that is done, the member can expect

to receive the retroactive payment that may be due



91


HOW TO REPORT

A DEATH

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/

Please report the passing of your loved one via e-mail to ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil or by

phone at 866-772-8724 (business hours are: Monday - Friday 7:30 (am) to 4:00 (pm) central time)

See VERY helpful quick reference at Survivor's Guide Trifold Brochure (10/2024): https://www.

dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/PPC/RAS/Survivor's%20Guide%20Trifold%20(Oct%202024).

pdf?ver=3XaunKBjym0IRIJpQYO37g%3d%3d, and on facing page.

REPORTING THE DEATH OF A RETIREE, ANNUITANT, or FORMER SPOUSE (who is receiving

pay) Please provide the following information when reporting the death of a retiree, annuitant, or

former spouse (who is receiving pay)

Deceased Persons Information:

1. Employee ID number or /SSN:

2. Full Name:

3. Date of Death:

4. Type of death: (Natural Causes or Homicide)

5. Location of Death (City & State)

6. Type of Burial (Buried/Cremated/Sea Burial)

7. Location of burial (City & State)

Reporting Person Information:

1. Name:

2. Relationship to deceased:

3. Phone:

4. E-mail:

5. Mailing Address:

Once you have the Death Certificate please email it to ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil.

REPORTING THE DEATH OF A DEPENDENT (SPOUSE, PARENT, INSURABLE INTEREST or

CHILD who is not receiving pay)

Please provide the following information when reporting the death of a dependent:

1. Death Certificate (Dependent deaths cannot be processed without the death certificate)

2. DD Form 2656-6, Survivor Benefit Plan Election Change Certificate, (if the person is on your

Survivor Benefit Plan)

3. CG Form 3600, Designation of Beneficiary for Payment of Unpaid Retired Pay, (if the person

is listed as a Final Pay Beneficiary)

PPC RAS will contact you to confirm receipt of your report and/or supporting documents. This

information will be given to the pay team who processes the passing of your loved one. We generally

process these requests within 30 days of receipt, however incomplete or missing information or

supporting documents will delay the processing.

92 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE



93

OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES

USCG PAY & PERSONNEL CENTER

RETIREE AND ANNUITANT SERVICES (PPC-RAS)

4 WAYS TO TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR RETIRED

PAY ACCOUNT

With our improved tools, you can manage your account easily and when it is most

convenient for you.

WEBSITE

Site address: www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/

On the website you can:

• Get important updates

• Get information on accessing Direct Access (“DA”) Self-Service;

• View and download forms and packets

• Get answers to frequently-asked questions (FAQs)

Site address: https://hcm.direct-access.uscg.mil/

Helpful Guides are located at www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/gp/

You can do the following in DA Self-Service (with nearly immediate results):


SELF-SERVE

EMAIL

PHONE

POSTAL

MAIL

• View Payslip

• View/Print Year End Forms

• View/Change Phone Numbers

• View/Print 1099R

• View/Change Mailing & Email

Address

• Change EFT/Direct Deposit

1099Rs are mailed to your address in DA. Helpful information is also

sent via email.

Email us at: ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil

• Email us questions or requests. We track/respond to all.

• Submit forms (e. g. W-4 for Taxes). We track/respond to all.

• Avoid waiting for mailed documents to be delivered to us.

• Avoid having to call.

Call us at: 866-772-8724

• Change Delivery Options

• Change Voluntary Deductions

• View Final Pay Beneficiary

• Change Federal & State Tax

• Print Retired Pay Award Letter

• View Open Debts

If you do not have access to a computer or email, you can submit your

request through US Postal Mail. Our mailing address is:

Commanding Officer

US Coast Guard PPC (RAS)

444 SE Quincy St

Topeka KS 66683-3591

PPC-RAS can process most requests within one or two pay periods.

Remember! Incomplete forms or missing documents may result in a delay in processing your request.

94 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

COAST GUARD

LEGAL ASSISTANCE

Coast Guard legal assistance attorneys provide advice and counsel regarding personal legal issues to

thousands of service members, dependents and retirees each year at no cost. These issues may involve

family law, estate planning, consumer law, land-lord-tenant relations, immigration or many other topics.

Legal Assistance Program, CI 5801.4F: https://media.defense.gov/2017/Mar/15/2001716717/-1/-

1/0/CI_5801.4F.PDF

Legal Readiness Checklist: www.uscg.mil/Portals/0/Headquarters/Legal/la/Legal%20

Readiness%20Checklist.pdf

Personal Readiness Plan (Personal Identity & Vital Documents; Emergency Information & Powers

of Attorney; Healthcare & Medical Directives; Income, Savings and Investments, and Life Insurance;

Monthly Expenses, Debt, and Credit Reports; Primary Residence, Insurance & Household Services;

Vehicle Information, Insurance, Titles & Documentation; Taxes; Survivor Assistance & Benefits;

Estate Planning & Funeral Instructions): www.uscg.mil/Resources/Legal/LMA/Legal_Assistance/

Personal-Readiness-Plan/

Legal Assistance Attorneys: www.uscg.mil/Resources/Legal/LMA/Legal_Assistance/Find-A-

Legal-Assistance-Lawyer/

1st District Legal: 617-223-8500

7th District Legal: 305-415-6949








13 th PACIFIC AREA ATLANTIC AREA

11 th

17 th

14 th

9 th 1 st

5 th

7 th

8 th


U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES

95


CG NATIONAL RETIREE COUNCIL /

REGIONAL RETIREE COUNCILS & CO-CHAIRS

CGNRC CO-CHAIRS

CAPITAL AREA

CENTRAL GULF COAST

(MOBILE)

CHARLESTON

GREAT LAKES

RADM Meredith Austin

maustincgnrc@gmail.com

MCPOCG Jason Vanderhaden

jvanderhaden@gmail.com

David Bernstein

dberns01@gmail.com

John Milkiewicz

locke45@hotmail.com

Terry Gilbreath

tgilbreath@asdd.com

Charlie Womack

chwomack@gmail.com

Ray Bryant

basecharlestonrrc@gmail.com

Timothy Schneider

basecharlestonrrc@gmail.com

Lorne Thomas

lorne.w.thomas@uscg.mil

James Bach

uw_jimmy@yahoo.com

PENSACOLA, FL &

BALDWIN COUNTY, AL

SAN JUAN, PR

SECTOR OHIO VALLEY

SOUTHWEST

ST. LOUIS

Jeff Rosenberg

cg.rrc.pns@gmail.com

Jose Baltar

uscg.sj.rc@gmail.com

Carlos López

uscg.sj.rc@gmail.com

James Armstrong

james_armstrong@bellsouth.net

Joseph Leonard

jleonard83@aol.com

Eric Pugh

eric.pugh12@outlook.com

Keith Livingstone

bassbolt@yahoo.com

Becky Livingstone

rebalivingstone@att.net

EAST CENTRAL FL

Jim Reynolds

james.reynolds.cg@gmail.com

TAMPA BAY AREA

Don Goldstein

DGoldstein1@tampabay.rr.com

LeRoy Dennison

LeRoy@dennison.com


FIRST CG RETIREES

JACKSONVILLE

HAWAII

KODIAK

MIAMI

NEW ORLEANS

NORTH EAST

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

NORTHWEST

Mike Rosecrans

m.rosecrans@gmail.com

YNCM Bobby Wester

bwester2549@aol.com

Rod Schultz

rschultz369@gmail.com

Anthony Lim

hawaiiretiree.cc@gmail.com

Robert Lachowsky

roblachowsky@yahoo.com

John Whiddon

jbwhiddon52@gmail.com

David Cinalli

david.cinalli@yahoo.com

Marc Fagenbaum

cgrcmiamibeach@gmail.com

Currently Inactive

Kevin Brown

CGRetireeNorthEast@gmail.com

Thomas Hall

tadahall@msn.com

David Swanson

ddswanson@msn.com

RADM Bert Kinghorn

CoChairs@cgretirenw.org

Sean McPhilamy

seanmcphilamy@mac.com

YORKTOWN

Rick Gay

rgay@earthlink.net

David Bunch

dcbunch52@verizon.net

Recouncil@TCYYorktown.ucg.mil

You may start or stop mailing of The

Long Blue Line by:

• Contacting the National CG

Museum Association (NCGMA) at

860-443-4200 AND

• Accessing your DA Self-Service

account at: www.dcms.uscg.mil/

ppc/ras/gp/. Select “Change My

Delivery Options.” UNCHECK the

block labeled “I elect to receive

the Retiree Newsletter by mail.”

You may also contact CG PPC

Customer Care for assistance

by calling 866-772-8724 or by

sending an e-mail to ppc-dgcustomercare@uscg.milmail.

96 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

CG PAY & PERSONNEL CENTER, RETIREE &

ANNUITANT SERVICES (PPC-RAS), DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE &

OTHER IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS & WEBSITES

Directory Assistance and Other Important Phone Numbers & Websites are also accessible at:

dcms.uscg.mil/portals/10/cg-1/ppc/ras/rasdirectory.pdf

Changes to Your DA Account:

• Your retired or annuity payments

• Your retired/annuitant pay slip

• IRS Form 1099-R (reporting taxable income)

• You need to change your home

mailing address (for delivery of retired/

annuitant statement, newsletter, 1099-R,

correspondence)

• Your financial institution or account number

for your direct deposit

• Report a change to your designation of

beneficiary for payment of unpaid retired

pay (Note: use Form *CG PPC-3600

Designation of Beneficiary for Payment of

Unpaid Retired Pay)

For most transactions, you may always use

Direct Access Self-Service:

www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras

If you cannot use Direct Access Self-Service,

you may make the requests listed above by

e-mail, by phone, by fax, or mailing:

ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil

Telephone: (866) 772-8724

Fax: (785) 339-3770

Allotments, SBP Coverage and Beneficiary

Changes If you need to:

• Start, stop, or change an allotment (you

may use Form *CG PPC-7221 Retired

Allotment Authorization Form, fax in the

form or a written request, send us an e-mail

request).

• Report a change to your survivor benefit

plan (SBP) coverage (must be in writing)

• You may e-mail your request to ppc-dgcustomercare@uscg.mil

or mail to:

Commanding Officer (RAS)

USCG Pay & Personnel Center

444 SE Quincy St

Topeka, KS 66683-3591

or fax to (785) 339-3770

(*) Note: Forms are available from the PPC website at:

www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/pd/forms/ or directly from the IRS.

Income Tax Withholding Changes

If you need to:

• Start or change the amount of state tax

withholding (customers can e-mail/fax/

postal mail the *IRS Form W-4, or state form.

If using IRS form, indicate that the form is for

state income tax withholding, not federal,

which state it is for and the dollar amount

to be withheld, (minimum amount is $10.00,

no cents)). We cannot withhold state tax for

annuitants.

• Change your federal income tax withholding

(Customers use Form W-4)

• Change exemptions or additional withholding

Federal tax changes must be made by the

Customer (DA Self-Service) or in writing. Form

IRS W-4 must be provided to PPC (RAS) for

action and filing, Please e-mail to:

ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil

or mail to:

Commanding Officer (RAS)


444 SE Quincy St

Topeka, KS 66683-3591

(*) Note: Forms are available from the PPC website at: www.

dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/pd/forms/ or directly from the IRS.

Report of Death:

To report the death of a Coast Guard, NOAA

or PHS retiree/annuitant call:

Toll free: 1-866-772-8724

Or e-mail: ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.mil

Or www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras (web site)

Dependent TAPS:

To place a Dependent TAPS notice in The Retiree

Newsletter, please provide the dependent’s

name, relationship to retiree, date of passing,

and city/state to Robert Hinds at:

Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil

phone: 202-475-5451



97



MEDICARE PART B ENROLLMENT IS MANDATORY AT AGE 65

dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/retiree/docs/pdf/Turning_65_with_MEDICARE.

pdf?ver=2018-09-07-143218-930

When you turn 65, your medical benefits will change. MEDICARE will become your primary medical

coverage and TRICARE pays secondary to MEDICARE. You MUST enroll in MEDICARE PART

B to retain your TRICARE coverage. If you are within 90 days of your 65th birthday, you should

log on to www.ssa.gov or medicare.gov to enroll in MEDICARE PART B. Additional information is

accessible at: tricare.mil/Welcome/Eligibility/MedicareEligible.aspx?sc_database=web or by phone

at 866-773-0404. You may also call the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)

at 800-538-9552.

OTHER IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS AND WEBSITES

Medical/Dental Benefits/Phone/Websites/

Notes

Eligibility (DEERS)/ID Cards

1-800-538-9552

(TTY/TDD)

1-866-363-2883

www.tricare.mil/deers

In CA: 1-800-334-4162;

In AK & HI 1-800-527-5602

Mail-Order Pharmacy

1-877-363-1303

www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/

Prescriptions/Filling Prescriptions/TMOP

Federal Employee Dental & Vision Insurance

Program (FEDVIP—Retirees)

1-877-888-3337

https://www.benefeds.com/

TRICARE Overseas

1-888-777-8343

www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home/overview/

Regions/RegionsNonUS

TRICARE East Region Contractor

1-800-444-5445

TRICARE West Region Contractor

1-888-874-9378

www.tricare.mil/west

TRICARE For Life

1-866-773-0404

www.tricare.mil/tfl/default.cfm

www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents/Retiring

TRICARE Eligibility—Pharmacy

(Medicare info)

1-877-363-1303

www.tricare.mil/ CoveredServices/Pharmacy/

Eligibility.aspx

Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program

(FLTCIP)

NEW!

1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337)

www.LTCFEDS.com

CG Health Benefits Advisor

1-800-942-2422

Veterans Benefits

Phone/Websites/Notes

VA Resource Navigator

https://news.va.gov/130576/new-va-resourcenavigator-finding-va-resources/

Department of Veterans Affairs

1-800-827-1000

www.va.gov

Reporting the Death of a Veteran/Retiree to

the VA, 800-827-1000, Press #5, https://www.

va.gov/resources/how-to-report-the-death-ofa-veteran-to-va/

VA Office of Survivors Assistance

https://www.va.gov/survivors/

Insurance Information

1-800-669-8477

www.insurance.va.gov

Veteran’s Group Life Insurance

www.insurance.va.gov/sglisite/vgli/vgli.htm

New VGLI Applications and VGLI

Reinstatements:

OSGLI

PO Box 41618

Philadelphia, PA 19176-9913

1-800-419-1473

Overseas phone (continued on next page)

(973) 548-5699

Overseas fax#

(973) 548-5300

Death and accelerated benefits claims only:

Fax: 1-877-832-4943.

98 SPRING 2025

THE LONG BLUE LINE

All other fax inquiries:

1-800-236-6142

e-mail at: osgli.claims@prudential.com

All other inquiries: osgli.osgli@prudential.com

General Correspondence:

Office of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance

80 Livingston Avenue

Roseland, NJ 07068-1733

Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents

1-800-827-1000

www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book.asp

VA Pamphlet 80-02-1

Headstones and Markers

1-800-697-6947

www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book.asp

Former Spouse

CG PPC LEGAL

206-815-6626

785-339-3788 (Fax)

PPC-DG-LGL@uscg.mil

FSPA & SBP Informational Pamphlet

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/

PPC/Docs/Legal/Uniformed%20Services%20

Former%20Spouse%20Protection%20Act%20

(FSPA).pdf

Former Spouse ID Card and Medical

Information

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/

PPC/RAS/FormerSpouseDetermination4IDcards.

pdf?ver=a_wj5dB_

FMVcHvKGRPEkBw%3D%3D#:~:text=The%20

20%2D20%2D15%20rule,if%20they%20do%20

not%20remarry

Additional Important Number and Websites

Final Active Duty Pay

1-866-772-8724

Overseas

www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/separations/finalpay/

Commanding Officer (SEP)


444 SE Quincy St.

Topeka, KS 66683-3591

Contact PPC (SEP) for information on severance

pay, separation pay, disability severance pay,

LES’s, IRS Form W-2.

Social Security

1-800-772-1213

www.ssa.gov

Travel Claims

1-866-772-8724

www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/travel/

Send final travel claim to:

Commanding Officer (TVL)


444 SE Quincy St.

Topeka, KS 66683-3591

Service Records

(314) 801-0800

www.archives.gov/veterans/military-servicerecords

Write to:

National Personnel Records Center

Military Personnel Records

1 Archives Drive

St. Louis, MO 63138-1002

Veterans or next-of-kin of a deceased veteran

can access www.archives.gov/veterans/

military-service-records to make requests.

All others must write in and include complete

name, rank/grade, SSN, dates of service, and

date of birth of the veteran. DD-214s are also

available via the website

WWII U.S. Merchant Marine Awards and

Decorations

www.maritime.dot.gov/outreach/mariner-medals

Contact - Awards, Flags, Medals

Katrina McRae

Maritime Awards Officer

Office of Sealift Support

1200 NEW JERSEY AVE., SE

WASHINGTON, DC 20590

United States

Email: Katrina.mcrae@dot.gov

Phone: 202-366-3198

Fax: 202-366-2323

Business Hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm ET, M-F

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a

speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access

telecommunications relay services.

CG Social Media Sites

A list of Official CG Social Media Sites including

Facebook and Twitter is accessible at:

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/official-sites/

CG National Retiree Help Desk

Toll free 1-833-224-6743

email: NRHDesk@gmail.com

Do NOT send Personally Identifiable Information

(e.g. SSN, EMPID) to the CG National Retiree

Help Desk. Visit: https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/

retiree/nrhd-pii/



99

A

GREAT

GIFT FOR

NEW

RETIREES

The Long Blue Line (SPRING 2025)

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