The Long Blue Line (WINTER 2026)

WINTER 2026
WHY I GIVE:
A COAST
GUARDSMAN’S
JOURNEY
CHAINS,
FLAMES
& GAMES
HOLIDAY MENUS:
HISTORY
WORTH
SAVORING

WINTER 2026
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,
Theresa Mullin
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
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
6
8
10
16
28
38
46
54
60
66
74
82
84
86
87
95
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
National Retiree Council Co-Chairs
National Retiree Council Co-Chairs, Regional Retiree
Council Contacts
House of Wow!
Reunions, Notices & Items of Interest
Why I Give: MCPO Alan Haraf, USCGR (Ret.)
COVER STORY | Chains, Flames & Games
History to Savor: A look back at Coast Guard cutter holiday
menus from the 20s, 30s, and 40s
Portraits of Service: Meaningful stories from shipmates
Coast Guard Research and Development: A new chapter in
technology evaluation
Retirement Notices
TAPS Notices
Chaplain's Corner
It's Combat-Related Special Compensation: A benefit too
many retirees overlook
Transition Assistance Program
PPC-RAS
Other Important Retiree Resources
Find all of this content at longblueline.org
ON THE COVER:
• 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
Petty Officer 3rd Class Bobby Close
at www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/gp/ or by contacting CG PPC at 866-772-8724, e-mail: ppc-dg-customercare@uscg.
hammers a rivet pin during the Heatand-Beat
event at the Buoy Tender
860-443-4200 or info@coastguardmuseum.org
mil. For Long Blue Line mailing address updates, please contact the National Coast Guard Museum Association at
Roundup Olympics in Juneau,
Alaska. The Olympics is part of
• USCG/PHS/NOAA INPUT FOR LONG BLUE LINE: Submit input to Robert Hinds, Robert.C.Hinds@uscg.mil.
the annual weeklong Buoy Tender
Deadline for input for The Long Blue Line, Spring (APR) 2026, is 20 FEB 2026.
Roundup, where buoy tenders
and their crews from across the
Neither the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nor the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) endorse the National Coast
district gather for training to improve
Guard Museum Association, or any other non-federal entity. Further, neither DHS nor the USCG endorse or support the
operational effectiveness. (U.S.
products or services advertised in this newsletter, the organizations advertising in this newsletter, or the statements of
Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer
any non- U.S. Coast Guard contributors for this newsletter.
3rd Class Ashley Murphy)
2 WINTER 2026
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4 WINTER 2026
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!
ACTION
REQUIRED
NEWLY RETIRED
FROM THE
USCG?
If you’ve recently retired from the Coast Guard, you’ll automatically receive
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THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
5

NATIONAL RETIREE
COUNCIL CO-CHAIRS
RADM MERRIE AUSTIN, USCG (RET.):
Happy 2026! Every December 31, Father Time
is relieved by Baby New Year, who serves as a
symbol of hope, renewal, and possibility. The new
year is a reminder that yesterday’s setbacks do not
define tomorrow’s victories—they serve as lessons
we can learn and grow from. Each sunrise on the
fi rst of January feels like a blank slate, waiting
for us to fi ll it with dreams, to-do actions, and a
few goals for personal improvement, be it small,
like drinking more water, or grand, like hiking the
Appalachian Trail.
My New Year’s resolutions for this year include
doing less “doomscrolling” on my phone and work
on my practice of gratitude—listing two to three
things every day for which I am grateful. I’d like
to start by thanking Mr. Bob Hinds, the Retiree
Services Program Manager, who continues to go
way above and beyond to serve all of us, working
tirelessly to solve diffi cult problems on behalf of
retirees and annuitants, and demonstrating a
willingness to do whatever it takes to get to yes.
Thank you, Bob! I am grateful for MCPOCG Jason
Vanderhaden for being my co-chair of the council
and his enthusiastic support of the retiree and
annuitant community. Finally, I am grateful to all
of you—thank you for your years of service to our
nation!
As you consider your 2026 resolutions, I humbly
ask that you resolve to log onto your CG Direct
Access (DA) Self-Service account and check to
ensure your contact e-mail and phone numbers
are correct at https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/ras/
gp/. If you forgot or need to reset your password
or need other technical assistance, please
contact the C5ISC Service Center Support Desk
at (800) 821-7081 or e-mail SMB-USCG-KerWV-
ProductSupportSD@uscg.mil
If you’re looking for another resolution—one that
will help the Coast Guard reach their goal of 1,500
new members by 2028, I recommend you consider
wearing your Coast Guard shirts or hats and
speaking to the young people in your life about
your service. We all have a few good sea stories
that we can share from our time in service doing
great things.
Last, if you haven’t had a chance, I recommend
taking a look at the CG Military Personnel Estate
Planning & Final Affairs Handbook https://www.
dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/retiree/docs/
CGNRC/CG%20Estate%20Planning%20%20
Final%20Affairs%20Handbook_CG-1M%20
Approved_3(508%20compliant)_3.
pdf?ver=iKuz3wmwadwcPiFpSG5v9Q%3d%3d.
We recently had an unexpected death in our family
and discovered some items we thought were in
order were not, and the handbook came in handy
to make sure we didn’t forget anything during this
diffi cult time. We hope to get a print version of the
handbook out to all retirees and annuitants this
year.
I hope you all have the chance to enjoy the
season’s quiet beauty. Depending on where you
live, winter can be dreary, cold, and wet—or warm,
sunny, and surrounded by tourists. But wherever
you are, please take some time to pause, reflect,
recharge, and carpe diem!
Winter Haiku:
Snow days as a kid
Tin trash can lid used as sled
Semper Paratus!
6 WINTER 2026
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MCPOCG JASON VANDERHADEN, USCG (RET):
Happy New Year, Shipmates! I hope everyone
had a great holiday season. We survived a recordbreaking
government shutdown a few months ago,
and hopefully we won’t have to worry about that
again. Lengthy shutdowns are terribly inefficient and
put lots of work on hold. We are back to the races
to meet the goals of Force Design 2028, and that
includes the Retiree Council. Admiral Austin and I
will soon (perhaps already) brief the commandant
and MCPOCG on the business of the Retiree Council.
We all are grateful for the vision and hard work of
Admiral Austin and Bob Hinds in their advocacy for
retirees. We will publish the lines of effort for next year
so that all retirees can see what improvements we
are working on.
One of the priority work items is retiree communications.
We are working with the C5I service center team to
explore options that will enable quick dissemination
of information throughout the retiree community. In
Admiral Austin’s note, she asks us to wear our Coast
Guard gear and serve as ambassadors for the Coast
Guard. One of the ways I stay current on Coast Guard
events is setting up a Google news feed alert https://
www.google.com/alerts that sends articles about
the Coast Guard to my inbox each morning. You
can also subscribe to news releases directly through
the Coast Guard at https://public.govdelivery.
com/accounts/USDHSCG/subscriber/
new?topic_id=USDHSCG_365. When I talk
to folks about the Coast Guard, I’m able to
reference current events to build interest.
You might find that helpful.
Winter can be tough months for folks with
the added expenses of buying holiday gifts,
heating oil, and other cold weather expenses.
Also, many folks aren’t getting out as much during the
cold, dark days. Please think about checking on folks
who might need a little extra attention during this time
of year. If folks need help, remember Coast Guard
Mutual Assistance is there for the retiree community
at https://mycgma.org/programs/?cat_id=14.
You can also reach out to the Chief Petty Officers
Association through their website at https://www.
uscgcpoa.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1. I
look forward to sharing the results of our brief to the
commandant and MCPOCG in our next quarterly
update.
Semper Paratus!
Thoughts on retirement:
“Age is just a number, but
retirement is one of the
greatest gifts to mankind.”
—Unknown
MCPOCG Jason Vanderhaden, USCG (Ret.):
jvanderhaden@gmail.com
RADM Merrie Austin, USCG (Ret.):
maustincgnrc@gmail.com
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7

IMPORTANT RESOURCES
CG NATIONAL RETIREE COUNCIL /
REGIONAL RETIREE COUNCILS & CO-CHAIRS
CGNRC CO-CHAIRS
CAPITAL AREA
CENTRAL GULF
COAST/ATC (MOBILE)
RADM Meredith Austin
maustincgnrc@gmail.com
MCPOCG Jason Vanderhaden
jvanderhaden@gmail.com
David Bernstein
dberns01@gmail.com
John Milkiewicz
locke45@hotmail.com
Charlie Womack
chwomack@gmail.com
NORTHWEST
SAN JUAN, PR
SECTOR OHIO VALLEY
RADM Bert Kinghorn
CoChairs@cgretirenw.org
Sean McPhilamy
CoChairs@cgretirenw.org
Jose Baltar
uscg.sj.rc@gmail.com
jfbalzac@aol.com
Wilfredo Rodriguez
rodriguez.w1957@gmail.com
James Armstrong
james_armstrong@bellsouth.net
CHARLESTON
Ray Bryant
basecharlestonrrc@gmail.com
Timothy Schneider
basecharlestonrrc@gmail.com
SOUTHWEST
Joseph Leonard
jleonard83@aol.com
Eric Pugh
eric.pugh12@outlook.com
GREAT LAKES
Lorne Thomas
lorne.w.thomas@uscg.mil
James Bach
uw_jimmy@yahoo.com
ST. LOUIS
Paul Kirkpatrick
usicu@att.net
Keith Livingstone
bassbolt@yahoo.com
SPACE COAST, FL
Stacey Gow
staceygow4@gmail.com
Jim Reynolds
james.reynolds.cg@gmail.com
TAMPA BAY AREA
Don Goldstein
DGoldstein1@tampabay.rr.com
LeRoy Dennison
LeRoy@dennison.com
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
FIRST CG RETIREES
JACKSONVILLE
HAWAII
KODIAK
MIAMI
NEW ORLEANS
NY, NJ, E.PA
NORTHEAST
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
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
Kathryn Herty
kathryn.herty@gmail.com
Mike Moriarty
khmm@comcast.net
Frank Gorman
Francis.E.Gorman2@uscg.mil
Thomas Hall
tadahall@msn.com
David Swanson
ddswanson@msn.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 Coast
Guard 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.
8 WINTER 2026
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9

THE HOUSE OF "WOW!"
I can’t help but continually envision what my first impression will be when our National
Coast Guard Museum is completed and opened: “WOW!” I think about all the amazing
things our great Service has achieved over the past 235 years, and every exhibit depicting
an act of service will be met with an excited “WOW!”
From the gallant battle of the Revenue Cutter Eagle that took place off Long Island, NY on
October 10-13, 1814, to the heroic rescue of the CG-36500 on February 18, 1952, near
Cape Cod, MA, these are just a few of the many “sea stories” I love to proudly talk about
whenever I can that capture the illustrious meaning of the Coast Guard’s core value of
“Devotion to Duty.” And guess what? Whenever I talk about it, most of the time I get the
response, “WOW!”
This is why I am so proud to be a member of a military service where the men and women
who have served have given so much, with a sense of selfless action, providing a superb
return on investment for the American taxpayer. We are truly a ‘pennies on the dollars’
organization, which defines the pride of our history, heritage, and traditions, as well as
an integral contribution serving our country.
Our National Coast Guard Museum will soon have a prominent and proud place of honor
along the Thames River in New London, CT. It will be our “House of WOW,” where the
American public can visit and, most importantly, learn more about Alexander Hamilton’s
bold idea of creating an armed force to help a new nation succeed. Hamilton wrote in the
“Federalist Papers No. 12, The utility of the union in respect to revenue,” how he envisioned
“A few armed vessels, judiciously stationed at the entrances of our ports, might at a small
expense be made useful sentinels of the laws.” And “useful” has culminated in over 235
years of faithful service to our Nation.
We’re heading into the homestretch! Let’s continue to encourage and motivate others to
proactively support our “House of WOW!”
Semper Paratus,
Vince Patton, MCPOCG, USCG (Ret.)
Chief of the Mess
National Coast Guard Museum Association
10 WINTER 2026
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2025
JULY
28
2025
NOV
10
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Mascots have long been a cherished part of
the United States Coast Guard’s history and
culture. While dogs—often loyal and courageous
companions—have traditionally taken center stage
as the Service’s most common mascots, cats have
occasionally shared that spotlight. One of the
most famous examples is Sinbad, the legendary
Coast Guard dog who served aboard the USCGC
Campbell during World War II. Yet, not all Coast
Guard mascots have been of the canine or feline
variety. The Service has welcomed a surprising
array of animals, each with its own unique story and
bond with the crew. By digging into the archives, we
uncover some of the most unusual and endearing
animal companions that have brightened life aboard
Coast Guard vessels and stations. These furry and
feathery stories will be featured in a continuing
series throughout the magazine.
FINE FEATHERED
FRIEND
The following text is reproduced from the
photograph’s original caption (circa 1940s): For
a Coast Guard-manned LST operating in the South
Pacific, this parrot holds the place of distinction as
mascot of the focsle. A favorite of his shipmates,
"Pol" "Bats the Breeze" with the boys and hitchhikes
rides on their shoulders. Here, the parrot is shown
with Coast Guardsman Carmen Amelio, Fireman
Second Class, of Gaastra, Michigan.
National Archives photo no. 026-g-059-019-001 - Public Domain
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
15

REUNIONS, NOTICES &
ITEMS OF INTEREST
RESCUE: TRUE STORIES OF THE U.S.
LIFE-SAVING SERVICE
By John J Galluzzo
The men of the old U.S. Life-Saving Service have
often been called “America’s Forgotten Heroes.”
Active from 1871 to 1915, these brave individuals
have largely faded from public memory, overlooked
by both historians and the general public.
Yet their story is powerful and deeply inspiring—
one that deserves to be told again and again. There
is always something to learn from their courage,
perseverance, and raw determination.
Known as the “Storm Warriors” and “Heroes of the
Surf,” these men faced ferocious winds and crashing
waves, often at great personal risk, to rescue those
stranded in shipwrecks.
Their unofficial motto was: “Regulations say we have
to go out. They say nothing about coming back.”
It was a promise they honored each time they
launched their small surfboats into storm-tossed
seas. Many never returned—sacrificing their own
lives so that others might live.
https://www.amazon.ca/Rescue-True-Stories-Life-
Saving-Service/dp/1892384590
USCGC SHERMAN (WHEC-720): 25-YEAR
REUNION FOR 2000 AND 2001 CREWS
LOCATION: SILVER LEGACY RESORT & CASINO
IN RENO, NEVADA
DATES: MAY 8–9, 2026
The 2000 and 2001 crews of USCGC Sherman
(WHEC-720) are holding a 25-year reunion to
celebrate our Persian Gulf and circumnavigation
deployment.
If you served aboard at any time during 2000 or 2001
and would like to attend, please contact Ed Semler
at mkcm378@gmail.com for details on registration,
the event program, and hotel accommodations.
16 WINTER 2026
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NO EXCUSES,
ALWAYS READY
By Robert Foucha, USCG (Ret.)
A blunt, field-tested guide for service members who want
more than stories—they want survival strategies for real
careers. This isn’t a memoir. It’s a manual pulled from
the deckplates:
• The same standards, accountability drills, and
leadership lessons that kept my teams alive in highrisk
operations and drug interdictions.
• Case studies, checklists, and hard lessons straight
from Coast Guard operations.
• Concrete strategies for resilience,
fitness, finances, and career
navigation.
robert.foucha@gmail.com
https://www.amazon.in/No-Excuses-
Always-Ready-Strategies/dp/
B0FXHSFX1Y
NORCAL CG RETIREE COUNCIL
ANNUAL ALL-SERVICES MILITARY RETIREE SEMINAR
LOCATION: Gresham Conference Center, Alameda, CA
DATE: April 25, 2026
The Northern California Coast Guard Retiree Council, in
partnership with Base Alameda, announces the 32nd
All-Services Retiree Seminar to be held on Saturday,
25 April 2026. The seminar will be held in the Gresham
Conference Center, located in Building 4 on Coast
Guard Island, Alameda, CA. Speakers and information
tables will provide the latest information on TRICARE,
current legislation, legal assistance, scams, fraud, and
other relevant topics.
Additional information is available at www.NCCGRC.org
or by contacting David.D.Swanson@Outlook.com or
by phone at 510-390-6312.
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17

REUNIONS, NOTICES &
ITEMS OF INTEREST
SHARKS AND DAISIES: TALES OF A COAST GUARD RESCUE SWIMMER
By George Cavallo, USCG (Ret.)
In Sharks and Daisies, former rescue swimmer George Cavallo shares an unfiltered
look at life in the Coast Guard’s aviation community—equal parts danger, humor,
and humanity. Through vivid storytelling, Cavallo brings to life real missions and
moments that reveal the mental and emotional endurance required
of those who answer the call for help at sea. The newly released
second edition expands on his earlier work, adding fresh stories
and reflections that explore resilience, recovery, and purpose after
service. Both personal and historical, Sharks and Daisies stands
as a tribute to those who meet the ocean’s worst days with quiet
professionalism and heart.
TOP FIN: TALES OF COURAGE AND CHAOS FROM A COAST GUARD RESCUE SWIMMER
By George Cavallo, USCG (Ret.) #122 and Master Chief Darell Gelakoska, USCG (Ret.)
#281
Top Fin chronicles the evolution of the Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Program through
the remarkable career of Master Chief Darell Gelakoska, a leader whose example
shaped generations of aviators and rescue professionals. Written with
author and fellow rescue swimmer George Cavallo, the book blends
operational history with firsthand accounts of missions that tested
courage, teamwork, and innovation. Told with clarity and respect for
those who serve, Top Fin offers a rare inside view of the people behind
the rescues—men and women who face chaos with calm resolve and
uphold the enduring Coast Guard creed: So others may live.
George Cavallo, USCG (Ret.) served more than two decades as a Coast Guard
helicopter rescue swimmer, earning the Air Medal for heroism. After his service,
he turned to photography, painting for the Coast Guard Art Program, and writing—
drawing inspiration from his years in aviation and search and rescue. His books,
Sharks and Daisies and Top Fin, reflect the grit, humor, and humanity of Coast
Guard life. Cavallo’s artwork has been featured in the Coast Guard Art Program
and national exhibitions.
Master Chief Darell “Top Fin” Gelakoska, USCG (Ret.) served more than three
decades in Coast Guard aviation, helping shape the modern Rescue Swimmer
Program and mentoring generations of aircrew. Known for his leadership, technical
skill, and unwavering standards, he played a central role in advancing aviation
survival training and rescue doctrine. His career spanned missions from Alaska to
the Pacific, earning respect throughout the fleet. Top Fin marks his first published
work, preserving the legacy of those who lived by the creed So others may live.
18 WINTER 2026
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GOVERNORS ISLAND REUNION
LOCATION: Governors Island, NY
TENTATIVE DATE: August 1-2, 2026
Calling all Coast Guard officers, enlisted, civilians,
Coast Guard auxiliary personnel, and family!
Mark your calendars to join the Coast Guard 30th
Anniversary Commemorative Team and GI Brats for
the celebration of 30 years since the U. S. Coast
Guard departed the great landmark, Governors
Island, also known as the “Rock”.
The Coast Guard 30th Anniversary Commemorative
Team will be taking registration for the event at Evite
or Punch bowl. The Official event is scheduled to
start at 10:00 on Governor’s Island with an official
Coast Guard ceremony and guest speakers. More
information about Governors Island can be found at
the following link: info@govisland.org
To all who have lived, played, or served on the
Island, this is a wonderful opportunity to reminisce
and remember the good times on Governors Island.
Remember the old sign: “Last one off, turn off the
lights and lock the door.”
Please help spread the word!
Contacts: Leon G. Patterson, SCPO (Ret.)
lgpatterson37@gmail.com
or Susan Chaney
gibrathomecoming@gmail.com
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19

REUNIONS, NOTICES &
ITEMS OF INTEREST
FROM SEA TO SERVICE: THE STORY OF MARC HUNG NGUYEN
By Michael H. Graner
From Sea to Service: The Story of Marc Hung Nguyen is a
powerful memoir of courage, faith, and gratitude that transforms
the tragedy of war into an enduring story of hope. Marking fifty
years since the Vietnam Conflict, it follows Marc and his future
wife, Hong, from war-torn Vietnam to lives of service in America.
As a boy, Marc fled Saigon by sea, enduring pirates, storms, and
fear before finding safety and faith in the United States. Guided
by education and mentorship, he earned acceptance to the U.S.
Coast Guard Academy—turning the sea that once threatened him
into the very element he vowed to protect.
Hong’s parallel journey—from survival under Communist rule
to her own daring escape and eventual career in pharmacy—
echoes the same themes of perseverance and service.
Together, Marc and Hong embody resilience,
gratitude, and purpose. Their story honors those
who sacrificed for freedom and affirms that faith,
education, and service can transform suffering
into strength.
Their story reminds us that from even the
darkest crossings, new light can emerge—and
that the call to serve is often born in those who
have first been saved.
2026 PAY RAISE FOR DISABLED
VETERANS AND MILITARY RETIREES
Military retirement pay will increase by a 2.8% Cost of Living
Adjustment (COLA) for 2026, effective December 1, 2025,
meaning Disabled Veterans and Military Retirees will see the
change in their January 2026 payments. This adjustment is
based on inflation and affects most retirees, including those
receiving Survivor Benefit Plan annuities.
https://www.military.com/dailynews/2025/10/24/here-2026-payraise-disabled-veterans-andmilitary-retirees.html
20 WINTER 2026
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https://www.cool.osd.mil/uscg/index.html
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21

REUNIONS, NOTICES &
ITEMS OF INTEREST
HONORING A PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER, REAR ADMIRAL MURRAY GOLDSTEIN, USPHS (RET.)
ON HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY – 10/13/2025
A couple of years ago, I was exercising at the fitness
center at the Walter Reed National Military Medical
Center when a friendly gentleman noticed my U.S.
Public Health Service t-shirt and asked where I had
worked. I told him I had retired after serving as a
medical offi cer at NIH. He introduced himself as
Murray and said he was also a retired PHS officer
and also worked at NIH.
We chatted for a while, and I mentioned how
impressed I was that he had started his workout
before I arrived and was still exercising as I was
fi nishing up after half an hour. Murray smiled
and asked me to guess his age. That is always
a tricky question, but I ventured he was perhaps
in his eighties. To my surprise, he said he was
98 years old. Murray told me he and his wife had
two daughters, 5 grandchildren, and 12 greatgrandchildren.
I was humbled to see someone
more than 30 years my senior outlasting me in the
gym. Inspired, I began going more often—and
sure enough, I saw Murray regularly. His friendly,
positive presence was always uplifting.
Over time, I learned that my gym companion was
Admiral Murray Goldstein, a distinguished leader
in medicine and public health. In fact, before the
Public Health Service, he had served in the U.S.
Army during World War II and received the Purple
Heart and Silver Star for his service. After completing
his medical education at the Des Moines University
College of Osteopathic Medicine, he trained in
neurology at the Mayo Clinic and went on to
earn a Master of Public Health degree from
the University of California, Berkeley.
In 1953, he became the fi rst osteopathic
physician appointed as a commissioned
medical officer in the U.S. Public Health
Service. His career advanced steadily where
he became internationally recognized as
a leader in research on cerebrovascular
disorders and disorders of the developing
brain. He was eventually named an assistant
surgeon general with the rank of rear admiral. From
1982 to 1993, Admiral Goldstein served as director
of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders
and Stroke, and after retirement from the Public
Health Service, he was director and CEO of United
Cerebral Palsy from 1993 to 2003.
I suspect that most people in the gym had no idea
of Murray’s extraordinary accomplishments. Just last
month, we celebrated his 100th birthday with a small
party. After enjoying cake together, several of us—
including Murray—went right back to exercising.
What an honor and privilege it has been to know and
celebrate the centennial of such an inspiring leader,
colleague, and friend: Admiral Murray Goldstein.
—Dale Hu, CAPT, USPHS (Ret.)
djh9cdc@gmail.com
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Upon retirement from the Coast Guard in December 2025, I began working with Operation
Motorsport. The three core values of the Veteran Led and Operated, 501(c)3 Not for Profit
Foundation, serving American Military Service Members and Veterans, are Team, Identity, and
Purpose – well aligned and a natural next step following my 30 years of Honor, Respect, and
Devotion to Duty with the Coast Guard.
Operation Motorsport supports the recovery of medically retiring or retired Service Members
affected by military service through Motorsports opportunities. Their motto is One At A Time
(#OneAtATime).
—MCPO Jonathan Croly, USCG (Ret)
Jonathan.croly@operationmotorsport.org
I invite all my Coast Guard Active-Duty, Reserve, and Retired “Shipmates” to check out the
foundation’s great work and opportunities to participate at
https://operationmotorsport.org/home-us/
Executive Director, Tiffany Lodder tiffany.lodder@operationmotorsport.org
Director of Operations, Jason Leach Jason.leach@operationmotorport.org
Submitted by MCPO Jonathan Croly, BASE Portsmouth, Jonathan.K.Croly@uscg.mil
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23

REUNIONS, NOTICES &
ITEMS OF INTEREST
MOST MILITARY RETIREES WILL SEE MEDICARE COSTS INCREASE IN 2026
Military.com | By Amanda Miller
For 2026, most Medicare enrollees will see their
monthly premiums increase by an average of 9.7%.
That means the average Medicare user will pay
$202.90 monthly, a $17.90 increase from the 2025
monthly premium of $185.00.
Medicare is the federal government health insurance
program for:
• People 65 years of age and older
• Some people with disabilities under age 65
• People with end-stage renal disease
(permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis
or a transplant)
If you have Tricare coverage, you must enroll in
Medicare when you become eligible; if you have
Department of Veterans Affairs health care coverage,
you may not need to sign up for Medicare.
You must sign up for Medicare during a seven-month
period that begins three months before you turn 65, or
possibly pay penalties or higher rates later. Part A is
normally free, and Part B costs are listed above. If you
don't have other health insurance, you must also enroll
in Medicare Part D, or possibly face higher costs.
Tricare members are required to sign up for Medicare
Parts A and B but are automatically enrolled in Tricare
for Life, a no-cost Medicare wraparound insurance
package that pays for many things Medicare won't,
when they sign up. Tricare for Life also has prescription
coverage, which means you don't need Medicare
Part D. In some situations, Medicare may offer better
prescription coverage.
https://www.military.com/
benefits/tricare/medicare.html
BENEFITS DELIVERY AT DISCHARGE PROGRAM
Service members who are separating and plan to
file for disability compensation can file their claim
before separation through the Benefits Delivery at
Discharge (BDD) program.
The BDD program allows Service members to apply
for VA disability compensation benefits between
180 to 90 days prior to separation. This timeframe
permits VA to review Service Treatment Records
(STRs), schedule needed exams and evaluate the
claim before separation. BDD’s goal is to deliver a
decision within 30 days after separation.
Program Requirements
To be eligible for BDD, service members must:
• Know their separation date
• File their claim between 180 and 90 days
prior to separation
• Provide a copy of their STRs for the current
period of service
• Provide a completed Separation Health
Assessment - Part A Self-Assessment
• Be available for 45 days from the date the
claim is submitted to attend VA exams
https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/benefits-deliverydischarge-program.asp
24 WINTER 2026
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HAILING ALL NOAA CORPS RETIREES!
Matthew Wingate, CDR, NOAA (Ret)
mjwingate@aol.com
There has been interest in establishing a NOAA Corps Retiree Group - Benchmarks.
Are you interested in being included in communications from this group? Many of
us participate in small, regional get-togethers; however, this would be a nationwide
association. We expect this to start with group email communications as an adjunct to
the communications via CPC Cyberflash and USCG Long Blue Line and Retiree emails.
Some other ideas would be ways to continue to serve, foster esprit de corps, acknowledge
newly commissioned officers, changes of command, retirements and other events. We'd
hope to advance to other acknowledgements, reunions, legislative updates, shared
information, etc. It's a work in progress and we're open to suggestions!
Interested retirees, please copy the following link into your web browser, complete the
form, and stand by for further communication. https://forms.gle/KDXEkkq5hvhkoBJN7
CORRECTION TO THE NEXT GENERATION
UNIFORMED SERVICES ID CARD ARTICLE IN THE
FALL 2025 LONG BLUE LINE
The NEXT GENERATION UNIFORMED SERVICES ID CARD,
incorrectly stated that:
All Uniformed Services Retirees & Annuitants are required to
replace their paper-based Uniformed Services Identification
(USID) card with a Next Generation USID card by December 31, 2025, including those with a paperbased
card containing an extended INDEFINITE expiration date.
DoD has NOT issued a mandate for retirees and others with legacy paper-based Uniformed Services
identification (USID) cards to have them replaced. Any articles publicizing a December 31, 2025,
deadline are inaccurate.
Legacy paper-based USID cards with extended expiration dates issued to specific populations – e.g.
Reserve Retirees and Former Members eligible for retired pay and benefits at age 60 – as well as
cards with indefinite expiration dates issued to retirees, dependents over age 65, and Permanently
Incapacitated dependents, will all remain valid until DoD determines when those legacy paperbased
cards will be terminated. The Department intends to execute a positive communications
plan formally announcing the termination well in advance of the actual termination date.
Additional related information is accessible at:
September 2025 DFAS
Retiree Newsletter -
News From Our Partners
Uniformed Services
Identification
MOAA - ‘INDEF’ ID
Cards: Your Questions,
Answered
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25

26 WINTER 2026
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A BUNNY, A
SPARROW, AND
A DUCK WALK
INTO A BAR
The following text is a snippet reproduced from
the photograph’s original caption (circa 1940s):
A rabbit, a sparrow and a duck—now there's a
quaint trio of mascots for a Coast Guard unit way
out in the Pacifi c. The rabbit, named "Koko," and
the duck, who answers to "Mr. Higgins", were
presented to Coast Guardsman J.M. Bell (left)
pharmacists' mate and Chief Specialist J. Arnold
Shaw (right). "Princess," the sparrow—shown here
at chow—was brought to the Chief as a helpless
waif and was nursed along to a contented
existence as mascot of the Coast Guardsmen Bell
alive in Montrose, Michigan ...
National Archives photo no. 026-g-058-108-001 - Public Domain
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27

28 WINTER 2026
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A COAST
GUARDSMAN’S
JOURNEY:
When I was a little boy growing up in Chicago, my
father often took my brothers and me on weekend
drives down to the lakefront and Navy Pier—back
then a bustling hub of shipping and commerce. We
would see Coast Guard boats and the old Coast
Guard station and sometimes head out for a ride on
the water. That’s where it all began—my fascination
with the Coast Guard. Even as a kid, I thought it
would be incredible to wear that uniform and serve
on those boats.
Life took me in other directions at first. I earned a
master’s degree in marketing communications and
worked in the broadcasting industry for several
years before doing fundraising and public relations
in private education. Then one day, in my 30s, while
waiting for a flight at Clearwater Airport after visiting
family in Florida, I looked out across the runway and
saw the C-130s and helicopters of Coast Guard Air
Station Clearwater. Watching the crews at work, I
realized I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life
wondering, “What if?”
When I got home, I spoke with a recruiter about
opportunities in the Coast Guard Reserve. There
happened to be a public affairs billet open in
Chicago—a perfect fit given my background. It felt
like fate. I joined the Coast Guard Reserve and never
looked back.
What followed was 23 years of service—13 of them
on active duty—telling the Coast Guard story and
advancing from PA3 to master chief. My career
took me from small boat stations on Lakes Michigan
and Superior to assignments across the country.
Highlights included serving six years on active duty
at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, responding to
major incidents such as the Hawaii “Superferry”
protests, Hurricane Ike in Galveston, the Cosco
Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay, mentoring
young public affairs specialists, supporting 34 units
throughout D9, and achieving rank of master chief.
I also had the privilege of working as public
information officer in New Orleans during the oneyear
anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill—
helping tell the story of recovery and resilience
EVEN AS A KID, I THOUGHT IT
WOULD BE INCREDIBLE TO WEAR
THAT UNIFORM AND SERVE ON
THOSE BOATS.
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29

alongside Coast Guard and interagency teams.
Closer to home, I’ll never forget being recognized at
Wrigley Field during a Cubs game, or accompanying
renowned Chicago meteorologist Tom Skilling of
WGN-TV aboard the CGC Mackinaw for a feature
on icebreaking operations on Lake Superior. In the
final years of my career, I helped re-activate the D9
Public Affairs Detachment in Chicago—serving the
western Great Lakes region.
One of my proudest moments was completing Reserve
Enlisted Basic Indoctrination. Though I’d already
taken my oath, graduation marked a milestone—the
moment I truly stepped outside my comfort zone and
began living the dream I’d had since boyhood.
Not all memories are easy ones. I’ll forever remember
the loss of the CG-1705 crew from Air Station
Sacramento in 2009 off the coast of San Diego, and
my involvement in that response as a public affairs
specialist. That tragedy was a sobering reminder of
the risks our members face daily—and the strength
of our Coast Guard family in times of loss.
Of course, not every memory was solemn. I’ll always
smile thinking about the time a humpback whale and
her calf (nicknamed Delta and Dawn) wandered from
the Pacifi c Ocean and up the Sacramento Delta.
For nearly two weeks, the Coast Guard worked
with scientists and other agencies to protect the
THOUGH I’D ALREADY TAKEN MY
OATH, GRADUATION MARKED A
MILESTONE—THE MOMENT I TRULY
STEPPED OUTSIDE MY COMFORT
ZONE AND BEGAN LIVING THE
DREAM I’D HAD SINCE BOYHOOD.
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Alan Haraf (far right) on Lake Superior with meteorologist
Tom Skilling and his TV crew after being underway on the
CGC Mackinaw.
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31

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS &
MILESTONES
Alan Haraf assignment in a helicopter over
San Francisco Bay while on active duty.
SERVICE: 23 years in the U.S. Coast
Guard Reserve
RANK: Master Chief Petty Officer (PA
Rating)
ACTIVE DUTY ASSIGNMENTS: 13 years
• Public Affairs Specialist, Coast Guard
District 9 and 11
• Responded to major incidents including:
° Cosco Busan oil spill – San Francisco
Bay
° CG-1705 midair collision – Air Station
Sacramento
° Hurricane Ike – Galveston, TX
° Deepwater Horizon oil spill (one-year
anniversary) – New Orleans
° “Super Ferry” protests – Hawaii
• Re-activated Public Affairs Detachment
Chicago 2012, covering the western
Great Lakes region.
• Coordinated stories that aired in seven
media markets throughout the Great
Lakes and nationally on The Weather
Channel, FOX News, NPR, ABC-TV. and
WGN-TV by meteorologist Tom Skilling
aboard CGC Mackinaw.
• Recognized at Wrigley Field (Cubs) and
Rate Field (White Sox) for Coast Guard
service
• Graduating Reserve Enlisted Basic
Indoctrination (REBI) and advancing
to Master Chief—two defining personal
milestones.
32 WINTER 2026
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I GIVE TO THE MUSEUM BECAUSE THE
COAST GUARD GAVE ME SO MUCH:
A SECOND CAREER, PROFESSIONAL
GROWTH, LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS,
AND COUNTLESS MEMORIES.
pair. Eventually, they found their way home—a
rare, heartwarming mission that captivated people
everywhere.
Supporting the National Coast Guard Museum is
personal to me. Our Service is too vital to our Nation
and to our citizens to not to have a museum that tells
our story with the same pride and professionalism we
bring to every mission. The Coast Guard has evolved
continually through its history, and this museum will
honor that legacy—the men and women of the active
duty, Reserve, Auxiliary, and civilian workforce who
serve and have served with distinction.
I give to the Museum because the Coast Guard gave
me so much: a second career, professional growth,
lifelong friendships, and countless memories.
My hope for the National Coast Guard Museum is
simple: that it will be, in the words of Tina Turner,
“Simply the best. Better than all the rest.” I envision
a place where visitors don’t just read about our
missions but truly experience them. Through
powerful storytelling, engaging technology, and
immersive exhibits, I’d like guests to leave inspired
by the courage, service, and heart that define the
United States Coast Guard.
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33

OBJECTIONABLE
PRESENCE
Objee, the beloved mascot of the U.S. Coast
Guard Academy, has a storied history dating back
to 1926, when the Academy chose the black bear
as its symbol for its boldness and tenacity. That
same year, the famed Revenue Cutter Bear was
decommissioned, further cementing the bear’s
symbolic connection to the Service. The fi rst live
cub, named “Objee” (short for “objectionable
presence”), earned her name after New London
residents objected to a live bear on campus.
True to form, Objee became notorious for
mischief—escaping her pen, climbing into an
offi cer’s new car, and tearing up the interior. Objee
I was eventually transferred to the National Zoo,
she was replaced by Objee II, who proved much
calmer.
Over the next 57 years, 31 black bears served as
mascots at the Academy. The tradition ended in
1984 when Objee XXXI, a 250-pound black bear,
was retired to Widmark Farms in upstate New
York. There, he enjoyed the company of another
bear named Beau and a steady supply of honey.
34 WINTER 2026
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U.S. Coast Guard Photo
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35

making estate planning warm, intuitive,
and totally free
36 WINTER 2026
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KEY TAX CHANGES
IMPACTING PHILANTHROPY
Thank you to our friends at FreeWill for providing the following important information. The One Big Beautiful Bill
(OBBB) Act was passed on July 4, 2025. Below, we’ve highlighted three key changes that may impact philanthropy
and giving starting January 1, 2026.
1
LARGER UNIVERSAL
CHARITABLE DEDUCTION:
MORE DONORS GET TAX
BENEFITS
Starting in 2026, non-itemizing taxpayers can deduct up
to $1,000 ($2,000 for married couples) for charitable gifts.
Charitable deductions will no longer be restricted to those who
itemize deductions. This makes it easier for donors to realize tax
benefits from supporting charities.
2
NEW MINIMUM
FOR ITEMIZED
CHARITABLE
DEDUCTIONS
If someone itemizes their deductions, starting in 2026, a
“floor” applies to their deduction for charitable contributions.
Specifically, the charitable contribution deduction will be reduced
by an amount equal to 0.5% of their adjusted gross income
(AGI). For example, if the AGI is $200,000, the first $1,000 of
charitable contributions in a year will not be deductible; only
giving above that amount qualifies for a tax benefit.
3
ESTATE & GIFT
TAX EXEMPTION
INCREASES
The federal estate and gift tax exemption rises to $15 million
per person (indexed for inflation), meaning very few estates
will owe federal estate tax. Some states, however, have much
lower thresholds. For donors with large estates, planned giving
and legacy gifts may offer additional benefits.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PLANNED GIVING
With new changes taking effect, giving through a will, trust, IRA, or making lifetime
gifts of appreciated assets remain powerful ways to support causes you care about.
For more detailed information or to discuss the best planned giving options
for your situation, we recommend consulting with your tax or estate advisor.
www.cgmuseumassociation.org
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38 WINTER 2026
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By Scott McGuire
The Highland Games—who hasn't
heard of them? Those glorious
Scottish festivals where culture,
heritage, and brute strength come together
under a sheen of tartan. Born in the rugged
Highlands centuries ago, these events are
a proud showcase of brawn, bagpipes, and
kilted flair.
One of the most iconic events is the caber
toss, where competitors flip a telephone-polesized
wooden log end over end for glory.
Other classic contests include the hammer
throw, tug-of-war, and stone put.
In many ways, the Highland Games are to
Scotland what the Buoy Tender Olympics
are to the U.S. Coast Guard—only swap the
Highlands for steel decks, diesel engines, and
weather-beaten wharves. It’s a spirited, one
day competition that celebrates grit, gumption,
skill, and teamwork. And just as the Highland
Games are now celebrated around the world,
the Buoy Tender Olympics take place across
many Coast Guard districts—at varying
times—throughout the United States.
The Buoy Tender Olympics are the highlight
of a larger, week-long event known as the
Buoy Tender Roundup. This is where Coast
Guard buoy tender crews and Aids to
Navigation (ATON) teams from around the
region, along with occasional participants
from the Canadian Coast Guard, gather
for a mix of skill development, training, and
friendly competition. The Olympics serve as
the Roundup’s crescendo—the spectacle that
blends know-how and fortitude with goodnatured
rivalry.
While there are no kilts or cabers at the
Olympics, there are plenty of operational
dress uniforms and head-to-head challenges
like the chain pull, line toss, tug-of-war, heatand-beat,
boom spot, and survival-suit swim.
Each event offers a mix of challenge and
excitement, giving participants a chance to test
Editorial designs incorporate U.S. Coast Guard
photographs by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ashley Murphy.
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
39

their mettle, demonstrate best practices, and
build camaraderie across the fleet. And while
some events—like the tug-of-war—sound
familiar, those outside the Coast Guard’s
ATON missions might wonder what exactly
a “heat-and-beat” or a “boom spot” involves.
Let’s start with the “heat-and-beat.” While
it sounds like a felony, rest assured—it’s
metallurgy. “Heat” refers to warming metal
until it’s malleable for cutting, welding, or
shaping, while “beat” describes hammering
it into the desired form. Straightforward
enough. The Coast Guard uses this
technique to join sections of chain for buoys
and other navigational aids.
In a typical three-person team, one member
heats a shackle pin on an anvil until it
glows like molten lava, while the other two
hammer it into submission—a time-honored
metalworking practice that dates back to
the Copper Age. It’s the spirit of the Coast
Guard on full display: honest work, done
with precision, strength, and there are no
shortcuts.
With roughly 45,000 to 50,000 federal fixed
and floating aids to navigation maintained
by ATON crews nationwide, it’s easy to see
why this event resonates so deeply.
It’s a grueling
reenactment of the
real thing: hauling
gear on slick
decks in seas
that would just as
readily swallow
you whole.
In some districts, the competition also
features the “boom spot” event—a kind of
maritime ballet involving heavy machinery.
Teams aboard buoy tenders maneuver
a bucket of water suspended from a
ship’s crane, or boom, across a deck or
designated course, trying to spill as little
water as possible. Success demands
precise coordination between the boom
operator, the spotter, and the deck crew.
In real operations, these crews move
13,000-pound buoys the same way—only
without the cheering crowds. And without
clear communication, the work turns
dangerous fast—just another day keeping
the nation’s maritime arteries flowing safely.
Another signature event is the chain pull.
Teams drag a length of heavy buoy mooring
chain across a set distance as fast as
possible. These chains—like those used
to anchor massive navigational buoys—
can weigh hundreds of pounds, making
the challenge a true test of strength and
coordination. Each crewmember must pull in
rhythm with their teammates, adjusting and
communicating to keep the chain moving
smoothly.
It’s a grueling reenactment of the real thing:
hauling gear on slick decks in seas that
would just as readily swallow you whole.
Out there, there’s no room for coasting—you
pull your weight, or you become the weakest
link.
JUNEAU, ALASKA:
Arctic District Waterways Management
Operations Officer Lieutenant Megan
Grimes, USCG—who helps wrangle
vessels and schedule the Coast Guard
Arctic District’s (District 17) Buoy Tender
Roundup—emphasizes that the Olympics
are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.
They’re great for photo ops, but there’s
much more churning beneath the surface.
Typically in August—when Juneau’s mercury
climbs to a balmy 55 degrees, tropical by
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41

Alaskan standards—the Arctic District’s
Roundup comes together. That timing makes
sense: the district’s buoy tenders are usually
slammed in spring and fall, commissioning
and decommissioning seasonal aids to
navigation. With more than 1,300 federal
aids in Alaska, that’s understandable.
That leaves a narrow, precious window of
late summer when the seas and skies are
cooperative—and really, why send ships
steaming into the Gulf of Alaska in winter
unless absolutely necessary?
Boatswain's Mate Chief Petty Officer Richard
Sargent, USCG, of the Arctic District ATON
Training Team, aspires to making the Arctic
District’s Buoy Tender Roundup the
premier Roundup on the West Coast. He
knows, however, that he’s facing serious
logistical challenges. Alaska’s tidal
coastline—including its countless
islands and inlets—stretches
an astounding 33,904 miles, longer than all
other U.S. coastlines combined. In practical
terms, simply getting to the Roundup
takes time—time pulled away from critical
operations. While invitations are extended to
cutters and ATON units from other western
districts, attendance varies each year based
on operational demands and long transit
times.
The 2025 Juneau Roundup brought together
six buoy tenders—Kukui, Cypress, Fir,
Early in the week,
the biscuits-andgravy
contest got
downright cutthroat,
with ladles flying
and Coast Guard
pride on full
display.
Aspen, Anthony Petit, and Elderberry—
along with ATON teams from Sitka and
Kodiak, and divers from Regional West Dive
Locker. For that week, the harbor buzzed
with hands-on training, technical drills, and
professional development—a rare chance
for these specialized units to work side by
side, share best practices, and sharpen their
readiness in one of the most demanding
maritime environments on Earth.
These crews often operate in isolation for
much of the year, so the Roundup provides
something more than training—it strengthens
the network that keeps America’s waterways
safe and operational.
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But it’s not all channel markers and blinking
lights. The week also includes training
sessions on less glamorous—but equally
vital—topics such as tower building, ATON
documentation and marine safety information,
ATON material management, work-life, team
coordination, and finance and procurement,
to name a few. Lieutenant Grimes explains,
“We also offer some district trainings where,
for example, members who don’t have easy
access to legal resources can receive all
of those trainings in person. They can also
schedule time with their legal assistance
teams. It's just a great way to get them
plugged in with people from headquarters
that they typically don't get that face time
within these far-reaching ports. There's a
lot of synergy that comes out of this with the
collaboration.”
Lieutenant Grimes continues, “We also invite
representatives from headquarters to train
on numerous topics including enlisted and
officer personnel management, enlisted rating
forces, and CG policies and procedures. The
ability to offer these important trainings to our
remotely homeported units is the foundation
for Roundup, and we continuously review our
curricula to ensure our crews are receiving
the most relevant, standardized trainings that
will make their jobs safer, more effective, and
more efficient.”
Between the Roundup’s training sessions and
the taxing events of the Olympics, things tend
to heat up—literally. The district’s culinary
specialists face off in a series of friendly
kitchen competitions. Early in the week, the
biscuits-and-gravy contest got downright
cutthroat, with ladles flying and Coast Guard
pride on full display. Later, the rivalry flared
again in the best-burger showdown, where
the smoke was thick and bragging rights
were on the line.
By the time the Olympics roll around, the
culinary specialists are drawn into the fray,
tasked with working together as one welloiled
team. According to BMC Sargent,
“We've done everything from barbecues to
salmon bakes. We did a little bit of vegetarian
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43

options this time using faux meats. So, they
get to utilize their skills for that, but they also
have to combine all that knowledge into
a new menu plan every year.” Still, after a
few sweat-soaked duels on the field, most
crews would’ve probably been just as happy
dining on old World War II-era MREs.
The Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation
community is a culture all its own, and the
Roundup—and its Olympics—are a proud
part of that culture. The work is demanding,
often dirty, but honest and essential—the
kind that keeps the country running.
If the Coast Guard are the unsung heroes of
the armed services, then ATON crews are
the unsung heroes of those heroes. Most
people have no idea how much rests on
their shoulders. As a maritime nation, the
United States depends on these crews to
keep its waterways open and the arteries of
commerce flowing safely. Each year, trillions
of dollars’ worth of maritime trade enters U.S.
ports, guided safely by the buoys, beacons,
and lights that ATON crews maintain—often
in rough weather and remote corners of the
coast. It may not be glamorous work, but
without it, the nation would grind to a halt.
So let the games begin.
THE CHAMPIONS OF COMMERCE WING,
located on Deck Four of the upcoming
National Coast Guard Museum, will
feature four primary galleries:
Aids to Navigation, Lighthouses, Ice
Operations, and Marine Safety. Each
gallery will be filled with engaging
exhibits, including the Ice Cutters in
Alaska, LORAN/Modern ATON systems, and
the U.S. Lighthouse Service, among many
others. These displays will highlight
the essential role the Coast Guard
plays in ensuring safe and efficient
maritime commerce. Visitors will gain
a deeper appreciation for the service's
technological advancements and its
enduring commitment to protecting
vital trade routes.
The United States Coast Guard has an officially recognized
tartan registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans.
Joanne Pendleton began designing it in the late 1990s after
seeing the West Point Pipe Band at a Scottish festival.
The design was inspired in part by the family tartan of
Alexander Hamilton (founder of the Revenue Marine, a
predecessor to the Coast Guard).
It is woven in red and blue, with a white thread count of ten.
The red symbolizes courage and sacrifice, while the blue
represents the seas and skies in which the Coast Guard
carries out its missions. The ten white threads honor the
original ten commissioned cutters of the Revenue-Marine.
The tartan was officially approved by the commandant
of the Coast Guard on May 1, 2002. Today, it appears on a
variety of items---including kilts.
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HISTORY
WORTH
SAVORING
By Renee Coleman, National Coast Guard Museum
Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas
are moments when people come
together in celebration, with food taking
center stage at most gatherings. Miles from
shore, Coast Guard crews have found ways to
recreate that sense of home. The Coast Guard
Historian’s Offi ce at headquarters preserves
a collection of menus from afl oat and ashore,
each one a testament to the creativity and
resourcefulness of galley teams determined
to keep spirits high and service members
connected to loved ones—
no matter how far the sea
has carried them.
“These menus are important
because they allow for
human connection,” said
THESE MENUS ARE
IMPORTANT BECAUSE
THEY ALLOW FOR
HUMAN CONNECTION.
USCGC Pamlico, c. 1927 (Public Domain)
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Beth Crumley, assistant historian. “They
show that even though service members are
deployed or away from their families for the
holidays, there’s still a way to celebrate and
feel the warmth of the holiday season.”
The preserved menus, which span decades
between 1920 and 1995 are not only extensive
in offerings but ornate and decorative. In that
75-year period, there was an evolution of
taste and cuisine, and menus often reflected
available supplies, advancements in food
preservation, and changing palates.
“Of course you’ll see turkey offered, but some
of the cutters would offer duck,” Crumley said.
“Dressing was served on the side, or stuffing
depending on the region, and sometimes
THEY SHOW THAT EVEN
THOUGH SERVICE MEMBERS
ARE DEPLOYED OR AWAY
FROM THEIR FAMILIES FOR
THE HOLIDAYS, THERE’S
STILL A WAY TO CELEBRATE
AND FEEL THE WARMTH OF
THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
Upper left: USS Ossippee, CG, no date noted (U.S.
Coast Guard Photo)
Lower left and upper right: Ossippee Chirstmas
Day menu, 1939 (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)
Lower right: detail from menu cover
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it was as fancy as an oyster dressing or as
traditional as a sage dressing.”
For main entree offerings, turkey would rotate
on and off the menus with ham and sometimes
beef. A salad bar was also in rotation as well
as a dessert menu.
According to Crumley, one standout addition
to Coast Guard cutter holiday menus was the
Waldorf salad. The Waldorf salad was invented
in 1893 by Oscar Tschirky at the Waldorf-Astoria
Hotel in New York City. Once a status symbol
in high society and a fixture in popular culture,
this elegant blend of apples, celery, walnuts,
SOMETIMES IT WAS AS
FANCY AS AN OYSTER
DRESSING OR AS
TRADITIONAL AS A SAGE
DRESSING.
This page – left: USS. Fanning, CG Christmas dinner menu's first inside page, 1929, (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)
Right: Detail of embossed flag embelishment on the cover of the USS Fanning, CG's 1929 Christmas dinner menu. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)
Opposite page – top: USS Fanning, CG with its awnings shading the decks while moored alongside another destroyer at New London, Connecticut.
(U.S. Coast Guard Photo, U.S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office, Fanning File)
Bottom: USS Fanning, CG's 1929 Christmas dinner menu inside pages. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo)
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and mayonnaise eventually made its way to the
high seas—adding a touch of sophistication and
tradition to festive galley spreads.
But it wasn’t just swanky salads that enjoyed their
moment in the spotlight—celery itself became a
star.
“Victorians loved their celery,” Crumley said.
“Celery rose to popularity between 1910 and
1940, so you see celery included on a relish tray
or served as a side dish with the main course.”
The flavor and variation of the menus is truly a
work of culinary art. Galley crews paid special
attention to even the smallest details when it came
to preparing a holiday meal for Coast Guard
crews underway.
“This was the Coast Guard’s attempt to bring
traditional tastes from home to both the enlisted
and officer crews,” she said. “These menus are
really a treasure because we get a glimpse into
what life was like on a cutter during the holidays
in the 1920s and 1930s.”
VICTORIANS LOVED THEIR
CELERY. CELERY ROSE TO
POPULARITY BETWEEN 1910
AND 1940, SO YOU SEE CELERY
INCLUDED ON A RELISH TRAY
OR SERVED AS A SIDE DISH
WITH THE MAIN COURSE.
This page - Inside page of the Herndon's menu (U.S. Coast Guard
Photo)
Oppsite page top - Inside the Herndon's holiday menu.
Opposite page: USS Herndon (DD-198) was a destroyer in the United
States Navy. Herndon also served in the United States Coast Guard
and later transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Churchill and still
later to the Soviet Navy as Deyatelny.
NATIONAL COAST GUARD
MUSEUM INSIDER TIP:
Visitors to the National Coast Guard
Museum will learn more about cutter life in
Deck 3: Enforcers Wing: Cutter
Development Exhibit
Deck 3: Defenders Wing: WW2 Exhibit
Deck 4: Champions wing: Ice Operations
Exhibit
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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!
By
Laurie
Marsh
CAPT John Olson, USCGR (Ret.) †
Wisconsin
The U.S. Coast Guard Reserve has long been a
cornerstone of maritime defense and security,
with many outstanding men and women shaping
its legacy. Captain John Olson stands as a key figure
in the establishment and success of Port Security
Units (PSUs) within the Coast Guard Reserve. With a
career marked by distinguished service, leadership,
and mentorship, Captain John Olson contributions to
the Coast Guard Reserve and the greater security of
U.S. ports are nothing short of legendary.
Port Security Units were founded in 1980 as
specialized Coast Guard Reserve units created to
safeguard critical U.S. ports, ensuring the protection
of vessels, infrastructure, and maritime assets
against potential threats. These units played and
continue to play an essential role in the United States’
broader defense strategy, ensuring that critical
shipping lanes remain secure for both military and
commercial vessels. Captain John Olson was among
the founding figures of these specialized units,
contributing significantly to their early development.
His foresight and dedication were instrumental in
shaping the role of PSUs’ beginnings in District 9
with the establishment of PSU 303 Milwaukee, PSU
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302 Cleveland and PSU 301 Buffalo in 1983. Captain
John Olson was the CO of PSU 303 Milwaukee and
along with PSU 302 Cleveland deployed on its first
exercise in April 1984 Ocean Venture 84 at Key West,
Florida.
During the remainder of the 1980s, exercises to
Jordan, Combat Skills Quantico (weapons training,
chemical, biological and radio logical training,
perimeter defense, and small unit tactics) and San
Diego were just a few that all three PSU’s participated
in. The culmination of this training of the PSU’s was
brought front and center with being recalled for
Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In September of 1990,
PSU 303 Milwaukee was deployed to Damman,
Saudi Arabia, PSU 301 Buffalo was deployed to Al
Jubayl, Saudi Arabia in November 1990 PSU 302
Cleveland was deployed to Manama, Bahrain.
John was deployed to Manama, Bahrain in late
October to ensure operations, logistics, and tactics
were meeting the requirements of the Harbor
Defense Command of Commodore Denny Vaughn,
U.S. Navy. All three PSUs exceeded operational
requirements and laid the foundation for the eight
PSUs that exist today. The original PSUs 301,302
and 303 were notional units versus the current eight
operational PSUs. PSU 311 and 309 being the first
commissioned in 1995.
John was recalled again for Operation Uphold
Democracy in Haiti 1994. His assignment was very
similar to one that he held in Desert Shield/ Desert
Storm, in that, he was responsible for operations,
logistics, and administration of Coast Guard Reserve
assets in Haiti. Understanding the increasing
vulnerability of U.S. ports and waterways in the
face of evolving global threats and terrorism, John
was a key advocate for the creation of these units,
recognizing the need for highly trained, agile, and
quickly deployable forces to protect the nation’s
maritime interests. Under John’s leadership, PSUs
were established to be not only a defensive force but
also a response unit capable of mobilizing quickly
in the event of a maritime crisis. His vision helped
lay the groundwork for the tactical, operational,
and logistical frameworks that would define PSU
operations for years to come.
Beyond his role as a visionary leader in the creation of
PSUs, John was also a dedicated mentor to the many
Coast Guard reservists under his charge. He fostered
a culture of excellence, integrity, and selflessness
that resonated throughout his career. His approach
to leadership was rooted in a deep understanding of
the unique challenges faced by reservists, who often
balanced civilian careers with their responsibilities to
national defense.
John was known for his ability to teach, guide,
and challenge those around him. He instilled a
sense of pride and duty in his shipmates and was
always willing to provide advice or lend an ear. His
mentorship was not limited to technical training or
operational tactics; John was equally focused on
cultivating personal and professional growth in
his peers and subordinates. He understood that
the strength of a unit came not just from tactical
competence but having been a coach and teacher
in his civilian career, he valued the importance of
team building. His commitment to mentorship and
development ensured that those who served with
him were not only well-prepared for the challenges
they faced on missions but also were empowered
to take on leadership roles in the future. Many of the
reservists who served under John speak of him with
deep admiration, recognizing his impact on their
careers both within and outside of the Coast Guard.
As a shipmate to many reservists throughout his long
and illustrious career, John’s presence was deeply
felt by many of his shipmates. Whether in the heat
of operations or during quiet moments of reflection,
his camaraderie and unwavering commitment to the
mission were a beacon of leadership. Shipmates
would often share stories of John’s calm demeanor
under pressure, his ability to inspire others, and
his genuine care for the well-being of his team.
John’s leadership was grounded in respect for the
individuals under his charge, for the mission, and for
the core values of the Coast Guard.
His shipmates knew that they could always count
on him for clear guidance, support, and a steady
hand during the most difficult assignments. The
relationships he built over his career continue to
reverberate through the ranks of the Coast Guard
Reserve, as many former shipmates have gone on to
be leaders themselves—carrying forward the lessons
learned from John.
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55

John James S. Woodward
Ohio
John James S. Woodward dedicated over
40 years to the U.S. Coast Guard, retiring in
January 2004. His career began in 1963 as an
enlisted crew member aboard the buoy tender
Tupelo. He later served as a draftsman in the 9th
Coast Guard District’s Civil Engineering Office in
Cleveland, Ohio. After leaving active duty in 1967,
he returned as a civil engineering technician,
focusing primarily on lighthouse-related projects,
including reconstruction, maintenance, and
preservation.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Woodward played a
central role in the Coast Guard’s lighthouse
automation program. Following a brief assignment
in the Bridge Administration Branch, he became
the District’s environmentalist. From 1984 until
his retirement, he served as an environmental
protection specialist at the Civil Engineering Unit
in Cleveland, providing environmental support to
over 100 facilities across a 13-state region.
In recognition of his outstanding service,
Woodward received the Commander’s Award
for Sustained Excellence, which cited him as
“the single greatest resource for lighthouse and
Fresnel lens preservation in the Coast Guard.”
Woodward’s fascination with Fresnel lenses
began in 1965, when he apprenticed under
Arthur Mienhold, a former U.S. Lighthouse
Service lampist who had served before 1939.
That formative experience sparked a lifelong
dedication. Over the years, he has contributed to
more than 300 lens restoration projects—at least
25 of which involved mercury float lenses.
Now retired from federal service, Mr. Woodward
continues his work through his business, The
Lighthouse Consultant, offering expert guidance
to a wide array of clients, including:
• Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society
• National Park Service (Point Reyes, Anacapa
Island, San Francisco Maritime Museum –
Farallon Island lens)
• Bermuda Government (Gibb’s Hill Light)
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• City of Los Angeles (Point Fermin lens)
• Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (Cape
Hatteras lens)
• Point Arena Lighthouse Keepers
• Boston Light Fund
• Buffalo Lighthouse Association
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
• New Jersey Lighthouse Society
He has also collaborated with the Franklin Institute
(Philadelphia), the Great Lakes Historical Society
Museum, and numerous National Park Service
locations. His media contributions include serving
as a consultant for PBS’s Legendary Lighthouses
II: Eastern Great Lakes and the documentary film
The Light at Point Arena.
Enjoy The Last Lampist, a short
documentary by Great Big Story,
available on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=STrWcSgcXXQ
District 9 Civil Engineering staff in Cleveland, OH, September 1965. In the back row, third from the right, is Woodward, an enlisted
draftsman. Also in the back row, seventh from the right and standing in front of the large white panel, is Arthur Meinhold—a
former U.S. Lighthouse Service lampist who trained Woodward in lighthouse lens restoration and construction. The lens visible
toward the left in the background is from the Lorain Harbor Light, which Mr. Meinhold restored to like-new condition.
PORTRAITS OF SERVICE
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FOULED UP AS
HOGAN'S GOAT
The following text is a snippet reproduced from
the photograph’s original caption (circa 1940s):
Refugees from a tin can dump on Saipan, a pair of
goats are shown being evacuated aboard a Coast
Guard-manned tank lighter. Surviving the terrific
Allied bombing and shelling of the Japanese island
stronghold, they probably will end up mascots or
mutton chops on a Coast Guard-manned assault
transport.
National Archives photo no. 026-g-077-017-001 - Public Domain
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U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION ACTIVE DUTY
COAST GUARD
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT–
A NEW CHAPTER IN TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION
By Bert Macesker
NEW IMPERATIVES:
Secretary Noem stated in the Force Design (FD)
2028 Executive Report that “The Coast Guard
must not simply evolve. It must revolutionize
how it functions and operates to ensure decisive
advantage over adversaries. The Coast Guard
will shift from a reactive posture to a proactive
strategy that relies on innovation. It will anticipate
the Nation’s needs and develop and field
cutting-edge technologies to meet them.” In the
Executive Report and under the Technology
section it is stated that “The Coast Guard will
become a leader within the military services
and DHS for adoption and use of advanced
technology, human-machine teaming, and data
to conduct operations, support, and enterprise
functions. Coast Guard forces will lead the way
in rapid identification, integration, and use of
technology to improve operations and deliver
mission results.”
NEW RDC HOMEBASE:
A Key Enabler from the FD28 Execution Plan
is to “Mature our organizational structure to
enshrine the Coast Guard’s competitive edge.”
It further states that “We will establish a Futures
Development and Integration (FD&I) Directorate
under the future Secretary of the Coast Guard
to proactively focus on future threats and
opportunities, develop new concepts, foster
innovation, enhance strategic alignment,
improve requirements, adopt technology faster,
and drive future-focused planning.” Research
and Development (R&D) is a key activity in
introducing advanced technology to the Service
and in delivering that competitive edge to Coast
Guard forces. R&D is a process along with
special disciplines to create new or improved
technology that can provide a competitive
advantage at the business, industry, or national
level. While the rewards can be very high, the
process of technological innovation (of which
R&D is the first phase) can be complex and risky.
FD&I was launched on September 2, 2025.
At initial operating capability, the new FD&I
Directorate brought together offices after several
sprints that unpacked and then repacked the
talent and capabilities to best support a new
set of organizational functional requirements.
The offices reporting to the FD&I Executive are
the Offices of Foresight & Strategy, Wargaming
and Innovation, Strategic Capabilities, Program
Analysis, & Evaluation, and the Research and
Development Center (RDC).
FD&I focus will be on long-term threats and
opportunities to position the Service to respond
to emerging geopolitical and operational
changes. Operational Concepts will be important
to the FD&I process. An Operational Concept
could be a new mission, a new type of force
package, or capability that is prioritized for further
development and experimentation. It will be
used to communicate ideas for solving strategic
problems along with generating planning
guidance that informs mission changes, strategy,
budgeting, and capability requirements.
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ACTIVE DUTY
The RDC role is to serve as a shared service
provider to FD&I, primarily as its execution
agent for research, modeling and simulation,
technology forecasting, field experimentation,
and rapid prototyping of concepts and emerging
technology. For example, RDC may be a recipient
of future Coast Guard wargaming outcomes and
go on to refine certain Operational Concepts
through field experimentation or help optimize
the introduction of emergent technologies into
the solution trade space.
AGILE RESEARCH PORTFOLIO:
RDC has a history of adapting its assigned
research portfolio to emergent situations. This
was done in support of port security initiatives
after terrorist attacks in 2001 or supporting
federal on-scene commanders with response
options during the Deepwater Horizon event
in 2010. When the 2025 Executive Order (EO)
of “Securing Our Borders” was issued RDC
immediately took stock of technology it was
working on that was supporting border security.
RDC added new efforts that included enhancing
drug detection protocols, especially as it relates
to fentanyl detection, and the use of non-kinetic
methods to stop non-compliant vessels. RDC
had over a dozen efforts supporting the EO.
Today, more than ever, the RDC must execute an
agile and adaptive research portfolio to support
the FD28 change revolution. While RDC will
continue to execute a priority research portfolio,
it will be responsive to FD&I strategic imperatives
and Operational Concepts where emerging
technology is part of the solution trade space.
To that end the RDC will have a continuous intake
process that will tie portfolio investments to Coast
Guard technology roadmaps.
PORTFOLIO IMPACTS:
While experimenting with technology opportunity
does not always result in a transition, many of
RDC’s portfolio investments have an impact to
Radome placed on the roof of Smith Hall, now a
prominent landmark, as part of a past project between
RDC and the Academy that explored CubeSat
applications. (US Coast Guard photo)
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U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION ACTIVE DUTY
the Service. The Spring 2025 edition of the Coast
Guard Proceedings offers a retrospective look
at past research impacts. In addition, the Coast
Guard Auxiliary is writing a history book detailing
the first 50 years of Coast Guard research. While
there are many programs of record that had their
start as research projects, the following are a
couple of recent examples of RDC impact to the
Service.
CUTTER CONNECTIVITY:
Up until several years ago, icebreakers
were employing geostationary satellites
for cutter connectivity. This provided low
bandwidth and less than reliable connectivity
to high latitude operations. The HEALY
and POLAR STAR communicated a desire
to improve connectivity. Proliferated Low
Earth Orbit (PLEO) satellites were a rapidly
emerging technology. DHS S&T and RDC
had demonstrated this emerging technology
opportunity through experimentation with
cube sats for high-latitude emergency
communications. Subsequently, RDC initiated
the “High Latitude Underway Connectivity”
project that leveraged a DoD partner’s
program to evaluate PLEO technology
for broadband internet connectivity. RDC
leveraged the Air Force Research Lab’s
prototype Starlink terminals to develop and
test on-the-move connectivity on icebreakers.
The first experiments were on HEALY and
later on the POLAR STAR. The increased
number of SpaceXPLEO satellites in orbit
and terminal enhancements further improved
cutter connectivity during the project.
It was around this time; the Coast Guard was
getting ready to recapitalize its satellite service
and decided on a pivot to Starlink (see article
on “Critical Connections” in Coast Guard
Proceedings Spring 2025 Edition) and placed
the first system on the CGC EAGLE. This was
highly successful and CGC EAGLE, circa April
2023, called the Commandant on TEAMS while
in 20-foot heavy seas and had an uninterrupted
conversation. Today, the C5I Service Center
has deployed Starlink and/or Starshield to the
fleet. There is no doubt it will be difficult for future
cutter crews in long deployments to ever imagine
being underway without this level of connectivity.
BEYOND VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT:
The Coast Guard employs a fleet of crewed
fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft to support
the prosecution of law enforcement missions,
fisheries, and migrant interdiction. Since 2016,
medium range - Unmanned Aviation Systems
(UAS) have been employed on the National
Security Cutters (NSC) in support of these
missions (see article on “Coast Guard R&D and
Uncrewed Systems” in Coast Guard Proceedings
Spring 2025 Edition). NSCs are equipped with air
search radar- and airspace directional controllers
to clear the air space to fly UAS beyond visual
line of sight (BVLOS). Most afloat assets,
including small boats, do not have this capability.
Imagine if all afloat assets could use UAS BVLOS
to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA).
Unlocking that technology opportunity was
what this project accomplished. RDC executed
research that developed technology in harmony
with FAA air space policy to enable wider UAS
operations in both national and international
airspace. A centerpiece of this work was the
Detect and Avoid (DAA) technology integrated
into small and medium range - UAS. The RDC
worked closely with industry to develop a novel
acoustic detection system that provides alerts
and automatically maneuvers the UAS out of the
way.
CURRENT PORTFOLIO:
The current portfolio was approved by the new
FD&I Executive in September 2025. The portfolio
includes 5 new efforts, 11 planned for completion
in FY26, and 16 continuing beyond FY26. It
is organized into focus areas of Autonomy,
Connectivity, Defense & Safety Systems,
Waterways Management & Response, and Data,
Modeling & Decision Support. Each focus area
has multiple lines of effort (LOEs) or projects that
address specific mission needs by executing
research. The following summarizes each focus
area and describes a representative LOE.
AUTONOMY:
This research area focuses on the application
of automation and autonomous technologies
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ACTIVE DUTY
to advance the capabilities of physical, virtual,
and other systems. It includes how autonomy
may be used by other maritime stakeholders
and/or adversaries, how that use will impact the
service, and how the service will need to adapt
to maintain a competitive edge. Autonomy in
its many shapes and forms offers the promise
of increased mission effectiveness from taking
on dull and dirty jobs to improving every
aspect of surveillance, detection, classification,
identification, and prosecution. The Coast
Guard commitment to autonomy was recently
demonstrated in the creation of a Program
Executive Office for Robotics and Autonomous
Systems (RAS) as part of FD28. At the RAS
Exposition held at Coast Guard headquarters in
August, the Navy Aerial Vehicle Pilot insignia was
pinned on the Coast Guard’s first aerial vehicle
pilot which includes being an MQ-9 (Predator)
Aircraft Commander. Today and tomorrow’s
Coast Guard operations will see increased
integration of autonomous capabilities below,
on, and above the sea and across the Service.
A centerpiece LOE effort includes the Robotic
and Intelligent Platform Testbed for Integrated
Deterrence & Enforcement (RIPTIDE). RIPTIDE
will include collaboration with industry, other
S-UAS being launched from a Fast Response Cutter
and small boat. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
government agencies, and academia. The
project concept will follow themes, i.e., maritime
domain awareness (MDA), search and rescue,
and maritime environmental response, that
challenge autonomous technology to solve
Coast Guard problems. The effort has already
jump-started in the Northeast District along the
U.S. and Canadian maritime border with MDA
experiments. In September, RDC deployed a
buoy wake sensor, autonomous sensing pontoon
boat, optionally crewed boats, and small UAS
to help establish patterns of life in these remote
border areas. These experiments along the
Northern border drew in operational assets to
take advantage of the increased MDA.
CONNECTIVITY:
The Connectivity portfolio focuses on Command,
Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber,
and Intelligence and extends to include
Information Technology and networking, mobile
U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION
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U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION ACTIVE DUTY
device solutions, data connectivity from all
sensors and platforms (crewed or uncrewed), at
any latitude and longitude. One LOE includes the
evaluation and testing of Very High Frequency
(VHF) Data Exchange System (VDES) impacts
on the Automatic Identification System (AIS).
AIS is a well-known ship-to-ship collision
avoidance system that allows for communication
of position, speed, and other ship data via a
VHF network. Mariners worldwide use AIS to
ensure safety at sea. Imagine if that capability
became unavailable because AIS channels
became overloaded. This project is investigating
this concern and experimenting with other
benefits of utilizing terrestrial and satellite radio
communication links in the VHF maritime mobile
spectrum. RDC recently delivered an update
Buoy wake sensor (left) and autonomous pontoon
platform (right) for conducting MDA. (U.S. Coast Guard
photo)
to its VDES technology roadmap that included
preliminary findings on the VDES R-Mode
testing as an alternative position, navigation,
and timing system. The next phase involves
experimentation on the satellite component
of VDES in a collaborative effort with Space
Norway to use their VDES satellite in concert
with RDC ground control stations. The goal of this
testing is to understand the transmit and receive
capabilities, limitations, and mission applicability
of VDES satellite to determine if it is an effective
means to extend AIS-VDES beyond traditional
terrestrial coverage, including areas with limited
to no coverage, e.g., polar regions.
DATA, MODELING & DECISION
SUPPORT:
The modeling portfolio focuses on enhancing
Coast Guard effectiveness using data, with
research supporting incorporation and
development of advanced methodologies, use
of emerging data technologies, and complex
analytics. A LOE includes supercharging the
current Coast Guard Maritime Operational
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Effectiveness Simulation (CGMOES) in support
of FD28 strategic studies. Leadership must make
difficult resource allocation decisions about the
fleet and its force structure to ready the Coast
Guard to emerging threats and/or new theaters
of operations. Being able to assess operational
effectiveness and system-wide tradeoffs of
cutter and aircraft fleet mixes is important. This
project is upgrading the Coast Guard campaign
model to do just that with additional concepts of
operation and capabilities.
DEFENSE & SAFETY SYSTEMS:
The Defense and Safety Systems portfolio focuses
on the safety of Coast Guard members, Marine
Transportation System, and the public. Defensive
systems include vessel stopping technologies,
counter uncrewed systems, cybersecurity,
and navigation systems to protect assets from
evolving threats. An LOE under this focus area
includes research of lithium-ion battery (LIBs)
hazards in the maritime environment. The rapid
adoption of LIB technology resulted in ubiquitous
applications including maritime settings. For
example, the worldwide battery-powered vessel
fleet grew from over a hundred vessels in 2017
to over a thousand in 2024. Imagine that you
are a first responder that encounters a thermal
runaway fire on a ferry where the electric vehicles
are stowed. A thermal runaway happens when
a chemical reaction begins generating heat
faster than the cell can cool. This is fairly-well
known about LIB technology. However, they are
not typical fires—they are difficult to extinguish
and release toxic gases. The RDC effort is
investigating
LIB fire behavior and propagation including future
laboratory experiments to mitigate these risks.
The goal is to inform Coast Guard policy and
close any regulatory gaps. RDC already released
preliminary findings highlighting LIB response
hazards to field units and first responders.
WATERWAYS MANAGEMENT &
RESPONSE:
The Waterways Management & Response
portfolio focuses on how the Coast Guard and
the public interacts with our evolving waterways,
including the Coast Guard’s role in facilitating
maritime commerce. An LOE includes research
into the use of biodegradable materials in
Western Rivers buoy construction. The current
Western Rivers ATON constellation includes
about 10,500 river buoys. Seasonal variability,
flooding, debris, and barge strikes result in a
high buoy loss rate. Many of these are never
found. Imagine if these unfound buoys were
biodegradable. This is more challenging than
it might seem. A viable solution must support
practical manufacturing and production costs.
Still, RDC researchers are investigating various
approaches, collecting market information from
industry requests for information, and creating
collaborations with its DoD partners like the Army
Research Lab.
CONCLUSION:
The successful integration of new technology,
particularly advancements stemming from
dedicated R&D efforts, holds the potential for
transformative impact. These innovations can
revolutionize operations, enhance productivity,
and unlock entirely new capabilities. Although
RDC received portfolio approval it will remain
flexible to pivot to high priority, immediate
research needs of the new Futures Development
and Integration (FD&I) Directorate and Coast
Guard senior leadership. The new homebase in
FD&I and Coast Guard renewed commitment to
technology integration represents a new chapter
and one of greater relevance for RDC for the next
50 years.
About the author: Mr. Bert Macesker is the
Executive Director at the USCG Research and
Development Center. The reader can find
many of the RDC public research products on
Defense Technical Information Center. General
questions can be emailed to
research@uscg.mil
ACTIVE DUTY
U.S. COAST GUARD INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
65

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION RETIREMENTS
RETIREMENTS
ABOLD, JUSTIN
ABRAHAM, BLAKE
ABRAMS, TIMOTHY
ABRUZZO, KEVIN
ACOSTA, STEVEN
ACREE, BOBBY
ACUNA, NICOLAS
ADKINS, THOMAS
AHRENS, EVAN
ALBERT, JASON
ALEXANDER, JAMES
ALEXANDER, ROXANA
ALLEN, ISAC
ALTON, CHRISTOPHER
ALVES CRUZ, MARTIN
ANDERSON, CHARLES
ANDERSON, JASON
ANDERSON, LEIF
ANDERSON, MATTHEW
ANDERSON, RAYMOND
ARLES, MELISSA
ARREDONDO, OMAR
ARVELO, AMILCAR
ATHERTON, HUNTER
ATKINSON, BRYAN
BAKER, ANTHONY
BALDWIN, SHERMAN
BANDUCCI, GREGORY
BANKS, KARLI
BARBARINO, HOLLY
BARBER, DAVID
BARBER, MICHAEL
BARDO, LARRY
BARNES, JARED
BARNEY, MARK
USCG
BMC
BM1
BMCM
OSC
CAPT
AMTC
MEC
AET1
OS1
BMCS
YN1
MK1
MKC
MK1
MK2
MKCM
MLES3
BM1
LCDR
OSS3
CAPT
SKC
EM1
CDR
MECM
MKC
BMC
AMTCM
MEC
CS3
MSSE2
AMTC
ME1
BM1
PAC
10-01-2025
11-11-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-20-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-30-2025
09-24-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
09-25-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-12-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
BARRETT, MARK
BATTERMANN, RUSTIN
BAXTER, JAMES
BEATY, SHAWN
BEAUDOIN, THOMAS
BECK, JONATHAN
BEHERA, JESSICA
BENCH, JUSTIN
BENDER, ANDREW
BENIN, JOSEPH
BERRY, JAMES
BICANDI, NICHOLAS
BIEFELD, BRIAN
BILLINGS, SHANE
BLACK, JAIME
BLOOM, ORION
BODDEN, STEPHANIE
BOGERT, KENNETH
BOLOGNO, VINCENT
BORDEN, GARRETT
BOSKO, JASON
BOSSEN, BROOK
BOWEN, TORRY
BOYER, RICARDO
BRADLEY, ZEBULON
BRANDSTAETTER, KURT
BRENNAN, JOHN
BRENNAN, SARAH
BREWER, MICHAEL
BRIDGES, MAX
BRIELMAIER, ERIC
BRODHEAD, ROBERT
BROMWELL, MATTHEW
BROWN, CHRISTOPHER
BROWN, JEFFREY
ISC
MSTC
MKCM
AETCM
BMCS
OS1
CAPT
LCDR
CAPT
CAPT
LCDR
SKC
BMCS
MKCS
AMTC
CDR
AET1
ET1
AET2
MEC
HSC
MLES3
OSC
F&S4
BMC
CDR
ASTC
CDR
MSTCM
BM1
ITCM
BMCS
BMCM
AET1
MSSD4
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-04-2025
10-03-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
66 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

!
BROWNE, DWYANE
BRUSH, GREGORY
BULL, MICHAEL
BURCH, MICHAEL
BURGRABE, DAX
BURKE, DOROTHY
BURNS, SHAWN
BYBEE, CHRISTOPHER
BYBEE, JEFF
CALDWELL, ALEXANDER
CAMACHO, IVAN
CAMPBELL, BRYAN
CAMPBELL, RYAN
CAMPOS, ERNESTO
CANDELARIA, JOSHUA
CANDELARIO, JULIO
CANTU, CLAUDIO
CARDENAS, JULIO
CARLETON, ERICK
CARLEY, JANE
CARMONA, ASHLEY
CARR, BRIAN
CARR, TINA
CARRELO, EDGAR
CAYMAZ, ALI
CERNOVICH, ADAM
CHAIN, JOHN
CHASE, CHRISTOPHER
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.
YN1
MK1
BM1
BMCM
BMCM
YNC
AETCM
MKC
CDR
BMC
MK1
ENG4
MKC
YNC
YN1
ENG3
MEC
BMC
YNC
CDR
SN
MSTC
YN1
LT
SKC
CDR
AMTC
CAPT
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-16-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
CHAVALIA, KOLE
CHOPEK, STEPHEN
CLABBY, JOSHUA
CLARE, BRADLEY
CLAROS, BALMORE
CLIFFORD, MEGAN
COHAN, PATRICK
COLLINS, CARNICIA
COLLINS, CHAD
COLLINS, KURTIS
COLON, ANTHONY
COLON, JOHN
CONALES, FLORITO
CONCEPCION, RAYMOND
CONREY, JANA
CONROY, LEE
CORBISIERO, JAMES
CORDERO, STEVEN
CORTESE, MICHAEL
COULTER, ANDRAE
COWAN, ROBERT
CRISTOBAL, REMUS
CROWLEY, CHRISTOPHER
CSECH, EDWARD
CULWELL, MATTHEW
DALTON, TAUREAN
DAMATO, ROBERT
DANIELS, STEPHAN
BMC
AMTCS
ME1
CAPT
EMC
CDR
MSSE3
PERS3
MK1
ENG2
LTJG
MSSD4
EMC
MEC
IT1
MLES4
BOSN2
YN2
CDR
MKC
AETC
MK1
LT
F&S4
MK1
F&S2
GMC
SK1
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
09-28-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
RETIREMENTS
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
67

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION RETIREMENTS
DAVID, JUSTIN
DAVIDSON, MATTHEW
DAVILA, CATHERINE
DAVIS, JAMIE
DEASON, NATHAN
DECARDENAS, BRANDON
DECK, JEFFREY
DEERY, JESSE
DELROSSO, FRANCIS
DEMATTIA, MARCO
DENNING, MATTHEW
DIAZ, ANTONIO
DILLON, PETER
DIOQUINO, MICHAEL
DIOU, AKSEL
DIXON, ANNA
DIXON, LIONEL
DLABAJ, NATHAN
DOMINGO, JODY
DORSEY, BRANDON
DOUGLAS, CHRISTOPHER
DOVICO, LAURA
DOYLE, KEVIN
DRAUSZEWSKI, STEPHEN
DUDA, JACOB
DUPREE, KYLE
DUSEK, MATTHEW
EADY, IAN
EAKER, KIRSTIN
EARHART, BRANDON
EASLEY, RONALD
EGAN, JOHN
ELLIS, ANGELA
ELLISTON, CHARLES
EVAN, JOEL
EVANS, MICHELLE
FAIRCHILD, COLT
FAIVRE, DANIEL
MAT2
AETC
HSC
YNC
ETCS
LCDR
BMC
LCDR
CAPT
MK3
CAPT
GM1
MKC
MKCM
CS2
CDR
MSSE2
MKC
OS1
EM1
CAPT
PERS3
BM1
LCDR
LT
BMCM
YNCS
BMCM
MST1
LCDR
CDR
CAPT
SK2
AMT1
MK1
MKC
BOSN2
F&S4
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-17-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-29-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-06-2025
09-15-2025
10-01-2025
11-03-2025
09-22-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
FARR, SCOTT
FEENSTRA, JIMMY
FELIX, MIGUEL
FELLOWS, JEFFREY
FERGUSON, PATRICK
FIAMMETTA ALVAREZ, TRACI-ANN
FILION, KRISTOPHER
FLEMING, GEORGE
FLOOD, JAMES
FLORIO, STEVEN
FOLEY, COLLEEN
FORTE, JENNIFER
FOSTER, ANDREW
FOX, BRANDON
FRAZIER, JOEY
FREEMAN, JEFFREY
GALINANES, ANGEL
GANDY, MARY
GARCIA, THOMAS
GARDINER, MORGAN
GARREN, SCOTT
GASIOR, MATTHEW
GAUDREN, CRAIG
GAUTHIER, RICHARD
GAYTAN, CYNTHIA
GEISEL, RYAN
GEYER, WESLEY
GIBSON, AUDREY
GIBSON, DEREK
GOEPP, CHRISTOPHER
GONZALEZ, JUAN
GORMAN, KAMEO
GRAHAM, TRACY
GRALEWSKI, ALEK
GRAVES, JEFFREY
GREGORY, BRIEANNE
GRULKE, JOSHUA
GUTIERREZ, ALEX
HABEL, JOSEPH
HAHN, KRISTEN
HALASZ, MICHAEL
HALL, MICHAEL
HANSEN, KARL
HARRIS, GRAYLIN
HARRIS, WILLIAM
HART, DANIEL
HEARING, ANDREW
HEGGARTY, DOMINIC
HENDERSON, DAVID
HENDERSON, STEPHEN
HENDRICKS, MATTHEW
CDR
AMTC
ENG4
DCC
BMC
CDR
AMTC
BMCM
AET1
LCDR
LCDR
BMC
SN
HSC
AMT3
YNC
CDR
PERS4
LCDR
BMC
AST2
ITCM
AMTC
MKC
PERS3
F&S4
CDR
YN1
SK1
MK1
WEPS2
MED4
CS1
AETC
BM2
YN1
BMCS
SK1
BM1
CDR
OSC
BOSN2
CAPT
SK1
BMCM
BMC
MECM
F&S4
MK1
LCDR
BMC
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-29-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-30-2025
10-01-2025
09-12-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-07-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-30-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-18-2025
10-01-2025
09-29-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
68 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

HENEBERY, RYAN
HENRY, SCOTT
HERMESCH, BRENDAN
HERNANDEZ, RAMON
HERNANDEZ, ROBERT
HINKLEY, AUTUMN
HOERNER, SAVANNA
HOFFER, JUSTIN
HOFFLER, BARBARA
HOFSCHNEIDER, RICHARD
HOLMAN, JEREMY
HOLT, NATHAN
HOMMERSON, SCOTT
HOPKINS, TIJA
HUBERTY, CHRISTOPHER
HUCKBAY, HUNTER
HUGGINS, MICHAEL
HUNTER, ERIN
INGRAM, JASON
JAMES, ADAM
JAMES, MATTHEW
JARDEN, JAMES
JEANES, CHRISINA
JENKINS, ROBERT
JENSEN, RICHARD
JOHN, KYLE
JOHNSON, EARL
JOHNSON, GRAVES
JOHNSON, GREGORY
JOHNSTON, MICHAEL
JONES, ALLEN
JONES, CALLEY
JONES, EMMANUEL
JONES, HEATH
KACZMAR, MARIN
KANE, NICHOLAS
KEALIINOHOMOKU, BRANDONN
KEANE, TIMOTHY
KELLY, NICHOLAS
KENNY, KALEN
KERSTEN, ROBERT
KETELHUT, ANDREW
KINDYA, ANDREW
KING, ELIZABETH
KIRKSEY, AJA
KISSELL, DAVID
KITCHIN, ANDREW
KLAMPT, GREGORY
KLEIN, WILLIAM
KNOLL, JACOB
KNOWLTON, JUSTIN
CDR
BMC
AMT1
YNC
BM1
MK2
MST3
MSSD3
INV4
BMC
OSC
BMC
AMT1
YNC
CAPT
EM3
MKCM
HSC
CAPT
MEC
BOSN4
MKCM
LT
GMC
MKC
BM1
ET1
GMC
CAPT
RADM
DV2
MKCS
LT
MCPOCG
ELC4
LT
MEC
MKCS
MKC
CDR
OSCS
CSC
BMCS
MSSE4
CAPT
OSC
BMC
BMCM
MKCM
EMC
ELC2
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-03-2025
10-18-2025
11-11-2025
09-08-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-30-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-09-2025
10-01-2025
09-25-2025
09-04-2025
11-01-2025
10-16-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-18-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-31-2025
11-01-2025
KOCH, CODY
KOCH, ROBERT
KOEHLER, MICHAEL
KOHL, CHRISTOPHER
KONON, JENNIFER
KOSTECKI, BRIAN
KULICK, JOSEPH
LACHARITE, MICHAEL
LACHOWSKY, PAUL
LACY, JUSTIN
LADNIER, STEPHEN
LAFOLLETTE, TERENCE
LAMB, NICHOLAS
LANDIS, MARK
LANIGAN, JOSEPH
LARKIN, ROBERT
LATTA, MITCHELL
LEACH, MONIKA
LEE, JASON
LEE, JONATHAN
LEE, SCOTT
LEE, SUSANA
LENZ, DANIEL
LEONARD, KYLE
LEWIS, CHRISTOPHER
LIM, KRIS EMMANUEL
LINEBARGER, DOUGLAS
LINEBERRY, PATRICK
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-07-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-11-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-21-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-13-2025
10-01-2025
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
MSTC
MECM
CDR
BMC
CAPT
CAPT
MK2
ITC
ELC4
BMC
MKC
MSTC
ENG3
MKCM
BMC
MEC
LCDR
BM3
BM1
BMC
BMC
CAPT
MKC
OSC
DCC
YNC
FSC
CAPT
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
RETIREMENTS
69

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION RETIREMENTS
LINVILLE, LAUREN
LITTLE, ELIZABETH
LIVINGSTON, GREGORY
LLANES, MICHAEL
LONGO, PATRICK
LONGSTREET, KELLY
LOOBY, KERRY
LOPES, BRIAN
LOPEZ, ALEXIS
LOSINGER, MATTHEW
LOVELAND, ERICA
LYONS, JONATHAN
MACDONALD, MARK
MACE, THEODORE
MACLEAN, JEREMY
MADJESKA, ANDREW
MAHONEY, AARON
MALEC, DANIEL
MANALO, MICHAEL
MANEY, CHRISTOPHER
MANGOLD, LUCAS
MANSELL, THOMAS
MARCO, JAMES
MARQUARDT, JACOB
MARTIN, JAMIE
MARTIN, PATRICIA
MARTINBORO, JEVAUN
MARTINEZ, AMBER
MARTINEZ, EMALY
MARTINEZ, JUAN
MASED, TALAL
MATHIS, CHRISTIAN
MATLOCK, HARLEY
MAUCK, COLLIN
MAYER, MATTHEW
MAYFIELD, CEDRIC
MAYNARD, CASEY
MCCANN, AMY
MCCLAY, RYAN
MCCONVILLE, KEITH
MCGETTRICK, MICHAEL
MCGHEE, MATTHEW
MCGILLEY, JOSEPH
MCGUIRE, JAIDA
MCGUIRE, THOMAS
MCLAMB, GREGORY
MCMONAGLE, ROBERT
MCNEAL, ALFRED
MCNEIL, ALBERT
MCSWEENEY, SEAN
MEBANE, RYAN
LCDR
HSC
DCC
MSTC
DCC
MED2
OSC
BMC
BMC
BMCS
F&S2
MKC
BMC
AMTCS
AETC
CDR
OS1
MST1
BM1
BM1
DCC
CDR
AMTC
MSTC
BOSN2
OS3
MEC
MLES2
SA
LCDR
BM2
MAT4
BMCM
BMC
LCDR
MUC
AETCS
SK1
BMCS
BMC
BOSN2
EMCS
CAPT
HSC
LCDR
CDR
YNC
SKC
DCCS
ENG4
MK1
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-18-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-22-2025
10-01-2025
10-13-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-09-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-25-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-12-2025
MEDICK, CHRISTIAN
MEDINA, NAZARIO
MEIER, MICHAEL
MELO, SILVIO
MERIDETH, KEVIN
MERRITT, FREDERICK
MESSENGER, CHRISTOPHER
METCALF, ELLYN
MEURE, KYLE
MEYERS, ANDREW
MICHALSKI, ADRIAN
MILAN, CLETUS
MILHORN, LANDON
MILLER, BRADLEY
MILLER, DUSTIN
MILLS, BENJAMIN
MINADEO, RICHARD
MIOZZI, MICHAEL
MIYATAKI, RYAN
MOBLEY, KENNEATH
MODER, GREGORY
MONAHAN, MATTHEW
MONCE, CRAIG
MONTEMAYOR, SANTIAGO
MOONEY, JAMES
MOORE, NIKKI
MORA, ERWIN
MORALES, LESLIE
MORISSEAU, PETER
MORLEY EPKEY, QUINN
MOSQUERA, DANIEL
MOUNIXAY, KANHA
MULDER, THOMAS
MURPHY, RICHARD
MYERS, CATHERINE
MYJAK, JAMES
MYRES, CORLEY
NAKASH, ANTHONY
NICHOLL, MATTHEW
NOGGLE, JUSTIN
OCHOA, SIMON
OELLRICH, ERNEST
OLSON, SEAN
OMENHISER, ROGER
ORBINATI, JOSHUA
ORLANDO, JOSEPH
OROPEZA, LUIS
PAGE, CHRISTOPHER
PAGE, EDWARD
PAPPAS, JAMES
PARK, TRAVIS
CDR
IT3
BMC
EMC
MAT4
CDR
BMC
CDR
ENG4
CAPT
CDR
AVI4
BM1
AMT1
ETCS
ENG4
MKC
HS1
MEC
MK1
ETC
LCDR
AET1
MEC
ET1
AMT1
ETC
YN1
CAPT
LT
GM1
MK1
LCDR
YNC
YN1
BMC
OSCS
BM1
EM1
CAPT
ASTC
CSCS
BMC
CAPT
BM1
BMCM
BMC
AMTCS
MKC
MKC
BMCM
10-01-2025
09-30-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-29-2025
11-01-2025
09-21-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-16-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-25-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
70 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

PASCARELLA, MICHAEL
PATA, JADE
PATA, JASON
PATTERSON, MICHAEL
PAYNE, JEFFREY
PAYNE, REAGAN
PERE, CHRISTOPHER
PEREZ, DANIEL
PEREZ, FRANCISCO
PEREZ, LUIS
PERRYMAN, TRAVIS
PEVETO, ANTHONY
PHELTS, ROGER
PHILLIPS, JOHN
PHILLIPS, MARK
PHY, SCOTT
PIERCE, JEYAR
PILLOW, MICHAEL
POLEY, BRITTANY
POLEY, JOHN
POPPINK, NATHAN
PORTER, GREGORY
POST, RUSSELL
POWERS, DANIEL
PRICE, SHAWN
PRITCHETT, SHELBY
PRZYBYLA, THOMAS
QUINTERO, ALEJANDRO
RABORN, TREVOR
RAMIREZ, KEVIN
RAZOYK, CHRISTOPHER
READ, LEVI
REGIER, MARK
REICHL, RAYMOND
RENDON, CHRISTOPHER
REUTER, EMILY
RICE, CHARLES
RICE, NICOLE
RICHARDS, JASON
RICKS, MATTHEW
ROBBINS, KYLE
ROBERTS, ROGER
ROBISON, NEIL
RODRIGUEZ, FRANCISCO
RODRIGUEZ, LUISNEY
RODRIGUEZ, ROBERT
ROEBUCK, HAROLD
ROSKO, RONALD
RUDD, DAVID
RUSSELL, MICHAEL
RUSTON, DYLAN
AET1
YNCS
BMCM
CDR
CAPT
AVI4
LT
AMTC
BM1
ME1
AMTCM
ELC4
MKCS
BOSN4
BM1
CAPT
CDR
MK2
CDR
LCDR
BMC
BMC
MST1
GM2
DVC
YNC
CDR
LCDR
AMTC
BMC
ASTCS
PAC
ETC
CDR
OSC
CAPT
AVI4
BMC
ME1
MSSD4
MKCS
ME1
SKCS
ISCS
MKC
ENG2
MKC
GMC
F&S4
CDR
MSSE4
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-30-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-05-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
RYAN, DARRELL
SABOE, OLAV
SADLER, ANDREW
SADLER, HATTIE
SAGERS, JOSHUA
SAMPERT, RONALD
SAMUELS, ROBERT
SANCHEZ, SEAN
SAVARD, BRENDAN
SCHMOLL, STEVEN ROBERT
SERGEY, JEREMY
SHEA, PHILIP
SHERMAN, SETH
SHIPLEY, JEROME
SHISHIDO, BRANDON
SHOOK, NATHAN
SHORE, CHRISTOPHER
SHULTZ, TREVOR
SIMCIC, GREGORY
SIMPSON, JOSEPH
SLADE, SCOTT
SLATER, JOSEPH
SLAVINSKI, DENIS
SMALL, SEAN
SMITH, COLLEEN
SMITH, JOSHUA
SMITH-CARLSON, JENNIFFER
SNIDER, BENJAMIN
SNYDER, JAMES
SOLUM, MICHAEL
SOPKO, DANIEL
SPALDING, STACY
SPENCER, AARON
SPERRY, TIMOTHY
SPITLER, JAMES
STANDIFER, MITCHELL
STANIEWICZ, TAYLOR
STATHAM, ANDREW
STEVENS, SANDRA
STONE, CLINTON
STONE, NOAH
STRENKERT, CHRISTINE
SUCHANEK, GEORGE
SUH, WOO
SUPRUN, DARIAN
SUYAT, BRONSON
SVENCER, CHRISTOPHER
SWINTEK, BRYAN
TAMM, JASON
TAVERNIER, DANIEL
TAYLOR, DAN
MKCS
CAPT
BMC
CS3
CDR
MST1
PERS2
ME1
MECS
ET1
BMC
AMT1
MKC
BM1
MSTC
GMC
BMCS
EM1
BMCM
GMC
BMCM
BMCS
AETC
MK1
LCDR
BMC
YNCM
BMCS
MECS
MSTC
MSSE2
F&S3
ELC4
LCDR
CAPT
BMC
MKC
BMC
YNCM
ME1
SN
CSCS
CDR
YNC
MK1
ENG3
CDR
CDR
AMT1
CDR
GMC
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-03-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-19-2025
09-08-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-29-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
RETIREMENTS
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
71

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION RETIREMENTS
TERRY, GRANT
TESLER, MAILE
TETZLAFF, ROBERT
THARPE, TONI
THOMAS, KEITH
THOMSON, WADE
THOR, JEFFREY
TIDEY, JOSHUA
TILLINGER, BRIAN
TIMMERMAN, KIMBERLY
TINEO, JOSE
TOBOSA, JOSHUA
TONER, CHRISTOPHER
TORRES, TIMOTHY
TRAITEL, JOSUE
TRICON, JESSE
TURNER, BRANDON
UPDIKE, ROBERT
UYENO, RICKY
VALENTINE, STEPHEN
VANCE, BRANDON
VANDEHEI, RYAN
VANDEWETTERING, JASON
VANE, TERRY
VASQUEZ, JESUS
VELASQUEZ, JUAN
VELEZ, TISON
VERRETT, NICHOLAS
VILLANO, JAMES
VIZZI, JOSEPH
VOTINOV, JENNIFER
WARD, MARK
MKC
CDR
OSC
MKCM
CDR
LCDR
BMC
OSS4
CSCS
PERS2
SKC
BMC
BM1
EM1
CSC
LCDR
AMTC
ASTC
CSC
CDR
OSCS
LCDR
ET1
SKC
MEC
ET1
AMT1
EMC
ENG2
BMCS
LCDR
BMC
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-31-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-08-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
WATKINS, SHERMAR
WAYMENT, MAREK
WEAGRAFF, STEPHEN
WEBER, CHRISTOPHER
WEBER, JOHN
WEIS, SKY
WELCH, KRISTA
WELLS, RICHARD
WHITE, JASON
WHITE, TYLER
WIDDOWS, RYAN
WILCOX, DAMIAN
WILLARD, THOMAS
WILLIAMS, BOBBY
WILLIAMS, FRANKLIN
WILLIAMS, TRENT
WILSON, TIMOTHY
WITT, ADAM
WODKE, COLEY
WOEHRLE, CASEY
WOLF, STEPH
WOOD, ROBERT
WOODS, JOHN
WOOTEN, CHRISTOPHER
WRIGHT, JOEL
WYCKO, PATRICK
YEADON, CHRISTOPHER
YKEMA, CHAD
YOUMANS, DON
ZANICKROWSKY, KATHERINE
ZENTHOEFER, CHAD
ZUCKERMAN, ANDREW
OSCS
ELC2
CDR
LCDR
DCCS
DCC
CDR
BM1
CSC
BMC
BMCM
ENG4
ELC3
LCDR
LCDR
BM1
BM1
BMCS
MSTC
CS2
ETCM
OSCM
ENG4
MSTC
LCDR
MSSD4
EM1
AMTC
BMCS
OSCS
BMC
CDR
COAST GUARD TRANSITION ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM (TAP)
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-08-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-28-2025
10-01-2025
10-05-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
09-30-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-02-2025
11-11-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
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/
72 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

!
BELCHER, FRANCES
BELOUIN, SEAN
BEYALE, SHANNON
BIVENS, TOMIKA
BOATRIGHT, ALICIA
BOESE, JULIA
BROUNSTEIN, DANIEL
BULLOCK, CLINTON
CAMPBELL, SHARI
CAROTHERS, JOHN
CASARES, ROSALIA
CHI, AMY
COTTLE-DELISLE, CANDICE
DEEGALA, CHANDIMA
DUNN, SOMYA
ELEKWACHI, OLUCHI
ENGELMAN, DAVID
ESPINOSA, ISABEL
FRITSCHE, LINDSAY
GAINES, ROBERT
GELTING, RICHARD
GILLIS, CINDY
GOOD, DAVID
HILL, RYAN
HINTON, DENISE
USCG & USPHS are addressing errors in USPHS ranks due to differences in permanent and temporary ranks. Any
corrected ranks are denoted with an asterisk.
USPHS
HOBSON-POWELL, ELIZABETH
CDR
CAPT
CDR
CDR
CDR
LCDR
CDR
CAPT
CAPT
CDR
CDR
CAPT
CDR
CAPT
CDR
CAPT
CDR
LCDR
LCDR
CAPT
CAPT
CAPT
CAPT
CAPT
RADM
CAPT
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
11-01-2025
11-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
HUSTEDT, JOEL
JACKSON, DEBORAH
KEATING, NATALIE
LEE, CHIEN-YING
LUU, LORI
MARTIN, STEPHEN
MARTINSON, MARIANNE
MCCOY, LIRISSIA
MEAD, CHRISTINA
PARKER, REGGI
PHILLIPS, DEBORAH
QUINN, JOHN
RINALDI, MICHAEL
RUIZ-BELTRAN, MARTIN
RUSLAVAGE, MICHELLE
SEEL, EVELYN
SIMMS, JOSHUA
STEVENSON, JENNIFER
SUGGS, COURTNEY
TURNER, TARA
UPTON, SHEILA
VILLALOBOS, HUMBERTO
WEISE, KARLA
WHITE, JONATHAN
ZAPATA, LAUREN
CDR
LCDR
CDR
CDR
CAPT
CAPT
CAPT
LCDR
CAPT
LCDR
CDR
CAPT
CDR
CAPT
CAPT
CDR
CAPT
CAPT
CDR
CAPT
CDR
LCDR
LCDR
LCDR
CDR
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
11-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
10-01-2025
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: 571-607-4246
(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.)
RETIREMENTS
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
73

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: 571-607-4246.
USCG
ADAMCHAK, FREDERICK
WILLIAMSBURG, VA
CDR
RET. 07-16-2006
TAPS 11-12-2025
BLAIR, PATRICK
SPRINGFIELD, MO
CDR
RET. 08-01-1996
TAPS 09-23-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
AKIN, DUDLEY
SEDALIA, MO
ALLIGOOD, DAVID
PUNTA GORDA, FL
ALMSKOG, DOUGLAS
BOHEMIA, NY
ARMSTRONG, RONALD
CLEMSON, SC
BALSDON, CHARLES
BOOTHBAY HBR, ME
BAXTER, GARY
EDMONDS, WA
BELAIR, AARON
EUSTIS, FL
BENSON, MARK
LARGO, FL
BEYER, DONALD
LONGWOOD, FL
BIGGS, RICHARD
CASCADE, ID
BLACK, CHARLES
WINCHENDON, MA
MKC
YNC
LT
ENG4
BM1
MKC
MK1
SK1
FS1
YN1
HSCM
RET. 10-01-1976
TAPS 08-10-2025
RET. 08-03-2000
TAPS 10-01-2025
RET. 01-19-2009
TAPS 09-06-2025
RET. 02-01-1998
TAPS 10-25-2025
RET. 06-01-1969
TAPS 08-20-2025
RET. 04-01-1990
TAPS 10-03-2025
RET. 08-01-2009
TAPS 09-25-2025
RET. 11-01-2003
TAPS 08-27-2025
RET. 11-26-1996
TAPS 10-31-2025
RET. 08-25-2011
TAPS 08-26-2025
RET. 08-22-2007
TAPS 10-07-2025
BONACHEA, DAVID
ALAMEDA, CA
BOWER, JAMES
OLATHE, KS
BROWN, LARRY
EAGLE, ID
BURRELL, JAMES
SLIDELL, LA
BUSIG, GERALD
BOTHELL, WA
CALAPAN, ABELARDO
FRIENDSWOOD, TX
CAMPBELL, COLLIN
EVENSVILLE, TN
CARROLL, CHARLES
JACKSONVILLE, FL
CARTER, GORDON
PORT ORCHARD, WA
CARTER, JAMES
ST AUGUSTINE, FL
CASHEN, KELLY
GARDEN CITY, ID
MED3
ENG4
BMCS
CWO3
BMC
FS1
CAPT
MSTC
CWO3
CDR
OSC
RET. 12-01-2004
TAPS 09-02-2025
RET. 02-01-2003
TAPS 09-04-2025
RET. 06-01-1979
TAPS 09-20-2025
RET. 09-01-1987
TAPS 08-19-2025
RET. 06-01-1981
TAPS 08-26-2025
RET. 12-01-1975
TAPS 09-05-2025
RET. 07-31-2005
TAPS 09-07-2025
RET. 07-01-2010
TAPS 09-02-2025
RET. 01-01-1984
TAPS 09-11-2025
RET. 04-08-1994
TAPS 08-13-2025
RET. 11-24-2004
TAPS 08-22-2025
74 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

CATE, SETH
SEQUIM, WA
GM2
RET. 10-01-2019
TAPS 10-12-2025
DIMAURO, PAUL
ELGIN, SC
BOSN4
RET. 10-01-1991
TAPS 08-26-2025
TAPS
CECE, JOHN
ODENTON, MD
CAPT
RET. 09-27-1995
TAPS 09-14-2025
DINWIDDIE, RONALD
ELDON, MO
FS1
RET. 05-01-1976
TAPS 09-26-2025
CLAYCOMB, PAT
AMERICAN FORK, UT
HSCS
RET. 10-01-1984
TAPS 08-26-2025
DONTOGAN, FELIX
FAIRFIELD, CA
HSCM
RET. 07-01-1995
TAPS 10-05-2025
CLEMENTZ, JAMES
VIRGINIA BCH, VA
OSS4
RET. 10-01-2005
TAPS 10-13-2025
DRURY, TIMOTHY
SCHERERVILLE, IN
MSSD4
RET. 09-01-2015
TAPS 08-28-2025
COPELAND, RODNEY
LAWTON, OK
YN1
RET. 06-01-2009
TAPS 10-22-2025
EARWOOD, JOHN
FAIRVIEW, NC
EMCM
RET. 07-01-1984
TAPS 10-20-2025
CORNETT, LARRY
JACKSONVILLE, FL
TC2
RET. 09-01-1996
TAPS 09-14-2025
ELDRIDGE, JAMES
HARRISON, OH
MK1
RET. 08-09-2003
TAPS 09-06-2025
COVERT, CALVIN
POWHATAN, VA
MSTC
RET. 11-23-2009
TAPS 09-19-2025
ENRIQUEZ, EFREN
LAS FLORES, CA
FSCS
RET. 02-01-1986
TAPS 09-30-2025
COVINGTON, WILLIAM
BOTHELL, WA
ENC
RET. 09-01-1966
TAPS 09-12-2025
EVANS, EMORY
GLOUSTER, VA
MKCS
RET. 06-01-1982
TAPS 07-23-2024
CUERONI, RICHARD
ATLANTIC BCH, FL
RADM
RET. 07-01-1989
TAPS 10-13-2025
EVELYN, CALVIN
FLUSHING, NY
MAT4
RET. 09-07-1992
TAPS 10-21-2025
CURRY, JOHN
STOUGHTON, MA
DAVIS, TIMOTHY
HOUSTON, TX
DEAN, MICHAEL
SANTA MARIA, CA
DEARMAN, JIMMIE
DALLAS, TX
DECKER, FREDERICK
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
DELGADO, CELESTINO
CHURCHVILLE, MD
DEROLF, JOHN
MULLICA HILL, NJ
DERR, ERVIN
ELIZABETH CITY, NC
DEVARIE, ROBERTO
ORLANDO, FL
DICKMAN, CARROL
ANTIGO, WI
DIERINGER, STEVEN
VANCOUVER, WA
CDR
SK1
CWO4
YN1
EMC
SKC
MKCS
AVI4
LT
ATCS
TCC
RET. 02-01-1973
TAPS 10-08-2025
RET. 09-01-2007
TAPS 10-18-2025
RET. 06-01-1990
TAPS 09-06-2025
RET. 10-22-2008
TAPS 09-29-2025
RET. 10-01-1982
TAPS 10-22-2025
RET. 12-01-1981
TAPS 08-25-2025
RET. 12-01-1977
TAPS 09-26-2025
RET. 11-01-1999
TAPS 08-22-2025
RET. 10-01-2003
TAPS 08-21-2025
RET. 08-01-1983
TAPS 08-20-2025
RET. 07-01-1995
TAPS 09-25-2025
EWING, DANA
NEW LONDON, CT
FERGUSON, MELVYN
ELIZABETH CITY, NC
FLEMING, EDWARD
HOUSTON, TX
FLOYD, DARREL
NORTH OGDEN, UT
FRANCESCO, LOUIS
VENTNOR, NJ
FUNSCH, RICHARD
ST PETERSBURG, FL
MUC
CWO4
AM1
CDR
RD3
CAPT
RET. 08-01-1982
TAPS 09-10-2025
RET. 09-01-1980
TAPS 08-18-2025
RET. 02-01-1991
TAPS 09-30-2025
RET. 08-11-1995
TAPS 10-01-2025
RET. 05-02-1968
TAPS 08-30-2025
RET. 02-04-1991
TAPS 08-23-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
75

TAPS
GARRIOTT, JERALD
CALAIS, ME
DCCS
RET. 10-01-1975
TAPS 10-29-2025
HAMPTON, FLOYD
ELIZABETH CITY, NC
AM1
RET. 02-01-1992
TAPS 10-04-2025
GASKINS, WILLIAM
ASTORIA, OR
FSC
RET. 07-01-1995
TAPS 08-16-2025
HANNA, STEPHEN
WHEELING, WV
PSCS
RET. 09-14-2002
TAPS 07-24-2025
GAUDIOSI, RICHARD
LEWES, DE
CDR
RET. 08-01-2000
TAPS 08-04-2025
HARDGROVE, JOHN
DAYTONA, FL
TC1
RET. 08-06-1996
TAPS 09-04-2025
GIGLIETTE, VICTOR
HOPKINSVILLE, KY
ET1
RET. 12-01-2015
TAPS 08-08-2025
HAYES, CHARLES
TIVOLI, NY
PS1
RET. 09-26-2003
TAPS 09-05-2025
GILLIAM, GEORGE
CLEVELAND HTS, OH
LT
RET. 01-15-2004
TAPS 10-01-2025
HEINEMANN, PAUL
AMHERST, NH
MK1
RET. 11-15-2010
TAPS 10-08-2025
GOWARD, RICHARD
ALEXANDRIA, VA
CDR
RET. 07-01-1970
TAPS 08-30-2025
HENLEY, JAMES
ADAMSTOWN, MD
MAT4
RET. 10-01-2010
TAPS 07-19-2025
GREEN, STEVEN
W JORDAN, UT
MKC
RET. 10-22-2001
TAPS 08-22-2025
HENRY, HAROLD
GULFPORT, MS
BM1
RET. 02-01-1976
TAPS 10-18-2025
GRIFFIN, FRED
LOCKPORT, LA
F&S3
RET. 03-01-2003
TAPS 10-11-2025
HENSLEY, GLEN
PENSACOLA, FL
LCDR
RET. 07-01-1993
TAPS 07-12-2025
GROLEAU, MICHAEL
HOPE, RI
LTJG
RET. 07-29-2007
TAPS 09-08-2025
HILL, HARRY
CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND, VA
CWO4
RET. 11-01-1984
TAPS 08-07-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
GUILMETTE, CHRISTOPHER
CHEPACHET, RI
HAAS, HENRY
BATH, NY
HALLIDAY, JOHN
BOONES MILL, VA
OSC
PS1
OSCS
RET. 06-01-2016
TAPS 09-07-2025
RET. 08-03-2001
TAPS 09-30-2025
RET. 05-01-2014
TAPS 08-24-2025
HILTON, ROBERT
SUTHERLIN, OR
HORNER, JOHN
MATHEWS, VA
HUDSON, JACK
LAKE CITY, FL
PSS4
BMCS
SK1
RET. 10-27-1992
TAPS 09-29-2025
RET. 01-01-1972
TAPS 07-29-2025
RET. 03-15-1997
TAPS 09-17-2025
76 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

HURD, JOHN
CARROLLTON, GA
RMC
RET. 07-01-1974
TAPS 07-02-2025
LASICH, LEROY
PITTSBURGH, PA
CS3
RET. 06-01-1953
TAPS 10-17-2025
TAPS
HURD, LOWELL
STANWOOD, WA
BMCS
RET. 08-01-1992
TAPS 10-08-2025
LAWTON, LATHAM
GRAND HAVEN, MI
YN1
RET. 04-01-2001
TAPS 09-09-2025
HYDE, LARRY
PRATTVILLE, AL
CAPT
RET. 02-01-1992
TAPS 10-28-2025
LEWIS, FREDDIE
HOBUCKEN, NC
LT
RET. 03-01-1976
TAPS 09-18-2025
JETER, EUGENE
HELOTES, TX
CWO3
RET. 06-01-1973
TAPS 08-04-2025
LEWIS, JERRY
DURHAM, NH
CWO4
RET. 10-01-1988
TAPS 09-01-2025
JINNEMAN, ROBERT
MERCER ISLAND, WA
CSCM
RET. 08-01-1970
TAPS 10-01-2025
LIEBERMAN, RICHARD
WOODLAND HILL, CA
YN3
RET. 06-01-1953
TAPS 08-30-2025
JOHNSON, ERNEST
COTTONWOOD, AZ
LCDR
RET. 06-01-1977
TAPS 10-16-2025
LITTELL, BILLY
CHATTAROY, WA
MKCS
RET. 07-01-1987
TAPS 08-02-2025
JOHNSON, HICKS
ECLECTIC, AL
AMC
RET. 11-01-1979
TAPS 08-15-2025
LOOMIS, LYLE
YORKTOWN, VA
EMC
RET. 11-01-2007
TAPS 09-16-2025
JOHNSON, JAMES
DAHLONEGA, GA
BM2
RET. 04-14-2007
TAPS 08-04-2025
LOPEZ, RUBEN
HAWTHORNE, FL
YN1
RET. 08-01-1994
TAPS 08-26-2025
JOHNSON, THYRA
MCDONOUGH, GA
YN1
RET. 10-19-1999
TAPS 07-16-2025
LOTTRIDGE, FRANCIS
WATERFORD, CT
CDR
RET. 05-19-1992
TAPS 10-09-2025
JOHNSTON, JACKIE
RAYMORE, MO
JUSTICE, WAYNE
COCOA BCH, FL
KAISER, GERALD
HEMET, CA
KENNEDY, MARK
ROBBINSTON, ME
KERN, CHARLES
ST CHARLES, MO
KINNEY, DENNIS
LYNCHBURG, VA
KLAUS, HARRY
ST PETERSBURG, FL
KORKER, HENRY
LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ
KREUTTER, KENNETH
ARNOLD, MD
KRITZ, BRIAN
KISSIMMEE, FL
LADEGAST, ROGER
MONTAGUE, MI
BMC
RADM
RMC
INF2
PAC
SN
DCCM
BM2
CAPT
BMC
PS1
RET. 03-01-1987
TAPS 09-29-2025
RET. 07-01-2010
TAPS 11-08-2025
RET. 08-01-1977
TAPS 11-07-2025
RET. 10-01-1995
TAPS 09-17-2025
RET. 08-01-1981
TAPS 10-23-2025
RET. 06-24-1981
TAPS 09-05-2025
RET. 02-01-1980
TAPS 07-12-2025
RET. 09-01-2000
TAPS 08-07-2025
RET. 07-01-1997
TAPS 10-28-2025
RET. 07-01-2010
TAPS 07-18-2025
RET. 01-15-2008
TAPS 08-18-2025
LUPTON, DAVID
BLUEFIELD, WV
LUSE, ROBERT
WARD COVE, AK
MAHAN, NEAL
DURHAM, NC
MAMENTA, EDWARD
HUDSON, FL
MANALO, ARCADIO
PASADENA, MD
MARSHALL, LACRETIA
SUFFOLK, VA
MARTIN, JON
LUSK, WY
MARTOWSKA, DAVID
FOSTER, RI
MCCASLAND, DONALD
KLAMATH FALLS, OR
MCCOY, JAMES
ODEN, ME
MCDANIEL, ANDREW
ROCK HILL, SC
TCC
ADC
CDR
FSCM
FS1
PERS3
LT
SK2
LT
RMC
BMC
RET. 12-01-1995
TAPS 08-24-2025
RET. 06-01-1980
TAPS 07-04-2025
RET. 03-01-1984
TAPS 08-29-2025
RET. 08-01-1988
TAPS 10-22-2025
RET. 02-01-1979
TAPS 10-14-2025
RET. 08-01-2021
TAPS 09-03-2025
RET. 08-09-2000
TAPS 09-06-2025
RET. 12-19-1978
TAPS 08-25-2025
RET. 11-01-1986
TAPS 08-26-2025
RET. 07-01-1988
TAPS 09-27-2025
RET. 06-01-1980
TAPS 09-05-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
77

TAPS
MCEWEN, MICHAEL
KENT, WA
SK3
RET. 04-04-2022
TAPS 09-11-2025
REYES, BERNARDO
GOOSE CREEK, SC
FS1
RET. 06-01-1990
TAPS 10-12-2025
MEIER, DONALD
HANOVER, MD
CWO4
RET. 04-01-1986
TAPS 10-13-2025
REYES, ROBERT
CLERMONT, FL
ENG3
RET. 10-01-2014
TAPS 09-14-2025
MEINEN, DONALD
GRANDVIEW, MO
LT
RET. 06-01-1979
TAPS 08-29-2025
RINGLER, ARTHUR
LAKE STEVENS, WA
CWO4
RET. 01-01-1990
TAPS 08-08-2025
MIDDENDORF, EDWARD
EMMAUS, PA
BMC
RET. 12-24-1997
TAPS 10-15-2025
RIORDAN, TIMOTHY
POPLAR BRANCH, NC
CWO4
RET. 09-01-1981
TAPS 09-11-2025
MILLER, WALTER
N YARMOUTH, ME
CWO4
RET. 09-01-1990
TAPS 09-13-2025
ROBERTSON, DARRYL
ASHBURN, VA
MKC
RET. 07-29-2014
TAPS 09-01-2025
MONTEE, TRACY
GOLETA, CA
ET2
RET. 01-27-2003
TAPS 07-15-2025
ROSE, KIRK
ELMIRA, NY
CWO4
RET. 07-01-1984
TAPS 09-06-2025
MORRIS, PARKER
ANDOVER, MA
CAPT
RET. 07-06-1993
TAPS 10-04-2025
RUST, JOHN
PORT ORCHARD, WA
EM2
RET. 12-09-2008
TAPS 09-08-2025
MURNANE, EDWARD
ROCK HILL, SC
LCDR
RET. 11-01-1976
TAPS 07-29-2025
RUTH, GEORGE
ANGLETON, TX
CS1
RET. 01-01-1968
TAPS 08-10-2025
NYLUND, STEVEN
ROGERS, MN
CDR
RET. 06-01-1997
TAPS 10-15-2025
SACLAYAN, HILARIO
SAN JOSE, CA
FSCS
RET. 11-17-1976
TAPS 09-18-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
ODELL, EUGENE
ROLLING PRIARIE, IN
OSWALT, WALTER
GOOSE CREEK, SC
ORSZAK, DAVID
PALMER, MA
PEADEN, KEVIN
HAMMOND, OR
PERKINS, MILLARD
SIOUX FALLS, SD
PERRONE, ROBERT
JACKSONVILLE, VT
POTTER, DONALD
OKATIE, SC
POWERS, BILLIE
SAN ANTONIO, TX
PRIMO, SHERARD
COVINGTON, LA
RAVELL, WILLIAM
SHELBURNE, VT
REAMY, JIMMY
CALLAO, VA
LCDR
MAT2
LCDR
DC1
ATC
ET3
CDR
HSCM
YNC
CWO3
PS1
RET. 02-01-1987
TAPS 10-24-2025
RET. 11-01-1986
TAPS 10-11-2025
RET. 04-30-1979
TAPS 09-13-2025
RET. 09-01-2015
TAPS 08-29-2025
RET. 12-01-1983
TAPS 08-31-2025
RET. 08-12-1970
TAPS 07-12-2025
RET. 07-01-1984
TAPS 08-29-2025
RET. 07-01-1990
TAPS 08-20-2025
RET. 06-17-1999
TAPS 10-09-2025
RET. 10-01-1982
TAPS 08-04-2025
RET. 10-13-2004
TAPS 09-30-2025
SANJUAN, APOLINAR
SANTA CRUZ, LAGUNA
SANTAMONICA, DOMINGO
KAPOLEI, HI
SCHMIDT, BRIAN
PACIFIC GROVE, CA
SCHNURR, WILLIAM
VOORHEES, NJ
SENG, RICHARD
TAUNTON, MA
SEWARD, LAWRENCE
SILVER DALE, WA
SHAY, ARTHUR
LEWISVILLE, TX
SHOREY, DANIEL
BALLSTON LAKE, NY
SMITH, BILLY
COCHRAN, GA
SNOW, HAROLD
PORTLAND, OR
SOTO, WILLIAM
EL MIRAGE, AZ
FSC
FSC
AETC
CDR
RM1
ADC
ATC
CAPT
MKCM
SKCS
TCC
RET. 08-01-1982
TAPS 08-02-2025
RET. 01-01-1992
TAPS 10-30-2025
RET. 08-01-2016
TAPS 08-22-2025
RET. 02-05-2011
TAPS 08-13-2025
RET. 07-01-1989
TAPS 08-12-2025
RET. 07-01-1986
TAPS 09-29-2025
RET. 11-01-1973
TAPS 07-29-2025
RET. 08-01-1990
TAPS 10-31-2025
RET. 06-01-1975
TAPS 09-29-2025
RET. 10-01-1978
TAPS 10-22-2025
RET. 07-01-1998
TAPS 08-05-2025
78 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

SPENCE, STOCKBRIDGE
LEXINGTON, SC
PACS
RET. 10-01-1991
TAPS 09-15-2025
WOLF, FREDERICK
SPRINGFIELD, LA
MAT4
RET. 04-15-1999
TAPS 09-21-2025
TAPS
SPENCER, EDWARD
SARATOGA SPRINGS, UT
LT
RET. 02-01-1982
TAPS 09-23-2025
WOOD, RONALD
SOUTHPORT, FL
CWO2
RET. 08-15-1981
TAPS 07-12-2025
STAGG, TERRENCE
SEMINOLE, FL
CDR
RET. 12-01-1990
TAPS 09-15-2025
ZMACHINSKI, JOHN
MORRIS PLAINS, NJ
BM2
RET. 12-06-2016
TAPS 09-05-2025
STEVENS, FREDERICK
HERALD, CA
ENC
RET. 03-01-1970
TAPS 09-26-2025
STONE, BASIL
ELLINGTON, CT
MED4
RET. 05-18-1996
TAPS 11-02-2025
STONE, ROBERT
NEW SMYRNA, FL
BMC
RET. 12-01-1992
TAPS 09-12-2025
STOPKA, HENRY
FAIRHAVEN, MA
FSCS
RET. 05-20-1990
TAPS 10-03-2025
SULERUD, DUANE
LISBAN, ND
LT
RET. 07-01-1981
TAPS 09-15-2025
SULLIVAN, STEPHANIE
PALM BCH GARDEN, FL
HS2
RET. 03-31-1986
TAPS 08-15-2025
SWARO, CONNIE
AUSTIN, CO
TEGARDEN, ARLEIGH
BOTHELL, WA
THOMAS, JOSEPH
PORT ST LUCIE, FL
TOYNE, TIMOTHY
HOT SPRINGS, AR
VERMUTH, JOSEPH
TYRON, GA
WALLACE, STANLEY
PADUCAH, KY
WEBB, MARK
PENSACOLA, FL
WEEKLEY, TIMOTHY
TIGARD, OR
WENTER, JOHN
PARACHUTE, CO
WILLIAMS, EDWARD
WATTSVILLE, VA
WILLIAMS, MICHAEL
BELAIR, MD
CWO2
TTCM
BMCM
CWO3
FSC
BMCS
ETC
TT1
LCDR
BMC
SKC
RET. 09-01-1988
TAPS 10-09-2025
RET. 07-01-1998
TAPS 10-13-2025
RET. 10-01-1978
TAPS 10-20-2025
RET. 06-01-1984
TAPS 10-03-2025
RET. 05-01-1976
TAPS 09-15-2025
RET. 04-01-1998
TAPS 09-03-2025
RET. 11-01-2001
TAPS 10-31-2025
RET. 10-01-2000
TAPS 08-20-2025
RET. 07-01-1984
TAPS 09-02-2025
RET. 04-10-1975
TAPS 09-08-2025
RET. 08-01-1995
TAPS 08-02-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
79

TAPS
USPHS
BABER, GREGORY
UVALDE, TX
CAPT
RET. 04-01-2004
TAPS 09-24-2025
KENT, MARLA
FAIRBANKS, AK
CDR
RET. 02-01-2006
TAPS 09-24-2025
BOE, STEVEN
ANN ARBOR, MI
CAPT
RET. 02-01-2002
TAPS 07-11-2025
KIMBALL, ERNEST
SILVERDALE, WA
CAPT
RET. 03-01-2007
TAPS 09-22-2025
BRENNAN, EDWARD
TOWSON, MD
CAPT
RET. 10-01-1981
TAPS 10-06-2025
LAMY, MARGARET
CHESAPEAKE, VA
CAPT
RET. 12-01-2011
TAPS 08-19-2025
BROWN, PAUL
BETHESDA, MD
CAPT
RET. 08-01-1999
TAPS 08-10-2025
LEVY, LOUIS
BOYNTON BEACH, FL
CAPT
RET. 06-01-1976
TAPS 10-07-2025
CAMPBELL, HERMAN
FLAGSTAFF, AZ
CAPT
RET. 11-01-2008
TAPS 08-11-2025
LOUNSBERRY, GARY
HORNELL, NY
CAPT
RET. 10-01-1996
TAPS 09-09-2025
DAVID, EDWARD
HOLDEN, ME
CDR
RET. 07-01-1973
TAPS 09-02-2025
MAYNARD, JAMES
SAMMAMISH, WA
CAPT
RET. 10-01-1987
TAPS 09-19-2025
DIAZ HERNANDEZ, JAIME
GUAYNABO, PR
CAPT
RET. 07-01-2004
TAPS 08-06-2025
MOCCA, CHRISTOPHER
ASHTON, MD
LCDR
RET. 03-01-2024
TAPS 08-18-2025
GISSENDANNER, CLARENCE
DURHAM, NH
CAPT
RET. 01-01-1999
TAPS 10-08-2025
TODD, GLENN
DAVIS, CA
CAPT
RET. 05-01-2014
TAPS 08-23-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
HESLOP, KENNETH
DORNSISE, PA
HIEBER, LYSA
SAN ANTONIO, TX
HUANG, DAVID
MARLBOROUGH, MA
KARCHES, GERALD
TUCSON, AZ
NOAA
BUSH, YEAGER
BOULDER, CO
LCDR
CDR
LCDR
CAPT
CDR
RET. 02-01-2018
TAPS 09-27-2025
RET. 02-01-2015
TAPS 08-02-2025
RET. 02-01-2002
TAPS 09-06-2025
RET. 01-01-1979
TAPS 09-03-2025
RET. 02-01-1988
VANSCOTT, EUGENE
ABINGTON, PA
WALLACE, GORDON
BOERNE, TX
WALLS, KENNETH
COLUMBUS, NC
WESTLEY, CHARLES
WEST MINSTER, CO
CAPT
CAPT
CAPT
CAPT
RET. 08-01-1968
TAPS 07-21-2025
RET. 07-01-1986
TAPS 09-13-2025
RET. 03-01-1986
TAPS 11-09-2025
RET. 02-01-1985
TAPS 11-11-2025
MORAN, FRANCIS RET. 11-01-1994
RADM
TAPS 07-25-2025 VALRICO, FL
TAPS 09-16-2025
80 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

DEPENDENT TAPS
TAPS
SANDRA KAY MARSHALL
KNOXVILLE, TN
WIFE OF MKC DAVID L. MARSHALL, USCGR (RET.)
09-26-2025
CAROL BLACK
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
WIFE OF MK2 JOE E. BLACK, USCG (RET.)
10-06-2025
MARLENE GRIFFIN
PADUCAH, KY
WIFE OF MSTC DARRELL TRENT, USCG (RET.)
08-21-2025
SANDRA KAY MAEDER
LARGO, FL
WIFE OF QMC PAUL MAEDER, USCG (RET.)
09-30-2025
JOYLEEN BRANNEN
FREDERICKSBURG, TX
WIFE OF YN1 THOMAS WERTZ, USCG (RET.)
09-18-2025
DONA JUNE HUNTER
NEOTSU, OR
WIFE OF ADC WAYNE HUNTER, USCG (RET.)
10-24-2025
MARILYN O’GRADY
LIBERTY, MO
WIFE OF CAPT VIRGIL O’GRADY, USCG (RET.)
11-03-2025
DONNALEE WAECHTER
DELAND, FL
WIFE OF F&S4 RICHARD G. WAECHTER, USCG (RET.)
10-27-2025
JACOB P. MILLER
BUFFALO, NY
HUSBAND OF CAPT CHRISTINE BALBONI, USCG (RET.)
06-12-2025
MICHELE MARIE THIEWES
ROBERTSDALE, AL
LORNA JEAN BEERBOHM
TERRYTOWN, LA
TRACY L. MAHONEY
BRICK, NJ
LARISA WILLIAMS
HUNTINGTON, NY
BILLIE RAE HILL
WILLIAMSBURG, VA
GRISELDA LINDSAY
COLUMBUS, OH
RENE O’CONNELL
N. FORT MYERS, FL
DONNETTE (DONNA) E. GRUEL
TITUSVILLE, FL
BARBARA ANN ST. DENIS
WOODBRIDGE, VA
MARIAN (MUFFY) HARTMAN
RUSKIN, FL
WIFE OF MKCS LEONARD GENE THIEWES, USCG (RET.)
WIFE OF CWO DARREL BEERBOHM, USCG (RET.)
WIFE OF CWO4 MICHAEL S. MAHONEY, USCG. (RET.)
WIFE OF CAPT ROBERT R. WILLIAMS, USPHS (RET.)
WIFE OF THE LATE CWO4 HARRY “TOM” HILL, USCG (RET.)
WIFE OF SKCM WILLIAM S. LINDSAY, USCG (RET.)
WIFE OF CDR TERENCE M. O’CONNELL, USCG (RET.)
WIFE OF CDR CARL GRUEL, USCG (RET.)
WIFE OF COMM4 DESMOND ST. DENIS, USCG (RET.)
WIFE OF CAPT MELVIN HARTMAN, USCG (RET.)
10-30-2025
10-09-2025
04-13-2025
09-16-2025
06-25-2025
09-09-2025
09-08-2025
08-31-2025
11-11-2025
10-16-2025
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
THE LONG BLUE LINE WINTER 2026
81

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION CHAPLAIN'S CORNER
IN THE
FIELD:
MINISTRY WITHOUT
A LIFEBOAT
It’s been said that civilian pastors make
disciples while military chaplains protect
religious freedom. This is a well-known
distinction between military chaplains and
their civilian clergy counterparts—or at least it’s
commonly known in military circles.
When people of faith decide to join the U.S.
military, they don’t have to give up what they
believe in order to serve. They have every right
to continue practicing their faith in the same way
they did as civilians. In fact, the military hires
chaplains to come alongside them, wherever
they are, to provide the religious ministry support
they need, and it’s a crucial part of our military
readiness. “The skill to fight without the will to
fight leaves a hollow force.” 1 "Spiritual readiness
is the strength of spirit that enables the service
member to accomplish the mission with honor." 2
It’s their “inner strength from higher purpose,” 3
and it’s the chaplain’s job to provide for and
facilitate the nourishment of their soul, regardless
of where they are serving.
This brings me to my next point—and perhaps my
main point. Chaplain ministry often comes from
a position of weakness, while pastoral ministry
usually comes from a position of strength. As
reluctant as I was to use the word weakness, I
believe it’s merited. Let me explain.
If ministry were a metaphorical lifeboat harvesting
people from treacherous waters, a pastor
82 WINTER 2026
THE LONG BLUE LINE

would be in the boat pulling people out, while a
chaplain would be in the waters lifting people up.
Chaplains don’t minister from the lifeboat; they
minister from the water. The lifeboat represents
safety, consistency, familiarity, predictability, and
comfort. Chaplains have none of these.
When the service member’s life is at risk, the
chaplain’s life is at risk. When they’re 8,000
miles from home and homesick, the chaplain is
homesick too. When they’ve been enduring the
tumultuous heat or freezing cold, the chaplain
has endured as well. And even when they wrestle
with the life choices that brought them there, the
chaplain fights off the same feelings of despair.
Military chaplains don’t get to lock up the church
at night and go home to sleep in their own
beds. Those are “lifeboat” luxuries that military
chaplains aren’t afforded. The call to serve those
who serve their country is much more audacious
than that, and few are willing to do it.
Thank God for those who are.
1
OPNAVINST 1730.1F
2
Ibid
3
US Marine Corps’ definition of Spiritual Fitness
SUPPORT
National Crisis and Suicide Lifeline: 988
Locate your nearest Chaplain: https://www.
uscg.mil/Leadership/Senior-Leadership/
Chaplain-of-the-Coast-Guard/Locations/
Locate your nearest SARC or VAPS: https://
www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/
Assistant-Commandant-for-Human-Resources-
CG-1/Health-Safety-and-Work-Life-CG-11/
Sexual-Assault-Prevention-Response-and-
Recovery-Program/SAPRR-Contacts/
USCG Confidential Counseling Assistance:
855-CG-SUPRT (855-247-8778)
LCDR Ronald S. Wade JR.
Chaplain Corps, USN
Ronald.S.Wade@uscg.mil
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U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION CHAPLAIN'S CORNER
83

COMPENSATION
IT’S
COMBAT-RELATED
SPECIAL
COMPENSATION
A BENEFIT TOO MANY RETIREES OVERLOOK
CDR Benjamin D. Mazyck
Benjamin.D.Mazyck@uscg.mil
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
Many Coast Guard retirees may
be missing out on a significant,
tax-free monthly benefit known
as Combat-Related Special Compensation
(CRSC). Designed to restore part of a retiree’s
military pension that was waived to receive
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability
compensation, CRSC puts additional money
back into retirees’ pockets. But not every
disability qualifies, only those tied to combat
or operationally hazardous duties are eligible.
For years, a narrow statutory definition left
many Coast Guard retirees on the outside
looking in. Before 2015, CRSC was usually
limited to wounds from combat or mishaps
that directly mimicked combat. For Coast
Guard missions, which are often hazardous
but don’t fit neatly into a “combat” label,
eligibility was difficult to prove.
Congress addressed this in the Coast Guard
Authorization Act of 2015, which expanded
CRSC to include Coast Guard missions such
as aviation duty, diving, rescue swimmer
operations, and hazardous small boat duty
in heavy seas. For the first time, Coast Guard
retirees could apply on the same footing as
their Department of War counterparts.
The Don Young Coast Guard Authorization
Act of 2022 went even further, expanding
CRSC to cover disabilities linked to hazardous
exposures such as asbestos, benzene, heavy
metals, radiation, and other toxic agents.
These exposures, common in Coast Guard
service, may now qualify as “combat-related”
for CRSC purposes. Retirees do not have to
prove participation in a monitoring program
such as the Coast Guard’s Occupational
Medical Surveillance and Evaluation Program
(OMSEP). Instead, they need credible
documentation showing exposure during
service.
Today, CRSC eligibility is broader than
ever. A surfman injured in heavy-weather
operations, a diver experiencing long-term
effects of underwater exposure, or a veteran
diagnosed with service-connected cancer
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COMPENSATION
tied to chemical exposure may all qualify for
tax-free monthly compensation.
Applying takes careful attention to detail.
Retirees must submit DD Form 2860 (CRSC
Application) along with documentation that
ties their condition to Coast Guard duty. This
could include medical records, retirement
orders, Line of Duty determinations, mishap
reports, or even witness statements. Each
disability requires its own documentation;
if applying for five conditions, retirees must
provide five supporting record sets along with
a DD-214.
The Coast Guard’s Pay and Personnel
Center (PPC) in Topeka, Kansas, manages
CRSC payments, while the Personnel Service
Center’s Medical Administration Branch
(PSC-PSD-MED) reviews applications to
confirm whether the condition is combatrelated.
Thanks to process improvements,
today’s applications are processed in three
to four months, much faster than the six to
eight months typical in the past.
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
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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.
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
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.
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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
(DA) because your beneficiary designations generally determine who receives funds (Final Pay) after
your death. Please 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 cases when, because of a divorce and remarriage that was
not updated in DA, Coast Guard was required to pay the current person who was listed in the
deceased retiree’s DA account. Please ensure your account is up-to-date and 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
!
It’s also critical that, if you elected Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage at the time of
your retirement to create an annuity for your survivor, you should review your election
to ensure it is still current and valid. You can do this by looking at your pay slip through
Direct Access Self-Service:
The easiest way to view your pay slip 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 Pay slip” and follow the steps.
Again, If you encounter problems, please call us at (866) 772-8724 or e-mail us at:
PPC-DG-CustomerCare@uscg.mil
You will be able to see the birth date of the individual who
will receive the annuity.
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION PPC-RAS
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87

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION PPC-RAS
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.
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• https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/4212015/coast-guard-releasesestate-planning-final-affairs-handbook-for-military-members/
• https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/retiree/docs/CGNRC/CG%20
Estate%20Planning%20%20Final%20Affairs%20Handbook_CG-1M%20
Approved_3(508%20compliant)_2.pdf?ver=qHwl7gZOnm6xOupgPXvGw%3d%3d
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION PPC-RAS
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89

U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION PPC-RAS
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
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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)
USCG Pay & Personnel Center
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
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U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
91

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):
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
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.
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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/
Northeast District Legal: 617-223-8500
Southeast District Legal: 305-415-6949
Great Lakes District Legal: 216-902-6042
Northwest District Legal: 206-220-7110
Arctic District Legal: 907-463-2050
East District Legal: 757-295-2308
Heartland District Legal: 504-671-2038
Southwest District Legal: 510-437-5891
Oceania District Legal: 808-535-3240
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
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93

OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
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.
ssa.gov
medicare.gov
tricare.mil/
Welcome/
Eligibility/
MedicareEligible.
aspx?sc_
database=web
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
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/
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Medical/Dental Benefits - Phone/Websites/Notes (continued)
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 (left QR code)
www.tricare.mil/LifeEvents/Retiring (right QR code)
TRICARE Eligibility—Pharmacy
(Medicare info)
1-877-363-1303
www.tricare.mil/ CoveredServices/Pharmacy/Eligibility.aspx
Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)
1-800-LTC-FEDS (1-800-582-3337)
www.LTCFEDS.com
CG Health Benefits Advisor
1-800-942-2422
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
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OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
Veterans Benefits - Phone/Websites/Notes
VA Resource Navigator
https://news.va.gov/130576/new-va-resource-navigator-finding-varesources/
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-of-a-veteran-to-va/
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
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/ygli.htm
New VGLI Applications and VGLI
Reinstatements:
OSGLI
PO Box 41618
Philadelphia, PA 19176-9913
1-800-419-1473
Overseas phone (973) 548-5699 / Overseas fax# (973) 548-5300
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Veterans Benefits - Phone/Websites/Notes (continued)
Death and accelerated benefits claims only
Fax: 1-877-832-4943
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)
email: PPC-DG-LGL@uscg.mil
FSPA & SBP Informational Pamphlet
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Portals/10/CG-1/PPC/Docs/Legal/
Uniformed%20Services%20Former%20Spouse%20Protection%20
Act%20(FSPA).pdf
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
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OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
Former Spouse (continued)
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%2020%2D20%2D15%20
rule,if%20they%20do%20not%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)
USCG Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy St.
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION
Contact PPC (SEP) for information on severance pay, separation pay,
disability severance pay, LES’s, IRS Form W-2.
Travel Claims
1-866-772-8724
www.dcms.uscg.mil/ppc/travel/
Send final travel claim to:
Commanding Officer (TVL)
USCG Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy St.
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
Service Records
(314) 801-0800
www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
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.
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Additional Important Number and Websites (continued)
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/
Social Security
1-800-772-1213
www.ssa.gov
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.
https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/retiree/nrhd-pii/
U.S. COAST GUARD RETIREE INFORMATION OTHER IMPORTANT RESOURCES
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99

Orders
must be placed
by June 2026 to
guarantee installation
before museum
commissioning
A
GREAT
GIFT FOR
NEW
RETIREES