First and Foremost - US Coast Guard Auxiliary, First District ...
First and Foremost - US Coast Guard Auxiliary, First District ...
First and Foremost - US Coast Guard Auxiliary, First District ...
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Article <strong>and</strong> Photos by John LaPorta, SO-PA<br />
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Marine Safety Officer Bill Nelson, <strong>District</strong> 1SR, <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong><br />
<strong>Auxiliary</strong>, received an invitation from the NYS Parks Department<br />
inviting the <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong> <strong>Auxiliary</strong> to attend the Heckscher<br />
State Park Spring Earth Day Festival. Bill extended<br />
the invitation to the local <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong> <strong>Auxiliary</strong>, Division 1,<br />
Fire Isl<strong>and</strong>, NY <strong>and</strong> local <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong> Units.<br />
Over forty Active Duty <strong>and</strong> <strong>Auxiliary</strong> <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong> personnel<br />
participated in the Earth Day Celebration. We combined our<br />
resources <strong>and</strong> personnel <strong>and</strong> worked as a team. Approximately<br />
4,000 people attended <strong>and</strong> we made approximately 800 contacts.<br />
It presented a great opportunity for to us to impact our<br />
community.<br />
Active Duty, MST2 Nathaniel Dibley<br />
MSD Coram, <strong>and</strong> MST 1 Gregory Steiger<br />
MST1 from Recruiting Station Wantagh,<br />
st<strong>and</strong> ready in front of <strong>US</strong>CG Incident<br />
Comm<strong>and</strong> Response Vehicle.<br />
at the demonstrations.<br />
Marine Safety Staff Officer, Robert Steel, Division 1, <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong><br />
<strong>Auxiliary</strong> said, “This 41st Anniversary of Earth Day Event proved to<br />
be the perfect venue for the <strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong> <strong>Auxiliary</strong> to educate the<br />
public in the area of Marine Safety <strong>and</strong> Environmental Protection,<br />
as well as, to promote the Recreational Boater Safety Mission.”<br />
The <strong>US</strong>CG Aids to Navigation Team Moriches brought a <strong>Coast</strong><br />
<strong>Guard</strong> buoy tender vessel <strong>and</strong> <strong>US</strong>CG Marine Safety Detachment,<br />
Coram brought several Incident Comm<strong>and</strong> Response Vehicles. <strong>Coast</strong><br />
<strong>Guard</strong> personnel were on h<strong>and</strong> answering questions, gave vessel<br />
tours, <strong>and</strong> held life jacket demonstrations. As parents looked on,<br />
young festival goers had a lot of<br />
fun racing each other as they put<br />
on life jackets. The importance of<br />
wearing life jackets was stressed<br />
<strong>Coast</strong> <strong>Guard</strong> characters, Officer Snook, PFD Popeye, Dolphin, <strong>and</strong><br />
PDF P<strong>and</strong>a were there. They were a hit <strong>and</strong> the public couldn’t get<br />
enough of them. They worked non-stop, passing out environmental<br />
themed coloring books, stickers <strong>and</strong> posing for photographs with festival<br />
goers. Both Auxiliarists <strong>and</strong> Active Duty members took turns<br />
in the costumes.<br />
(On right) Marine Safety Officer Bill Nelson,<br />
<strong>District</strong> 1SR, CG <strong>Auxiliary</strong>, starts the day off<br />
by addressing the crew.<br />
Young festival goers had a lot of fun racing<br />
each other as they put on life jackets.<br />
(From left to right) Lieutenant David<br />
Barnes, <strong>US</strong>CG, Supervisor, <strong>and</strong> Bill Nelson,<br />
ADSO-MS, <strong>District</strong> 1SR, CG <strong>Auxiliary</strong>.<br />
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