CG Set To Begin Acquisition Process For C-27J

The process to try and turn the Air Force's loss of a fleet of cargo aircraft into the Coast Guard's gain is expected to begin shortly with a formal request from the sea service.

At stake is a force of 21 C-27J Spartan medium transport aircraft. The Air Force has asked to cancel the $1.6 billion program as a budget move, but the Coast Guard has a need for planes of that type, and is hoping to boost its air fleet with an unexpected windfall.

Adm. Bob Papp, commandant of the Coast Guard, said Tuesday at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space symposium outside Washington, D.C., that he would soon be given a briefing on the business case to acquire the C-27Js and operate them alongside existing C-130 Hercules and smaller HC-144A Ocean Sentry maritime surveillance and patrol aircraft.

Papp said he would ask his parent Department of Homeland Security to acquire the Spartans from the Defense Department based on the business case analysis. He noted the C-27J and C-130J aircraft use the same engines.

Under the current contract, the Air Force had planned to buy 21 C-27Js from Alenia Aermacchi. Twelve aircraft have been delivered, four are in test mode and five are in production.

Lawmakers have questioned the Air Force's estimate of savings generated by scrapping the aircraft, which are among the newest operated by the service.

Photo Credit to Alenia Aermacchi Corporation web site

By Christopher P. Cavas - Staff writer - The Military Times
Article Supplied by William Goess, Auxiliarist, Flot. 12-07, 1SR

Feds Investigate Alaska Coast Guard Shooting Deaths

By the CNN Wire Staff

updated 5:18 PM EDT, Fri April 13, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: The shooting victims have been identified as a petty officer and a civilian
• Two Coast Guard members are killed at their station on that island in the Gulf of Alaska
• The Coast Guard has given few details, saying it's trying to find out what happened
• Schools on Kodiak island were given the all-clear at 1 p.m., an official says

(CNN) -- State and federal authorities are investigating the apparent double homicide of two Coast Guard members shot dead on an island off Alaska's coast, prompting the lock down of their base and at least one nearby school.

It's possible that the shooter, or shooters, remain at large, according to a Coast Guard statement.

"We're treating this as a double homicide," said FBI spokesman Eric Gonzalez, who noted that the slayings occurred inside the Coast Guard Communications Station Kodiak.

Coast Guard investigators, island police, state troopers and the FBI are investigating the incident.

"We are deeply saddened that we lost two shipmates," Capt. Jesse Moore said in a news release. "This is a rare occurrence, and we are going to do everything possible to ensure we find out exactly what happened."

The victims were identified as Petty Officer 1st Class James Hopkins, an electronics technician, and Richard Belisle, a civilian, who was a retired Coast Guard chief petty officer.

"As an organization with roots in saving lives and a focus on protecting people, this tragic event has shocked us all," Rear Adm. Thomas Ostebo said. "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims' families, their loved ones and the entire Kodiak community."

Their base is on what the city of Kodiak's web site calls the second-largest island in the United States, situated in the Gulf of Alaska about 250 miles southwest of Anchorage. The borough of Kodiak Island has about 13,600 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coast Guard facility normally houses about 60 people.

"It's definitely the topic of conversation right now," said Cheryl Montgomery, a manager at Henry's Great Alaskan Restaurant. "The town's people are very much on edge here."

Montgomery said that her restaurant remained abuzz Friday with rumors of who may have carried out the shootings, though "nobody knows what's actually going on."

"There's so many weird and bizarre stories running around right now," she said.

City Manager Aimee Kniaziowski said her office has not been instructed to take additional security precautions.

"We're just conducting our business until we're told otherwise," she said.

But the small town is reeling from the loss, she added, calling the killings "devastating."

Peterson Elementary School, which is on Coast Guard property in Kodiak, went into lock down mode around 8:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) after school leaders got a call from military police, Principal Beth Cole said.

By 11 a.m., they shifted to "lock in" mode, allowing for more movement within the school, though lunch was still delivered to students in class as a precaution, Cole said. No people were allowed in and out of the building all day.

Three other elementaries, one middle school and one high school on the island were also affected, school district Superintendent Stewart McDonald said.

Those schools were on "lock in" status starting at 11:30 a.m. so that activities could continue as normal, except for the fact that no one could enter or leave the buildings. At the time, Kodiak High School was hosting an Alaska Association of Student Government meeting involving youths from around the state.

All restrictions for the district's roughly 2,200 students were called off about 1 p.m. after state troopers called school officials and said that operations could return to normal, according to McDonald.

CNN's Alta Spells contributed to this report.

Photo: Coast Guard Base Kodiak (File photo provided by the USCG)

 

Division 12 Wins 1st Place for Administrative Support

     The Bridge, Board and Staff Officers of Division 12 were recognized at the 2012 D-Train Conference at the Mystic Marriott in March for their Administrative Support given in support of programs and leadership lent to the running of the Division and leading its more than 220 members in performance of their many tasks.

     Collectively, Bridge, Board and Staff Officers of Division 12 put in 873 hours in Administrative Support and 32 hours in REC Support during CY 2011. The Division was led by John Pitrowski of Flotilla 12-03, now the IPDCDR and David G. Porter of Flotilla 12-07 the then VCDR. Mr. Porter, pictured below, was present at the conference as the Division's Commander for 2012 and on hand to accept the award on behalf of the 2011 Leadership of D12.

     BRAVO ZULU SHIPMATES!!! 

L-R COMO Hal Marschall, David Porter, DCDR D12, NACO Jim Vass Jr. and 1SR DIRAUX CDR Christopher Zorman (Photo Credit to Anne Marie Kelly 12-07)

Flotilla 12-07 Recieves Flotilla Meritorious Achievement Award

      For sustained and excptional professionalism and Meritorious Achievement in the furtherance of mission goals and objectives established by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, the members of Flotilla 12-07, Air Station Republic were recommended for and received the Flotilla Meritorious Achievemnet Award. Members of Flotilla 12-07 have maintained, sustained and upgraded their membership and qualifications throughout 2011 as they gained six new members through direct recruitment who in turn themselves recruited six new members in 2012. In 2011 one member upgraded to First Pilot, three to Air Crew and one to Observer as such the Flotilla, in 2011 completed 78 missions for a total of 225.1 patrol hours, double that which was done in 2010. One member became AUXOP, one became an Instructor and five have taken and passed Pilot Tests A and B thus begining their training as new Air Observers. All new members have taken and passed ICS exams 100 thru 800 and two new members have taken and passed the APC exam to begin their future elected ascencion in the Auxiliary. A member of the Flotilla has participated in the NSAR competition placing locally and regionally. Members of the Flotilla have participated in Humanitarian Relief supporting philanthropic organizations - "Soles for Souls" collecting shoes for needy persons and lending financial relief in support of a Medical Relief Mission to Arusha Tanzania supporting US nurses from Long Island Jewish/Northshore University Hospital having assisted in the purchasing of medical supplies and transport of the supplies to the airport.

 

     Members of the Flotilla have taken on both appointed and elected leadership roles within the Flotilla, Division and District Level and are qualifying in the medical laision program to lend support to local Veteran's Administration Hospitals in Queens and on Long Island. Members also have supported the Vessel Examiner and Program Visitor initiatives performing in excess of 80 visits and exams during 2011. The Flotilla has been responsible for providing training for over 120 District Aviators sponsoring both CRM workshops and swim and egress classes and has a member that participates in the Academy Introduction Mission and another that has put in over 10 hours of recruitment time and directing those persons to be recruited to Recruitment Station Wantagh, Wantagh, NY. The members of Flotilla 12-07 have demonstrated honor and devotion to duty in their promotion of all of these program areas while supporting diversity and continuity of leadership and operational readiness of flight crews.                                                                                                                

 

    In addition to this honor, for the second year in a row, Flotilla 12-07 was the recipient of Flotilla of the Year from Division 12. Their work as a Flotilla having been recognized for all their efforts has afforded them the accolades bestowed upon them at the D-Train Conference. Bravo Zulu Shipmates...Job Well Done!!!

 

L-R  Rear Admiral Linda Fagan COPT, Sector NY, BM1 Troy Krotz Sector NY, Albin J. Cofone, FC 12-7 and David G. Porter DCDR D12, Sector NY So., Bayside, NY

(Photo Credit: William Goess of 12-07  Article by David G. Porter, DCDR)

 

L-R AnneMarie Kelly, FSO-PA, David Porter, FSO-HR, Albin Cofone, FC, Paul Gretschel FSO-MT and Richard Lucente FSO-CS at the D train Awards Luncheon pictured with their D12 Award for Flotilla of the Year (Photo Credit to William Goess of 12-07)

12-07 Earns the Coast Guard Team Commendation Ribbon for Humanitarian Service

     The 1SR D-Train March Conference Awards Luncheon proves to be quite the event for the membership of Flotilla 12-07. The Flotilla, under the leadership of Albin J. Cofone, Flotilla Commander of Air Station Republic, received for the membership, the Coast Guard Team Commendation Ribbon. Members of Flotilla 12-07 have engaged in various acts of benevolence as they supported a local East Farmingdale soup kitchen that fell victim to an Arson a week before Thanksgiving. Flotilla Members organized a food drive at the Republic Airport as they broadcasted an ALCOAST message to all District Aviators flying in for the Ice Patrol Workshop being held at their meeting space. Together, a total of 8 large boxes of food stuffs were collected and delivered to the Soup Kitchen.

 

     Members also organized a monetary collection of several hundred dollars to assist the American Red Cross in their relief efforts in Haiti, ran a blood drive with the assistance of New York Blood Center and sponsored a shoe drive for "Soles for Souls". This organization collects lightly worn foot ware and distributes same to needy persons around the world.

 

     This Flotilla's ability and willingness to think and act locally and globally in rendering assistance to those in need has demonstrated the very tenets of the US Coast Guard in that they acted "So Others May Live!"

In doing so, they have spread the good name and reputation of the United States Coast Guard, her Auxiliary and the United States! To Flotilla 12-07, Bravo Zulu!!

 

 

L-R  Albin J. Cofone FC 12-07, BM1 Krotz of Sector New York at the 2012 District Conference

(photo by William Goess, Flot. 12-07, Article by David G. Porter, DCDR D12)

AUXILIARIST of the YEAR, Theodore Prager of Division 12 Flotilla 01

Mr. Prager has been a member for 45 years having enrolled in 1967. Since then he has served as Vice Flotilla Commander, Flotilla Commander, Vice Captain (Vice Division Commander) and Division Captain (Division Commander). Additionally and currently, Mr. Prager serves Division 12 as the Staff Officer for Member Training and as the Division 12 Legal Parliamentarian.

 

In his capacity as the Member Training Officer, he has been chiefly responsible not only for obtaining and sharing information throughout the Division regarding member training opportunities but has been a steadfast supporter and educator in and of the Boat Crew Training Program. For years, Mr. Prager has stewarded members not only of the Division but within the District in the Boat Crew Training Program to ensure the operational readiness of all Boat Crews.

 

Mr. Prager's knowledge and familiarity with the Auxiliary Manual and Robert's Rules of Order have been key and essential in helping to guide new leaders in their roles of Flotilla, Vice Flotilla, Commander and Vice Commander roles thus ensuring a properly run and ordered meeting and has done so in a manner that has not sought to embarrass a member but to educate and inform them as to the proper conduct and prosecution of their office and their meeting. He always leads with a gentle hand offering guidance when needed and or when asked for never putting himself above the needs or staffing structure of the elected leadership so as to not usurp the authority entrusted in those elected to lead. His continued service and extensive knowledge has proven to be an irreplaceable asset to the Division and the organization as a whole. It is for these reasons and others that are too many to enumerate here that I the undersigned recommend THEODORE PRAGER for Division 12 AUXILIARIST OF THE YEAR.

 

Congratulations to Mr. Prager! Division 12 is proud to have you as one of our own!

 

   

New Auxiliarist of the Year of Division 12, Ft. Totten, Bayside, NY

     Since enrolling on 12 MAY 2011, Alexis Melnick has taken and passed her Boating Safety Course, ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800. She has taken all of her qualifying workshops and tests including but not limited to Pilot Test A and B, obtained her BQ Status and Direct Operational Waiver and begun her qualification process to obtain her Air Observer rating. Additionally she has become a mentor in her Flotilla and has assisted the Flotilla Commander and his Vice Commander as well as the Flotilla Staff Officer – Member Training in shepherding fellow members through the qualification process. In doing so, seven new members have been able to prepare for, take and pass the same qualifying exams and begin their Air Ops training. Alexis has also successfully recruited a New Member and has availed herself to Division 12 in the role as Staff Officer – Publications. She has accomplished all of this within eight months of becoming a  member. It is for these reasons that Alexis Melnick has been nominated as New Auxiliarist of the Year and that she is welcomed aboard to the Division Staff as our new Publications Officer.

     Many of you within the Division are doing a great many things that are note worthy. Please send that information to Alexis and I with pictures if available so that everyone in the Division, District, National as well as the civilian populace who view our site can see who we are and what we do. WE ARE D12! WE ARE FIRST SOUTHERN! And WE ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST!!!

L-R: COPT Sector New York, Rear ADM Linda Fagan, Alexis Melnick SO-PB, BM1 Troy Krotz Sector NY  (Photo Credit: William Goess, Flot. 12-07 Air Station Republic, Farmingdale, NY)  Article by: David G. Porter, DCDR, D12