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| Multimedia Release |
Date: Feb. 11, 2010 Contact: 7th District Haiti Relief Operations |
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| Multimedia Release |
Date: Feb. 11, 2010 Contact: 7th District Haiti Relief Operations |
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Feature Story |
Date: Feb. 07, 2010 For multi-media and b-roll contact
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| Coast Guard conducts humanitarian mission |
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Coast Guard Capt. Steven Baynes, Coast Guard Liaison to the Joint Task Force in Haiti, describes activities at an orphanage relief project, Feb. 3, 2010. Port Security Unit 307 provided materials and labor to refurbish and supply this orphanage for several days beginning 21-days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the nation's capitol. U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Coast Guard Lt. Teresa Wolf, a physician assistant assigned to Port Security Unit 307, and Methelus Edelette, a Haitian Coast Guard coreman, provide medical attention and medicine during an orphanage relief project, Feb. 3, 2010. Wolf, from Goldsborough, N.C., contributed her skills while the PSU provided materials and labor to refurbish and supply this orphanage 21-days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the nations capitol. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti - A Coast Guardsman from Port Security Unit 307 spends time with a Haitian girl during a humanitarian visit to an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 3, 2010. The PSU is providing materials and labor to refurbish and supply this orphanage, as well as spend time with the staff and children, 21-days after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the nations capitol. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric J. Chandler.
The children of orphanages here need more help than ever after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the nation’s capitol on Jan. 12, 2010, killing an estimated more than 100,000 people and causing widespread devastation. Members of the PSU are in Haiti performing security duties during efforts to restore full shipping capacity at the port, but seeing the extent of suffering and damage caused by the earthquake, the Coast Guardsmen were compelled to do more. “We’ve just come here to do something to help a little bit and put smiles on these kid’s faces,” said Capt. Steven Baynes, Coast Guard Liaison to the Joint Task Force, Haiti. "This is probably one of the most fulfilling and worth while endeavors I have been on sence being here." PSU 307 has been upgrading beds, providing medical care and spending time interacting with the children at the orphanage in addition to their Coast Guard assigned duties. They will be providing generators, repairing plumbing and adding fans to provide indoor ventilation. "Just the smile on the kids faces when we pulled up was worth while. I mean, its the reason why we are here, to help these children and help these people recover from this horrific event," said Baynes.
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| ### Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790. The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future. |
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| Photo Release |
Date: Feb. 1, 2010 Contact: D7 Public Affairs |
Coast Guard Port Security Units assist the people of Haiti |
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Members from Port Security Unit 307 load a 17-year-old male onto a small boat for transport to a medical station at Killick Point, Haiti. The man was brought into the port seeking medical attention and the PSU's Physician Assistant responded. USCG photo by PA1 Adam Eggers
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Petty Officer 2nd Class William Poertner carries a 5-year-old girl to a small boat for transfer to a medical station at Killick Point, Haiti. Poertner, a firefighter and paramedic with the city of Tampa, Florida, is a reservist assigned to Port Security Unit 307. The mother and little girl arrived at the port seeking medical attention and Poertner and PSU 307's Physician Assistant responded to the call for help. USCG photo by PA1 Adam Eggers
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Members from Port Security Unit 307 carry a Haitian man with multiple gunshot wounds to a small boat for transport to a medical station. Members from PSU's 305, 308, 311 and 313 have combined with PSU 307 to port security in and around the port as relief efforts continue. USCG photo by PA1 Adam Eggers
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeremiah Romankowski, a Health Services Technician, treats a Haitian man with multiple gunshot wounds. Romankowski, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, is assigned to Port Security Unit 311 based out of San Pedro, Calif. Members from PSU's 305, 308, 311 and 313 have combined with PSU 307 to port security in and around the port as relief efforts continue. USCG photo by PA1 Adam Eggers
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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| News Release |
Date: Feb. 1, 2010 Contact: David Mosley |
Coast Guard helping rebuild Haiti’s ports |
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story by: Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley, photo infromation can be found by clicking on each image An international port is a crossroads of culture, languages and international exchange. A port is a nations lifeline to the world through imports and exports. On Jan. 11, 2010 the international port of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was just this, Haiti’s lifeline to the world with 95-percent of the ports activity consisting of imports to the country. The port of Port-au-Prince was forever changed on Jan. 12, 2010, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the nation’s capitol and the port. Within moments, the harbor facilities had crumbled to the earthquakes onslaught. Piers crashed into the harbor, strewing shipping containers across the water and sinking the port’s cargo cranes and their vital link to the world. “Infrastructure is made up of nodes linking the economic system,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mark Sheppard, Coast Guard Maritime Transportation System Recovery Unit (MTSRU) member. “The earthquake destroyed these nodes and brought the system to its knees.” The economic system that brings supplies into the country of Haiti directly revolves around the port and its link to the world. This is where the U.S. Coast Guard has stepped in to help rebuild the broken node that is the port and help the system come back online. An integral part of the recovery of the port is the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Oak. The Cutter Oak, which is homeported in Charleston, S.C., was engaged in Haiti even before the event that forever impacted the area. Two crewmen from the Cutter Oak were in Haiti, they were predeployed to Port-au-Prince to assess the harbor for the ship’s upcoming trip to the area and were there when the earthquake struck. They came through it unscathed, and were able to return home to their families. While the two crewmen were transiting home, the rest of the crew were on their way south from South Carolina to Port-au-Prince. The crew of the Cutter Oak arrived four days after the quake and immediately offloaded bottle water and medical supplies and assisted in helping those who had been affected by the disaster. While many crewmembers of the cutter were ashore helping tend the wounded, their fellow shipmates were surveying the harbor and preparing to service any affected aids-to-navigation and place additional buoys to help mark a safe route into the harbor. Working with a native port pilot and his knowledge of the harbor, the crew of the Oak placed four new buoys and repositioned one to better prepare the port for ship arrivals. “The crew has done an excellent job,” said Cmdr. Mike Glander, commanding officer of the Cutter Oak. “Many members of my crew have told me that this is one of the most rewarding things that they have personally done.” As more and more shipping started to arrive with supplies to help the people, it quickly became clear that there was a need for a coordination of ship movement in the harbor. Working together with the MTSRU, which is a team uniquely designed for coordinating the rebuild of a transportation infrastructure, the crew of the Cutter Oak became a floating traffic control center. Orchestrating the movements of the many ships that were arriving from countries like Mexico, Columbia, France, Cuba and the United States. Despite all the vessels arriving to bring much needed supplies to help the people of Haiti, the port, which is an essential system node, was all but destroyed. Because of the destruction and limited usability of the port, there quickly became a bottleneck in the system. While there was a continued focus on the port of Port-au-Prince through military and civilian joint operations, recovery assist teams or “RAT” teams made up of Coast Guard men and women from across the U.S. started surveying smaller port facilities throughout Haiti in an effort to reduce the bottleneck at the port of Port-au-Prince. “Overall the port infrastructure is a lot better than expected,” said Chief Brown, Atlantic Area Strike Team and MTRSU member. “Although that doesn’t mean there are not challenges to overcome.” The port operations at the only surviving pier in the main point of entry to Port-au-Prince came to a screeching halt Jan. 26. Divers found that support legs of the pier had disappeared during tearthquake aftershocks, making the pier unstable and dangerous to use. Further challenges have presented themselves by the fact that crews are working in a foreign country. “With this being a foreign port, it is hard to know local logistics,” said Brown. “We don’t even know if all of the port managers are alive, and those who are, are trying to take care of their homeless families while working each day towards putting their country back together.” Together with the resilient people of Haiti, the crew of the Cutter Oak combined with the oversight and expertise of the MTSRU, the ports of Haiti are poised to steadily come back online. |
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### Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790. The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future. |
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| News Feature |
Date: Feb. 1, 2010 Contact: D7 Public Affairs |
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US , Haiti Coast Guards share unique partnership story by: Lt. Gene Maestas |
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The Haitian people in Port Au Prince could see the Coast Guard Cutter Forward on the horizon at dawn the morning after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the infrastructure of Port Au Prince and killed thousands after the earth shook violently late Tuesday afternoon on January 12, 2010. The Forward was the first Coast Guard asset to arrive on scene and was soon followed by a Coast Guard C-130 airplane from Clearwater, Fla., to help provide assessments of the damage. The Coast Guard Cutters Mohawk and Tahoma arrived the next day. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Oak anxiously awaited orders to deploy to Haiti to assist their friends and colleagues at the Coast Guard base in Killick. “We developed a trusting, working relationship with the Haitian Coast Guard,” said Cmdr. Michael W. Glander, Commanding Officer of the Oak. The crew of the Oak has made several trips to Haiti to train with them since 2007. “It’s a professional exchange that includes engineering and medical training,” added Glander. The Haitian coast guard exchange program also offers an opportunity for Haitian coast guard members to receive additional training at the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia and the Leadership School at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. Mr. Lambert Jean Rosemond is the Chief of Operations at the Haitian coast guard base in Killick and has attended training several times in the United States. He attended the Operations Management course at the Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia in 1995 and followed up with coxswain school in 1997. Lambert has several plaques and certificates lining the wall in his office that reflects the courses he has attended with the United States Coast Guard and several other government agencies in the Two Oak crewmen were already in Haiti making assessments to determine areas of focus for their next professional exchange when the earthquake hit. The crewmen were found in good condition by the Coast Guard Liaison Officer in Haiti, Cmdr. Evan Grant. Lambert said Cmdr. Grant was at the Killick base around 5 p.m. the afternoon the earthquake hit and worked until 7 a.m. the next morning. According to Lambert, Cmdr. Grant began providing medical treatment to the crowds of injured who came to the base looking for help. The next day, the Tahoma embarked a team to the Killick base and also provided medical assistance to the injured who were seeking help. Lambert indicated there were hundreds of people who came to the base looking for help. He told his crew to take care of their families first and then they had to come back to work. On the evening of the earthquake, the crew of the Oak began making preparations to deploy to Haiti. The next day they left their homeport of Charleston, S.C., and headed to Jacksonville, Fla. to load equipment for aids-to-navigation work and relief supplies provided by the Department of Defense program Project Hand Clasp. The following day the Oak headed to Miami to take on medical supplies provided by the Coast Guard clinic and 12,800 bottles of water donated by Pepsi. Two Coast Guard Creole speaking interpreters were also added to the crew in The following day the crew of the Oak arrived in Haiti and caught up with the crew of the Tahoma to provide medical assistance for the injured at the Haitian coast guard base in Killick. “The crew said this is the most rewarding thing they have ever done,” said Glander. The crew of Tahoma also helped to establish a landing field so helicopters could evacuate the seriously injured to the USNS Comfort and other locations for treatment. The assistance to the Haitian coast guard is greatly appreciated by the Haitian coast guard crew. “It is a pleasure to work with the US Coast Guard and we will continue, we are family,” Lambert added. To view photos of the US and Haiti Coast Guards working together, follow the below links: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=770562 http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=762251 http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=754995
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### Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790. The Seventh Coast Guard District is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Become a fan!
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| Photo Release |
Date: Jan. 20, 2009 Contact: D7 Public Affairs (305) 415-6683 |
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Coast Guard maintains perimeter around landing zone KILLICK, Haiti - Petty Officer 3rd Class Ricky Pounders, a Gunner's Mate aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, maintains a perimeter around the landing zone in Killick Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. Military personnel established the landing zone in Killick to transport injured Haitians to a private hospital in Milot, Haiti. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandyn Hill. Coast Guard maintains perimeter in Killick, Haiti KILLICK, Haiti - Petty Officer 3rd Class Ricky Pounders, a Gunner's Mate aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, maintains a perimeter around the landing zone in Killick Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. "Normally when the helicopters come in, crowds gather," said Pounders. "We're just making sure people stay a safe distance from the designated landing zone." U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandyn Hill. Navy personnel assist in Haitian relief efforts KILLICK, Haiti - Navy Lt. Marlin Williams, a chaplain aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, holds an injured Haitian girl as he waits for a military helicopter to arrive Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. Coast Guard and Navy aircrews transported several people from Killick to a private hospital in Milto, Haiti for further medical assistance. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandyn Hill. Coast Guard aircrews medevac injured Haitians KILLICK, Haiti - Petty Officer 3rd Class Mike Thompson, an Aviation Survival Technician stationed in Clearwater, Fla., changes gloves in between caring for the injured Haitians aboard a Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. The Coast Guard had two Jayhawks medevacing injured people to a private hospital in Milot, Haiti. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandyn Hill. Coast Guardsman rushes Haitian girl to awaiting helicopter PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Petty Officer 3rd Class Cameron Croteau, a Damage Controlman aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Oak, carries an injured Haitian girl to an awaiting Coast Guard HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. Coast Guard and Navy helicopters airlifted injured Haitians to a private hospital in Milot, Haiti. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandyn Hill. |
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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| News Release |
Date: Contact: |
| Coast Guard responds to boat fire in the Florida Keys |
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KEY WEST, Fla. -- A Coast Guard boatcrew from Station Key West responded to a vessel fire aboard the Gulf Stream III about 12 miles soutwest of Key West Tuesday. Coast Guard search-and-rescue coordinators at Sector Key West received a radio distress call, from crew aboard the Gulf Stream III at approximately 12:30 p.m., stating they were on fire with two people aboard and needed help. The Coast Guard responded immediately by launching a rescue boatcrew from Station Key West and contacting the Key West Fire Department for additional assistance. A good Samaritan in the area witnessing the fire transferred the two people to safety aboard their vessel. Once the boatcrew from Station Key West arrived on scene they established a one-mile safety zone around the Gulf Stream III. The Key West Fire Department boatcrew arrived on scene and determined it was safest to let the fire burn itself out. At approximately 4:20 p.m., the Gulf Stream III sank 13 miles southwest of Key West, approximately 2 1/2 miles south of the reef. Coast Guard marine investigators are coordinating with the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to determine final disposition on the vessel. The cause of the fire is under investigation. |
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### Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790. The Seventh Coast Guard District is on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Become a fan!
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| Photo Release |
Date: Jan. 18, 2010 Contact: D7 Public Affairs (305) 415-6683 |
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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| Photo Release |
Date: Jan. 18, 2010 Contact: D7 Public Affairs (305) 415-6683 |
Coast Guard assists in treating evacuated Haitians
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti- Petty Officer 3rd Class Antonio Seisdedos (LEFT), of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Seaman Apprentice Chloe Hicks (CENTER) of Jacksonville, Ark., help a young, injured Haitian girl put in ear plugs just prior to be loaded into a Dolphin rescue helicopter for transport to an area hospital Monday, January 18, 2010. Seisdedos helped the crew communicate with the patients by translating for them, explaining what the crew was doing and asking if the patients were comfortable. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Etta Smith)
PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti- Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk crewmembers help carry a young Haitian girl on a stretcher to a Dolphin rescue helicopter where she will be airlifted to a local hospital for treatment of her serious leg injury Monday, January 18, 2010. The Mohawk crew spent the day evacuating critical patients by small boat from a makeshift clinic in Port as Prince to the ship to be medevaced, eventually airlifting about 16 patients for treatment. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Etta Smith)
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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| Photo Release |
Date: Jan. 18, 2010 Contact: D7 Public Affairs |
Coast Guard Continues Haitian Relief Support
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Edwards, Maritime Safety and Security Team New Orleans, and Petty Officer 1st Class Leroy Marcel, and Marine Safety and Security Team Miami, provide translation and medical assistance to American citizens awaiting transport back to the U.S., Jan. 18, 2010. One of the United States' key missions in Haiti is to evacuate U.S. citizens and return them stateside. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Blackwell.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Edwards, Maritime Safety and Security Team New Orleans, and Petty Officer 1st Class Leroy Marcel, and Marine Safety and Security Team Miami, provide translation and medical assistance to American citizens awaiting transport back to the U.S., Jan. 18, 2010. One of the United States' key missions in Haiti is to evacuate U.S. citizens and return them stateside. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Blackwell.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Edwards, Maritime Safety and Security Team New Orleans, and Petty Officer 1st Class Leroy Marcel, and Marine Safety and Security Team Miami, provide translation and medical assistance to American citizens awaiting transport back to the U.S., Jan. 18, 2010. One of the United States' key missions in Haiti is to evacuate U.S. citizens and return them stateside. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Blackwell.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Edwards, Maritime Safety and Security Team New Orleans, and Petty Officer 1st Class Leroy Marcel, and Marine Safety and Security Team Miami, provide translation and medical assistance to American citizens awaiting transport back to the U.S., Jan. 18, 2010. One of the United States' key missions in Haiti is to evacuate U.S. citizens and return them stateside. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Blackwell.
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
