From the Director's Corner - U.S. Coast Guard District 17 DIRAUX

Message from the D17 Director of Auxiliary

04/08/08

“New faces, Outreach, all that time ”

Spring is here and our flotillas are busy with boating classes and ramping up vessel exam days. Again I ask, where do you all find the time for all that you do?

What a great Winter Conference we had in Homer! A big thank you should go to the Homer flotilla members & conference committee for all the hard work and preparation they put into hosting the event. We discovered that a good 3-day blizzard helps keep attendance in the classrooms up! The roasting flotillas gave to the DIRAUX at Fun Night is something I will always remember. I am humbled to work with all of you. Thank you for your friendship as well as your dedication and service.

This summer will bring two new faces to the Director’s office. LCDR Chris Fern will be taking my place as the new D17 Director of Auxiliary. She is currently the Logistics Branch Chief for Sector Seattle. Chris and her husband, Eric, are looking forward to living in Alaska. Eric is also a LCDR and he will be working as the Intel Branch Chief at the District. Chris will begin her duties as DIRAUX on August 11.

BMC Gerry Gardner will be coming to D17 as our new Operations Training Officer. We will be doubling up on Chiefs for a year as BMC Gross does not retire until the summer of 2009. There is plenty for both Chiefs to do in our Auxiliary operations program this summer. Operational flotillas can expect to see one or both Chiefs attending training or patrol events.

Commodore Robinson has formed the Auxiliary Arctic Outreach Committee to assist Admiral Brooks in his efforts to bring Coast Guard services to the Slope communities as the ice edge retreats more each summer. The Admiral has personally visited several Slope communities to speak and listen to concerns about the changes the ice retreat brings. He has told the communities that the Coast Guard intends to spend the first few years educating mariners on safety and requirements. Who better to help D17 with this education than our Auxiliary? This is an exciting opportunity.

Arctic Outreach Committee members are: Noel Robinson, Dean Terencio, Sandy Mazen, Mike Folkerts, Nanci Terencio, and Sue Hargis. There has been a great deal of planning done by this committee and initial outreach efforts have begun. By fall of 2008, the Outreach Committee will have visited seven communities in the North; Nome, Kotzebue, Barrow, Pt Hope, Pt Lay, Wainwright, and Nuiqsut. Look for updates on this outreach in the AHOY magazine, on the web, and in emails this summer.

Thanks again for all you do.