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The Charlevoix Flotilla, Glen Stolt FC, and Coast Guard Station Charlevoix sponsored the 2023 annual Boat School from June 9th through June 11th, 2023. The goal of Boat School is to get Crew and Coxswains with their PQS complete, qualified by a QE check ride. And those working toward these goals, advanced. It was a great success. About 40 total USCG Auxiliary members attended from Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, and throughout Michigan. Seven Flotillas in attendance were from District 91, Division 26, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 30.
The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) participated again this year with 4 members and their facility “Kracken”. CCGA has sent a team every year since 2017. Working with the CCGA has been a bonus to both Auxiliaries. They are well equipped and very experienced with SAR. So, the information and techniques shared are interesting and valuable. The CCGA is the search and rescue for Canada – they regularly search forests for missing persons, go to the lakes to rescue mariners, they have well equipped facilities with tools to do their missions efficiently. During the Boat School patrols and fellowship time many real situations and solutions are shared with USCG Aux members. The Charlevoix Boat School offers a concise program to get their new members “immediately useful” by having such a broad spectrum of training in one weekend. The CCGA is a welcome always at our event and we have started conversation about working with them in Sault St. Marie.
The weekend starts on Friday about noon with lunch, orientation and safety briefing then Qualified Examiner checked rides on Friday and Saturday for those who were ready. All have daily Surface Training surface scenarios that will exercise the skill qualifications for Coxswain, Crew, and Trainees. Navigation, night operations, towing, anchoring, SAR patterns, 2 boat scenarios, knots, heaving line, firefighting and more are all offered. One scenario involved Aux Air Search and Rescue (SAR) missions utilizing a Traverse City Flotilla aircraft. The exercise involved locating a lost kayak and a person in the water and then directing a surface units for their recovery. Auxiliarists also spent time at the station performing refresher classroom training in SAR, Navigation, and Communications. Completing all the scenarios will also complete your annual currency requirements. Sunday is a backup day if weather does not cooperate or a travel day for our out of town guests. If you participate in all Boat School offers, you can complete your on water CRW/CX training sign offs!
This year’s addition was to include AUXCOM. Their Mobile Command Communication Trailer handled the event comms and advanced Aux members seeking TCO qualifications! Dave Montgomery, operated the Traverse City Mobile Command Communications trailer and qualified two members in Auxiliary Communication and advancing trainees. The trailer assumed all communication watch standing for Coast Guard Station Charlevoix over a 48-hour period. This initiative provided both real-world training for Auxiliary members and much needed-relief for Active Duty watch standers at Coast Guard Station Charlevoix. The communication trailer was acquired two years ago by a group of flotilla members and fitted with various radios to handle all communications. The mobile facility has operated at the Coast Guard Traverse City Air Station for air and surface operations during SAR training and training exercises in Elk Rapids, Michigan.
Boat School utilized six surface facilities from four Flotillas, Traverse City, Charlevoix, Upper Great Lakes, and one boat from the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, Sault Saint Marie, Ontario, which has been actively involved for over five years. The facilities allowed for many additional towing evolutions, SAR training exercises, flotilla aviation support from the Traverse City Air Station, maritime training, and numerous crew overboard drills throughout the training weekend. In addition to all the extensive daytime training, Coxswains performed night operations to qualify crew and coxswain for their nighttime qualifications.
Auxiliary Culinary Assistants prepared over 200 meals in Station Charlevoix's galley. Lynda Stolt, Deb and Robert Kerr, and COMO Sue Thurlow cooked delicious foods and desserts for Coast Guard Active Duty, Reserve, Coast Guard Academy Cadets and Auxiliary members in attendance.
Charlevoix's 2023 boat school was another great success, with eight new Coxswains and Crewmembers and the requalification of seven previously qualified Crewmembers. Most Divisions and flotillas from District 91, Ninth Central, look forward to this annual program in Charlevoix, Michigan, pulled together throughout the year by Charlevoix Flotilla 26-02. The program’s training is always excellent; the fellowship and friendships created last a lifetime.
Planning has already begun for the 2024 Charlevoix Boat School. Again, seats will be limited to 50 and we will be looking for facilities that can trailer in. The primary mission of Charlevoix Boat School is to keep 091-26 OPS qualified but, all the extra seats are open to ALL AUX. Everyone should try attending; it is a fun and resourceful weekend.
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Dick Lavanture Flotilla Commander 261 Traverse City, Michigan and Glen Stolt, Flotilla Commander 262 Charlevoix, Michigan
CHARLEVOIX, MICH - Active duty and Auxiliary crews prepare to leave U.S. Coast Guard Station Charlevoix for two boat training on Lake Michigan. Photo by Marcus Calo
U.S. Coast Guard Station Charlevoix.
Auxiliary members, Mike English, Dick Lavanture, Sue Carter practice towing.
Bottom Right Photo: Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary members with U.S. Coast Auxiliary member Marcus Calo.
Christian Sandvig, Flotilla 185, Seven Detroit, and a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary member rescue Oscar during a search and rescue exercise. Auxiliary Photo by Chris Haley
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary members training together. Left to Right: Mike Walz, Canadian Auxiliarist, and Marcus Calo, Flotila Twelve Detroit.
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel, Krakus. USCG Auxiliary Photo by Chris Haley
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel, Krakus. USCG AuxiliaryPhoto by Richard Borth.
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Photo by Brian Krotser
June 16, 2023
Joint operations event sees active duty and Auxiliary crews prepare for a busy SAR season
By John Saran, AUXPA1, District Captain — Area East, Auxiliary District 9WR
The SAR alarm sounded, beckoning active duty and Auxiliary crews to the Station Michigan City’s communications room. “We have a report of a vessel that just made the trip from New Buffalo to Michigan City and noticed they are missing one passenger. That means you have 1 PIW about a mile offshore and they could be anywhere in that 10-mile stretch. How do you want to proceed, and do you need the assistance of a 45’ RBM?”
These were the instructions and questions provided by the watch stander — Auxiliarist Ed Carroll — and the active duty Officer of the Day to Auxiliarist Paul Bornstein, a coxswain visiting from Chicago during a June 10-11 training exercise at Station Michigan City. Over the course of the two-day event, 25 auxiliarists from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan conducted three SAR drills and studied operations policy with their active-duty shipmates. A 45’ RBM, a 29’ RB-S II, one Auxiliary facility from a nearby Michigan City marina and two Auxiliary facilities visiting from Coast Guard Station Chicago all participated in these exercises.
Bornstein was made the on-scene coordinator and provided direction to an active-duty break-in coxswain, BM3 Oscar Garcia, to conduct the search patterns. The search started out with a real-life engine casualty for the RBM, which meant the Auxiliary boat had to proceed on its own. The Auxiliary crew started its track line search and ultimately recovered the person in water (PIW), who happened to be station officer in charge, Chief Petty Officer Steven Klika, in a dry suit. Later that day, BM3 Garcia conducted tow where the scenario vessel suffered a mock fire with PIWs. He had to coordinate with another Auxiliary facility, led by Auxiliarist Josh Zajac, to support his tow and pick up the PIWs. Little did everyone know, BM3 Garcia was having his check ride that he passed with flying colors.
“This was a great way to start the patrol season, and my crew from nearby units in Michiana was ready to jump right into it,” said Auxiliarist Todd Nitz, who coxswained a local Auxiliary facility during the event. His crew started off the exercise with a successful tow of a mock-disabled RB-S II — a task this brand-new facility had not completed before.
After each exercise, the joint crews debriefed, shared chow and engaged in fellowship. “Food is morale and the Aux culinary team kept our crews energized during the exercise. One of my BMs came up to me saying that the Aux are welcome any time, they left the galley cleaner than when they got there,” said Klika.
At the end of the event, Klika and BM1 Anthony Hanusiak provided a preview of new active-duty PQSs involving the RBM and RB-S II available at Station Michigan City for auxiliarists. Station leadership worked with Auxiliary national leadership to develop this pilot program.
“A special thanks to our active-duty shipmates at Station Michigan City. Everybody came together as Team Coast Guard over the course of the weekend,” said Auxiliarist Steve McCarty, commander of the St. Joseph Division.
The N-Train 2017 website...
https://www.cgauxa.org/auxa/ntrain2017/
...has been updated with a revised schedule of events.
Please go to the site to view the latest information. If you have not yet made your hotel reservations you can do that through a direct link on the website.
Time is short so visit today for all the current information.
SOURCE: Martin L. Phillips, Executive Director (CGAuxA)
The N-TRAIN 2017 website is now available at:
https://www.cgauxa.org/auxa/ntrain2017/
The website includes the schedule of events, hotel information including a direct link to make reservations, local transportation and general information.
You should make your hotel reservations accordingly. Please visit the site. Updates will posted to the website as they occur.
SOURCE: Martin L. Phillips, Executive Director (CGAuxA)
The Coast Guard is committed to supporting the Coast Guard Auxiliary by providing training materials, courses, and tools to impart the skills and knowledge needed to achieve mission excellence. As part of this commitment, the Coast Guard has launched an enterprise-wide Auxiliary Learning Management System (AUXLMS) to automate the delivery and, in turn, improve the efficiency of training processes for Auxiliarists.
For more information, please visit the Training Directorate AUXLMS webpage or at this link: http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=T-DEPT&category=auxlms.
Source [Fajardo, Dale DIR-T]
Access the latest schedule here, and for more information, please visit the Training Directorate C-School webpage .
Source [Dale Fajardo, DIR-T]
Recently the Training Department was made aware that the on-line version of the Flotilla Leadership Course (FLC) grading parameter threshold was set below the 90% minimum for an open book, non-proctored quiz. Because of this issue, both the Training and Information Departments have taken appropriate corrective actions to reset the minimum passing grade to 90% effective at noon, September 21, 2012. This action will not have any adverse effect for those students who have already taken the test. Nor does this action apply to the District Residential version of FLC.
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 16, 2012 -Total boating fatalities last year rose to 758, the highest number on record since 1998, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's official 2011 Recreational Boating Statistics released today.
User Services and Support Director Dale Crow announced today the immediate availability of the Auxiliary's first video "walkthrough" guide, covering the use of the Online 7029 Webform.� The video shows members, in seven minutes, how to open and complete the 7029 form online, and tips for navigating the Webforms site. The video guide is the product of the recently-formed User Guides Division, headed by DVC Karen Rochon.
The Training Department has received directions from Coast Guard FORCECOM Training (F-T) to move all Coast Guard Auxiliary courses from the current Coast Guard site by May 7th. In response to this directive, the Training Department, working with the Information Technology Group, will form a working team to effect a smooth transition to an alternative site. During this period of time, we do not anticipate any major interruption of service.