Loss of 57-Year Auxiliarist

Monday we lost a friend and Auxiliary shipmate - Robert Rose. Diane and I had the privilege of being with him for his last hour or so as he took his leave of this world.

Bob was 90 years old... an age that few reach in any condition. He was feisty up until the end - and clear-headed as well until just the last few weeks. What a life he led... photojournalist to 4 Presidents (Truman through Johnson) and thus a world traveler, a boater, an Auxiliarist, and a lover of history and its documentation. Bob was an Auxiliarist longer than I've been alive, having enrolled in July 1953. He was extremely active in the organization and its leadership until about the last 4 years of his life - especially the last 2, after the house fire that claimed his wife of 65 years, Alma, a 25-year Auxiliarist herself.

Upon hearing the news, USCG CAPT(ret) Bill Griswald (a former Chief Director of Auxiliary) wrote, "Bob was the ultimate Auxiliarist." High praise indeed from someone who should know... and who is an incredible Auxiliarist himself. I aspire to someday reach the level of accomplishment in the Auxiliary of either of those two men - but that's a long way off yet.

Fair winds and following seas, my good friend Bob. We will miss you.

Team Mercury

Back from the Coast Guard Innovation Expo. We had an incredible opportunity to share with the Coast Guard's senior leadership about our team and what it can do. We also had the folks from CG Video stop by and record a short video about our Team.

The link is:

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=1041114

Now it's time to get ready for the Change of Watch season.

Coast Guard Innovation Expo

As I write this, it is the morning of day 3 of the Expo. As it is my first time at this 10-year-old event, I wasn't sure what to expect. I am pleasantly surprised, both at the wide variety of ideas and products on display and and at how much of the senior Coast Guard leadership is present here.

I am here with my District Captain - East, Dan Jacquish, assisting him in displaying Team Mercury - the Mobile Communications Rapid Response Team. This Team is composed of members of my division (Division 5) of the D7 Auxiliary and the mobile communications unit around which the team is built.

The unit is self-contained and self-sufficient, with the ability to forward deploy to any place that is reachable by road (or ship or air). The truck contains the communications work stations, of which there are two, and which also pulls the trailer. The trailer contains the work and living space for the team as well as the food and other supplies. In addition, it carries the 4-wheel Mule that is used for local transportation and re-supply.

One of the difficulties in forward-deploying Auxiliarists is in providing for their shelter, food, and hygiene needs. This team brings all of those things with it. The unit has berthing for 6 to 8, food for weeks, a full head with shower, a full galley including a refrigerator/freezer, and work and living space. It also carries 100 gallons of fuel for the generators and 100 gallons of fresh water, with additional capability for purification.

Another unique feature of this unit is its capability to provide an interface between the Coast Guard and the local law enforcement and response communities. This is accomplished by including the 800MHz trunked radios that most local communities use. By having these radios as part of the package, the unit can be that important link between those two operations.

We have had the incredible opportunity to show the unit to most of the Coast Guard's senior leadership over the last two days. If we were struggling in anonymity and obscurity before, I think we have cured that this week.

Now all we need is a couple of deployments, which will provide the opportunity to prove the capability and value of Team Mercury.