Featured Up Front: "WM forms 1st collegiate Coast Guard Auxiliary detachment"

The Detachment was the subject of a great article that William & Mary News featured on the front page of www.wm.edu on Monday (Photo credit to Stephen Salpukas of WM News). The article, "W&M forms 1st collegiate Coast Guard Auxiliary detachment", focused heavily on the opportunity for students and The College presented by the Coast Guard Auxiliary's first such Detachment program being established here. To quote author Alexandra Bracken ('09):

"The College of William and Mary is home to many firsts: first royal charter, first honor code, first Law School, but now it can add another one.

"Last year, William & Mary became the first university in the United States to have a detachment of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The detachment is part of the Coast Guard Auxiliary's Flotilla 67 in Williamsburg."

The full article is available here, but I want to offer many thanks to Alex Bracken for writing, Stephen Salpukas for the photograph shown here (dreary day as it was), and to Erin Zagursky for her help facilitating this.

My quote at the article's end is true... nothing like it. It's been a great ride.

"'There is nothing like seeing a group of students that you helped teach make it through something,' Welch said. 'Nothing like seeing them go from knowing practically nothing about the Coast Guard and our missions, to later seeing them in uniform, teaching students that are even newer to program, or getting the students to the point where they are running their own unit. It's awesome.'"

Dining Out

Yesterday evening, the Detachment had its Dining Out event, which we do once a semester. For this event, all detachment members wear our dress uniforms, or the civilian equivalent suit and tie or cocktail dress and go out to dinner. We invite leadership from the Auxiliary to participate with us by sharing in a night that celebrates our hard work during the semester in a less formal atmosphere than our graduation ceremony.

The dinner was delicious, but more importantly, it was a wonderful opportunity for detachment members to sit and eat with each other. One particular event that happened at our table was that one member ordered an appetizer that he found unappealing. Another detachment member switched appetizers with him, making the end result that both members had enjoyable appetizers. Teamwork is not something that stays within the confines of a classroom or teaching environment. Instead, teamwork is a principle that we must each live in our daily lives with each other.

At my table, we were privileged to have our Flotilla Commander, Jim Clark, and our esteemed incoming Flotilla Staff Officer in charge of the Detachment, Todd Egnor. They both have extensively traveled, and some of the new detachment members were able to learn about experiences with the Coast Guard outside of the continental United States from these knowledgeable men. In particular, Mr. Egnor told us about his first experience working on the Barque Eagle. He was meeting the Eagle in a South American country to join the cruise, and he described his first view of the Eagle was from a top-floor outdoors restuarant overlooking the ocean. He said it was the coolest experience, knowing that the beautiful ship sailing into the harbor was his ride.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening. I love that this is a tradition of the Detachment!

Detachment Videos Showcased at First District Southern Region Conference

I learned yesterday Mark Dunmire and others from the First District Southern Region presented a workshop at their District Conference this past weekend that highlighted the use of Social Media use in the Coast Guard. Specifically, the "Public Affairs update at the D1SR Conference includes the use of social networking technologies to accomplish and promote our missions." This was a great vote of confidence from outside of our own District (D1SR is up in the New York-New England area).

We were happy to hear that some of the Detachment's YouTube work was showcased, specifically the video of David Kraemer, '10, discussing his experience and the opportunities available to William and Mary students that join the program. The video has been out for several months now, but I thought I would repost it for you to have a look at below.

Thanks for the publicity and the good words from D1SR!

Preparing for on-water; Todd Egnor aboard Eagle!

This weekend has brought to light a couple neat operational items. For those of you that do not know, "operations" refer to work the Coast Guard does actually delivering service and performing missions on the water, in the air, or on shore (as opposed to "support" work).

I am currently sitting in on a bit of our shore side Boat Crew training here on campus. Detachment Members Mike Piantedosi and Nick Zaremba are taking this class, and hope to be out on the water for the first time sometime in April. Tonight they are working on charts and coastal navigation, and making really good progress. I will be excited to see them out on the water next month.

One of the two instructors for this program, Todd Egnor, is out tonight as he is currently sailing with the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, the 295-foot sailing ship on which Coast Guard Academy cadets and active duty Officer Candidates train. He is aboard to work with Officer Candidates, and has been sending us updates as they sail home to New London, CT. We hope that he will be safely home and working with our W&M Detachment Members again soon!

Pictured: Mike Piantedosi ('12) and Carl Pearson (instructor) discuss navigation techniques during tonight's class in Tucker Hall.

First specialty qualification completed by a Detachment Member!

This weekend was a big milestone for the William & Mary Detachment, and I am very proud of Nick Zaremba for being the person to achieve it. On Saturday, at Advanced Skills Weekend at Training Center Yorktown, Mr. Zaremba became the first W&M Detachment Member to successfully complete a specialty qualification.

His passing score on the Seamanship (AUXSEA) exam puts him on the way to achieving the Auxiliary Operational certification. This semester he is also working hard in the Boat Crew and Vessel Examination programs, all of which make him not only the first W&M Detachment Member to complete a specialty qualification, but the first student to every do so in a Coast Guard Auxiliary College Detachment. I am looking forward to seeing Mr. Zaremba, as well as Mike Piantedosi and Myles Busching, training for the first time out on the water now that the weather is warming up.

It was a very productive weekend all around, with good lectures and discussions on a number of topics. I was happy to complete my personal qualification in Marine Safety Administration and Management within the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection program. Check out the video on the whole event below.

Lunch with President Reveley

Shipmates,

This past Friday I was honored to be invited to a lunch hosted by W&M College President Reveley with the W&M Veteran's Society and Capt. Kemps from the Army ROTC program. The Detachment is unique among those organizations due to its non-military status, but it was nonetheless great to be included in the work that these uniformed (and former uniformed) organizations share.

We hit on a number of topics such as the availability of the W&M education and experience to military veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the challenges for students once they arrive. These folks, and the work they do to be successful students, are a real inspiration.

We also discussed the Coast Guard Auxiliary Detachment program. I explained to the President all of the good work that you Detachment Members have done to make this the first such program anywhere in the country, and was very encouraged by his response. We will build a more robust partnership between the Detachment and The College in the coming months and years. Your wonderful effots and involvement as "citizens of the campus community" are key to this goal, and I am eager and hopeful for what is to come. You are all, both junior and senior members, very highly regarded, and you should be proud of your hard work thus far.

ADW

Spring 2009 Detachment Recruitment Coming to a Close...

Contacting organizations, talking to classmates and hallmates, Facebook pages, interest meetings, YouTube videos... this just a small sampling of what the Detachment Members have been doing in these last few weeks to bring in another class. We have seen lots of interest in our potential new members that helped us confirm our view that this program truly is a great opportunity and will be a great launching point for similar programs elsewhere around the country! I think I speak for all my shipmates when I say that we are all excited about the prospects in the new class!

I also wanted to commend my shipmates for all the time and effort put in by everyone in this recruitment process. You have all done a wonderful job and should be recognized for such an achievement.