President Obama’s growing U.S. Coast Guard

Coast Guard has been mostly silent on its much touted plans for a fourth star for the services Vice Commandant. The last update from the Coast Guards office of Governmental Affairs was in April 2008. Both the House and Senate versions of the bill failed. What’s not clear, and maybe our readers can provide insight is who this affects the Modernization effort. The four new 3 Star positions were dependent on this measure passing.

Section 210 – of H.R. 2830 read

Requires that the Coast Guard Vice Commandant have the grade of admiral while serving as Vice Commandant.

Replaces provisions authorizing the appointment of Atlantic and Pacific area commanders with provisions authorizing appointment of a Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, a Deputy Commandant for National Operations and Policy, a Commander for the Force Readiness Command, and a Commander of Operations Command, all to have the grade of vice admiral while serving in those positions.

Removes provisions allowing the appointment of a Coast Guard Chief of Staff.

This bill was proposed in a previous session of Congress. Sessions of Congress last two years, and at the end of each session all proposed bills and resolutions that haven’t passed are cleared from the books. Rep. James Oberstar [D-MN] can reintroduce this bill under a new number in the next session.

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Navy honors civilian journalist for saving Marine’s life

Maj. Gen. Paul Lefebvre, deputy commanding general, Multi-National Corps - Iraq, awards cameraman Chris Jackson with the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award Jan. 24 at Al Faw Palace for pulling Sgt. Courtney Rauch from a burning humvee in Afghanistan Aug. 3, 2008.

By Army Staff Sgt. Joy Pariante  , Headquarters Marine Corps

WASHINGTON —

A civilian journalist received a top Navy honor in Iraq on Jan. 24 for his heroism in saving a Marine’s life while in Afghanistan.

Then-Fox News cameraman Chris Jackson, embedded with a Marine Corps platoon, was traveling by Humvee down a dangerous road in Afghanistan on Aug. 3 when it hit 50 pounds of homemade explosives. All of the vehicle’s passengers escaped the flaming vehicle, with the exception of vehicle commander Sgt. Courtney Rauch.

The blast severely injured Rauch and knocked him unconscious. Jackson, despite having received shrapnel wounds himself, rushed back to the vehicle, pulled Rauch out and carried him to safety.

“Without Chris’ quick thinking and heroic act, I would have lost my life that day,” Rauch said. “Chris forgot about being a reporter that day and became one of our brothers and acted as one of us. Chris went above and beyond his duty.”

Jackson, who now works for CNN/Turner Broadcasting, was presented with the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the second-highest award given to civilians by the Navy, for his actions. Jackson received the award at Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory, outside of Baghdad, during a stop in Iraq en route to India. An audience of appreciative Marines was on hand during the ceremony.

Maj. Gen. Paul Lefebvre, deputy commanding general for Multinational Corps Iraq, has a son in the same company with which Jackson was traveling. Lefebvre, who presented the award on behalf of the Navy, asked his son if all the wonderful things being said about Jackson were true.

“I asked him, ‘Is this the real thing?’ and he said, ‘Yeah Dad, this guy’s a hero,’” Lefebvre said. “This was not an everyday action. It came from somewhere deep inside and shows such a level of courage and commitment.”

When told in front of the crowd why he was invited to Al Faw Palace, Jackson blushed. “It goes to show that Marines have a good sense of humor,” he said. “I was told I was coming here for a briefing.”

Jackson said he didn’t think twice about risking his own life to save someone else’s.

“I wasn’t thinking. I saw there was trouble, and I didn’t even think about grabbing a camera and filming it,” Jackson said. “I just did what anyone else would do if someone was in trouble.”

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Navy Announces Decision on Supplemental NAS North Island Port Facility SEIS

From Department of Defense

WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Department of the Navy announced Jan. 30 its decision to upgrade the aircraft carrier berthing facilities at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island.

BJ Penn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, signed the Record of Decision (ROD), which follows a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). On March 30, 2007, the Secretary of Navy announced that USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) would move its homeport to NAS North Island following the completion of this SEIS.

The decision commits to improvements in the berthing facility’s fender, mooring, security, and information systems, as well as electrical, mechanical, and site enhancements. These improvements will upgrade carrier berthing to comply with current nuclear-powered aircraft carrier facility requirements.

The Supplemental EIS augments a 1999 EIS that examined the homeporting of three nuclear-powered, Nimitz-class aircraft carriers at NAS North Island. The SEIS does not propose any changes to the outcome of the 1999 study and its subsequent decision, which was implemented in 2004 and which remains relevant.

After considering comments from regulators and the public, the Navy concluded the environmental consequences of the upgrades were not significant. However, the ROD does call for a number of improved traffic-mitigation measures, which will minimize the cumulative effects of traffic during the rare days when all three carriers are simultaneously in port.

The Navy closely coordinated with regulators from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service before reaching its final decision.

The ROD is available for public viewing on the project website at www.nimitzcarriersseis.com.

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