Happy Anniversary FORCECOM!!!

Today marks the one year anniversary of FORCECOM. The Force Readiness Command was established 01 June 2010, in Alameda, California. Congratulations to the all the Shipmates at FORCECOM, its subordinate units, and PACAREA who have made the first year a success. Bravo Zulo!

Rescue Warriors Author To Speak on June 2nd and 24th

David Helvarg, author of the book "Rescue Warriors-The US Coast Guard, America's Forgotten Heroes" will be speaking at Coast Guard Island in the Point Welcome Room on Wednesday, June 2nd, and at the Training Center Petaluma's movie theater on Thursday, June 24th, at 1:45 pm. Mr.Helvarg will be giving a 40 minute presentation, followed by a book signing afterwards. "Rescue Warriors" was the 2009 Commandant's Choice for professional reading selection.

Admiral William Lee Visits TRACEN

Rear Admiral William Lee, Commander of the Coast Guard Deployable Operations Group (DOG), visited TRACEN Petaluma on May10, 2010, and presented a case study of the tragic sinking of the sailing vessel MORNING DEW. The MORNING DEW struck a jetty entering Charleston, SC harbor in 1997 with a loss of 4 lives, and is considered to be one of the highest profile Coast Guard search and rescue cases of the past several decades. Admiral Lee, who investigated the accident, discussed the facts of the case, the valuable lessons learned, and how the Coast Guard students and staff members in the attendance should apply the lessons learned to avoid similar incidents in the future.

TRACEN Petaluma Hosts Elementary School Students

Training Center Petaluma staff hosted a field trip for 29 students from Roseland Elementary School as part of their Partnership in Education (PIE) program. During the visit the students learned about many of the Coast Guard missions and occupations, talked to Training Center Petaluma and Station Bodega Bay personnel, marched in formation, toured a 25 foot long response boat, learned how to tie knots, and were able to eat pizza with the crew. The day ended with the students’ successful completion of a simulated Search and Rescue mission, and their “graduation” as honorary Coast Guard Petty Officers.

This school year Training Center Petaluma personnel have volunteered over 500 hours at Roseland Elementary School.

NNOA & ANSO SF Bay Area Professional Development Forum

Call it foreshadowing of joint professional development success to come! As you prepare to attend the first-ever joint National Naval Officers Association (NNOA) and Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO) conference in Portsmouth this July, rest assured that the San Francisco Bay Area Chapters of the NNOA and ANSO have already started making great strides to that cooperative end!

On May 10, 2010, under the PACAREA-FORCECOM Leadership Diversity Advisory Council (LDAC) umbrella, these two affinity group partners held an interactive leadership forum on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, CA to provide officers with leadership advice regarding "Effective OERs & Career Development." Approximately 50 Bay Area Coast Guard Officers listened as distinguished senior officers discussed their personal philosophies, answered the audience's questions and provided tips regarding Officer Evaluation Reports and professional development, in general. Panelists included RADM Timothy Sullivan, Captains Charley Diaz, Brian Marvin, Michael Sim, Gwyn Johnson, along with Commanders Samuel Creech and Robert Smith; representing a diverse experiential cross-section, both personally and professionally. The forum expertly responded to questions from the audience ranging from report-writing to mentorship and even touched on promotion boards.

Following the open forum (which lasted over an hour), junior officers were afforded the opportunity to meet with panelists for individual career counseling sessions.

NOTE: Please see ALCOAST 177/10 for details on the "First Ever Joint National Naval Officers Association and Association of Naval Services Officers (ANSO) Professional Development and Annual Training Conference, being held 26-30 July 2010 at the Portsmouth Renaissance Hotel, Portsmouth, VA.

TRAINING CENTER PETALUMA TO HOST NORCAL BOWLING TOURNAMENT

Training Center Petaluma will host the 2010 Annual NORCAL invitational bowling tournament from 04-06 June. This tournament will be open to the first 16 teams that apply.

Teams are 3 members with a maximum of 2 substitutes and must be comprised of only active duty, reserve or retired Coast Guard personnel. An entry fee of $75.00 payable to USCG TRACEN Petaluma Morale Fund and entry forms must be received by 26 May.

For more tournament information, contact Mr. Rob Sturla (Robert.L.Sturla@uscg.mil)

Reserve Readiness CGBI Enhancements

The next time you are in CGBI and reviewing your unit’s readiness measures - red, yellow, green - you may notice a change in how the measures are being reported.

In mid-April the default on the unit readiness page was re-set from “PAL” to “ALL”. Now, when viewing unit readiness measures, i.e., dental, H1N1, PHA, etc., you automatically get the metrics for both active duty (PAL) and selected reserve members (RPAL).

The slight change in how metrics are being displayed in the default mode when you log-in to CGBI, provides a snapshot of the unit’s total readiness status, the combined readiness of the units' active duty and reserve members. You still have the ability to view the PAL and RPAL tabs separately. Just click on the links provided at the top of the unit’s readiness measures section.

This small change was an initiative that the Reserve Force Readiness Division (FC-1) began shortly after FORCECOM stood-up less than a year ago. Working with CDR Joseph Staier, CG-0931, this enhancement is a notable milestone, which improves our current and future readiness capabilities.

FORCECOM Reserve Force Readiness Division (FC-1) wants to continue to leverage technology and maximize the use of Coast Guard-wide enterprise systems, in order to further increase the overall readiness capabilities of the Reserve work force. If you have any ideas or recommendations that you think will help in this effort, please send your emails to: D11-DG-M-FC17-Query@uscg.mil

Coast Guard Training Center Petaluma Wins Unit Environmental Award, and TRACEN Petaluma Engineer Wins Two Individual Engineering Awards

U. S. Coast Guard Training Center (TRACEN) Petaluma won the 2010 Coast Guard Environmental Sustainability Award (Large Unit) in source reduction and recycling.

TRACEN Petaluma has a major source reduction with their solar array which will produce 60% of peak energy demand and reduce greenhouse gases. Additionally, TRACEN Petaluma achieved significant water savings with their water conservation programs, promotion of asphalt reuse and clean fill, and had a robust single stream recycling program.

Mr. Tony vanWinden, Deputy Facilities Engineer at TRACEN Petaluma, was the recipient of the 2010 Coast Guard Environmental Sustainability Award (Individual) and the Society of American Military Engineers' Oren Medal for his efforts in TRACEN Petaluma’s “Petaluma Green” initiative. Mr. vanWinden was recognized for having developed a solar power plan that included a power purchase agreement for a four acre solar photovoltaic system, bringing the base solar power output total to one megawatt. Additionally, Mr. vanWinden led other green programs such as replacing diesel boilers with propane boilers thus eliminating the need for three fuel tanks at the Training Center, installing lighting controls and retrofits and using solar thermal panels to aid in heating the TRACEN’s swimming pool.

Training Center Petaluma Host Women’s History Month Luncheon

iFORCECOM received the following post from Training Center (TRACEN) Petaluma:

On 30 March, TRACEN Petaluma’s Human Relations Council (HRC) hosted its annual Woman’s History Month luncheon.

Eighty-five people attended the luncheon whose theme was "Moving Forward, Shaping Our Nation". The guest speakers were working professionals with ties to the Coast Guard: Mrs. Heather Castillo (wife of D11 Commander RDML Joseph Castillo), Mrs. Melanie Hall (wife of TRACEN CO CAPT Christopher Hall), and Chief Petty Officer Academy instructor MSTCM Damara Oos. Each speaker shared her personal reflection on Women’s History Month, role models, mentorship and leadership. The luncheon included a catered meal, a slideshow presentation on historic women, and a unique Women’s History Month TRACEN Petaluma pamphlet — featuring short interviews of various female TRACEN Petaluma permanent party and students.

COAST GUARD ADVANCED EDUCATION PROGRAM ALLOCATIONS FY 2010

FORCECOM recently released ALCOAST 143/10 which provides a summary of the Fiscal Year 2010 Training Allowance Billet allocations and academic disciplines in support of Coast Guard advanced education requirements.

These programs are available to officers, enlisted or civilian as indicated. The ALCOAST contains an alphabetical list that identifies the academic disciplines, advanced education program manager and the number of allocations for this season’s selections.

Candidates are reminded that participation in the advance education program incurs a service obligation and this obligation is in addition to any other obligated service that may have been incurred.

The point of contact is Mr. Jim Lis; he may be reached at (202) 475-5478.

New Operations Specialist Second Class (OS2) Rate Training Course

FORCECOM recently released ALCOAST 160/10 which announced a New Operations Specialist Second Class (OS2) Rate Training Course.

The new OS2 course (Version 0238-2) is available for ordering from the Coast Guard Institute. The new course is based on the latest enlisted performance qualifications form, CG-3303C-OS (REV. 08-2007). The OS EPQ form and the OS2 course are available on the Learning Portal at HTTPS://LEARNING.USCG.MIL. EPQS must be completed prior to taking any rate training End-of-Course test.

Completion of the OS2 course will be required for participation in the May 2011 Active Duty and Oct 2011 Reserve Service-wide exam (SWE) cycles IAW the Personnel Manual, COMDTINST M1000.6 (Series). Those who have passed an earlier edition are required to complete the new course for advancement and SWE eligibility; previous editions are not grandfathered. To enroll in the OS2 Course, contact your Education Services Officer.

Questions regarding the new OS2 course may be directed to Rating Training master Chief, OSCM Michael Bove at (707) 765-7274. Questions regarding OS2 advancement requirements may be directed to the OS Rating Force Master Chief, OSCM Phil Rolfe at (202) 372-2293.

FORCECOM Diversity Spotlight: BM1 Jessica Guidroz

The iFORCECOM Diversity Spotlight Series profiles FORCECOM personnel with diverse backgrounds. The Coast Guard is committed to building and sustaining an organizational climate in which people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, races, religions and ethnicities are fully included, valued and respected.

BM1 Jessica Guidroz took the oath to serve and enlisted on 26 February 2002. As a true New Orleanian, she had to wait until after Mardi Gras. Following boot camp, she was assigned to the CGC Abbie Burgess, where she struck the Boatswain Mate rate and advanced to BM3 on 01 July 2003.

From 2003 thru May 2005, Guidroz obtained many qualifications. The list includes: Rigger, CB-OTH crew member, SEOPS, DCPQS, Advanced DCPQS, Helm and Lookout, Minor aids (AtoN) Tech, Cutter Swimmer Crewmember and Coxswain on the UTB, RBS, UTL, Tactical Coxswain (SMTC trained), Communication Watch Stander, Petty Officer of the Day, Boarding Team Member, Boarding Officer. She advanced to BM2 on 1 May 2005, and also received an Achievement Medal for superior work as the Station Training Petty Officer at CG Station New Orleans.

As our readers can tell by the time line, this young Guardian was about to have an experience of a lifetime. Like most of the station crew and other Guardians in the area, she lived nearby and lost all her personal possessions to the Hurricane Katrina, yet as we would expect she put her duty first. So many of us served extraordinarily in response to Hurricane Katrina, but it is rare for one to receive a Meritorious Service Medal, with the Operational Distinguishing Devise – especially, as a Second Class Petty Officer.

Here is an exciting excerpt from her citation:

“Demonstrating incredible bravery in the face of imminent danger, she returned to Station New Orleans immediately after passage of the storm with a seven person team and courageously evicted 63 armed and recalcitrant looters who were ransacking the facility…GUIDROZ was selected over more senior members to take command of twelve Coast Guard small boats…to evacuate over 2,200 desperate flood victims… Four days into the operation, the 1,000 remaining people rioted and attacked 18 firefighters and a young family. Petty Officer GUIDROZ heroically rescued the besieged group, and then showing extraordinary fortitude and command presence, she returned to the angry mob, diffused tensions, made them organize themselves, and resumed operations, ultimately rescuing every single person.”

Wow!

GUIDROZ is an inspiration. BM1 Guidroz says, “If I have anyone to thank for making me a successful Coastie, it's my past and current supervisors and shipmates. They encouraged me to, do more, be better and taught me about leadership, teamwork, and taking pride in hard work.” She is currently working on a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology, with emphasis in Applied Behavioral Analysis. In her spare time she enjoys exploring the San Francisco Bay Area on her mountain bike, checking out beaches, and camping.

Now assigned to Training Team – West, Alameda, CA, BM1 Guidroz recently completed the requisite PQS requirements and passed an oral board at TRACEN Petaluma to be certified as a Master Training Specialist.