WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT – 2017 HOPLEY YEATON CUTTER EXCELLENCE AND SUPERIOR CUTTERMAN AWARDS

NSC 5 James on builders trials in the Gulf of Mexico March 30, 2015.

The 2017 “Hopley Yeaton Cutter Excellence and Superior Cutterman” awards have been announced. 

R 211106 DEC 17

FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-7//
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UNCLAS //N01650//
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COMDTNOTE 1650
SUBJ:  WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT – 2017 HOPLEY YEATON CUTTER EXCELLENCE AND SUPERIOR CUTTERMAN AWARDS
1. The Douglas Munro Chapter of the Surface Navy Association is honored to announce and congratulate the recipients of the 2017 Hopley Yeaton Cutter
Excellence and Superior Cutterman Awards. Each of the winners was selected from amongst a superb group of highly deserving candidates by a diverse panel of officer and enlisted Cuttermen. The winners selected for this year are:
A. Cutter Excellence Award (Large Cutter): CGC JAMES (WMSL 754)
B. Cutter Excellence Award (Small Cutter): CGC JOHN MCCORMICK (WPC 1121)
C. Superior Cutterman Award (Officer): LTJG Anna Ruth – CGC HAMILTON
D. Superior Cutterman Award (Enlisted): MK2 Jason Tribeck – CGC DILIGENCE
2. Hopley Yeaton Cutter Excellence Award (Large):
A. CGC JAMES (WMSL 754) led 22 successful drug interdictions, spearheaded hurricane relief and recovery efforts as Command Task Unit (CTU) Maria,
aggressively pursued opportunities for community involvement, and exemplified dedication to their crewmembers’ personal well-being. On their first patrol, the JAMES made an unprecedented AUF interdiction of three go-fast vessels, over 40 NM apart within a two hour window. When JIATF-S was forced to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irma, JAMES assumed Alpha Victor (AV), taking TACON of all assets in the Eastern Pacific for a week. As AV, JAMES facilitated 61 cases through 11 partner nations, five interagency entities, 12 surface assets, and over 24 flight missions. This resulted in the interdiction of 10,881 kgs of cocaine and 747 kgs of marijuana, and set a new benchmark for WMSL capabilities.
B. Honorable Mentions for the Large Cutter Award were:
CGC ALEX HALEY
CGC CYPRESS
CGC NORTHLAND
3. Hopley Yeaton Cutter Excellence Award (Small):
A. As the first Fast Response Cutter (FRC) assigned to District 17, CGC JOHN MCCORMICK (WPC 1121) set lofty standards in crew readiness and training. This ensured JOHN MCCORMICK’s safe and timely transit of more than 6,000 NM from Key West to homeport of Ketchikan, and the crew’s rapid response to engineering and damage control casualties along the way. Upon arrival at homeport, JOHN MCCORMICK was an immediate asset to D17 where the crew conducted 77 fisheries boardings, saved 10 lives, and developed close bonds with the community.
B. Honorable Mentions for the Small Cutter Award were:
CGC BISCAYNE BAY
CGC JOSEPH TEZANOS
CGC WASHINGTON
4. Hopley Yeaton Superior Cutterman Award (Officer):
A. While serving as Combat Systems Officer aboard CGC HAMILTON, LTJG Anna Ruth led her cutter’s pursuit and boarding teams on all 19 of HAMILTON’s drug interdictions, netting over $500 million worth of cocaine in 2017. Shortly after reporting aboard, LTJG Ruth set about correcting 38 mission critical electronics casualties, ensuring the cutter’s full suite of sensors was available for its first patrol. Additionally, LTJG Ruth helped re-establish Naval Weapons Station Charleston, SC for use in ammunition onloads. LTJG Ruth served as a sought-after mentor and role-model for junior shipmates, streamlined the onboard qualification process, and promoted the afloat career path to others.
B. Honorable Mentions for the Superior Cutterman Award (Officer) were:
LCDR Amy Lockwood – CGC WAESCHE
LT Daniel Halsig – CGC CONFIDENCE
LT Paul Ledbetter – CGC SHERMAN
5. Hopley Yeaton Superior Cutterman Award (Enlisted):
A. MK2 Jason Tribeck epitomized dogged perseverance and showcased his ingenuity on numerous troubleshooting and repair efforts. MK2 Tribeck meticulously prepared DILIGENCE for AVSTAN, which earned high praise by Aviation Training Center Ship-Helo Branch throughout the inspection. His attention to detail played a critical role in his success as a government quality assurance inspector for $545K in dockside availability work. Additionally, MK2 Tribeck’s dedication and drive were on full display when he earned his Underway Engineer of the Watch (EOW) qualification, helping his shipmates through a heavy transfer season by improving the watch rotation.
B. Honorable Mentions for the Superior Cutterman Award (Enlisted) were:
MK1 Michael Hilbert – CGC HAMILTON
EM1 Shaun Ryan – CGC LIBERTY
ME1 Daniel Brooks – CGC SHERMAN
6. Awards will be presented in Washington, DC in conjunction with the January 2018 Surface Navy Association National Symposium. If a unit representative is not available to receive the Cutter Excellence Award at the symposium, the award will be sent to the winning cutter’s OPCON for presentation. The Surface Navy Association (SNA) will contact award winners to discuss and coordinate their travel and symposium arrangements. Please contact SNA at navysna@aol.com with any questions or concerns.
7. We applaud all of the deserving nominees for their phenomenal performance. There were an especially large number of nominations this year, all of which represented highly deserving candidates and made the selection of a single winner in any category especially challenging. We also thank the commanding officers and supervisors who took the time to submit high quality nominations for their deserving units and personnel, as well as ADCON units for reviewing and screening nominations.
8. RDML Michael P. Ryan, Assistant Commandant for Capability, sends.
9. Internet release authorized.

“Coast Guard Cutter John F. McCormick (WPC 1121), March 4, 2017. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Loumania Stewart”

Iranian Tanker Burning, 32 Missing after Collision off China Coast–Reuters

Reuters is reporting that a collision between a loaded Iranian owned tanker and a Chinese freighter has resulted in a fire and possibly the loss of all 32 aboard the Iranian vessel. The tanker was carrying 136,000 tons of condensate, an ultra-light crude.

There was relatively minor damage to the Chinese freighter, and apparently no serious injuries. .

Thanks for Coming By

Statistically 2017 was the best year yet for this blog. We had 215,180 views and 54,412 visits. Both represent a least modest increases over previous years. I have wondered occasionally, if I was running out of things to say, but there is always seems to be something new. Fortunately, I get a lot of help from readers who share their expertise and experience in the comments.

There were 259 posts this year, growing the total archive for this blog to 1,935 posts.

We continue to have an international readership. The US Is of course the largest with 158,165 views but, aside from the US, 15 countries had more than 1,000 views and 40 had more than 200. Aside from the US, the top 10 were the UK (8,807), Philippines, Canada, Japan, Australia, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Chile, and Germany (1,976). We even had a few readers from Russia (#16 with 968 views) and China (#30.Hong Kong SAR China with 294 views and #33 China with 282).

The next statistic (top posts of 2017) is a bit deceptive in that, because of the way the blog is structured, most of the time, posts are read on the homepage. The figures below are for the times a post has been accessed directly.

  1. What Does It Take to Sink a Ship (March 2011)(4,086 views)
  2. If They Ditch the LCS, Perhaps the OPC as Frigate (April 2017)
  3. Three Nations Share German OPV Design (April 2014)
  4. Administration Considers Cancelling NSC#9 (March 2017)
  5. Case for the Five Inch Gun (November 2012)
  6. ALaMO–Making the 57mm Round Smart (April 2016)
  7. Battle of the Paracel Islands, 16 January 1974 (September 2017)
  8. New 40 mm Gun (October 2016)
  9. What Might Coast Guard Cutters Do in Wartime, Part 2, Coast Guard Roles (February 2012)
  10. National Security Cutter as Navy Patrol Frigate (August 2010)(759 views)

I would also like to particularly thank Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) “Next War Blog”Eaglespeak, and Thinkdefence, for linking to this website and bringing more readers here.

Thanks for the interest.

I wish you all a happy New Year with just the right blend of adventure, excitement,  romance, and a sense of belonging.

Chuck

 

Naval War College Stockton Center Updates, Expands Law of Naval Operations Handbook

The Naval War College has updated and expanded its Law of Naval Operations Handbook. Below is their press release quoted in full including a link to download the handbook. Thanks to Bryant’s Maritime Consulting Blog for bringing this to my attention.

Story Number: NNS171221-08Release Date: 12/21/2017 10:54:00 AM  By Daniel S. Marciniak

NEWPORT, R.I. (NNS) — The U.S. Naval War College Stockton Center for the Study of International Law has announced the release of an updated and revised version of “The Commander’s Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations,” Dec. 20.

Last updated in 2007, the handbook is one of the preeminent legal resources addressing international law and naval operations, and is a joint-service effort coordinated among the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

The revision updates and expands upon various topics regarding the law of the sea and law of war. In particular, the handbook:

– Updates the history of U.S. Senate consideration of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, to include its 2012 hearings;

– Emphasizes that islands, rocks and low-tide elevations are naturally formed and that engineering, construction and land reclamation cannot convert their legal status;

– Provides more detail on U.S. sovereign immunity policy for Military Sealift Command chartered vessels and for responding to foreign requests for health inspections and medical information;

– Removes language indicating that all U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels under command of a noncommissioned officer are auxiliary vessels;

– Emphasizes that only warships may exercise belligerent rights during international armed conflicts;

– Adds a description of U.S.-Chinese bilateral and multilateral agreements promoting air and maritime safety;

– Updates the international law applicable to vessels seeking a place of refuge;

– Updates the description of vessels assimilated to vessels without nationality;

– Provides detailed descriptions of the five types of international straits;

– States the U.S. position on the legal status of the Northwest Passage and Northern Sea Route;

– Updates the list of international duties in outer space;

– Updates the law regarding the right of safe harbor;

– Adds “honor” as a law of war principle;

– Adds information about weapons reviews in the Department of the Navy;

– Updates the law regarding unprivileged enemy belligerents;

– Includes information about the U.S. position on the use of landmines;

– Expands on the discussion of the International Criminal Court;

– Updates the law of targeting.

The handbook will serve as the benchmark for the law of naval warfare and maritime security and be a vital resource for commanders, practitioners and academics.

The handbook can be downloaded and viewed at http://usnwc.libguides.com/ld.php?content_id=38386466.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

Passing the Messenger by Drone

uscgc-alex-haley-unak-tow-d

MarineLink brings word that at least one company is looking at using drones to pass the messenger between a towing vessel and the vessel to be assisted.

With KOTUG’s drone solution, the messenger line would be delivered to a predetermined location with object recognition software. Instead of picking up the heaving line of the assisted ship, the messenger line of the tug will be brought to the assisted ship in a more controlled manner. This will allow the tug to safely sail beside the assisted ship instead of in front of the assisted ship.

Ode to Joy

I normally try to stay on topic, but in view of the season, thought I would pass this along. 10,000 Japanese singing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy in German. This began in World War One when Germans being held in a Japanese POW camp sang it. It has become an annual tradition.

We can all use a little more joy.

The National Strategy

The Administration has published a new “National Security Strategy of the United States.” You can see it here. Much has been made of the fact that it identifies China and Russia as adversaries. Not surprisingly it also calls out Iran, North Korea, and Jihadist Terrorist, but also transnational criminal organizations. (No mention of domestic terrorists.)

China and Russia challenge American power, influence, and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity. They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence. At the same time, the dictatorships of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran are determined to destabilize regions, threaten Americans and our allies, and brutalize their own people. Transnational threat groups, from jihadist terrorists to transnational criminal organizations, are actively trying to harm Americans. While these challenges differ in nature and magnitude, they are fundamentally contests between those who value human dignity and freedom and those who oppress individuals and enforce uniformity.

I did an electronic search (control f) for “Coast Guard” and there was no mention. None of the other armed services were mentioned either. An electronic search for “homeland security” found the following: 

DISRUPT TERROR PLOTS: We will enhance intelligence sharing domestically and with foreign partners. We will give our frontline defenders— including homeland security, law enforcement, and intelligence professionals—the tools, authorities, and resources to stop terrorist acts before they take place.

COMBAT RADICALIZATION AND RECRUITMENT IN COMMUNITIES: The United States rejects bigotry and oppression and seeks a future built on our values as one American people. We will deny violent ideologies the space to take root by improving trust among law enforcement, the private sector, and American citizens. U.S. intelligence and homeland security experts will work with law enforcement and civic leaders on terrorism prevention and provide accurate and actionable information about radicalization in their communities.

A search for “maritime” found the following:

Adversaries target sources of American strength, including our democratic system and our economy. They steal and exploit our intellectual property and personal data, interfere in our political processes, target our aviation and maritime sectors, and hold our critical infrastructure at risk. All of these actions threaten the foundations of the American way of life. Reestablishing lawful control of our borders is a first step toward protecting the American homeland and strengthening American sovereignty.

Secure U.S. Borders and Territory…State and non-state actors place the safety of the American people and the Nation’s economic vitality at risk by exploiting vulnerabilities across the land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains. Adversaries constantly evolve their methods to threaten the United States and our citizens. We must be agile and adaptable.

BOLSTER TRANSPORTATION SECURITY: We will improve information sharing across our government and with foreign partners to enhance the security of the pathways through which people and goods enter the country. We will invest in technology to counter emerging threats to our aviation, surface, and maritime transportation sectors. We will also work with international and industry partners to raise security standards.

Keep America Safe in the Cyber Era…America’s response to the challenges and opportunities of the cyber era will determine our future prosperity and security . For most of our history, the United States has been able to protect the homeland by controlling its land, air, space, and maritime domains. Today, cyberspace offers state and non-state actors the ability to wage campaigns against American political, economic, and security interests without ever physically crossing our borders. Cyberattacks offer adversaries lowcost and deniable opportunities to seriously damage or disrupt critical infrastructure, cripple American businesses, weaken our Federal networks, and attack the tools and devices that Americans use every day to communicate and conduct business.

Moreover, deterrence today is significantly more complex to achieve than during the Cold War. Adversaries studied the American way of war and began investing in capabilities that targeted our strengths and sought to exploit perceived weaknesses. The spread of accurate and inexpensive weapons and the use of cyber tools have allowed state and non-state competitors to harm the United States across various domains. Such capabilities contest what was until recently U.S. dominance across the land, air, maritime, space, and cyberspace domains. They also enable adversaries to attempt strategic attacks against the United States—without resorting to nuclear weapons—in ways that could cripple our economy and our ability to deploy our military forces. Deterrence must be extended across all of these domains and must address all possible strategic attacks.

RETAIN A FULL-SPECTRUM FORCE: The Joint Force must remain capable of deterring and defeating the full range of threats to the United States. The Department of Defense must develop new operational concepts and capabilities to win without assured dominance in air, maritime, land, space, and cyberspace domains, including against those operating below the level of conventional military conflict. We must sustain our competence in irregular warfare, which requires planning for a longterm, rather than ad hoc, fight against terrorist networks and other irregular threats.

Priority Actions POLITICAL: Our vision for the Indo-Pacific excludes no nation. We will redouble our commitment to established alliances and partnerships, while expanding and deepening relationships with new partners that share respect for sovereignty, fair and reciprocal trade, and the rule of law. We will reinforce our commitment to freedom of the seas and the peaceful resolution of territorial and maritime disputes in accordance with international law. We will work with allies and partners to achieve complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and preserve the non-proliferation regime in Northeast Asia.

MILITARY AND SECURITY: We will maintain a forward military presence capable of deterring and, if necessary, defeating any adversary. We will strengthen our long-standing military relationships and encourage the development of a strong defense network with our allies and partners. For example, we will cooperate on missile defense with Japan and South Korea to move toward an area defense capability . We remain ready to respond with overwhelming force to North Korean aggression and will improve options to compel denuclearization of the peninsula. We will improve law enforcement, defense, and intelligence cooperation with Southeast Asian partners to address the growing terrorist threat. We will maintain our strong ties with Taiwan in accordance with our “One China” policy, including our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide for Taiwan’s legitimate defense needs and deter coercion. We will expand our defense and security cooperation with India, a Major Defense Partner of the United States, and support India’s growing relationships throughout the region. We will re-energize our alliances with the Philippines and Thailand and strengthen our partnerships with Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and others to help them become cooperative maritime partners.
Europe

A search for Arctic found:

A range of international institutions establishes the rules for how states, businesses, and individuals interact with each other, across land and sea, the Arctic, outer space, and the digital realm. It is vital to U.S. prosperity and security that these institutions uphold the rules that help keep these common domains open and free. Free access to the seas remains a central principle of national security and economic prosperity, and exploration of sea and space provides opportunities for commercial gain and scientific breakthroughs. The flow of data and an open, interoperable Internet are inseparable from the success of the U.S. economy. and an open, interoperable Internet are inseparable from the success of the U.S. economy.

There was no mention of Antarctica, polar, or climate change.

Traffic and derivatives of it, e.g. trafficking or trafficers, are mentioned six times.

Cyber and its derivatives are mentioned 46 times.

Terror and its derivatives are mentioned 82 times.

Surface Navy Association

The Coast Guard National Cuttermen Chapter is part of the Surface Navy Association (SNA). SNA is having their annual symposium in January. If you are interested in going, you might want to register ASAP. The following from SNA.

Where: Hyatt Regency Crystal City
When: January 9-11, 2018
Theme: Surface Forces & Cross-Domain Integration

If you have not registered for the Symposium and plan to attend, we encourage you to register 2 p.m. EST on Tuesday 12 December to qualify for the Tier 2 pricing.  Once registration is confirmed a payment link will be sent to you to complete the process.  This payment must be completed by 2 p.m. EST on Wednesday, 13 December to qualify for this pricing. Payment submitted after 2 p.m. EST on December 13 will be raised to the Tier 3 prices.
If you have already registered and have not paid you have until Noon on Wednesday 13 December to make a payment at the Tier 2 levels.  After that time you will be bumped up to the next pricing tier.