Posted by U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Lisa Ferdinando
Editors Note: This was originally posted on the Coast Guard blog, The Coast Guard Compass, on July 11, 2013.
Petty Officer 1st Class Carlin Burnside, a maritime enforcement specialist, mans a mounted automatic weapon during a morning patrol of the Potomac River.
As the summer sun sets over Washington, D.C., the sky turns a spectacular golden hue as members of Coast Guard Station Washington head out for another mission.
From ensuring public safety and security on the water along the country’s most iconic landmarks to multi-agency national security and law enforcement missions, a “typical day” at Station Washington is anything but typical.
While Washington is a seasonal boating area, the commanding officer of the station, Lt. Celina Ladyga, says the crew stays busy all year with operations and special national security events like the presidential inauguration and State of the Union address.
Seaman Alexander Smith fills out documents as he and Coast Guardsmen from Station Washington help a stranded boater during an evening patrol on the Potomac River. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Lisa Ferdinando.“
"It’s really quite a wide breadth of Coast Guard missions that we do here,” said Ladyga.
Station Washington was established after Sept. 11, she said, and its primary responsibility is homeland security.
“We do a heavy amount of protection of maritime critical infrastructure, but we also do all of the traditional Coast Guard missions, such as search and rescue and public boater outreach,” she said.
Station members were active in National Safe Boating Week in May, meeting with local boaters and reminding them of the important tips for staying safe on the water, including always wearing a life vest, filing a float plan and having emergency communication devices.
During another weekend, Station Washington crews conducted patrols for Operation Dry Water, a national crackdown on boaters operating vessels under the influence.
National Safe Boating Week and Operation Dry Water are both multi-agency efforts aimed at keeping the American public safe on the water. Ladyga said maintaining relationships with local, state and federal partners is important, especially with overlapping jurisdictions overlap or complex cases.
“The multi-agency connection and partnerships are very critical in this area,” she said. “Ultimately everybody has the same goal – to ensure the safety and security of the American public.”
Ladyga also shared advice for boaters who are heading out on the Potomac River and other waterways around our nation’s capital.
She said boaters need to have the proper safety equipment, should keep an eye out for anything suspicious and have the necessary contact information for authorities should they observe anything unusual.
“Knowing who to call and how to make that report is a critical piece because it’s really all of our responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the waterway,” said Ladyga.
Chief Petty Officer Jasen Hollopeter runs the station’s day-to-day operations, including scheduling harbor patrols and security and safety zones to keep the public safe.
Petty Officer 1st Class Carlin Burnside, a maritime enforcement specialist with Coast Guard Station Washington, monitors activity on the water during a morning patrol.
Conveniently located in Washington, the station is a popular stop for leaders from other military branches or members of Congress who want to see Coast Guard operations firsthand, said Hollopeter.
“That’s the unique thing about where we are,” he said. “You have all these other branches of service and members of Congress who may not be familiar with Coast Guard operations, so we are their first impression of the Coast Guard.”
Being in Washington also gives crewmembers unique opportunities, such as Petty Officer 1st Class Benjamin Atkins’ re-enlistment.
“I just re-enlisted at the National Archives. I was able to re-enlist right in front of the U.S. Constitution,” he said proudly, noting that nowhere else would he of had such a magnificent opportunity.
“It was great.”At Station Washington for about a year, Seaman Alexander Smith works on everything as a non-rate – general maintenance, fielding phone calls, working on qualifications and getting underway.
“I’ve enjoyed my time at Station Washington. I love it,” said Smith. Smith, who is training to be a boatswain’s mate, doesn’t plan on stopping once he makes petty officer third class.
“I think it would be nice to hear ‘Master Chief Smith,’” he said with a smile. “That would be pretty cool.”
But for now, Smith and the rest of the crew vigilantly standing watch, protecting the American people and living the Coast Guard’s core values in the nation’s capital.
Petty Officer 1st Class Bobby Bonsey, left, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam Wilk, both machinery technicians at Coast Guard Station Washington, repair a seat on a Coast Guard boat.