Found on NavyTimes; First Lady Michelle Obama breaks a bottle of sparkling wine on the bow of the Coast Guard National Security cutter Stratton on July 23, in Pascagoula, Miss., as Mike Petters, president of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding looks on. Photo from AP by Rogelio V. Solis.
They say an image is worth a thousand words; as such I'd like to offer up this photo of the the Coast Guard Commandant, ADM Papp, as an essay of sorts. There haven't been very many pictures of the Admiral since he took the helm in Washington but I guess there doesn't need to be really- he's a busy individual.
This picture is tells a story to me. It tells me that ADM Papp has a lot in his mind; he's serious about his job, his service, his Shipmates. Of particular notice is the look on his face in the midst of taking notes during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation this morning; it too clearly shows... What does it show to you?Photo: U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Luke Pinneo
The money is coming (maybe) but perhaps it was a bit premature of me to quote ADM Papp as it relates to the Coast Guard being fully funded again (I noted it sometime last week or so) as noted via NavyTimes. However, I can now safely say that we're on our way to actually being fully funded thus enabling us, that is the USCG, to maintain their funding levels allowing them to keep the five purportedly doomed MSST's.
In a homeland security appropriations bill being considered by Congress the Coast Guard won't only be able to keep their Marine Safety and Security Teams (by way of $21.8 million) but there will also be some other funds being plugged in. Though not all the proposed money is the CG's we'll take what we can get right now; so far we can see
Woot! So though ADM Papp noted some two weeks ago this would happen NavyTimes, in a more recent piece, lays it out- as noted above. I guess the only thing left to do is wait and see if the bill will pass; but I'm guessing it will... maybe.
If you've watched the news today you'll no doubt be aware of the piece, or rather "project," being touted by The Washington Post as the true face of American security. In said project, titled TOP SECRET AMERICA, the Post investigative team notes that it's
...a project nearly two years in the making that describes the huge national security buildup in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
And a buildup it is. Of course I really wouldn't even mention this story if there wasn't a Coast Guard nexus- which there is. Since 9/11 the Coast Guard has been heavily involved with our nation's intelligence and HLS missions thus they've made the list; for better or worse. The Post gives a great view as to where the CG fits in this million piece puzzle; making it worth the look. And unlike many of the other organizations on the mega-list the Coast Guard doesn't seem to fit into the category of problem child (read: to many people/funding issues/bloated).
So whether you're a "2" type or one who just likes to look at pretty info-graphs you'll find some interesting info being presented via this project.
Fellow Coastie and rockin' artist Cory Mendenhall posted on his personal site an entry he'd sent to the search giant Google as a possible Google doodle. Google doodle? You know, the logos they use on their search pages for special days of the year.
According to Cory he was asked by the folks in Washington to "create one of these to submit to Google for them to hopefully use on Coast Guard Day (August 4) this year." And though he hasn't gotten any word back yet I thought it would be cool to share with you some of his handy work in this arena. Thoughts?- check out his post and let him know what's on your mind (we'll call it 'showing support'). A little info from him on the pictures:The sky and waves were watercolored. The helo, swimmer and stranded boaters were all drawn out and inked on paper, then photographed and imported into photoshop, where all the layers were combined and colore.
Looking to keep abreast of what's going on in the Gulf, with regard to the oil ooze? Or perhaps you've heard a nasty rumor that there aren't enough boats in the area (ha!)? If you consider yourself a naysayer to action or perhaps you're just curious as to what's going on with the oil movement, vessels (Coast Guard, NOAA, and more) in the area, or where all the Command Posts are (not to mention about 30+ other options) then I invite you to check out GeoPlaform.gov!
Built on top of Google maps it's updated several times a day (depending on the info) and offers the public at large a great way to keep tabs on the rest of us. Check it out and let me know what you think.
