Guardians of 2010: January

Monday, December 20, 2010

Written by: Christopher Lagan

Each week Coast Guard Compass honors members of the Coast Guard family as “Guardian of the Week” for their devotion to duty, leadership, and contributions to our service. As we close out 2010, we’re looking back over the year to celebrate the contributions of the Guardians of 2010. Today, we revisit those recognized in January 2010.

Loranimals – January 8, 2010

We kick off the Guardians of 2010 with a salute to the men and women who served at Coast Guard Long Range Navigation (Loran) sites during the 52 years the system was operational.

Some say the nickname Loranimal is given only to the Electronic Technicians (ET) who spent the majority of their Coast Guard careers bouncing from one Loran station to another. … It is a name reserved for a distinct and rather small group of individuals from across all ranks and ratings including Machinery Technicians, Storekeepers and even Food Service Specialists.

BM2 Benjamin Foster – January 15, 2010

Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Benjamin Foster’s name may not be the first to come to mind when you recall the January 15, 2009 crash landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on New York’s Hudson River. The story made Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger a household name and the subject of books and films. But, were it not for the initiative that placed Foster’s small boat directly beside the downed aircraft, passengers could have been lost as the aircraft sank in the frigid water.

“I really think that anybody would have done the same thing that I did, but I think the whole thing is bigger than just an award. I think that the most important thing was that we saved everybody that day and that means more than anything to me.” – Foster.

Coast Guard H1N1 Flu Vaccination Strike Teams – January 22, 2010

For two months, three Coast Guard Office of Health Services strike teams traveled to some of the most remote Department of Homeland Security duty stations in the United States to deliver the H1N1 flu vaccine ahead of the 2010 flu season.

Consisting of a Medical Officer and two Health Services Technicians (HS), collectively the teams drove in excess of 4,000 miles to inoculate Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection personnel.

Congratulations to all of the Guardians of 2010! Come back tomorrow as we pay tribute to the Guardians of the Week for February 2010.