The official blog of the U.S. Coast Guard
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The rig’s explosions killed 11 and injured 16 of its 126 person crew. were unprecedented. The resulting spill of over 200 million gallons of crude oil became the largest discharge of oil in U.S. waters.
In 1790, Alexander Hamilton established a small fleet of coastal law enforcement vessels to patrol off East Coast seaports. Over the next 228 years, the service experienced rapid growth in its geographic area of responsibility, mandated missions, and organization through mergers with other maritime services, reorganizations, and transfers from one federal agency to another. These frequent changes demanded remarkable flexibility and resourcefulness of the Coast Guard. The service has lived-up to its motto Semper Paratus by adapting and evolving to meet the nation’s changing needs emerging as a global responder known and respected at home and abroad.
The Coast Guard has been a steward of the nation’s maritime environment for nearly 200 years. It has expanded and adapted its mission to ever-changing natural and man-made threats to the oceans and inland waterways. The service now supports five environmental protection missions.
The U.S. Coast Guard has been the steward of the nation’s maritime environment since the 1820s. This mission dates back to 1822, when Congress tasked the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service with monitoring Federal forest preserves that provided specialized ship timber required for construction of U.S Navy warships.
One of the greatest tests of the Coast Guard’s ability to surge forces in response to a major contingency occurred five years ago today when the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon exploded and caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico. In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, the Coast Guard responded along with others in the maritime community. While the collective response saved 115 people from the rig’s crew, 11 lives were tragically lost.
Chief Petty Officer Barry Hollenbeck had just reported to Coast Guard Sector New York in the summer of 2010 to serve as a team leader in the safety and security operations branch when the call came in. Hollenbeck was to report to Hopedale, La., in support of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill response to lead the decontamination assessment team at the Hopedale Incident Command Post. Hollenbeck had not even had a chance to unpack from his family’s recent move from Virginia, and he left his wife, Sine, and their two children in a sea of boxes to answer the call.
30 miles from Punta Gorda, Cuba: While on patrol, crewmen aboard a small boat from the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca intercept a dangerously overloaded sail freighter carrying Haitians 30 miles north of Punta Gorda, Cuba. Crew members distributed life jackets and then safely transferred the 125 migrants to the Seneca where they were given food,
Last Friday, I had the opportunity to see first-hand many areas devastated by Mississippi River flooding. I also got to see Coast Guard men and women in action, engaging their unique skills, authorities and capabilities to protect people who have been impacted by these rising waters. It was reminiscent of last summer when I began my term and we were embroiled in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill cleanup.
Last week, the Coast Guard Foundation presented the Guardian of the Heartland award to the flight crews who took part in the search and rescue mission following the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig one year ago today. The aircrews were honored with tributes from U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, Vice Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara and Rear Adm. Mary Landry, Coast Guard 8th District commander.
Vice Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara presents the Certificate of Valor to Alwin J. Landry, master of the offshore supply vessel Damon B. Bankston. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Bill Colclough. When the mobile offshore drilling unit Deepwater Horizon exploded and caught fire April 20, 2010, her crew fought bravely for first their