US Coast Guard Cutter SPAR conducts outreach with residents of Old Harbor, Alaska

Santa gives a present to a student in Old Harbor, Alaska, Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012. The Coast Guard Cutter SPAR delivers Santa and his elves to Old Harbor annually and prior to the SPAR the now decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Firebush delivered Santa to Old Harbor. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Klingenberg.

KODIAK, Alaska — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR brought Santa Clause, presents and a career fair to residents and students of Old Harbor, Alaska Dec. 4.

As part of the annual Santa to the Villages event, crewmembers aboard the SPAR, along with Santa Clause and his elves, carried clothing, books and other presents through the village of Old Harbor where they were greeted by children and parents in the Old Harbor High School gymnasium.

“Bringing Santa to the Village of Old Harbor is a great way to continue the tradition of Coast Guard cutters, and previously Revenue Service cutters, visiting and delivering supplies to Alaskan villages,” said Lt. Gordon Hood, executive officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR. “There's nothing like an early visit from the Santa himself to bring holiday cheer.”

During the gift-giving event, the children of Old Harbor were called up by age,  and one-by-one they sat on Santa’s lap to receive a wrapped present. Then they chose one book and a set of hand-knitted scarves, hats and mittens with the elves.

“Every year, the crew of the SPAR brings a sense of unity to the community of Old Harbor, as well as the Christmas spirit for the children and families,” said Jim Cedeo, the Old Harbor public safety officer. “When the SPAR comes through, it really is a big cornerstone of our holiday season.”

The crew of the SPAR also hosted a career fair aboard the cutter for middle school and high school students. The crew established different stations aboard the cutter where students learned about the Coast Guard’s roles, missions and careers along with vocational opportunities outside of the village. The vocations discussed included becoming a welder, an electrician, a mechanic and a nursing assistant.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter SPAR marches with Santa, elves and presents through the village of Old Harbor, Alaska, Tuesday, Dec. 04, 2012.   U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Klingenberg.

“We do all of these jobs and more aboard the ship and we're able to offer insight about vocations that are available both in the Coast Guard and in the civilian workforce,” said Hood.

“The kids are still talking about what they saw aboard the ship,” said Cedeo. “It is good that they can see something else outside of the village, something that they can see as a future career field. It really is a wonderful thing, and it gives them hope.”

The crew of the SPAR crew has been involved in the Santa to the Villages trips since 2003.

Unified Command Completes Tank Vessel Lift on Staten Island.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – The Hurricane Sandy Pollution Response Unified Command lift and transport the tank vessel John B. Caddell, Tuesday, from Front Street in Staten Island, removing the pollution threat from the environment.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sara Romero.

Donjon Marine’s Chesapeake 1000 lifted the Caddell off the shoreline into the water to be checked for seaworthiness and then prepared for transport to the awaiting marine facility.  The tanker was transported to a beach slip operated by Donjon Marine.

The tank vessel John B. Caddell is a 184-foot tanker ship that washed up on Staten Island as a result of high winds and floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy. The Caddell posed both an environmental and navigational threat to the New York waterways.

The Coast Guard worked with New York City Sheriff’s Department, the New York City Office of Emergency Management, New York State Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers and Donjon Marine to remove the tanker and eliminate the pollution threat.

“This was a large and complex undertaking where safety was our top concern.  We collaborated with our port partners to get the vessel safely moved from the grounded location to an awaiting maritime facility in order to remove the pollution threat from the environment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tedd Hutley, Deputy Incident Commander for the Hurricane Sandy Pollution Response Unified Command, “Everyone was fully engaged to complete the mission safely.”

The Unified Command worked with the New York Police Department to coordinate street closures to maintain public safety.

Tall Ship USCGC Eagle

BALTIMORE - The Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, America's Tall Ship, passes the Domino Sugar plant as it departs the Baltimore Harbor, June 17, 2012, to continue its participation in OpSail 2012. Eagle is an 1,800-ton steel hull, three-masted sailing ship with more than 21,000 square-feet of sail and more than five miles of rigging. The 295-foot Eagle is the only active commissioned sailing vessel in the U.S. military service and is homeported at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew S. Masaschi.

Coast Guard, The Florida Aquarium release rehabilitated sea turtle back into the wild

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coast Guard crewmembers from Station St. Petersburg and members of The Florida Aquarium released a rehabilitated Loggerhead sea turtle back into the wild, Monday.

The crewmembers rescued the injured Loggerhead sea turtle from the path of oncoming traffic in the middle of Egmont Channel, June 27, 2012.

The turtle, now named 'Larry the Loggerhead' by the boatcrew, was safely transferred to The Florida Aquarium in Tampa where she was rehabilitated and deemed healthy to be released.

To read more about the initial rescue, click here.