CG Air Station Crews Honored
The Coast Guard Unit Commendation will be awarded to the men and women of Air Station New Orleans at a ceremony on Thursday at the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans will receive the award for exceptionally meritorious service from July 5, 2000 to February 28, 2002 for the execution of numerous search and rescue, Homeland Security, Marine Environmental Protection, and Presidential support missions throughout the Eighth District. Within the time frame cited air station crews have prosecuted 600 search and rescue missions, saving 160 lives, assisting 162 others, and preserving $3.3 million in property. Since the inception of the air station in 1955, air station helicopter crews have saved over 3500 lives.
Coast Guard, AWO Members Meet in Branson
Commanding Officers conference. At the meeting, Admiral Casto and his staff outlined Coast Guard proposals to reorganize the Eighth District, splitting much of the inland rivers and the Gulf Coast into two separate regions. The proposal would have the effect of recreating the old Second District, which was closed in a cost cutting measure in 1996. As a part of the previous reorganization effort, staff levels were cut. For instance, prior to 1995, the old Eighth District had Marine Safety Division staff of 27 people to cover the Gulf Coast. Today the division has only 25 people to cover the Gulf Coast and all of the inland system. Admiral Casto said that the new security responsibilities of the Coast Guard make the current structure unworkable.
