Coast Guard Marine Safety Center In Washington News

Lt. Lena “Lexie” Royster, a mechanical engineer in the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Center, in Washington, has been selected as the 2023 Coast Guard Engineer of the Year.The Coast Guard Engineer of the Year Award recognizes Coast Guard active duty and civilian engineers for their accomplishments and achievements. The award’s selection panel considers many factors including engineering accomplishments, awards, honors and educational achievements.“I am extremely thankful for the opportunities the Coast Guard has given me,” said Royster.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) said it oversaw the refloating of the 751-foot bulk carrier, Ornak, Friday. At approximately 9:35 a.m., the Ornak was refloated offshore of the Virginia Beach Resort and Convention Center and repositioned to the Lynnhaven anchorage. Agencies involved in the removal of the grounded ship were Svitzer, the contracted salvage company, McAllister towing, the Virginia Pilots and the Coast Guard. "Freeing this vessel from the beach was truly a collaborative effort," said Capt. John Little, the Captain of the Port of Hampton Roads.

Having already completed two years of service supporting the operations of the US Marine Corps’ Third Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) in the Western Pacific theatre, the Austal catamaran “WestPac Express” has become the first large high speed vessel (HSV) to be registered and flagged as a commercial ship in the United States. After a competitive bid process, the HSV was first chartered in July 2001 for a “proof of concept” period. This was so successful that the Military Sealift Command signed a three year charter in January 2002, again after receiving several competing offers. The III MEF charter was the first time the US military had contracted a commercial vessel of this type for military support.

Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley is scheduled to host a change-of-command ceremony on July 6, 2007 in Louisville, Kentucky. During the ceremony, Capt. Hung M. Nguyen, will relieve Capt. John R. Bingaman and will assume command of Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley. Capt. Nguyen arrives in Louisville from the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center in Washington D.C where he served as executive officer. Capt. Bingaman has been the commander of Sector Ohio Valley since its commissioning in 2005 and will depart Louisville to become the Chief of Prevention at Eleventh Coast Guard District in Alameda, Cal. Rear Adm. Joel R. Whitehead, Commander of the Eighth Coast Guard District in New Orleans is scheduled to be the presiding official for the ceremony.

The Coast Guard has concluded it final public hearing this afternoon regarding the sinking of the tug Valour, a 125-foot tug that sank approximately 40-miles east of Wilmington, N.C. Jan. 18, 2006. Coast Guard investigators recalled the crew of the Valour to testify one last time before the investigators submit their findings to Coast Guard District Seven Command in Miami and Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington for review. Facts collected at this final hearing will be developed into a conclusion to be presented in the Coast Guard's final investigative report. Investigators focused their questioning for the six crewmen in three major areas: training, survival equipment and the procedures regarding ballast tanks.