Greetings again from the Eastern Pacific! While the men and women of the Operations Department are enjoying completing the mission, we are all counting down the days until we can see our family and loved ones again.

I wanted to dedicate this Operations Department to the Chief Petty Officers. As the senior enlisted member of their division, they are the technical experts and guides to their division, mentor junior officers, and here on MORG, they are truly my right hand in all that the Operations Department does. Fortunately I have four Chief Petty Officers that fulfill all the above roles magnificently as well as well as having great personalities.

Chief Phil Miller is the Electronics Division Chief. Our electronic systems are a combination of the latest newest technology with other systems that should have been replaced many years ago. This causes many challenges but Chief Miller and his dedicated techni-cians are always ready to track-down the cause of any stray electron. Chief Miller is also known for having the best hair on the ship. I am not sure if it is within regulations but nobody has the heart to tell him to cut it after the hours (maybe just hour) of preparation it takes every morning.

The Navigation Division Chief, BMC Rob Walper, is known both as 2 feet of terror and is one of our two International Ambassadors of Goodwill. In addition to assisting with the navigation of the ship, he brings a great deal of law enforcement expertise to MORG. We are working on approval from CG Headquarters for a new boarding technique where we would dangle Chief Walper from the bottom of a helo with a knife between his teeth to board suspected drug smuggling ships. There has been no reply from Headquarters at this time but we think approval is forthcoming. Congratulations to Chief Walper and his wife Brenda on the birth of their daughter Mea-gan! I am sure 2 feet of terror will melt to 2 feet of sentimental mush upon seeing his daughter for the first time.

CTI1 Shevonne Castro, USN, at her General Quarters Condition 1 Watch, Quarter and Station Bill duty station

Chief Ken Torquato, our Communications Division Chief, ensures we stay in touch with the outside world through our myriad of sat-ellite and radio communications systems. He directs the use of secret codes to make sure we can talk securely with other ships, aircraft and command centers. I make him come out in the sun once a day so he doesn’t get too pale living in our radio room. He is a founding member with BMC Walper of MORGENTHAU’s “International Goodwill Ambassador Team.” They are famous from San Diego where a random person on the trolley stated, “Those are the two funniest dudes I have ever met!” to the streets of Panama where a bus operator, in appreciation for all the goodwill generated, provided a free scenic tour of all the best parts of the city.

Operations Specialist Chief Brian Dorsey is our Combat Information Center Division Chief. He coordinates the fusion of information from intelligence and surveillance sources to direct the positioning of the ship for law enforcement and search and rescue operations. He is the proud father of four little girls which probably contributes to him being the most sentimen-tal of all my chiefs. Without knowing the date I could know where in the patrol we are by how much Chief Dorsey is missing his little girls or where he is in the composition of a song for his wife.

Engineering Department... by LT Greg Tozzi

Ladies and Gentlemen – and, while we usually apply these terms loosely when referring to our Engineers, rest assured that this time we are Completely Serious – it’s time for your Engineering Department update. I know what you’re asking: “So, how’s the hair situation in Engineering these days?” The short answer is fabulous. It should suffice to say that MK2 Chuck “Chuck” Malinski’s comb over not only conceals his pate with what appears to be a thick and natural mane, but is also cool enough to drop the temperature in the engine room to an arctic 130o.

MK2 Mike Ryan is actually standing watch on the main deck

The good news is that we’re continuing to get amazing things done in the face of the usual operational constraints. We’ve knocked out a few sets of Basic Engineering Casualty Control Exercises (BECCEs); BECCEs are intense drills during which our Engineering Training Team members, like MK2 Chris Breuer and MK3 Brett Steinle, puts watch teams through their paces. While everyone’s working hard, A-Gang, in particular, has been running at full throttle since before our visit to Panama. The Gang put in literally hun-dreds of man-hours during what should rightly have been their liberty time to offload nearly 60,000 gallons of bad fuel we were forced to take on earlier in the trip. After an offload that lasted well into the night, the Auxiliary Division, with some help from the rest of the team, turned right back around and replaced the fuel with a much higher-grade product. For this, we’re proud to offer the Budweiser Salute to A-Gang. “Thank you Mister fuel unloader slash onloader. Armed with nothing more than a smile and a sounding tape, you rise to the occasion any time of the day or night. Fill her up with the cheap stuff? Never. So raise a glass, onloader of the inflammable; this Bud’s for you.”

Aviation Department... by LT Peyton Russell

Greetings from HIT 06-06 and the Ship's Fred. During the past week the AVDET completed number of firsts: it was the first time...

• The helo has flown in 10 days.
• All crewmembers flew at an altitude of 10,000 feet.
• All crewmembers flew at an altitude of 12,000 feet (I could not let LTjg Mace out do me).
• The aircrew crossed the equator in a helicopter.
• Anyone in the aircrew laid eyes on the Galapagos Islands.
• AMT2 Moreno made it through a port call without an adverse administrative action.

All told it has been a great week. We may not be accomplishing much in the counter nar-cotic mission but we sure are scaring ourselves and discovering new personal limits during each flight. Kudos to Fred for getting the new blade installed and allowing us the opportu-nity to discover those new comfort levels. On a serious note, we really appreciate the out-standing support we received from the Supply Officer, Landing Signals Officers, Fire Party members, Tie down teams, and translators for all the assistance rendered during Operation Blade Replacement in Panama City. Without you we would still be a $4 million dollar pa-perweight.

We appreciate all the encouraging words as we undertake the Halo 2 tournament. All this time I thought the AVDETs were the only ones who wasted away the days in darkrooms with all our online friends hiding from the XO. Boy was I wrong!!! A game with 20 ex-tremely experienced players online is almost always available nearly around the clock. How refreshing! Looking ahead, we wait with baited breath for the opportunity to take another step towards self actualization by completing the metamorphosis from lowly Wog to Shellback. A go-fast along the way wouldn't be so bad either. You guys keep getting us in the air and we will keep turning jet fuel into fear (hopefully the bad guys and not our own).

Supply Department... by CWO2 Tony Parker

Supply department has many functions on board MORGENTHAU: from ensuring that the crew members receive their pay, processing procurement requests for supplies and services. Our cooks provide three meals a day plus mid rats. Our corpsmen ensure each member’s shots are up to date, have sick call and ensure that all members are healthy. Currently the Health Services division is dealing with the usual "Montezuma's Revenge" or laden symp-toms from "Mystery meat on a Stick” that is always an after-effect from a port call like Panama City. HS3 Tim Marshall and HSC Rebecca Vinlove are gearing up for return to homeport by scheduling 50 dental exams, 70 audiograms, another round of Smallpox for crewmembers who reported onboard recently. We are very proud of the fact that our readiness is above 90% but don't be fooled, it takes a lot of planning to get 170+ people in for required exams and "maintenance". This is HSC Vinlove’s last patrol and she would like to add is that we're a great team here and she will miss it.

In the spot light this week we have HS3 Timothy Marshall. His parents as are Clyde and Elizabeth Marshall. He enlisted in the Coast Guard in 2004; prior to that he was in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army. He was interested in the medical field while he was an infantryman in the Army; seeing how the 'Docs' took care of the wounded on the battlefield under that kind of stress impressed him. So when he left the Army and joined the Navy, he was able to start on his own current career path.

FS3 Chris Vick needs to get to solid land.

In the Food Services division, they just completed the huge end of month inventory and re-port for the galley, along with their daily paperwork. I would like to welcome aboard FS3 Molly Seel. The FS division is having a large turnover after this patrol, with FSCS Randy Litka, FSC (select) Mike Simpson, FS2 Sean Whitten, FS2 Dave Hubbard, and FS2 Anna Henson all leaving for new duty stations. The ship’s office is at their highest tempo of the year. Transfer season is upon us and we currently have over 40 personnel transferring, discharging or retiring. As most families know this is a very stressful time for the member and their family. Their job is to ensure the member has the best information to make the military move as stress-free as possible. They wish all the members and families making a transition this summer a safe and healthy one. You will find the light on most of the night as we are working late into the night. Rarely does an evening pass without someone stopping by for a little help. Also we have YNC Ann Ladd, YN1 Dave Blackwell and YN3 Jessika Garay leaving this sum-mer. The Supply Division just completed all of the required paperwork from our last port call which includes processing all invoice and verifying the totals and charges. There is a lot involved for a port call. They have started to work on updating our ship’s property records and inventories this quarter. This summer we have SK2 Ben Warholoski leaving the service after his enlistment is up (we’ll miss Ben); he and his wife are moving to Hawaii.

Weapons Department... by LTJG Ryan Waters

While the last installment of the Weapons Department News can be described as riveting, edgy, and sophisticated, it was all business, lacking a personal touch. Come to think of it, I'm willing to bet that some people on Warship 722 describe the Weapons Officer the same way. In an effort bring balance to the universe, I've decided to shed some light on the human interest side of Weapons Department.

It starts on a somber note. Weapons recently lost a fine shipmate, damage control petty officer, and cutter boat coxswain - that's right, I'm talking about the former BM2 Nate Fraze of Deck Division. BM2, what can I say…Weapons will miss you. But I know you're still with us, looking down from above. Now before you start asking where to send flowers relax - BM2's transition was not to the afterlife, but to Morgenthau's Navigation Division. He looks down on us from the bridge.

BM1 Sean McMullen sports new First Class crows

On a happier note, I recall an English teacher I once had telling me that a quotation can sometimes be an effective grabber, pulling the reader into the body of writing. Here goes: "So did I ever tell you about the time that I got advanced to Boatswain Mate First Class while I was in the Eastern Pacific countering narco-terrorism?"….How was that? Did I grab you? Anyway, those are the very words of our recently pinned BM1 Sean McMullen of Deck Division and former US Navy fame. If you've never seen him, he can be easily identified by the mariner's stars on his elbows. I recently asked him about his ink, and he replied, "Well, that's just how I roll. Oh, and I've been sailing the Seven Seas since you were, well, seven, Sir." BM1, congratulations on a job well done. Congratulations also go out to Caleb Paramo on making BM2. If you run into him, be sure to ask him about his masterful boat driving during our recent tactical takedown of a buoy. And lest we forget: To the man who's half Deckie, half Corpsman. You guessed it, SN Dan Moraga, February's Non Rate of the Month. Gentle-men, way to heap glory and honor upon the department. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before all that we had a port call in Panama….

And then we got back underway, much to the relief of the department. Yes - its true. I speak for the whole department when I say that there was no greater feeling than that of having the Bridge of the Americas to our rudder, our good ship Morgenthau headed back out to sea. Don’t believe me?...Just ask our recently qualified Underway OOD ENS Kyra Van Echo. She was very glad to be relieving the Deck and Conn, and finally transitioning from being overpaid to underpaid. Or ask our newly reported Seamen Apprentice Aaron Bolton and Jonathan Null - I'm sure at least one of them would tell you that being underway is bet-ter than moving furniture for a living. And SN Kaleb Kirkpatrick looks forward to getting underway just to he can drink Muscle Milk upwind of me and watch my reaction, so there's that. Saving the best for last, SN Mike Morrill finds that liberty ports have too many distractions to deliver his popular 3 part series on the proper execution of Parade Rest.

Getting serious again for a moment, BM3 Raquel Spear suffered an abdominal wound while she was fearlessly defending the ship dur-ing a recent small boat attack directed at Morgenthau. We all felt bad about that. I guess we should put her in for a Purple Heart. But on the plus side, SN John Clare, another former US Navy legend, did really well with M2HB hot gun misfire procedures. And we de-stroyed both hostile small boats. Before you get all upset again, the above attack was in fact a drill, and BM3 Spear's injuries were simulated.

Not simulated was our recent pyrotechnics training. The Gunnery Division puts on a top notch program, educating the ignorant in the ignition of a class delta fire in the palm of your hand. A good time was had by all. Just ask LTJG Elizabeth Gillis, who's unofficial motto is, "Try not to let the pyrotechnics make you bleed, but if it can't be avoided, hope that nobody saw it and deny the whole thing."

Non-Rate of the Month... by BM1 Jeff Hamilton

SN Dan Moraga from Thousand Oaks, CA was selected as MORGENTHAU’s Non Rate of the Month for March 2006. He reported on board June of 2005 and is currently awaiting orders to Health Services Technician (HS) at the Coast Guard Training Center, Petaluma, CA. He has been working part-time in the Health Services Division where he has been a significant assistant to divi-sion staff HSC Rebecca Vinlove and HS3 Timothy Marshall. Prior to MORGENTHAU sailing in January, SN Moraga was instrumental in ensuring that all 160+ crew members were up to date on their immunizations records and inoculations. With little supervision SN Moraga inspects the ships First Aid kits, commonly known as “gunbags” eyewash stations, Automated External Defibrillator and our Primary Medical lockers. While SN Moraga is not training to become a Corpsman on board, he also has duties and responsi-bilities within the Deck Department. SN Moraga is MORGENTHAU’s Master Lookout and trains newly reported Seamen in qualify-ing Helm and Lookout.

Non-Rates in the Coast Guard—and especially on Cutters—are the heart of the ship’s workforce. They perform minor maintenance to our engines, ensure our decks and bulkheads are cleaned and painted, work in the scullery and galley ensuring that our messdecks are clean and ready to serve over 500 meals day. They act as helmsmen and lookouts, Security watch standers while preparing themselves to become Rated Petty Officers in the professions that they choose. We applaud our Non-Rates such as SN Dan Moraga and we are honored to call them shipmates.

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Division in the Spotlight… by ENS Peter Hsu
Department: Weapons      Division: Fire Control

Fire Control Division Warriors: ET3 John Dismuke, ET3 Tony McGrath, ET3 Scott Finstad, ET3 Leon Sisson, ETC David Holder. Not pictured: ENS Kyra Van Echo

The job of keeping MORGENTHAU’s major weapons systems ready to re-spond to enemy threats falls to the Fire Control Division. Their duties include maintaining and firing the MK-92 fire control system and the Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) The MK-92 is used to track targets and aim MORGENTHAU’s 76mm deck gun, while the CIWS can fire up to 90 rounds per second in an ef-fort to destroy incoming missiles.

An average day consists of standing four to six hours of watch, three to five flight quarters, and a full eight hour work day. “It’s very busy because I’m the only person in my shop who went to school for what I’m doing,” explains Petty Officer Scott Finstad. “The most satisfying part of the job is shooting the gun and not having any problems,” he explains. “We’re one of the only boats in the Coast Guard that can say we’ve shot 4500 rounds since a jam. You have a lot of pride that your system works extremely well, and you want to keep it that way.”

Since all of the Fire Control equipment is designed for intensive combat operations, the division doesn’t see much action during southern counter-narcotics patrols. “From the fire control standpoint, it’s quite boring… thankfully,” says Chief Petty Officer David Holder. Despite the lack of action, ETC Holder acknowledges that there is plenty to do and stay interested in. “It’s intriguing to work on a piece of gear that is designed to accurately track an object and deliver a projectile. It can be challenging given the age of the gear.” A veteran of 14 years Coast Guard service, benefitsis what has kept ETC Holder in the Coast Guard. “Where else can you get a job that will take you out to see parts of the world with a non-wartime mission?”

While they are now all ETs, or “Electronics Technicians”, several years ago all the members of the Fire Control division were desig-nated “Fire Control Technicians” or FTs. In the recent rate mergers, the Coast Guard combined the FTs with the ETs. Although he joined to be an ET, ET3 Sisson says, “I think working on the MK92 [radar] is a lot of experience in electronics that most ETs don’t get.”

The division members have mixed feelings on being underway. “If you feel like going out after work, you can’t because you’re still at work,” explains ET3 Dismuke. ET3 Finstad gives the other side of the coin: “When you’re underway, it seems as if time flies; being underway is a very fast-paced work tempo. When you’re home you do have all the luxuries like fast internet, nice restaurants… but underway is nice, especially when you’re with a good crew.”

The members of the Fire Control division are: ENS Kyra VanEcho, ETC David Holder, ET3 Leon Sisson, ET3 Jonathan Dismuke, ET3 Scott Finstad, and ET3 Anthony McGrath.

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Crew Recognition This Week… Compiled by ENS Ernie Saponara

FN Tim Daugherty takes a leap of faith, walking the plank during the Shellback initiation ceremony

• SA Max Bridges certified Helm/Lookout Watchstander
• SN Daniel Brown was certified Underway Quartermaster of the Watch
• ET2 Mark Edillion received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the renova-tion of the ship’s learning center
• ET2 Sean Foster received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the renovation of the ship’s learning center
• ET1 Troy Gracie received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the renovation of the ship’s learning center
• CWO2 James Hammond received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the renovation of the ship’s learning center.
• ET2 Brandon Hewitt received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the reno-vation of the ship’s learning center
• ENS Miles Jenkins certified Helicopter Control Officer
• OS3 Christopher Keiner was Advanced to OS3/E4
• BM3 Christopher Kuhr received a First Good Conduct Award

ET3 Dan Nelson (with the nice pretty hat) practices with shipmates for this week’s Texas Hold’em Tournament

• HS3 Timothy Marshall celebrated a birthday on 5 March 2006
• BM1 Sean McMullen was advanced to BM1/E6
• CPO Phillip Miller received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the renova-tion of the ship’s learning center
• SN Daniel Moraga was selected as Non-rate of the Month
• ET3 Daniel Nelson received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the renova-tion of the ship’s learning center
• FA Manuel Ontiveros was certified Auxiliary Watchstander
• BM2 Caleb Paramo was advanced to BM2/E5
• SA Gerald Reynolds celebrated a birthday on 5 March 2006
• FS3 Elizabeth Roberts celebrated a birthday on 1 March 2006
• ET1 Sean Smiley received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Award for the renovation of the ship’s learning center
• MK3 Bret Steinle received the Coast Guard Good Conduct Medal
• ENS Kyra Van Echo certified as a Boarding Officer
• ENS Pamela Wade celebrated a Birthday on 2 March 2006
• DC2 John White received the Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation Award for renovation of the ship’s gym

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Blast from the Past

Can our plankowners or former crewmembers place this photograph, when and where?

We’ll See You All Soon…

We’ll be safe out here on the high seas – you be safe too at home, and thank you for your support, e-mails and care packages! We’re thinking of you all the time.

Best regards,

The Officers, Chiefs and Crew of
USCGC MORGENTHAU (WHEC 722)
“Decus Pacifici – Pride of the Pacific”

Send care packages to:


USCGC MORGENTHAU (WHEC 722)
FPO AP 96672-3916

Visit us at: http://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/MORGENTHAU

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