Welcome Aboard The CGC Northland
Counter – Narcotics Deployment - Week 5
We join the crew of the Cutter Northland underway on a Counter – Narcotics deployment to the Caribbean..
ENS Kristen Potter will be keeping us updated during this deployment with weekly updates. Thanks, Kristen.
All photos are official Coast Guard photos.
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The Coast Guard Cutter Northland, homeported in Portsmouth, Va.
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Catchin' Up
Week 5 for the crew of NORTHLAND started off slowly, we simply transited to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for a little bit of rest and relaxation for the crew and for the case disposition from our most recent drug bust. There was a little bit of training done on the way, and on NORTHLAND we always find the time to do more flight operations!
We arrived in GTMO mid-week, and everyone spent their short time having fun. GTMO afforded the crew the opportunity to call home, get to the exchange and hang out at the beach. The wardroom had an excellent dinner out at the Bayside Club, which led into a long evening joining the rest of the crew at the nearby Tiki Hut. On both days, there were cookouts at Cable Beach and many of the crew enjoyed the sun and the water there. While it wasn’t quite Aruba, Guantanamo Bay was still a fun port visit, giving everyone a little time to catch up on their rest. We also took time to recognize the crew’s hard work by holding a simple ceremony before putting up the stickers associated with our recent drug busts.
We said goodbye to Guantanamo Bay at the end of the week, heading back out to sea in hopes of catching some more drug smugglers. Unfortunately, week 5 for us yielded no big drug busts, but NORTHLAND did come across a small Haitian sailing vessel. At first we thought it may have been a migrant vessel, but upon further investigation, we discovered it to be just some lost fishermen. We provided them with lifejackets, fuel, water, a magnetic compass, and directions before continuing with our patrol.
Congratulations to many crew members who got qualified this week:
ET3 Figueroa got Combat Information Center (CIC) watchstander qualified!
SN Hoffman got Boatswain’s Mate of the Watch (BMOW) qualified!
FN Ross got Underway Security watchstander qualified!
OS3 Lewis got Navigator of the Watch qualified!
And BM2 Montejano got Landing Signals Officer (LSO) qualified!
Photos
MK1 Paglia and ENS Kapusta receive their EOW qualification letters at quarters.
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SN Perkins receives an award at quarters.
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The Haitian sailing vessel we assisted.
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FN Acuna having fun on the racetrack.
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ET3 Newsome found a friend snorkeling.
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BM3 Mullen strikes a pose!
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NORTHLAND crewmembers holding our drug bust stickers
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OS2 Hamrah and CDR Austin with the drug bust stickers
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BM3 Mullen and ENS Potter with our new stickers
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BM3 Story and OS3 Lewis putting the stickers on NORTHLAND
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LTjg Myers being presented with the drug bust sticker
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DC2 Matousek and CDR Austin with the drug bust stickers
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LTjg Seniuk and LTjg Tillman at the wardroom dinner in GTMO
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Petty Officer Tallon and Petty Officer Montejano at the Tiki Hut
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GM1 Mendola standing by for helicopter refueling.
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ET2 Fowler is ready for a swim
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SN Muir enjoying the water in GTMO!
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SN Vucetich relaxing at Cable Beach
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SN McGhee, just hanging out
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SN Roach or Scuba Steve??
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LT Skiles racing her go-cart.
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