BOTC 141 Updates

Towing alongside drills using two FRBs . Photo Credits: OC Rivera

Last week, BOTC 141 learned to operate Fast Rescue Boats (FRB’s). They also learned how to conduct personnel transfers onto the T-boats over open water as well as towing alongside. This past week, BOTC 141 has been preparing for the long awaited Graduation Day with OCS 2-23 today. Next week, BOTC 141 will be staying at the US Coast Guard Academy to practice more hands on FRBs and T-boats as well as learning ECDIS. They continue learning and preparing even after graduation in preparation for their first assignments.

BOTC 141 learning to dock FRB and conduct GAR assessments. Photo Credits: OC Rivera

FRB and T-boat drills. Photo Credits: OC Rivera

FRBs in open water, using buoys and channels to navigate . Photo Credits: OC Rivera

Who’s That Two-Star?

If you’ve been in the Hillsborough County/Tampa area lately, chances are you may have seen these special edition bus wraps celebrating African Americans Who Transformed Transportation. Congratulations to our own Rear Admiral Evelyn J. Fields, NOAA, Ret., whose legacy continues to be honored for her contributions to NOAA and the Nation.

ODU Update

Within the past two weeks, vendors released 1,800 ODU uniforms (trousers & tops) with larger sizes (Medium-Long, Large-Long, X-Large Long, etc.,) including 700 back orders to CGX and the Uniform Distribution Center (UDC) for purchasing. The vendor is producing a new generation fabric per contract requirements – USCG anticipates further production gaps through mid-summer, especially with smaller female ODU sizes. Please plan accordingly.

Ultima Boot Failures: There have been recent upticks of boot failures at Cape May. The UDC will continue reviewing cases to determine if a particular brand is responsible for the failures. The USCGA also noted significant boot failures and will continue to monitor the problem. The CGX will review returns to determine if failures are a service-wide issue. Officers with boot failures are encouraged to notify CPC and the vendor you used for purchasing.

Uniform tips: Preserve the life of your ODUs during the shortage

• Wash your ODUs separately from other clothes. Washing ODUs with other articles of clothing can cause the uniform to absorb their colors or dirt, so always launder a uniform on its own. Place your ODUs in an empty washing machine.
• Add 1–2 teaspoons of mild detergent to the machine. You do not need a lot of laundry detergent to clean your uniform. Add 1–2 teaspoons of detergent based on how dirty your uniform is. This amount is usually 1/5-1/4 of a cap if you are measuring the detergent out by eye. Warning: Never use bleach, specialty cleaners, or brightening agents. Vendors usually treat ODUs with permethrin, which kills lice, mites, and other pests you may encounter when you are on duty. Any cleaning agent outside standard laundry detergent can compromise the permethrin that vendors build into the fabric.
• Set your machine to the cold-water setting. Turn the dial on your washing machine to set it to the coldest setting available. Because heat will damage or remove the permethrin in the fabric, you cannot use hot water to wash your uniform. The key to making your uniform last as long as possible is to store it away from moisture and light.
• If you choose to dry clean your uniform, always remove the uniform from the plastic dry cleaner storage bag before storing it.
• If ironing, iron from the inside on a lower heat setting.
• Use nail clippers to clear loose string, as opposed to lighters.
• Wear non-ODUs when possible, practical (khakis, summer whites, coveralls for dirty work, etc.) to preserve the ODU’s life with less wear and tear.

From the Assignments Desk: TDY Opportunity

The Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC), is seeking a motivated Officer interested in being a member of an eight-person research team at Cape Shirreff, Antarctica from late November 2023 to late February of 2024. Camp Sheriff is a remote location with primitive conditions and limited privacy, see below pic. Please note, members of the research team must be willing and comfortable working closely with animals to include penguins and seals on an almost daily basis.

Officers interested in this opportunity should reach out to LT David Wang at david.wang@noaa.gov for more information.