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Release Date: 08/06/03 00:00:00
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 6, 2003
ADMIRAL HULL: Admiral Collins, honored guests, families of those being honored, old friends, I personally am delighted to be here in Washington to celebrate the Coast Guard's 213th birthday, and to honor several exceptional Coast Guard heroes for their service to the nation during this past year, at home and overseas.
We are the same Semper Paratas, always ready, Coast Guard that we've always been, but we are now part of a new Homeland Security Department team.
We still do all our traditional missions, search and rescue, fisheries, counter drug ops, safety and security, and national defense.
Secretary Ridge has stated: "one team, one fight," and we're proud to be members of that one team.
Today, we honor Coastees who are part of the shield of freedom, who protect Americans here in Washington, D.C., as well as overseas in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In the Persian Gulf, the patrol boat crews and support forces provided front line safety and security, and I witnessed it first hand, as well as an antiterrorism and force protection to U.S. and allied forces.
A terrorist attack is a terrorist attack, whether it's in the New York harbor or in Iraq, but I have to tell you, in Iraq, these particular people were patrolling ahead of mine sweepers, not a very safe place to be. And I'm pleased to report that these medals for the commanding officers honored today are only the beginning of a series of medals and awards for the hard working combat veterans of patrol forces, Southwest Asia.
We're also here to honor the hard work of all Coast Guard members here at home. We will single out boat forces, Washington, D.C., who stood up to protect this great city from any terrorist threat that might come from the water, not unlike similar operations and changes that took place all over our country.
I'm proud of these Coast Guard heroes for the long hours and difficult service they have performed to protect our nation from those who would do us harm.
It is now my great honor and distinct pleasure to introduce a significant leader in Secretary Ridge's Department of Homeland Security team, and that's the 22nd Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Tom Collins.
(Applause.)
ADMIRAL COLLINS: Thank you, Jim. Good day to everyone. Boy, am I pleased -- I really like a party, and I'm great to be here to help celebrate. We've had a number of parties. The Master Chief and I were up at Grand Haven, and to get into the swing of this birthday week, and they do it up right there. I think we do it right here, as well, in Washington.
We have the benefit of a great voice this morning. Thank you, Chief, for being with us. Wasn't she terrific?
(Applause.)
ADMIRAL COLLINS: We saw the band and Chief in action in Grand Haven and again last night. You just add value. You make it a great event everywhere you show up, so thanks so much for your great, great work.
It's a great privilege to have the Secretary with us. Secretary Ridge, thank you so much for helping us celebrate our 213th birthday, and at the same time, we have a twofer here, celebrate Operation Excellence, and that's always a great opportunity.
Looking back over this last year, we've had quite a lot to celebrate and in which to take a great deal of pride. It's been a year as challenging, as dynamic, as any in that 213 year history, and we've continued to successfully meet the demands of our traditional missions, such as search and rescue and marine safety and environmental protection, drug interdiction, fisheries enforcement, domestic and polar ice breaking, and perhaps the most challenging -- one of the most challenging years on record in that arena -- ASA navigation and migrant interdiction.
And at the same time, we ensured America's maritime security by supporting Operation Liberty Shield here at home, defending America's ports, coasts, and critical infrastructure.
We also deployed 11 cutters and four port security units and over 1,250 people overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom as America's superb military and our coalition partners liberated Iraq.
Our success in these historic events, in my mind, was due to four key factors. First, due to the hard work, integrity, professionalism and adaptability of our people.
Second, the military character of our Service. Third, the multi-mission capability embedded in our cutters, in our aircraft, in our boats, in our systems, and in our people. And fourth, our transfer to the Department of Homeland Security, which strengthens both our partnerships with other agencies within the Department, as well as those across Government and other Federal, State and local agencies.
Whether we're rescuing mariners in distress or protecting our nation from those who would harm our people and our ports, we take great pride -- I know you take great pride -- in our 213 year history of service to our nation.
We in the Coast Guard have all experienced great pride in becoming members of the Department of Homeland Security. Our mission to provide maritime safety and security and environmental protection for the American people has never, never been more clear.
And from a mission perspective, as mentioned by Vice Admiral Jimmy Hull, we're the same Coast Guard, new team, but I might add that we are from a capability and a capacity perspective, an enhanced Coast Guard, because of the support of this Administration.
We are very fortunate to have the leader of this new team with us today. This new leader knows quite a bit about the challenges and the opportunities of public service. He has served his country with great distinction as an Army infantryman in Vietnam, as a district attorney, as a member of the United States Congress, and Governor of the great, great state of Pennsylvania.
In October 2001, following the tragic events of September 11, he was sworn in, as we all know, as the first Director of the Office of Homeland Security, and on January 24, 2003, became the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Ladies and gentlemen, shipmates, it is my great privilege to introduce the Honorable Tom Ridge, our Secretary, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of the United States Coast Guard.
(Applause.)
SECRETARY RIDGE: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you. Be seated all. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Please be seated. Thank you. Thank you.
There were many wonderful things associated with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and your former Secretary, Norman Mineta, to this day says probably the most important, the most gratifying and the best thing that happened to me is I became the Secretary of the Coast Guard, and little did I know that when you have a celebration, a birthday celebration, you do it over a week or two.
(Laughter.)
SECRETARY RIDGE: Which is just one more reason to be Secretary.
(Laughter.)
SECRETARY RIDGE: I apologize for being out of uniform. I didn't get the e-mail that it was light blue and short sleeve shirts today.
(Laughter.)
SECRETARY RIDGE: You are going to remain covered, but I'm not going to remain coded, so if you don't mind, I'm going to take that off.
(Applause.)
SECRETARY RIDGE: Thank you. Thank you.
Admiral Collins, thank you very much for your very kind and warm introduction. It's a great pleasure to be with you and men and women who serve this country so well. You all look pretty good having served for 213 years, and I guess I'm grateful that we can stand on, really, the threshold of not only the new Department, but a couple hundred more years of service to your country.
It's an honor to be here this morning with the distinguished men and women who are carrying on the Coast Guard's proud tradition of service to our nation.
For 213 years, the Coast Guard has protected the American people, securing our waterways and ensuring the free flow of commerce, and you have done so with a tireless determination and dogged devotion to preserve the tenants of democracy and freedom for which our country stands.
Before September 11, many of us viewed America as a fortress, couldn't be penetrated, flanked by two mighty oceans. Our natural defenses served as a deterrent to foreign enemies for decades, if not centuries.
However, as the horrific tragedy of September 11 demonstrated, the new enemy we face is neither deterred by tactical difficulties nor strategic impossibilities. They're not even deterred by the thought of taking innocent civilian lives.
The enemies of freedom have no regard for the innocent, no concept of the just, and no desire for peace. They will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life, and we, on the other hand, we stop at nothing to defend it.
That's why we created the Department of Homeland Security, to unify our resources into one team, to ready ourselves against the new enemy, and to ensure the highest level of protection for the country and the citizens we all serve.
Clearly, we're extremely fortunate to have such a veteran player in the Coast Guard that makes up a vital part of the new team. Your expertise and your experience and your mindset and your "can do" attitude, garnered for more than two centuries of work to secure our ports and protect our nation's waters, has been an invaluable resource in the fight against terrorism.
That became immediately clear in the aftermath of September 11, when the Coast Guard mobilized more than 2,000 Reservists and increased security along major waterways. In fact, shortly after the attack, here in the Washington, D.C. area, the Coast Guard established boat forces to guard against terrorism in the nation's Capitol.
Today, Chief Petty Officer Jeffrey Cole will receive the Meritorious Service Medal for his leadership role in developing that critical security force, a force that quickly became the prototype for a permanent security unit used to protect the nation's Capitol.
Just like Chief Cole, Coast Guard personnel from all across the nation have risen to meet the challenges of terrorism and advanced the work of Homeland Security.
By joining together, our new Homeland Security team has made great progress towards reaching the highest standard of readiness and protection to which the President has called us, to which the America people are entitled.
In our first six months as a new department, we've moved rapidly to map and protect critical infrastructure, such as power plants and financial systems, secure our borders from terrorists and suspicious cargo, prevent and prepare for attacks involving weapons of mass destruction, and distribute $4 billion to equip and train Americans dedicated first responders.
One of our most critical focus areas has been the protection of our ports, and the thousands of cargo containers that flow through them each day. With 95 percent of our nation's international cargo carried by ship, securing our ports is crucial to securing both our country and our economy.
To address this task, we have taken a comprehensive approach that seeks to add layers of security around commercial shipping. These layers, greater information sharing with our international partners, increased levels of inspection, state-of-the-art technology, and added intelligence about the crews, the cargo, and the vessels, allow us to screen and board 100 percent of high risk ships coming into our ports.
The Coast Guard helps us not only to strengthen these layers of security, but you've also added additional resources and initiatives to the Department's overall effort, instituting a 96 hour advance check in for foreign flag ships, increasing the number of boardings and the number of escorts, and establishing maritime safety and security rapid response teams are just a few examples, just a few examples of the integral role the Coast Guard serves in securing our ports.
Together, we've made great progress. And yet, we know that the best way to deter terrorism, the best way, of course, is to go after terrorist networks, where they live, where they operate, where they train, where they get support.
That's why your role in Operation Iraqi Freedom has been so important, and so appreciated, and so valued. You helped your country disarm a rogue regime that threatened our national security, and you helped liberate an oppressed people suffering at the hands of a merciless tyrant.
You fought and you served bravely, and many of you were rewarded for your actions. Today, I'm especially honored to have the opportunity to present formally to Lieutenant Holly Harrison, Lieutenant Christopher Barrows, and Lieutenant Sean McKinsey, to present them with the Bronze Star, for their actions and the superb work of their respective crews to provide protection for coalition mind hunters, and ensure the safety of humanitarian aid and medical shipments.
In addition, I'm also pleased to present a unit commendation to the Coast Guard Patrol Forces, Southwest Asia, for their collective work during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
As a result of these efforts and the efforts of all Coast Guard personnel who served, a nation that not very long ago, offered only fear and anguish to its citizens, now is offered the hope of a brighter future, a hope illuminated by the steady light of freedom and liberty.
From serving overseas in support of our military operations, to embarking upon vital Homeland Security missions, the Coast Guard has proven again and again and again, it is always ready. Ready to do whatever it takes to support our team at Homeland Security, and our charge to protect the American people.
As you continue to undertake these new responsibilities, it's important that you have the necessary resources and equipment to fulfill your added duties.
With that in mind, the President has asked for the largest increase ever in Coast Guard funding, money that will be used to acquire the new defender class response boats, as well as support the deep water acquisition project.
Now, you know and I know, of course, that Coast Guard responsibilities are not limited to Homeland Security, and it is a testament to both your professionalism and hard work that while protecting our shores from terrorists, and while fighting to liberate Iraq, your commitment to the missions of search and rescue, environmental protection, boating safety, and law enforcement has not wavered.
Since joining the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, the Coast Guard has conducted one of the largest port security operations since World War II and deployed 1,250 men and women to the Persian Gulf, while at the same time, saving nearly 2,000 lives, seizing over $1 billion worth of illegal drugs, and responding to more than 1,400 oil and hazardous chemical spills.
It is an extraordinary record. It's an impressive record, one that makes your commanders proud and your nation grateful.
Over the years, the Coast Guard has always provided a shield of protection against those who would seek to do America harm. That shield is more important now than ever before, and while the mission remains the same and the Coast Guard remains the same, no longer must you shoulder the burden alone.
Together, we stand united to meet the threat of terrorism with a full force of our joint capabilities and our joint strengths, and in the end, our mutual commitment to each other, our constant vigilance, and our unshakable conviction in the justice of our cause will triumph over the weapons of fear and terror wielded by the enemy.
We stand united as a team, as a department, as a nation, and in unity, we will certainly prevail.
(Applause.)
SECRETARY RIDGE: Thank you. All right.
ADMIRAL HULL: Chief Jeffrey Cole, will you please join Secretary Ridge and Admiral Collins.
Chief Cole is joined by Rear Admiral Sally Brice-O'Hara, Commander, 5th Coast Guard District.
Secretary Ridge, will you present Chief Cole with the Meritorious Service Medal?
Citation to accompany the award of Meritorious Service Medal to Jeffrey D. Cole, Chief Boatswain’s Mate, United States Coast Guard.
Chief Petty Officer Cole is cited for meritorious service in the performance of duty as officer in charge of Coast Guard Station, Annapolis, and supervisor, Boat Forces, Washington, D.C., from September 2001 to July 2003.
During this period, Chief Petty Officer Cole was instrumental in the establishment of a Boat Forces detachment, a prototype Homeland Security unit deployed to deter, detect, and prevent terrorist attacks in our nation's capital.
He initiated procurement of two Homeland Security response boats and established new facilities aboard Bolling Air Force Base. Using both active duty and reserve boat crews who conducted patrols around the clock, Chief Petty Officer Cole executed numerous maritime Homeland Security missions that included security for presidential events, 4th of July celebrations, and the anniversaries of September 11th.
Additionally, he worked to detect and deter waterborne weapons of mass destruction threats, and many of his mission profiles were used as models for enhancing security in other ports.
Chief Petty Officer Cole's diligence, ability, and devotion to duty are most heartedly commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.
The operational distinguishing device is authorized for the Commandant, Sally Brice-O'Hara, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, 5th Coast Guard District.
(Applause.)
ADMIRAL HULL: Again, congratulations, Chief Cole. And now would Lieutenant Commander McKinley, the ONC of PACFORCEWAH*, BM1 Timothy Parker from the Aquidneck, BM1 Forsythe from the Sapalo, MK2 David Clifford from the Baranof, BM3 Mike Mountain, U.S. Coast Cutter Wrangell, would you please step forward.
These members are representing and accepting the Coast Guard Unit Commendation on behalf of their respective units.
The Commandant of the Coast Guard takes pleasure in presenting the Coast Guard Unit Commendation to U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces, Southwest Asia, Manama, Bahrain, for service as set forth in the following citation:
For exceptionally meritorious service from 1 November 2002 to 1 May 2003, while operating in support of the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf, the crew of Patrol Forces, Southwest Asia, including the crew of the cutter Sapalo and the cutters Adak, Aquidneck, Baranof, and Wrangell, meritoriously distinguished themselves in the first combat deployment of Coast Guard patrol boats since Vietnam.
Conducting extensive preparations and training, Patrol Forces, Southwest Asia, and the cutter crews readied their boats for outload and combat operations. Upon arriving in theater, they immediately established strong liaisons with the Navy, made preparations to receive the patrol boats, and organized a self-sustaining Coast Guard compound.
When the cutters arrived in Bahrain, they were fully operational and underway within 72 hours. These cutters conducted maritime interception operations, escorted vessels carrying humanitarian aid, conducted search and rescue, and controlled restricted waterways, operated in mined waters, they provided Navy mine clearance ships, amphibious forces, and special operations craft with critical force protection.
The maintenance staff separates were exceptional, ensuring the cutters' 100 percent reliability throughout hostilities.
The dedication, seamanship, and professionalism displayed by the crew of Patrol Boat Force, Southwest Asia, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.
The operational distinguishing device is authorized for the Command, James D.
Hull, Vice Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Atlantic area.
(Applause.)
ADMIRAL HULL: As Lieutenant Commander McKinley walks back to his seat, his brother; a reserve officer in the Coast Guard is with PSU 309 in Ashweva, Bahrain. So we thank him also.
Lieutenant Harrison, Lieutenant Chris Barrows, Lieutenant Sean McKinsey, please join Secretary Ridge and Admiral Collins on the podium.
Secretary Ridge, you and I both started out in Vietnam a long time ago. Admiral Collins also. It brings back many memories. But you can be very proud of these individuals for the services that they performed.
Secretary Ridge will present Lieutenant Holly Harrison, Lieutenant Christopher Barrows, and Lieutenant Sean McKinsey with the Bronze Star Medal. Unfortunately, Lieutenant Cole, who also earned this medal, is still on patrol in the North Arabian Gulf and will not be joining us today.
The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Bronze Star Medal to Lieutenant Holly Harrison, Lieutenant Christopher Barrows, and Lieutenant Sean McKinsey, United States Coast Guard, for service as forth in the following citation.
For meritorious achievement in connection with combat operations against the enemy while serving as Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard cutter, Aquidneck, Wrangell, and Adak.
Respectively deployed with Commander, United States 5th Fleet, from March to April 2003, in support of our Operation Iraqi Freedom, demonstrating uncommon bravery and tactical brilliance, Aquidneck, Wrangell, and Adak represented the first line of defense for coalition forces, providing protection for coalition mine hunters within established mine danger areas in the internal waters of Iraq.
Their impressive tactical skill and unparalleled leadership was demonstrated when escorting humanitarian assistance shipping to Umm Qasr, ensuring the expeditious flow of food and medicine to the people of Iraq. Their maintenance and well-trained and tactically proficient crews and ships that were able to operate in the combat environment in excess of four times the normal operational tempo was critical to the successful liberation of Iraq.
Lieutenant Harrison, Barrows, and McKinsey's total effectiveness, forceful leadership, and loyal devotion to duty reflected great credit upon them and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard and the United States Naval Service.
For the President, T.J. Keating, Vice Admiral, United States Navy.
(Applause.)
ADMIRAL HULL: These vessels were from Portland, Maine --
(Applause.)
ADMIRAL HULL: These vessels were from Portland, Maine, New York City, Miami, and -- I've got to remember the last one right now.
A PARTICIPANT: Ohio?
ADMIRAL HULL: Ohio, no, not Ohio. And New York City. They did a great job, and let's give them one more round of applause.
(Applause.)
ADMIRAL HULL: Thank you for attending today's ceremony. Please stand for the Retirement of Colors.
Retire the Colors. And salute.
Ready, two.
This concludes today's ceremony, and, again, thank you very much for attending.
This page was last reviewed/modified on 08/06/03 00:00:00.
