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Flotilla 25-4 What's New!

ELECTION RESULTS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2024

NEWLY ELECTED FLOTILLA 25-04 COMMANDER GREG HERMANOWYCZ (RIGHT) AND VICE FLOTILLA COMMANDER GARRETT LUDWIG (LEFT)

 

Photos From OCT2023 Meeting

 

Auxiliarist Babor presented with recognition for attaining Basically Qualified (BQ) status by FC Hernandez.


Auxiliarist Ludwig presenting to members of the East Hartford Flotilla.

 

Photos From SEP2023 Meeting

Members Present to Flotilla and Receive Recognition

 

 

 

 

Roger Rosella Retirement Recognition

Roger Rosella was recognized and presented with the "Oar", which is inscribed with the following message:

"This award represents your loyalty and meritorious service to the USCG Auxiliary Division 014-25.  New London, CT.  We wish you the best in your future endeavors!"

 

The Sustained Auxiliary Service Award was presented to Mr. Daniel M. Herring on 13JUN2023 for Superior Performance of Duty from 27JUL2021 to 01JAN2023 - Service in Excess of 1,368 Cumulative Hours.

 

 

Flotilla 25-04 Receives DHS Outstanding Unit Award

On 07FEB2022, Flotilla 25-04 received the DHS Outstanding Unit Award.

 

Wreaths Across America Day New Britain Ceremony 2021

On Saturday, December 18th, Dave Obedzinski participated in a public affairs mission to serve as a section leader and wreath bearer at the Wreaths Across America Day in New Britain. Traditionally more than 1,200 wreaths are placed on the graves of veterans in Fairview Cemetery each December during Wreaths Across America Day - a nationwide memorial activity traditionally held at 1,600 sites. Dave supervised the placement of wreaths by volunteers in two of the veteran sections in the cemetery and because of inclement weather the ceremony following the placement of the wreaths took place indoors at the VFW Chapter 8 in New Britain. The guest speakers included the Honorable Erin E. Stewart, Mayor of New Britain and other local dignitaries. Dave was honored to participate in the ceremony in his Coast Guard Auxiliary uniform and present, with honors, one of the ceremonial wreaths that day.

 

 

 

 

 

CT Maritime Festival

At the recent CT Maritime Festival, members of 25-04 assisted with the CG AUX information table and with tours on the USCG Ida Lewis Buoy Tender.  In the attached photo David Obedzinski (25-04; far left) is pictured standing with Christine Howe of Division 24 and Garrett Ludwig of 25-04 while they conducted vessel tours side by side with the active duty crew of the Ida Lewis.

Wreaths Across America Day New Britain Ceremony

On Saturday, December 19th Dave Obedzinski participated in a public affairs mission to serve as a wreath bearer at the Wreaths Across America Day New Britain Ceremony. Traditionally more than 1,400 wreaths are placed on the graves of veterans in Fairview Cemetery each December during Wreaths Across America Day - a nationwide memorial activity traditionally held at 1,600 sites; however, this year because of COVID pandemic precautions, the New Britain committee decided to conduct a ceremony only with wreaths laid for each service as well as for POW/MIA to be the symbolic wreaths for all veterans this year thus eliminating the crowds of volunteers that would normally gather to assist. The guest speaker was the Honorable Erin E. Stewart, Mayor of New Britain and the ceremony was limited to the planning committee, those participating in the ceremony, and a few local dignitaries. Dave was honored to participate in the ceremony in his Coast Guard Auxiliary uniform and present, with honors, one of the wreaths that day.

Photo credit to Paul Salina.

 

 

 

 

 

Aiding the Effort to Combat the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Coast Guard Auxiliarist Mikhail Nolan of the East Hartford, CT Flotilla (014-25-04) and his significant other, Amanda Mckelvey, have been aiding the effort to combat the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Mckelvey is a contractor for New England Sameday, LLC, a Connecticut based private courier service. New England Sameday, LLC provides services to the Mayo Clinic, hospitals, laboratories, and other healthcare facilities throughout New England.

Having found himself unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, Nolan volunteers his time and assists Mckelvey with her increased duties resulting from the pandemic.

Nolan and Mckelvey travel to various facilities throughout Connecticut, retrieve blood samples and store them with dry ice, and deliver them to a third-party for shipment to out-of-state laboratories for testing.


East Hartford Flotilla member Mikhail Nolan outside the New England Sameday, LLC warehouse in Wethersfield on Monday, April 27, 2020, preparing to head to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital in New London, CT.

AUX INSTRUCTORS HELPS FORM NEW COAST GUARD OFFICERS

For the past 15 years, Coast Guard Auxiliary members from District 1 South have taken an important role in helping the service prepare its newest officer candidates for active duty assignments.  Please click the link below to read the full story.

/Uploads_wowII/014-25-04/AUX_OCS_Briefing.pdf 

 

Giving the briefing to the larger OCS class of officer candidates in an auditorium at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy


 

AUX Instructor Sean Peoples, Officer Candidate Sophia Rubino, and AUX Instructor David Obedzinski following the briefing made to OCS 1-20 Class in October 2019. Rubino is an Auxiliarist and Air Observer from San Diego where she has been active in the Auxiliary for five years prior to enlisting. She will attend flight school following her commissioning. 

 

 

AUX Instructor David Obedzinski stands among the officer candidates of OCS Class 1-20 in October 2019 following their receiving the Auxiliary briefing at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. 

East Hartford Flotilla Hosted Boating Safety Class

Please click on the link below to read the full story of East Hartford Flotilla's Boating Safety Class conducted 25JAN2020.

/Uploads_wowII/014-25-04/East_Hartford_Flotilla_Hosted_Boating_Safety_Class.pdf 

Chief Petty Officer Sebastian Derda Presents to East Hartford Flotilla

On Tuesday evening, January 14, 2020, Chief Petty Officer Sebastian Derda of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Hartford, CT Recruiting Station gave a brief presentation to the East Hartford Auxiliary Flotilla. The topic of the Chief’s presentation was a recent Coast Guard initiative to engage Auxiliarists in assisting local Coast Guard recruiting offices. Chief Derda outlined a training protocol that would allow Auxiliarists to assist in recruiting efforts to augment the staff at local recruiting stations and transport candidates for initial testing. The attached link is to Chief Derda’s BIO.

/Uploads_wowII/014-25-04/CPO_S._Derda.pdf 

 

 

Hartford Boat Show - Boating Safety Demonstration

 

Guest Speaker - CAPT. Timothy Keeney, USN (Retired)

At our East Hartford Flotilla meeting on Tues., 12NOV19, CAPT. Timothy Keeney, USN (Retired), was our special guest speaker. Captain Keeney was part of the Apollo 17 Navy SEAL splash-down recovery team. Captain Keeney gave a remarkable slide presentation of the SEAL team's training and recovery efforts of the last manned mission to the moon. Pictured below, left to right, is Captain Keeney at his retirement from the Navy, the SEAL recovery team pictured with the Apollo 17 astronauts and Keeney standing outside the Apollo 17 capsule on December 19, 1972. In the background is the USS Ticonderoga approx. 10 miles from American Samoa in the Pacific. The presentation was well attended and well received by the Auxiliary members in attendance. A more complete description of Keeney's presentation is attached.

Upon retiring from the U.S. Navy, Captain Keeney went on to distinguished service in federal and state government including a term in office at NOAA and as a Probate Court Judge in North Central CT. Currently, Keeney is an attorney at the Hartford based law firm of Brown Paindiris & Scott, LLP in the Glastonbury office and very recently, he won election to serve as a Selectman for the Town of Somers, CT. A more complete Bio appears below.

Judge of Probate, N. Central Connecticut (Enfield, Somers, Stafford, Union), 2011 - 2018
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Deputy Assistant Secretary/Oceans & Atmosphere, 2002 - 2009
Marine Conservation Community, Deputy Assistant Secretary O&A, 2002 - 2009
Northeast Utilities Corporation, Director Environmental Services, 1998 - 2002
Rhode Island Dept of Environmental Management, Director, 1995 - 1997
Connecticut Dept of Environmental Protection, Commissioner, 1991 - 1995
Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr., Appropriations Committee Clerk, 1979 - 1982
U.S. Senate, Senate Appropriates Committee, 1979 - 1982

  

Retired U.S. Navy pilot, Dean J. Wojcik, Sworn Into East Hartford Flotilla

Retired U.S. Navy pilot, Dean J. Wojcik, was recently sworn in as a member of the East Hartford, CT Flotilla of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, a part of the Auxiliary’s New London Division. Mr. Wojcik, a Salem, CT resident, was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 2009 as a naval aviator with a rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Please open the attached link to read the complete article.

/Uploads_wowII/014-25-04/Retired_U.S._Navy_pilot__Dean_J._Wojcik.pdf 


TRAVERSE CITY AIR STATION, Mich. – Vice Flotilla Commander Sean M. Peoples attended the AUX12 Public Affairs C-School held at the Traverse City, Michigan Air Station from July 29th to Aug 1st in preparation for his PA3 classification.  Peoples is front row, third from left in the class photo.

Officer Candidates Presented Four bags of Donated Uniforms

Dave Obedzinski (FSO-PV) reported that officer candidates presented four (4) bags of donated uniforms to the Director of Athletic Giving at the Academy Alumni Association before their May graduation ceremony.  The uniforms will be transferred to the Auxiliary's Division 25 for use by members.  Following the Auxiliary Briefing to the class presented by Dave Obedzinski several weeks earlier, and hearing about how Auxiliarists purchase all of their own uniforms and most of their equipment, the class was inspired to launder and donate their uniforms in appreciation of the volunteerism and work of the Auxiliary.


 

New Member Inducted - Carey Harmon

Manchester, CT resident Carey Harmon, (third from left), was formally sworn in recently as a member of the East Hartford, CT Flotilla of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, a part of Division 25. Harmon is a retired Millwright with the Metropolitan District Commission trash to energy plant. 

The area of responsibility for Division 25 is from the Connecticut River, east to Rhode Island and from the Massachusetts border to Long Island Sound including Orient Point, N.Y. Division 25 also staffs the Coast Guard sub-station on Fishers Island, N.Y. every other weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian, uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard for 80 years. The 26,000 volunteer members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary donate millions of hours in support of Coast Guard missions, such as search and rescue, public education and maritime domain awareness.

The primary mission of the Auxiliary is recreational boating safety. To that end, the Auxiliary offers public education courses, conducts vessel safety checks and augments the mission of active-duty personnel at Station New London. Please visit www.cgaux.org.

 

New Member Inducted - Joe D’Aleo

West Hartford, CT resident Joe D’Aleo, (fifth from left), was formally sworn-in recently as a member of the East Hartford, CT Flotilla of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, a part of Division 25.

Since 2013, Joe D’Aleo has been active duty Coast Guard as a First-Class Petty Officer in the United States Coast Guard Band—the only premiere service band for the Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security. He has performed for President Barack Obama and the Former First Lady Michelle Obama, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, and recently at the state funeral for George H. W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral. Petty Officer D’Aleo is a graduate of the University of Hartford and has a graduate degree from the University of Michigan and resides in West Hartford, CT with his wife, Charlotte.

The area of responsibility for Division 25 is from the Connecticut River, east to Rhode Island and from the Massachusetts border to Long Island Sound including Orient Point, N.Y. Division 25 also staffs the Coast Guard sub-station on Fishers Island, N.Y. every other weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian, uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard for 80 years. The 26,000 volunteer members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary donate millions of hours in support of Coast Guard missions, such as search and rescue, public education and maritime domain awareness.

The primary mission of the Auxiliary is recreational boating safety. To that end, the Auxiliary offers public education courses, conducts vessel safety checks and augments the mission of active-duty personnel at Station New London. Please visit www.cgaux.org.


 

New Member Inducted - Christopher Daigle

Bristol, CT resident Christopher Daigle, (first from left), was formally sworn-in recently as a member of the East Hartford, CT Flotilla of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, a part of Division 25. Chris works as a pool technician for Aqua Masters in Simsbury.

The area of responsibility for Division 25 is from the Connecticut River, east to Rhode Island and from the Massachusetts border to Long Island Sound including Orient Point, N.Y. Division 25 also staffs the Coast Guard sub-station on Fishers Island, N.Y. every other weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian, uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard for 80 years. The 26,000 volunteer members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary donate millions of hours in support of Coast Guard missions, such as search and rescue, public education and maritime domain awareness.

The primary mission of the Auxiliary is recreational boating safety. To that end, the Auxiliary offers public education courses, conducts vessel safety checks and augments the mission of active-duty personnel at Station New London. Please visit www.cgaux.org.


 

New London resident Dean Wojcik, (second from left), was formally sworn in as a member of the East Hartford, CT Flotilla of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, a part of Division 25. Wojcik is a retired U.S. Navy pilot and was honorably discharged in 2009 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

The area of responsibility for Division 25 is from the Connecticut River, east to Rhode Island and from the Massachusetts border to Long Island Sound including Orient Point, N.Y. Division 25 also staffs the Coast Guard sub-station on Fishers Island, N.Y. every other weekend from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian, uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard for 80 years. The 26,000 volunteer members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary donate millions of hours in support of Coast Guard missions, such as search and rescue, public education and maritime domain awareness.

The primary mission of the Auxiliary is recreational boating safety. To that end, the Auxiliary offers public education courses, conducts vessel safety checks and augments the mission of active-duty personnel at Station New London. Please visit www.cgaux.org.


 

Petzold’s Marine Hosted A Boating Safety Class on January 26th

Date: February 11, 2019


Petzold’s Marine Hosted A Boating Safety Class on January 26th

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s East Hartford Flotilla recently offered a day-long class in About Boating Safety at Petzold’s Marine in Portland, CT. The one-day class was held on Saturday, January 26, 2019 and was taught by several qualified U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary members: Frank Connolly, Sean Peoples, David Thiede, Dave Obedzinski and Thomas Ceniglio.

The eight-hour beginner course gave the nine participants the knowledge needed to obtain a Connecticut Safe Boating Certificate, which includes a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation (CPWO) from the State of Connecticut. This certificate allows a person (subject to minimum age requirements) to operate a personal water craft or a recreational vessel up to 65 feet in length.

Course textbooks were provided and all participants successfully completed the course and received a Certificate of Completion issued by the Auxiliary. The Certificate is needed to obtain the license to operate a boat or personal watercraft in Connecticut waters.

Topics for the course included introduction to boating, safety equipment, safe boating practices, emergencies, other boating problems, boating law, water skiing and other water sports, trailering, navigating rivers and other boating tips.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian, uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard for over 75 years. The 24,000 volunteer members donate millions of hours in support of Coast Guard missions, such as search & rescue, public education and maritime environmental awareness.

Division 25 Change of Watch (COW) 24MAR2018

Members of Flotilla 25-04 pose for a photo opp in the Officer's Club at the Coast Guard Academy during Division 25's Change of Watch. 

FC Fleming Presenting MS Award to Marlies Urban

FC Commander Thiede Presenting VFC Fleming Aids Verifier Certification

Frank Connelly addressing the audience of Shoreline Sailing Club's Open House on May 5, 2016

AUX Member Dave Obedzinski Addressing the New Britain/Berlin Rotary

Sun, 17 Feb 13  

CURRENT EVENTS:

Day 4 of the Bounty Hearings and USCG Rescue; Topics include experience and caulking...

 

"Hull repair – for obvious reasons – has been of primary interest to the investigators since the hearings began. Besides the plank replacements done by the Boothbay Shipyard in the late 2012 yard period, investigators were paying a lot of attention to the caulking – the method used to seal between planks. Caulking is not a simple (or easy) process on wood boats. It involves literally beating strands of cotton and then oakum (an oiled hemp material) into the seams between planks using large irons and wooden hammers of varying size. In the days before synthetic materials, the final step was to cover the seams (and the entire hull below the waterline) with hot tar"

For more information go here;  http://gcaptain.com/illusion-experience-bounty-hearings/

 

 

Wed, 30 Jan 13  

SAFETY: Cold Water's 1-10-1 Rule

For more information go here Coast Guard Auxiliary Live