NAV EX 3rd QTR Spec. Ed. 2018 NavEx 3rd Qtr - Spec Ed 2018 - FINAL | Page 5

once the site of one maritime incident, had become the base of operations for another. The three of us soon began calling Auxiliarists from the closest flotillas – Flotilla 53 in nearby Kimberling City, and Flotilla 56 two hours away in Northwest Arkansas. Flotilla 56’s Commander, Jonathan Verhoeven, was out of town, so his efforts to identify available flotilla members and facilities were done from three hours away, in conjunction with David Waldrup, the Flotilla Human Resources Officer. A QE session scheduled by Flotilla 53 for the next day was cancelled, and the boat crews shifted their focus to the task at hand. Meanwhile, Captain Stoermer asked for our assistance identifying possible local sites for the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation team, and throughout the weekend we compiled information about everything from places to stay for the incoming boat crews to email lists for area marinas for Coast Guard Public Affairs personnel who had flown up from district headquarters in New Orleans to distribute flyers about a safety zone around the Branson Belle. By late Friday afternoon, a preliminary patrol schedule and crew rotation had been put in place, and an auxiliary vessel was on patrol, while Kerr, Stephens and I set up a temporary office in the crew’s OR express With our active duty and reserve Coast Guard counterparts, being a Public Affairs officer is frequently known as “collateral duty”. A Coastie might attend Public Affairs “A” School, or even our AUX-12 C-School, but Public Affairs is a secondary duty to their primary one, be it aviation, marine safety or boat forces. I got a brief taste of that on the Branson duck boat incident. My Facebook messenger lit up on Friday, July 20 with friends asking, “Will you be helping with the recovery in Branson today?” I couldn’t answer, as OPSEC was in plac e, with an active investigation being conducted into the tragedy. Normally, as a PA, I “find the good and praise it”, to quote the motto of the Cutter Alex Haley. But until our division’s mission augmenting Coast Guard personnel working the incident was over, that would have to wait. My personal mission changed during the course of the weekend. Besides being a PA, I assisted Marine Safety investigators, helped establish a safety zone around the accident site, and helped mobilized our division’s facilities and boat crews. When I was able to use my PA training yesterday, I was struck by the awesome (and sobering) responsibility those of us in PA have when I witnessed Stretch Duck 07 raised from the lakebed -- with finding the good in the story of the Branson duck incident comes a great responsibility to honor and respect those who lost their lives. USCG Aux Photo by Todd Wilkinson I hope my hurried attempt to chronicle the experiences of Division 5 Auxiliarists in this historical event will serve as a tribute of sorts to the 17 who lost their lives. -- Todd Wilkinson Continued on Page 6 5