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CUTTER HONORED FOR INTERNATIONAL SERVICE AND TRAINING MISSIONS By Bao Nguyen, Public Affairs Assistant, Seventh Coast Guard District
MIAMI, FL- The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Gentian will receive the National Defense Transportation Association's (NDTA) Military Unit Award for exemplary service at the 58th Annual Transportation and Logistics Forum, Sept. 13 in Milwaukee. Gentian was recognized for its role in transportation and logistics missions in the Caribbean Sea. Since 1999, Gentian has trained more than 3,700 Caribbean service members in a wide variety of maritime skills ranging from electronics repair to hose handling techniques. In addition to numerous training exercises, the cutter serves as a transport and delivery system providing spare parts, boat engines, and supplies to countries throughout the Caribbean. In April 2004, Gentian made its 100th port-of-call in Port Royal, Jamaica, and crossed the impressive 100 ton milestone for supplies delivered throughout the region. The cutter’s accomplishments made them a premier candidate and winner of this year’s NDTA Military Unit Award. The Gentian, a former buoy tender, was commissioned as the new Caribbean Support Tender (CST) Sept. 27, 1999. Its main mission is to provide logistics, maintenance assistance, maritime training, law enforcement support, and operations support for nations in the Caribbean, but the most critical role the crew undertakes is fostering cooperation between the United States and the international community. “The Caribbean support tender is the first and only U.S. ship dedicated to promoting cooperation with partner nations by visiting countries to conduct maritime training, maintenance assistance and logistics support,” said Cmdr. Joe Vojvodich, Gentian’s commanding officer during Tradewinds 2004. “Every person who joined… their country’s maritime service, had a vision, a dream in mind. I sincerely wanted each crewmember to continue with their pursuit of their dreams. For those who did maintain their vision, I could see a certain special pride in their work, and that would always make me smile,” he added. Gentian’s crew has many characteristics that set them apart from those aboard other cutters. With a crew that originates from such far-flung countries such as Guyana, Suriname, and Panama, the crew’s diversity creates a learning environment where each can learn from one another. “Serving with an international crew is quite an experience due to the many cultural and language differences. One might think that the international members whom only speak Spanish are at a significant disadvantage on an English-speaking U.S. Coast Guard cutter, but we have between eight and 10 bilingual persons that bridge the communication gap,” said Ens. Robert Bixler, 1st Lieutenant onboard Gentian. “Extremely successful units are crewed with individuals who have learned to truly value one another and embrace the diversity that each one brings to the workplace,” said Vojvodich. Crewmembers wear uniforms from their native countries creating a palette of colors and designs that form a unique rainbow of military diversity. Some nations have a number of uniforms to choose from. For example, the Guyanese service members can choose to wear an all white uniform or a mixed colored uniform comprised of black pants and a dark blue shirt. They can also choose to wear a U.S. Coast Guard uniform.
“Pride in one’s heritage, nation and service is important and necessary, but what does a cutter do with service members from eight different countries?,” asked Vojvodich. “Besides the simple and affordable unit T-shirt, any sailor can wear uniform items from another country. The cool blue camouflage pants that the Surinamese wear are no longer a way to demonstrate exclusivity because anyone can wear them,” he said. “Serving on board on an international crewed cutter literally changed my outlook on life and proved to be the highlight of the assignment,” said Vojvodich. “I believe two factors have played an important part in overcoming any cultural or language challenges on the CST. We have a common purpose in that we all want to improve the capabilities of the maritime forces throughout the region, and second, our partner nations have sent their best sailors to crew the CST.” This year, the crew delivered more than $1 million worth of equipment and supplies to improve the operational capabilities of the Caribbean and Latin American maritime services. While the Coast Guard patrolled the waters off Haiti during Operation Able Sentry earlier this year, the Gentian transported three new boats, towed one back to the United States for overhaul, transferred a boat trailer and personnel from one base to another, and supplied $60,000 worth of outboard engines. The crew visits more than a dozen countries in the Caribbean and Latin America each year. The Gentian deploys on four, six-week annual training assignments during which, the crew constantly undergoes training to refine maritime skills such as search and rescue, first aid response, maritime law enforcement, and navigation. The Coast Guard receives an annual award for exemplary service in the field of transportation and logistics, making it prestigious and long sought. Winners of the NDTA Military Unit Award are chosen by their respective military branches. Gentian’s motto, “Many faces, one ship, united by the sea,” sums up their courageous efforts on behalf of the international maritime community. With an international crew of 54 people from eight nations, Gentian’s crew tackles many diverse missions well by working in unison. Despite national and cultural differences aboard, the crew learned to work in tandem with one another to accomplish its multi-mission tasks efficiently. “The National Defense Transportation Association promotes the efforts of the transportation industry in contributing toward the national security of the United States. Recognizing the contributions of the Caribbean Support Tender truly speaks to the efforts of the officers and crew, including the third that represent nations of the Caribbean Basin. I am proud of all of them and honored that the cutter has received this recognition,” said Vojvodich. -uscg- |
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