Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security
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Auxiliary Supports Port Security Unit Training Cmdr. Eric Bernstein, Commanding Officer of Port Security Unit (PSU) 307, a former Auxiliarist himself, requested Auxiliary support during the unit's two- week active duty period, late April thru early May. They conducted a variety of activities both afloat and ashore to train personnel and to assess their readiness to deploy. PSU 307 is a Coast Guard Reserve (CGR) unit that provides waterside and shore-side protection to high value assets, such as pier areas, vessels and harbor entrances. It is an Expeditionary Warfare Unit and is home ported at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla. The unit is air deployable and can be anywhere in the world, mission ready, within 96 hours. It is self-sufficient for 30 days once at destination, which means that they can be sent anywhere, anytime and provide their own field berthing and messing as well as operations, communications, logistics and maintenance. They operate well- armed 32-foot Transportable Port Security Boats (TPSB) powered by two 315 HP inboard diesel engines with outdrives. Normal crew complement is four. Donald Hoge, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator-St. Petersburg was responsible for organizing the Auxiliary volunteers. Auxiliary support presented members a great opportunity to observe and support, and to broaden the team Coast Guard experience with a very special unit that has already deployed to hot spots around the world. Support functions ranged widely and included providing vessels to act in the role as high value asset (HVA) transiting Tampa Bay. PSU 307 crews exercised underway escort tactics with vessels from Divisions 7 and 11. Coxswains from Division 7 included Richard Short, David Perillo, and Terry Hickox, and crewmembers Paul Cooke, George Hornby, Gene Keller, John Simone and Richard Smith. Additional support included Auxiliary members acting as civilians entering and leaving an established camp (entry control point, vehicle searches, etc.) during protests/civil unrest drills. These members, acting in a non-contact, non-combatant capacity, enhanced the realism of the force protection training. Division 7 members John Greenhalgh and Patricia Prado joined volunteers from Divisions 8 and 11 in this capacity. Other support requests included providing a qualified EMT poolside for the survival training at Air Station Clearwater. Bradford Dykens from Flotilla 7-16 filled this role. A final support request was for Auxiliary photographers to capture CGR members conducting mission drills, training and other activities, both stills and video, for Public Affairs and training purposes. George Papabeis and Zac Lessin, members of the Division 7 Photo Corps, Steven Johnson, Walter Murray, Jessie Scott from Division 11, Gerald Hottinger and Patricia Kuhn from Division 8 coordinated days and training sessions to fulfill this request. Supporting the Coast Guard during the PSU training presented a win-win for both the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary. The Coast Guard benefited in that we were able to provide vessels and actors to assist in their training exercises as well as from the great photographers that the Auxiliary provided. Auxiliary members gained an increased respect and admiration for the members of the Unites States Coast Guard and an appreciation for the intensive training that its members undergo to keep our ports safe. — Story by Dorothy Joan Riley, USCGAUX Staff Officer-Publications Division 7 CLeaRWaTeR aiRSTaion, Fla.-May, 6th, 2014. PSU 307 (Port Security Unit ) during perimeter security training evolutions. USCgaUX photo by george Papabeis. CLeaRWaTeR aiRSTaTion, Fla.- May 5th 2014. PSU 307 (Port Security Unit) setting up camp . USCgaUX photo by george Papabeis. 18 RESERVIST � Issue 3 • 2014