The picture above is a picture of the Coast Guard Cutter boat in Montauk during waves created by Hurricaine Bill this year. It’s an unbelievable shot, and was published by many newspapers in the Hamptons, displaying the courage, skill, and power that the brave men and women that serve and protect for the United States Coast Guard stationed in Montauk.
It has just been announced that A New York Coast Guard officer, Chief Petty Officer James Weber, has been relieved of his command for not being qualified to operate the Cutter in such a manner and for putting himself and his crew in a dangerous situation that could have been avoided.
I can’t remember the last time I heard more bull$#!! than that. First of all, we should be happy that we have young men who are willing to face dangerous surf like this. If there was somebody that needed to be rescued, I’d want a person and crew that could operate a boat like this heading my way. Second of all, I was one of the people that watched this boat operate in this surf, and this photo is dramatic compared to what they were actually doing, which was operating the boat the ocean and WHICH IS THEIR JOB!
The announcement said that the coast guard petty officer was not “qualified” to operate a boat in such a way. What makes a person qualified? I think you become pretty qualified when you decided to commit to dedictating your entire life protecting or coasts, risking your life regularly, heading out into some of the worst conditions imaginable, to save a life, who under almost all circumstances are the real idiots.
This is a clear cut example of how wimped out our organizations have become that are suppossed to be our brave/strong/and bold, thanks to fear of lawsuits or bad press/politics . STOP BEING THIS WAY.
I WANT my Coast Guard be brave enough and skilled enough to go out into surf like this in a Cutter just like I WANT my fighter pilots and helicopter pilots to be brave enough to push their planes and just like I WANT my police officers to handle a car at top speeds and my lifeguards to handle jet skis.
Was this officer drunk? No. Did he steal the boat without authorization? No. Was he high on drugs? No.
His superiors should be protecting him from people trying to say that this was out of line, and discipling him internally if they felt it was too dangerous.
His superiors should be explaining to any inquiry from anybody that the photo was part of a drill, that it was a dramatic shot and not typical of how the boat was handled the entire day, and then, if the superior felt it was too dangerous , he/she should discipline him within the organization so he doesn’t do it again and not ruin a man’s reputation for doing what he thought was right. If the superiour doesn’t like the photo, then he/she should send the Petty Officer on bathroom cleaning duty. Pushups all night in the rain. Something that teaches this young man a lesson, NOT RUIN HIS ENTIRE FAITH IN THE ORGANIZATION HE HAS DEDICATED HIS ENTIRE LIFE TO AND BELIEVES IN.
This Petty Officer got such a Raw Deal based on the information the press has just recieved. Not only that, but the decision also makes the leadership in the Coast Guard look weak and pathetically political.
October 30th, 2009 at 12:38
First of all, it’s men and women. Yes, women are now allowed in the military. Not sure which decade you’re from. Secondly, there are set policy’s and procedures for a reason. Because I was involved in a similar situation, I got hurt. I will have to deal with painful medical conditions for the rest of my life. I was on a boat out at Fire Island with an unqualified coxswain in heavy weather. Because he didn’t know how to handle the boat, I was lucky enough to get destroyed. People need to take his actions more seriously. He showed a huge lack of judgment when he took a crew out and encouraged another, very unqualified coxswain to do the same. Decisions like this put lives at risk. My career in the Coast Guard was cut short. I’m not the same person I was before my accident. He didn’t get a raw deal, he should be punished. He should feel shame and embarrassment. He should know that he got lucky that no one got hurt. I wanted to dedicate my entire life to serving my country. What about me and the others out there like me? WE got the raw deal. Where’s my chance to have 21 years of service? Really, 21 years of service and he didn’t know any better? I’d love to talk to him. I’d love for him to see what could have happened and what lives he could have ruined. He ruined his own reputation and he knew this might happen when he went out that day. Before you all back CPO Weber, know the facts, know what really happens when things go wrong because the coxswain’s quals lapsed or they’re not qualified to be out there. Walk a mile in my shoes, you might just change your mind.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:47
To think that joining the military isn’t dangerous and doesn’t come with inherent risk is insane to me. Any time anybody gets hurt doing anything there is always somebody that can be blamed/sued. That’s the problem with America, it’s people like you who think the world owes you because you got injured doing something inherently dangerous. No offense, but if you went out on a boat in rough seas and didn’t understand that is one of the most dangerous things a person can do, no matter who the hell is driving it, you’re not too bright.
There should be rules, driving a boat in rough seas when you are in the Coast Guard with 21 years of service under your belt should not be one of them.