Mark DeVoe FSO-PB E-Mail [email protected]

Our next business meeting will be Thursday, July 15, at 1930. It will be in the Administration Building Conference Room at Base Mobile.

Flotilla 39 is honored to announce the addition of six new members. Wayne Holifield, Stephen Andrews, Alexander Grimes, Michael Grimes, Harold Martin and Bradford Waters recently received their new member certificates. They have a wide range of interests in the auxiliary and have already taken an active role in the Flotilla. There is a good chance that we will start airborne patrols in the near future with some of our new members.

The June class graduated eight of the ten students. One of our new members, Steve Andrews, assisted on the Aids to Navigation chapter and did an excellent job. The July Boating Safely course was smaller than expected and may be an indication that the sense of urgency has slacked off since the April 28^th deadline has passed.

NOTE: The start date for the BS&S course at Spring Hill Baptist Church has been moved up one week. The course will now start on July 20^th instead of the 27^th.

COMMANDANT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY MESSAGE

1. ON JULY 4, 1776, A BAND OF PATRIOTS BOLDLY PUT QUILL TO PARCHMENT TO DECLARE THEIR RIGHT TO BE INDEPENDENT FROM TYRANNY. AS WE REFLECT ON THE ORIGINS OF OUR FREEDOM AND THE COURAGE AND INTEGRITY NEEDED TO PRESERVE IT, KNOW THAT YOUR MANY SACRIFICES AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CORE VALUES UPHOLD THE VISION OF THE SIGNERS OF OUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

2. OUR FOUNDING FATHERS KNEW WHAT WAS RIGHT AND TOOK THEIR STAND AT GREAT PERSONAL RISK. THEY STOOD TOGETHER, KNOWING THAT TEAMWORK AND MUTUAL SUPPORT WERE ESSENTIAL TO THEIR COLLECTIVE SUCCESS.

3. COAST GUARD MEN AND WOMEN ALSO KNOW WHAT IS RIGHT AND CONFRONT DANGER DAILY TO PROMOTE OUR MARITIME SAFETY AND SECURITY. YOUR HONOR EMULATES THE EXAMPLES OF THOSE WHO AUTHORED OUR FOUNDATIONS OF FREEDOM. YOUR RESPECT DRIVES THE TEAMWORK AND MUTUAL SUPPORT THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR COLLECTIVE SUCCESS. YOUR DEVOTION TO DUTY GUARANTEES THAT OTHERS MAY ALSO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF LIBERTY.

4. AS YOU STAND DUTY OR SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS THIS WEEKEND, PLEASE REFLECT ON THE BLESSINGS OF LIBERTY AND BE ASSURED THAT YOUR SERVICE IS IMPORTANT TO THE CONTINUATION OF OUR FREEDOM. FOR THAT SERVICE I MOST GRATEFULLY SALUTE YOU.

6. ADM. J. M. LOY, COMMANDANT, SENDS

The new Coast Guard Boat Crew Seamanship Manual, COMDTINST M16114.5B, is available for viewing and downloading by chapters on the Office of Auxiliary (G-OCX) website http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-o/cgaux/boatcrew/index.htm

in Adobe Acrobat™ format.  Although the current Auxiliary Boat Crew Seamanship Manual, COMDTINST M16798.27 will remain in effect for at least another year, Auxiliary members are encouraged to start becoming familiar with the new manual.  It contains a lot of new material, including valuable information on operational risk management and team coordination.  For now, Auxiliarists will continue to qualify under the Auxiliary Boat Crew Training & Qualification Guide, COMDTINST M16798.28.  G-OCX is developing a new Training & Qualification Guide to accompany the new Seamanship Manual, with a planned completion date of mid-2000.

Please send information and stories to me by Friday, August 13. Even if the only things you have are event dates, please send them to me. You can e-mail me at [email protected] or [email protected].