Coast Guard crew recounts adventures

The Boutwell docked at Pier 27 in Port San Francisco: Photo by William Cummings, American Observer
SAN FRANCISCO—After a deployment around the world, during which they experienced a tense encounter with an Iranian patrol in the Strait of Hormuz, apprehended suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia and provided humanitarian aid to 22 Iranians adrift in the Gulf of Oman, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell welcomed the public aboard for a tour of the vessel as part of Fleet Week San Francisco 2009.

Fleet Week San Francisco began in 1981. Edward Leonard, chairman of the San Francisco Fleet Week Committee, says in his chairman’s greeting, the purpose of Fleet Week is “to keep the role of the Navy in the forefront of our consciousness,” and to give the public “the opportunity to express their gratitude to those individuals currently servingEnsign Marcus Vinson begins the tour of the Boutwell. in the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard.”

The weeklong celebration, which ran from Oct. 8-10, included an air show by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels, performances by the U.S. Navy Band, a fireworks show and the Parade of Ships through San Francisco Bay. The Boutwell participated in the Parade of Ships on Saturday before docking in Port San Francisco for three days and providing tours to the general public.

Several members of the crew guided visitors through the ship. Ensign Marcus Vinson welcomed the guests aboard and shared some of the vessel’s history.

Ensign Chris O’Brien demonstrated the use of the starboard 25mm MK-38 machine gun and recalled the “very tense” encounter with the Iranian patrol. “We had five Iranian fast attack craft as well as one Iranian missile cruiser. So we had everyone manned up, all the weapons onboard the stations,” O’Brien said. “Between us and Iran it’s not exactly smooth sailing,” he added.

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On April 28, after the Boutwell received a distress call from a merchant vessel under pirate attack they sent their HH-65C Dolphin helicopter to investigate. The suspected pirates rushed toward the Somali coast and Petty Officer Naysha Gonzalez communicated with a French Maritime Patrol Aircraft to track the fleeing suspects. “That was really exciting,” Gonzalez said. The French airmen “were telling us the coordinates all the time. Like every two minutes, they were telling us, ‘Now they’re here; now they’re here; now they’re here,’ and finally we captured them,” she said.

The crew released the suspects because of a lack of evidence. “We had to let them go because they didn’t have any weapons or nothing. They threw them overboard,” Gonzalez said.

On less exciting occasions, the crew of the Boutwell find ways to keep themselves entertained. “The big thing is poker night,” Gonzalez said.

Video games are also a popular distraction, Petty Officer Jared Grothues said. People bring everything, including X Box and PS3, aboard, Grothues said.  

Movies broadcast to the ship via satellite also help the crew pass the time, and the ship is also equipped with a full gym for those who still have fuel to burn. 

One thing the crew members do not enjoy aboard the Boutwell is the cuisine. “It’s not like what mom made,” Seaman James Tucker said.

When asked what was the first thing she wanted to do after disembarking, Gonzalez immediately replied, “Eat. Because the food here is not great.” 

The men and women of the Boutwell did have the opportunity to enjoy the food in many diverse ports during their circumnavigation of the globe. Among their stops were Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Kochi, India; Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia; Karachi, Pakistan; Singapore; Muscat, Oman; Aqaba, Jordan; Bahrain; Santorini, Greece; and Rome.

Of course, even in exotic ports some were able to find the tastes of home. Vinson was excited to tell his friends that he ate at a Popeye’s chicken in Bahrain.

The average time in each port was three to four days, Gonzalez said.

Friday the Boutwell leaves Alameda, Calif., to journey to Alaska. During their three-month deployment they will patrol the maritime border, engage in search-and-rescue operations, enforce safety regulations on commercial fishing vessels and clean up any spillage of oil or other hazardous materials.

Those serving aboard the Boutwell each have their own motivation for taking a dangerous job that requires leaving behind their family and friends.

O’Brien is motivated by a sense of duty. “I like the missions. I like what we do,” O’Brien said. “You should serve your country. That’s just a personal point, but I thought it necessary that I should have to.”