Communications

Howard Bush, Staff Offi cer-Communications

Division 7 Operations received approval for April missions on short notice. BM1 Reardon smoothly rushed through the orders for four missions. All were conducted in Boca Ciega Bay. One mission on April 23 was an on-the-water boat crew qualifying examination and class at Flotilla 7-16 Gulfport. I notifi ed all Flotilla Staff Offi cer-Communications that the on-the-water missions presented an opportunity for Telecommunications Operator trainees to complete their required performance qualifi cation standard supervised radio guard missions. Don Hebert from Flotilla 75, Apollo Beach took advantage of this opportunity and will soon be a new Telecommunications Operator. Bravo Zulu Don! A new performance qualifi cation standard is planned for Telecommunications Operators. Dave Rockwell, Auxiliary Sector Coordinator-St. Petersburg recommends trainees complete these PQS now, or TCO trainees will have to do it all over when new standards come out. A Telecommunications Operator refresher training was conducted on April 6, with

nine TCOs attending. This brings our division TCOs to nearly 100% current, not counting trainees and TCOs from other divisions participating We face two challenges: getting all our radio facilities inspected so they do not go non-operational and getting TCO trainees to complete PQS and mandatory radio lo oti t lla a hours. omthe mised The Coast Guard does not see everything we do. They do hear everything we say on the radio! for or Everyone who uses the VHF Raons s dio should review the Radiotelees s phone Handbook, especially ei ie r r prowords, fi gures-not or-r numbers, or latitude, io on and longitude; says se ed ing ‘Tack’ to denote io ons n . a a decimal;

F Flot til i la a 75, 5 calling Station ok k a ad dva vant ntag a e of fo th his s to inform them w will l soo on be eb a new we Tel elee when you provide

Ope p ra ato or Bra r vo ov Zul lu u a radio guard for an Auxiliary Facility. These are some of the most common errors we hear over the radio this year. If anyone would like to come review radio procedures, please get in touch with me. Ω

hours.

Th hT e Co Coas st t Gu Guar ra d e erythi h ng g we e do do. T er eryt ythi hing gn we e sa as y y Ev Ever e yo oy ne en wh ho u di dio o s sh hou ould ld rev evie e ph phon o e e Ha H n pr prow o nu um an nd i in ng

“The Coast Guard does not see everything we do. They do hear everything we say on the radio!”