Coast Guard Port Security Unit 313 plank owners stand together during the PSU’s 20th commissioning anniversary which was held in Everett, Wash., on Sept. 16, 2018.
Plank owner is a nautical term that denotes someone who was actively engaged in the construction of a ship and served in the unit once the vessel was commissioned and placed into service. Today, however, plank owner is often applied to members of newly commissioned units, new military bases and recommissioning crews as well.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ali Flockerzi.