Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Austin Collins | 240122-N-KY668-1227 MILLINGTON, Tenn. - (Jan. 22, 2024) – A Four-Star Admiral Flag...... read more read more
The Coast Guard has a long-standing history in the Mid-South. Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River (SLMR), along with its subordinate units, performs the Coast Guard missions throughout a six state area, presiding over 2,200 river miles. Currently located on the bank of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis, the Sector is making a move to NSA Mid-South.
Ahead of the official move, Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Linda Fagan joined by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Heath Jones and Ombudsman-at-large, Carol Jones paid a visit to NSA Mid-South to get a feel of the newly acquired space and connect with the staff of SLMR. A tour led by the installation Commanding Officer, Capt. Michael Mosbruger and Sector Commander, Capt. Kristi Bernstein afforded the Admiral and SLMR staff a peek inside the Covington Building, located on the north side of the installation. The 26,000 sq ft. space will afford the Coast Guardsmen more space than their previous location as well as room to grow.
“I am thrilled the effort to bring USCG’s Sector Lower Mississippi River onboard NSA Mid-South is finally coming to fruition after a decade of hard work and coordination. SLMR has been our geographically closest military neighbor for many years, and they have an exciting and important operational mission. Not only does it bring together two local maritime services so we gain efficiencies with our limited resources, it brings another operational force to our installation. Adding people and new commands to the installation increases the scale and quality of service we can provide to the entire base population. Adding operational missions helps the local community connect with our installation by seeing the different capabilities the Armed Forces bring to the table for America’s maritime safety and national security. As a Surface Warfare Officer, I will add with a bit of humor in mind that this will finally become a proper Navy base with the addition of Coast Guard’s patrol boats that will be housed within our fenceline. Not quite “pook turtles”, but they are highly capable riverine vessels that we all can take pride in homeporting,” said Mosbruger.
Adm. Fagan, leader of the 42,000-member active-duty service, kicked off an all-hands call with the Sector personnel exclaiming, “What a great building, a lot to be excited about.” She delved into the current state of the Coast Guard regarding acquisitions, service-climate, and recruiting efforts. The small but mighty service has much to be optimistic about. Fagan spoke about a newly created rating designed for mid-career members to become rated recruiters in the talent acquisition rating. The creation of this new rating is to allow recruiters to advance their skills and have career advancement within their field, aligning with how recruiters compete in the private sector. She revealed plans to expand the JROTC program across the country and bragged on the quality of the incoming workforce. When speaking on the culture of the Coast Guard she stressed the importance of remembering the twenty-five year old service core values- honor, respect, and devotion to duty.
“Each of us own a piece of our culture. We must create an environment that we would want our son or daughter in. Hold ourselves accountable just like our devotion to duty shown during the summer on the Titan submersible case. All of us are charged with the responsibility of holding each other accountable and being transparent,” stressed Fagan.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Heath Jones addressed the crew and urged the use of the ombudsman program. We aim to “recruit individuals- retain families,” exclaimed Jones. “Think of the ombudsman as the CMC of your family”. The ombudsman program is there to act as your resource specialist in areas such as childcare, healthcare, and financial assistance. It is best to establish a relationship with your ombudsman before you are in a crisis.
Following the all-hands call, Ombudsman-at-large Carol Jones toured the NSA Mid-South Child and Youth programs, visiting the Child Development Center, Youth Center, and Teen Center. She was impressed with the quality of programs here onboard the installation and excited for the availability of resources for the local Coast Guard personnel and their families.
The full Coast Guard SLMR staff is due to move into the Covington building by late spring. With the addition of the Coast Guard, the installation is now host to all six armed forces.
| Date Taken: | 02.02.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2024 17:10 |
| Story ID: | 463080 |
| Location: | MILLINGTON, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 303 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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