MSTCS Ron Collins and BM1 Brent Hanson from MSO Group Portland lend a hand.

A few months ago I met MSTCS Ron Collins, a Reservist assigned to Marine Safety Office (MSO) Group Portland.

Ron and I looked over our Auxiliary vessel safety check station and we decided it badly needed to be painted and fixed up. “The Station is a real eyesore for the Auxiliary,” said Master Chief Collins.

At the time our local Auxiliarists were pretty busy with operations and planning the security zone for the upcoming annual Rose Festival. The festival was only a couple of weeks away.

Master Chief Collins said he was in Portland as a spokesperson for America's Waterway Watch. He didn’t have the printed materials he needed to make his rounds. “I’ve got some time on my hands, how can I help?” asked the Master Chief. I did not have to twist his arm much; he offered to paint the station for the Auxiliary.

The station needed to be scraped and painted inside, painted outside and the roof needed to be fixed. Paint was found inside the station and was put to good use.

Anticipating great weather for the week, Master Chief Collins showed up on Monday morning with three active duty personnel from the MSO. The team worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and when my husband Joe and I arrived on Wednesday, the station really looked "spiffy".

USCG Auxiliary vessel safety check station ready for business.

And it was just in time. A few weeks later, the Multnomah County Sheriff's office dedicated a new patrol boat "Freedom" and we had dignitaries from all over the area. Our Auxiliary vessel safety station was in plain view for all to see. It was gratifying to look at the station and see that it looked ready for business.

The site, the 42nd Street ramp, is one of the busiest ramps in the State of Oregon and is an excellent place for our vessel safety check station.

Master Chief Ron Collins’ helpers included:

BM1 Brent Hanson
DC3 Andrew Kondor
SNGM Dustin Capel