Coast Guard “Arrests Bad Guys” from Newport Harbor Recreational Boat as Part of Training Exercises

Article and photos by Kirk Scarborough, National Public Affairs Staff, Yorba Linda, CA

Aux and active duty crew: Flotilla 15-8 Auxiliarists and Cutter Narwhal training crews.

U.S. Coast Guard Station, Corona Del Mar, CA. The crew of the USCG Cutter NARWHAL, based in Newport Harbor, CA underwent a week of “Boarding and Law Enforcement Training,” which concluded with the boarding of a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel.

Commanding Officer of Cutter Narwhal, LT Kristopher R. Ensley told Auxiliary Public Affairs Officer, “the exercise was designed to teach the crewmembers laws and regulations impacting Coast Guard’s authority as well as the techniques used in boarding recreational and commercial vessels.” He added, “This is also refresher training for most of the crew and helps keep their skills at a high level, by making sure that we are able to handle any possible situation we may encounter.”

In order to give the crew a realistic setting, LT Ensley asked the Auxiliary to provide one of the Auxiliary qualified operational facilities. The CG Auxiliary was able to provide a vessel from Flotilla 15-8 based in North Orange County with Coxswain Francisco Floriani, and crew consisting of Auxiliarists Don Napolitano and, yours truly, Kirk Scarborough.

Bad Guys: Orange County Auxiliarists from Flotilla 15-8 acting as “bad guys” during the training exercise.

The District 11 training team was led by Chief Petty Officer Stephen Neff and Petty Officer Stephen Kelly. Each had extensive training and experience in surface operations and vessel exams. Cutter Narwhal crewmembers had three days of classroom training. Two additional days were spent learning how to board boats. Several scenarios ranging from benign to an arrest were utilized for the exercise.

At the completion of the week long exercise, LT Ensley expressed his gratitude to the three Auxiliarists for their contributions to the training. LT Ensley presented Auxiliarist Floriani with the “Ships Coin” for his services to the officers and crew of the USCGC Narwhal. Mr. Floriani is a qualified Crew Member of the Watch (CMOW) serving as a crew member augmentation aboard the Cutter Narwhal.

Capping off a hard week’s work, the Narwhal crew and Auxiliarists enjoyed a cook out over looking the beautiful Newport Harbor in Corona Del Mar.

~GJA