A US Coast Guard C-130 flies over sector co-ordinator Roland Zwicky off the coast of Hawaii. Photo by Harvey Shore.
BY HARVEY SHORE
Coast Guard volunteers in Manly and other bases around Australia have been invited to visit US Coast Guard bases and renew traditional links with their American colleagues. The invitation comes from Commander Roland Zwicky, Auxiliary Sector Co-ordinator of the US Coast Guard in Hawaii.
Australia’s Volunteer Coast Guard – when founded in 1961 – was originally modelled on the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, the volunteer arm of the US Coast Guard.
Commander Zwicky has always been keen to maintain and support that traditional link. He previously arranged for local Coast Guard volunteers, including Squadron Training Commodore Simon Gideon and two-time Bravery Award recipient Steve Creevey, to tour Coast Guard bases while visiting the USA.
He also arranged for other Australian volunteers (including this writer) to join US Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers on training sessions off Waikiki Beach to observe emergency drills and the recovery of safety gear dropped by C-130 transports.
These visits foster international links and present outstanding opportunities for local volunteers to gain international experience courtesy of the enormous resources of the US Coast Guard.
In recognition of his lengthy and continued support of Australian volunteers, Commander Zwicky was awarded honorary life member of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association in 2016, by National Commodore Ray Campbell.
However, these visits and training sessions were curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with that problem largely contained, Commander Zwicky is keen to resume fostering traditional Coast Guard links between Australia and the USA.
So, in 2024, Commander Zwicky wants to hear from Australian Coast Guard volunteers interested in touring US Coast Guard bases or observing his training sessions in Honolulu.
Interested volunteers can email Commander Zwicky at [email protected].
