THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 27, 1994 TAG: 9408270266
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Loaded with life jackets, blankets, food and baby formula, the 110-foot fast patrol boat Aquidneck left Portsmouth early Friday to join three other local Coast Guard cutters sent to rescue Cuban refugees in the Florida Straits.
The 17-member crew is set for high-paced operations, expecting a couple of days of search and rescue, then a day or two to rest and replenish supplies in Key West, said Lt. Scott Decker, in his first week as the ship's commander.
``Our mission is to take on 100 to 150 immigrants, then offload them to a bigger ship as quickly as possible. I see us like the wide receivers, passing to the quarterback,'' he said.
Three or four smaller Coast Guard ships are assigned to each 270-foot medium endurance cutter, moving the refugees to bigger vessels that are better equipped to house families headed for the camps at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station.
``They will only be onboard with us for a few hours, and they will not go below deck,'' Decker said. ``We're not equipped for any overnight accommodations or any real medical emergency.''
The Aquidneck has one crew member qualified as an emergency medical technician. Three members of the Marine security force will join the crew before it starts its mission in the waters off Cuba.
Decker said the crew doesn't expect any problems with refugees carrying weapons or drugs but, he said, ``We have a two-fold mission - rescue at sea and law enforcement.''
The Aquidneck crew joins 6,000 Coast Guard personnel involved in the Cuba mission. Twenty-five cutters are there now, three from Portsmouth, and 11 are en route, including the Portsmouth-based Aquidneck and Bear. In addition, the Coast Guard has 50 small boats and 30 aircraft involved in the mission.
The Aquidneck will refuel in Miami on Sunday, then start operations on Monday, Decker said. He expects the ship to be deployed for about two weeks.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Ronald Pope, a nine-year Coast Guard veteran, has prepared for a longer stay at sea.
``I predated a bunch of checks, to pay the bills, and someone will mail them for me. From past experience, I think we'll be gone at least 30 days,'' said Pope, an electrician who participated in recent Haitian refugee rescue missions. ``We're all cross-trained, and one person can jump in to fill another's spot, so I think we're going to be busy, working hard.''
The Aquidneck will be thrust into a massive rescue mission, in which more than 16,000 Cubans have been delivered safely to land, but the crew took the challenge in stride Friday.
Few family members were at the dock to see them off. Preparations appeared to be calm and routine.
``Our schedule depends on the big picture but, personally, this is exactly why I joined the Coast Guard,'' Decker said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by COAST GUARD PETTY OFFICER JOE DYE
The 110-foot fast patrol boat Aquidneck is set for high-paced
operations, expecting a couple of days of search and rescue, then a
day or two to rest and replenish supplies in Key West.
KEYWORDS: U.S. COAST GUARD CUBA REFUGEES
by CNB