Happy 219th Birthday, USCG!

A sharp salute from all of us here at TWS to those who proudly serve -- or have served -- as Guardians.

Your humble editor recalls that the Coast Guard traces its founding to Aug. 4, 1790, when the first Congress authorized the construction of 10 vessels to enforce tariff and trade laws, prevent smuggling, and protect the collection of federal revenue.

Responsibilities added over the years included humanitarian duties such as aiding mariners in distress.  The service received its present name in 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service (USRCS)  merged with the US Life-Saving Service (USLSS) to form a single maritime service dedicated to the safety of life at sea and enforcing the nation's maritime laws.

But that's like preaching to the choir...I'm just a retired Squid who happens to be handy with words.

Over on the Navy TWS side, they still joke about you being "shallow-water sailors." But I personally think you Guardians can do more things that my shipmates in Navy Blue can't do. You protect the environment, ensure the safety of recreational boaters and commerical shipping; maintain aids to navigation, are on the frontlines in the war on illegal drugs and human trafficking; perform search and rescue missions for the public and other agencies; and protect our vital commercial ports.

And the "big one" that none of the four branches of America's armed forces can do -- enforce federal maritime law.

You Guardians have a glorious history to be proud of, with names ingrained in your DNA -- such as Adams, Hamilton, Bertholf, Munro, Stratton and Haley. Your service continually deserves the respect and support of not only the public, but our fellow military men and women and our federal lawmakers. And our continued thanks.

So, here's to you Guardians for 219 years of exemplary service to our Nation!

Semper Paratus!

WELCOME ABOARD!
We're also proud to announce TWS's association with the United States Naval Institute (USNI), the independent forum that produces thoughtful periodicals, scholarly books, and stimulating seminars, which contribute to the professionalism of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen and the Sea Services they serve, and in turn plays a unique and vital role in our national security.

In case you're still wondering who they are -- USNI's Naval Institute Press publishes the Coast Guardsman's Manual for Guardians and the Bluejacket's Manual for Sailors. The Naval Institute Press published the first editions of Tom Clancy's novel, "The Hunt For Red October" -- the first piece of fiction published by the Press.

Starting in this issue, The GUARDIAN will feature article excerpts (with continuing links) from USNI's monthly publication, Proceedings, and photographs from their extensive archives.

We hope you'll enjoy this new feature to our newsletter, and -- if you're not a member -- consider joining the US Naval Institute.

Also, a hearty "Welcome Aboard" to Petty Officer Barbara Patton, who inks the Coast Guard- themed cartoon "Scuttlebutt" on her blog of the same name. New cartoon panels are posted every Sunday on her blog, and subject to operational requirements. Barb is, after all, an active duty Guardian public affairs specialist attached to the First USCG District's public affairs office in New York City.

Glad to have you with us, Barb!

Until next time...

Jon Yim
Editor

In Celebration of Coast Guard Day 2009

To the Men and Women of the United States Coast Guard:

This message to you is longer than normal, but I urge you to take some time to read this and reflect on our past and future.

Coast Guard Day provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the parallels between historical events and our current activities. The concept of a “Coast Guard” is a unique product of the American Revolution - a blend of previous naval and customs functions that had never been assigned to a single entity. Two-hundred and nineteen years ago, Alexander Hamilton created a modest service to collect revenue to sustain our fledging Nation. Envisioning the need for a more robust federal maritime presence, he directed the first Revenue Cutter captains to ensure the safety of life at sea, preserve our maritime sovereignty, and facilitate maritime commerce while treating their countrymen with respect. He also foresaw the need for risk management and flexibility to meet emerging demands.

A brilliant visionary, Hamilton knew change was coming. Today, the nations of this world are coming to understand the relevance, value, and indispensability of a maritime presence capable of exerting and insuring national sovereignty. While larger nations have a requirement to project naval sea power, most nations are (or should be) concerned with the depletion of living marine resources, the safe and secure development of offshore oil and gas industries, illegal migration, drug and other contraband trafficking, and the use of the global commons for piracy or to further extremist ideologies through sea-based terrorist and criminal activities. We exist today because this was understood for the first time two centuries ago by the First Guardian.

Our path to the present has at times been difficult. Throughout our history, the Coast Guard has undergone significant organizational changes driven by vital national interests that have altered and expanded our missions. Each change brought anxiety, uncertainty, and a level of apprehension. Change is never easy. As we navigate through our current challenges, we should remember that even before they were officially promulgated, our enduring values – honor, respect, and devotion to duty - held the Service together through previous modernization and recapitalization efforts, as well as shifts in our safety, security and stewardship missions. We are wise to learn from our proud history as we build a powerful future.

Modernization isn’t a new idea. When Ellsworth Bertholf became Captain-Commandant of the Revenue Cutter Service in 1911, he faced a Presidential commission which recommended splintering the Service because it was too multi-functional. Bertholf successfully countered that a multi-mission agency would achieve greater efficiencies and then went a step further to embrace the Secretary of Treasury’s recommendation to merge with the Life-Saving Service. Combining the military cuttermen with the civilian lifesavers was a daunting task rife with skepticism. Two vastly different cultures had to unite for a common purpose. Our predecessors made it work, and in 1915 the modern Coast Guard was born.

Our current challenge to recapitalize is not new either. Captain Alexander Fraser, the first military Commandant of the Revenue Marine in the 1840s, pushed the fleet to transition from wood hulled sailing vessels to iron steamers. Fraser’s initiative put the Revenue Marine at the forefront of federal efforts to develop steam propulsion and eventually led to a recapitalized and more-efficient Service. Likewise, our first surfmen used oars to muscle their way through storms right up to the 20th century. It wasn’t until 1899 when Revenue Marine Lieutenant C. H. McClellan designed the first motor lifeboat. A true skunk-works project - it was a 2-cylinder, 12 horsepower engine with twin reversible propellers – but it worked, and the lessons learned contributed to the development of the famous 36-foot motor lifeboat. Acquisition, construction, and integration of capital assets are difficult tasks, but with each innovation we increase our ability to protect, defend, and save.

Protecting the maritime public is at the heart of our safety mission. After multiple steamship disasters, the federal government created the U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service in 1838, formally acknowledging the need for a federal marine safety role. Highlighting just how complex and vital this mission area was to our economy and war-efforts, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9083 in 1942. For the first time in history, all of the federal government’s marine safety functions were consolidated under one, multi-mission organization; the U.S. Coast Guard. Conceived in peace but consecrated during war, our marine safety mission reflected the Nation’s constant need to protect lives and property.

The Coast Guard traces its national security and defense roots back to 1790. During the Quasi-War with France, the Revenue Marine cutters were the only war ships able to defend our maritime sovereignty prior to the reestablishment of the Navy. This role reemerged in World War I following the horrific explosion at Black Tom Island, a munitions depot in New York Harbor. German saboteurs were suspected because Black Tom Island was a vital transfer station for Allied weapons destined for the battlefields of France. Through the Espionage Act of 1917, Congress empowered the Coast Guard to prevent sabotage on merchant shipping and cargo, eventually leading to the creation of our Captain of the Port Authority. Each forged during conflict, our safety and security missions have remained intertwined – stronger and more effective in concert than they are alone.

As Guardians, we are stewards of the marine environment. After Alaska was acquired in 1867, the Revenue Cutter LINCOLN was dispatched to police this new frontier. Private enterprises quickly discovered Alaska’s treasure trove of natural resources and it was only the Revenue Marine that protected the vast salmon stocks, seal population, and indigenous people from exploitation. Following the tragic EXXON VALDEZ oil spill in 1990, Congress passed the Oil Protection Act (OPA 90) issuing one of the biggest legislative mandates in Coast Guard history. While broad in scope and impact, OPA 90 reaffirmed and strengthened the Coast Guard’s existing stewardship mission that had been in place since the LINCOLN plied Prince William Sound.

As you can see, our current challenges have strong historical roots. On this Coast Guard Day, we stand at another inflection point in our proud Service history. Our predecessors made course corrections amidst tumultuous circumstances but they never lost touch with Alexander Hamilton’s charge and their values. Each time, we maintained a true heading and emerged stronger and better positioned to meet new demands. As Hamilton envisioned, a Guardian Ethos remains fixed in our organizational DNA, providing the strength, support and structure to guide our efforts. Our proud history stabilizes the Service so we can build a powerful future as America’s Maritime Guardian.

Thank you for your tremendous dedication to the Coast Guard and the Nation. We are writing our history each day and each of you has a hand on the pen.

Admiral T. W. Allen
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

Featured Updates

Post a TWS Banner on your Website
We now make it easy to put a TWS banner on your own website, MySpace page or elsewhere - just go to your profile and click Edit on the Account Details section (top left). Two banners are available - a general TWS one and a Coastguard specific one. Each has HTML code available for you to copy and paste:

Built into the HTML code is a referral ID so that if new members join the site as a result of seeing your banner you will be credited in the normal way, as our thanks for your endorsement.

New Search Tab Options
You will notice some new options on the search tab to allow you to search for Photos, Associations and Units directly. For quick searches you can also search for Units and Associations directly from the quicksearch field in the binder

Assignment Months
We sort your Unit Assignments by date order, but where you had more than one assignment in a year they sometimes appear in the wrong order. You can now specify a month and year for more fine grained sorting if you have this problem.

More Association Chapters
We have been hard at work filling out our Military Association details including full details of all chapter where example. For example we have added the full list of VFW chapters (all 7900 or so) - luckily you can filter by state!

SECDHS meets with Mexico counterpart, discuss security issues
Office of the Press Secretary

GUADALAJARA, MEXICO -- Secretary Janet Napolitano met with Mexican Interior Secretary Fernando Francisco Gómez-Mont recently about joint security initiatives including combating transnational crime, enforcement efforts along the US-Mexico border and coordination in response to H1N1 flu.

Secretary Napolitano and Minister Gómez-Mont continued ongoing discussions about efforts by DHS and the Mexican government to collaborate on law enforcement training, share traveler information to better facilitate commerce and trade, and enhance customs operations on both sides of the border to crack down on trafficking of arms, currency and drugs. They also talked about preparations for the upcoming fall flu season and cooperative efforts to protect the health and safety of citizens of both nations from H1N1.

The meeting followed the North American Leaders’ Summit, where Secretary Napolitano joined President Obama and Mexican and Canadian counterparts to discuss tri-national cooperation on a variety of issues such as H1N1 flu, combating transnational illicit networks and terrorism.

Secretary Napolitano later traveled to El Paso, TX to deliver a major speech on Southwest border security at the 2009 Border Security Conference, meet with state and local law enforcement officials and the Homeland Security Advisory Council’s Southwest Border Task Force, visit US Border Patrol operations and participate in a video teleconference with stakeholders across the Southwest border.

Secretary Napolitano will also travel to San Antonio to participate in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 2009 Border Enforcement Security Task Force Conference.

Coast Guard History
SPARs - Trailblazing Women Guardians
Story by LTJG Connie Braesch
Courtesy of The Coast Guard Compass
coastguard.dodlive.mil

WASHINGTON -- I wonder what it was like to be a member of the US Coast Guard Women’s Reserve -- a SPAR -- during World War II...

To be one of the first female Guardians…

To be a part of a select group of women chosen to serve during a historic time…

To carve the path for future women in the Coast Guard…

Guardians recently got the rare opportunity to sit down with 10 of the first 10,000 SPARs who volunteered to serve between 1942 and 1946. Vice Admiral Vivien Crea, the Vice Commandant and also a female trailblazer for women in the Coast Guard, invited SPARs from across the nation to come to Washington DC, to talk with service members and attend the her Change of Watch ceremony.

On November 23, 1942 during World War II, legislation approved the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve to help fill jobs and free men to serve at sea and abroad. Women from all over the country jumped at the opportunity to do their part. They took the oath, attended training, wore the uniform and served in shoreside positions throughout the nation.

Last week, I had a chance to talk with a few of these amazing ladies before they set out from to make the trip to Washington DC.

One of the extraordinary conversations was with Betty “Lutz” Reed. When Betty first joined the SPARs, she was just 20 years old and a sophomore at Purdue University. After enlisting in December 1943, she was assigned as a Storekeeper First Class to the Navy Clothing Locker in New Orleans. At the end of the war, her unit became a Separation Center where she worked until being released from service, along with all the other SPARs, in June 1946.

During our conversation, Betty gave me a wonderful first-hand history lesson on where the term “SPAR” originated. Sure, I already knew the answer (I “Googled” it years ago), but a real life personal account is not something that happens all that often anymore. I was eager to hear the story from her.

Betty recalled that the leaders of the Coast Guard Women’s Reserves “wanted a catchy name like the WAVES.” The Naval Women’s Reserve, or WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, were other renowned uniformed women’s services during the war. She said that’s when Dorothy Stratton, the Director of the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve, came up with SPARs. Betty said, “SPARs came from the first four letters of the Coast Guard’s motto - Semper Paratus, Always Ready.”

I also spoke with Mary Lefmann, Beverly Funderburg and Elizabeth Harmon Augherton. Mary joined the SPARs in April 1944 and was assigned as Yeoman First Class at Air Station Elizabeth City. Beverly, also a Yeoman First Class, was assigned to the District Coast Guard Office in San Francisco but transferred to Coast Guard Repair Base in Woods Hole. When I asked Beverly when she served, she quickly and proudly recited her specific dates of service, “February 22, 1943 until May 7, 1946.” Elizabeth joined the Coast Guard in 1943 and served as a Yeoman Second Class at the Office of the Captain of the Port in New York City.

While talking with these ladies, their anticipation and excitement was evident. All four looked forward to being among Guardians again and were thrilled about their invitation to come to Washington DC. When I asked Betty what she was most excited about she replied, “I have never gotten a letter from the Commandant before.” Betty traveled from Indiana and had never been to the nation’s capital.

Mary, a Florida resident, said, “It has been so long since I heard from the Coast Guard. I am hoping to see someone I know.” She was also eager to attend the Vice Commandant’s Change of Watch ceremony, “I have never been to anything like that before.”

According to Beverly, a South Carolina resident, she was “excited to be among Coasties” and “happy to still be involved after all these years.” She added that she was “anxious to see the Commandant. I just think he is the greatest.”

Elizabeth, a native to the DC area, said, “I treasure the memories I made while serving in the Coast Guard and I’m finding that invitations to Coast Guard events, such as this one, are the highlight of my life at this age. I often joke with my family, that if I could, I would re-enlist today.”

These four ladies are among an elite and revered group of women who carved the way for future women of the armed services.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In a future edition we'll spotlight VADM Vivian Crea, another true trailblazer for women in the Coast Guard.

Heavy Weather Ahead for the Coast Guard
By Captain Jim Howe, US Coast Guard (Retired)
and Lieutenant Jim Dolbow, US Coast Guard Reserve

Competing priorities and shrinking budgets threaten to swamp the service.
The US Coast Guard faces a stark and troubled future. If our nation's fifth and smallest military service was a cutter it would be listing severely, crippled by decades of undercapitalization, a lack of political support, an overwhelming workload, and the five words most feared by any Guardian: "the curse of can-do." In the face of an impending budget meltdown, the Coast Guard must confront severe challenges that threaten its performance and long-term viability, as it comports with the realities of the post-9/11 environment. Will it remain the world's best Coast Guard or will it proceed down the path of Britain's Royal Navy, becoming a shadow of its former self?

Just A Mirage
When viewed through the lens of the pre-9/11 era, the Coast Guard appears strong. It has grown to its largest size since World War II, embarked on a sweeping recapitalization of its cutters and aircraft, landed a central role in a newly created department, and undertaken a massive realignment of its command-and-control architecture. By any measure the Coast Guard is a far more robust, capable, technologically advanced, and nimble service than it was at the end of the 1990s.

But this appearance of strength is nothing more than a mirage. Even with the substantial growth of the past eight years, the Coast Guard finds itself struggling to keep its head above water as it tends to new and expanded responsibilities. There are never enough funds, people, or hardware to go around, and the gap between budget needs and budget realities continues to widen. The service's role in many mission areas such as counterterrorism, anti-piracy, and border security remains murkily defined and carries an unacceptable level of risk. The recent changes in the Coast Guard's structure, mission set, funding, and end-strength will not be enough to stave off the looming readiness crisis.

It is in this shifting and uncertain environment that the Coast Guard's strategic course must be set. To achieve much-needed stability, avoid diminished performance, and lock into stone its mission responsibilities, a series of important questions must be asked, the answers to which can help the service navigate through the rocks and shoals ahead.

THIS ARTICLE CONTINUES IN THE AUGUST 2009 EDITION OF USNI "PROCEEDINGS"

 

New Community Vet Centers to be Added
VA's Shinseki Announces Counseling Expansion for Combat Veterans

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced that combat Veterans will receive readjustment counseling and other assistance in 28 additional communities across the country where the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will establish Vet Centers in 2010.

“VA is committed to providing high-quality outreach and readjustment counseling to all combat Veterans,” Secretary Shinseki said. “These 28 new Vet Centers will address the growing need for those services.”

The community-based Vet Centers -- already in all 50 states -- are a key component of VA’s mental health program, providing Veterans with mental health screening and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling.

The existing 232 centers conduct community outreach to offer counseling on employment, family issues and education to combat Veterans and family members, as well as bereavement counseling for families of servicemembers killed on active duty and counseling for Veterans who were sexually harassed on active duty.

Vet Center services are earned through service in a combat zone or area of hostility and are provided at no cost to Veterans or their families.  They are staffed by small multi-disciplinary teams, which may include social workers, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, master’s-level counselors and outreach specialists.  Over 70 percent of Vet Center employees are Veterans themselves, a majority of whom served in combat zones.

The Vet Center program was established in 1979 by Congress, recognizing that many Vietnam Veterans were still having readjustment problems.  In 2008, the Vet Center program provided over 1.1 million visits to over 167,000 Veterans, including over 53,000 visits by more than 14,500 Veteran families.  More information about Vet Centers can be found at www.vetcenter.va.gov/index.asp.

Communities Receiving New VA Vet Centers:

American Samoa

Arizona -- Mohave and Yuma Counties

California -- San Luis Obispo County

Delaware – Sussex County

Florida -- Marion, Lake, Collier, Okaloosa and Bay Counties

Georgia -- Muscogee and Richmond Counties

Hawaii -- Western Oahu

Indiana -- St. Joseph County

Louisiana -- Rapides Parish

Michigan -- Grand Traverse County, also serving Wexford County

Missouri -- Boone County

Montana -- Cascade and Flathead Counties

Ohio -- Stark County

Oregon -- Deschutes County

Pennsylvania -- Lancaster County

South Carolina -- Horry County

Texas -- Jefferson and Taylor Counties

Utah -- Washington County

Washington -- Walla Walla County, also serving Umatilla County, Oregon

Wisconsin -- LaCrosse County, also serving Monroe County

REVENUE CUTTER "MASSACHUSETTS" - This painting illustrates the first cutter named Massachusetts, but incorrectly shows the cutter flying the Revenue ensign and commission pennant, which were not adopted until 1799, well after the first Massachusetts had left service.  The illustration does show the characteristics typical of most of the first few generations of Revenue cutters: a small sailing vessel steered by a tiller, with low freeboard, light draft, lightly armed, and usually rigged as a topsail schooner.

USCGC EAGLE - The Eagle is an example of a large vessel acquired by the Coast Guard for a specific task.  In this case, she carries on the duty she was originally constructed for by Germany in 1936: training cadets of the US Coast Guard Academy.  Originally launched as the Horst Wessel, the Coast Guard acquired her in 1946 as a "spoil of war."  Her sister ships serve in the Portuguese, Romanian, and Russian navies. Photo circa 1954.

MOUNTED COASTAL PATROL - A member of the US Coast Guard mounted beach patrol and his mount take a rest during their route somehere along the Atlantic coast.  Though they work mostly in pairs, patrolling the coasts for saboteurs, the Coast Guard's cavalrymen trained to work in large units as well as individually, and were the only other military branch other than the US Army to continue to ride horses. Photo circa 1943.

THE JAWS OF DEATH - A Coast Guard-manned LCVP from the USS Samuel Chase disembarks troops of the US Army's Company E, 16th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division on the morning of June 6, 1944 at Omaha Beach. This famous photo taken during WWII was shot by Chief Photographer's Mate Robert F. Sargent, USCG. Photo circa 1944.

SIGNALMAN 1ST CLASS DOUGLAS MUNRO, USCG - Munro entered the history books during the Guadalcanal campaign when, on a dangerous mission to evacuate Marines from behind enemy lines, he was killed in action. He is the only Coast Guardsman to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor. Photo circa 1941.

HEADING OFF TO VIETNAM - The 82-foot cutters of Coast Guard Squadron ONE begin their journey to South Vietnam from NAVSTA Subic Bay, Philippines, July 1965.

BOARD & INSPECT - The cutter USCGC Winona (WHEC-65) stands-by while a boarding party completes its task of checking-out a suspicious junk.  Poles above the junk's decks are used by the Vietnamese fishermen for drying their catch, while the stakes with their colorful flags are used as fish net markers. Photo circa 1967.

If you're a merchant or service provider that offers services or special discounts to TWS Members on active duty or who served in the US Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve, drop us a line at [email protected] with details of your product or service. Please also provide the URL to your website and, if available, a JPEG format banner; sized 468 x 60. We'll be glad to add your link to our website.

New Discounts added this month to our new links section on the TWS Home page highlighting Free and Deeply Discounted services for Guardians.

The providers listed below have agreed to offer their services for free or at deep discounts to members of Coast Guard TWS - please take a look at what they have to offer.

If you or someone you know provide a product or service that you are willing to offer for free or at a deep discount to fellow Guardians on TWS, please us know so that we can add your link to the TWS home page and possibly feature it in a future newsletter.  Please email the link(s) to  [email protected]

These are Free listings and not paid advertisements.

Free Music Download for TWS Members!

OFF DUTY: Shades of Green Resort

ORLANDO, FL -- Have you always wanted to do that dream Walt Disney World® Resort vacation with the family, but figured it would be too expensive on GI pay?

Shades of Green is an Army MWR-run resort; the only military recreation center located in the continental US and on Disney property. The newly-expanded vacation spot offers the perfect mix of exceptional resort accommodations and friendly hospitality.

The current military resort was formerly known as The Walt Disney World Golf Resort, and later as The Disney Inn. It was purchased under a 100-year exclusive lease by the US Army's Morale, Welfare and Community Services Directorate, with non-appropriated funds, in January 1996. When it was originally named the Disney Inn, the hotel was considered to be a Deluxe or Premium resort, with a room price tags to match. Today, room rates are determined by a military member's paygrade. The resort is funded and operated from profits generated by military exchanges and revenues generated from resort operations.

Imagine a peaceful wooded setting surrounding 586 oversized guest rooms, cascading waterfalls, lush tropical gardens, spectacular views from private patios and balconies amid stunning sunrises. With diverse dining options, championship golf, plenty of kids activities and a premier location on the Walt Disney World® Resort property, Shades of Green has all you are looking for in a totally relaxing vacation destination.

This ain't the barracks or TLA lodging...
Guest amenities in our oversized, standard guest rooms include two queen size beds, a single sleeper sofa, coffeemaker, refrigerator, in-room safe, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. Each standard guest room features either a private balcony or patio that overlook a lush tropical setting and are among the roomiest to be found on the entire Walt Disney World® Resort .

Always "family-friendly"!
Shades of Green also offers eleven Family Suite combinations. Five Family Suites sleep up to six guests and six Family Suites sleep up to eight guests. Because the number of Family Suites is very limited, these rooms reserve quickly. If interested in making a reservation for a Family Suite, we suggest you do so as soon as you confirm your vacation dates. Guest amenities in our Family Suites include a separate bedroom with King size bed and full-size bath, living area with two queen size sofa beds and additional full bath, dining table with chairs, coffeemaker, refrigerator, in-room safe, hair dryer, iron and ironing board.

A great vacation includes great dining!
Exceptional dining options are available throughout the resort. Relaxed, affordable family meals are available in the Garden Gallery Restaurant. Enjoy your favorite sporting event while Evergreens Sports Bar and Grill serves up your favorite burgers and other American specialty dishes. Stop by Eagles Lounge after a round of golf for a hearty snack and your favorite beverage. Express Cafe gets you ready for a day of fun with pastries, snacks, coffee, tea, cappuccino and espresso.

Mangino's delivers the warmth and charm of a Tuscan 'ristorante' with a savory menu of Italian specialty dishes and an extensive wine list. From an array of delightful appetizers to the popular house dish, Mangino's provides an opportunity for you and your guests to relax and enjoy fine dining in an authentic Tuscan setting.

Discounts to Orlando area attractions!
Central Florida is home to the most popular Theme Parks in the world. These well-liked attractions continually add new shows, rides and thrills. Experts agree that no matter how many times you visit Orlando, there are always new and exciting ways to spend your leisure time. Shades of Green sells discounted tickets to all of the major local attractions.

Didja bring your clubs?
Shades of Green is surrounded by two PGA Championship Golf Courses. Owned and operated by Walt Disney World®, the Magnolia and Palm are two of the featured golf courses in the 2006 Funai Golf Classic. Past Golf Classic winners include local PGA golf pros Mark O'Meara and Tiger Woods. The Golf Classic features a ProAm segment. The best part is that these courses are literally a few paces from the Shades of Green front entrance. Golf views abound from many of our guest rooms. Military rates are available for qualified guests. Contact Shades of Green Guest Services for current rates and additional information.

It's a PARTY!
Whether you are eighteen or eighty, there are plenty of nightlife activities in and around Shades of Green. From live music to dancing to popular Dinner Shows, your nights will be filled with fun and new adventures. Shades of Green sells discounted tickets to all the popular dinner shows and venues.

For those that want to stay in fighting shape while on vacation, there is a full-equipped weight room with the latest equipment, and an AAFES Shoppette that offers reasonably priced, tax-free Disney memorabilia. A laundry room enables visitors staying several days to travel light and keep their clothes clean.

This resort is designed to provide R&R for our nation's brave servicemembers, their families and certain other eligible persons. Specific eligibilty criteria must be met before a guest may make a reservation.

ELIGIBILITY TO SHADES OF GREEN IS RESTRICTED TO:
    * Armed Forces Servicemembers and their families- Service Members on Active Duty, Reserve Components (Ready Reserve and National Guard; Reservists in Training) Cadets of Service Academies.
    * Other Uniformed Services- Members of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (USPHS) and Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on active duty.
    * Armed Forces retirees and their family members- Armed Forces Retirees (and their families) who retired from active duty or retired from the Reserves with pay, and retired without pay (gray area).
    * Others separated from the Armed Forces and their family members- Honorably Discharged Veterans with 100% service-connected disability (and their families) and involuntarily separated service members under the Transition Assistance Management Program. Personnel separated under the Voluntary Seperation Incentive (VSI) and Special Separation Benefit (SSB) programs for two years after separation.
    * Medal of Honor Recipients
    * Former and/or surviving spouses and family members- Unremarried former spouses who were married to military members for at least 20 years while the military member was on active duty to the Armed Forces. Orphans of military members, when not adopted by new parents, under 21 years old (or over if they are incapable of supporting themselves, or 23 years old if they are in full-time study)
    * DoD civilians and family members- Both APF and NAF, and retired DoD civilians.
    * Others associated with the Department of Defense- Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets when participating in field training or practice cruises. Delayed Entry/Delayed Training Program (DEP/DTP) recruits (these recruits are part of the Ready Reseve force.

Make your plans for a great vacation getaway, visit http://www.shadesofgreen.org/
Shades of Green
1950 W. Magnolia Palm Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL  32830
PHONE: (407) 824-3400
FAX: (407) 824-3665
[email protected]

Other Armed Forces Recreation Center resorts are the Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii; the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort at Garmisch and Chiemsee, Germany; and the Dragon Hill Lodge in Seoul, Korea. Navy MWR operates a Joint Services Activity, the New Sanno Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.

Sincerely,
The CGTWS Administration Team
http://coastguard.togetherweserved.com