I am a member of the Coast Guard Art Program, COGAP, and was recently asked if I’d like to be deployed for 4 days on their newest National Security cutter, the USCGC Stratton, of course I said yes. My assignment is to photograph the crew in their duties as well as images inside and out of the ship for future paintings to be submitted to the Coast Guard Art Program. I will board the ship in December and am looking forward to sailing on the newest ship in the Coast Guards fleet.
The Stratton is the third of four mega high tech 418-foot Legend Class cutters to replace the dependable but aging 378-foot Hamilton Class cutters built in the 1960’s. The National Security cutters perform alien migrant interdiction operations, fisheries protection, search and rescue, counter-narcotics and homeland security missions. On it’s first patrol out the sistership USCGC Waesche interdicted 2 vessels within a 48-hour period containing over 25 million in cocaine being smuggled to the US. The new National Security Cutters have the range to patrol from South America to the Bering Sea. The new cutters carry two helicopters and 2 long and short-range boats. The Legend Class cutters are real beauties!
Coast Guard Captain Dorothy C Stratton
Director of the SPARS, the Coast Guard Womens Reserve during WWII
I have known about this new project for about a month now but had to wait for my travel orders to be cut before announcing it. Mary Ann Bader, COGAP coordinator, has been great to work with in setting this all up with the Executive Officer of the Stratton. I’m looking forward to being on board the ship to observe the crew training and operation of the ship. I’ve been going over my photo equipment in preparation for getting as many reference photos as possible in the 4 days I’ll be with the ship. I’ll be posting some of these images when I return from the deployment in December.
6 comments:
What a fabulous opportunity, Ron!!! WOW....
You do marine paintings so well!!
among all the other work you do well!
I was really honored to be asked to go out with this cutter. These new National Security cutters are the most advanced ships in the Coast Guard. I couldn't have asked for a better assignment from them and feel I just really lucked into this deal.
When I get back I'll have my hands full coming up with some good paintings to submit to NY. The good thing though is I'll be working from my own ref photos. I know what I have in mind so all I need to do is get the shots and not fall overboard! hahaha.
Thanks Marian
You lucky so and so. What an opportunity but well deserved. Your marine work is of an exceptional standard and it's good that somebody is recognising that. Can't wait to see the results.
Hi Mick....lucky is an understatement, haha. I really am very fortunate for the opportunity to go along and take reference photos for 4 days. I'm really looking forward to coming up with paintings afterwards too. I'll be posting those when the time comes. Thanks Mick.
Wow! How exciting! I look forward to seeing what you create!
Hi Christine...yeah, I'm hoping to get some awesome reference shots out there. An extra battery for my camera that I ordered in on it's way now so I'm going to be prepared once I get on board. Thanks!
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