[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 445 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 445

   Recognizing the 100th anniversary of Coast Guard aviation and the 
 contribution of Coast Guard aviators to naval aviation and the safety 
                   and security of the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 27, 2016

  Mr. Thune (for himself, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Booker, and Mr. 
  Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and 
                               agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the 100th anniversary of Coast Guard aviation and the 
 contribution of Coast Guard aviators to naval aviation and the safety 
                   and security of the United States.

Whereas, on December 17, 1903, members of the United States Lifesaving Service 
        stationed at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, assisted the Wright 
        brothers during their first successful flight;
Whereas April 1, 1916, marks the official establishment of Coast Guard aviation 
        as the date on which the first Coast Guard aviator, Third Lieutenant 
        Elmer F. Stone, reported to United States Naval Air Station Pensacola, 
        Florida, for flight training;
Whereas, on August 29, 1916, Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury 
        to establish 10 Coast Guard air stations;
Whereas Coast Guard First Lieutenant Elmer F. Stone--

    (1) took off from the Naval Air Station at Rockaway, New York, on May 
8, 1919, and landed in Lisbon, Portugal, on May 27, 1919, completing the 
first successful trans-Atlantic flight; and

    (2) was later assigned to duty with the United States Navy as a test 
pilot, during which First Lieutenant Stone aided in the development of 
shipboard catapult systems and arresting gear for use on United States Navy 
aircraft carriers;

Whereas in early 1925--

    (1) the first permanent Coast Guard air station was established at Ten 
Pound Island, Massachusetts; and

    (2) Lieutenant Commander Carl von Paulsen, with approval of the 
Commandant of the Coast Guard, initiated the transfer to the Coast Guard of 
a surplus Navy aircraft for 1 year and during that year, Lieutenant 
Commander von Paulsen coordinated daily patrols to combat alcohol smuggling 
in the waters off New England;

Whereas the Coast Guard Air Station Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York, 
        was designated as a helicopter training base on January 14, 1942, at 
        which

    (1) the Coast Guard led the rotary wing training program of the 
military; and

    (2) by 1944, Coast Guard instructor pilots had trained 125 military 
helicopter pilots from the United States and Great Britain and 200 
helicopter mechanics;

Whereas, on January 3, 1944, despite high winds and blowing snow that closed all 
        of the airfields in the New York area, Commander Frank Erickson, the 
        first Coast Guard helicopter pilot, flew a Sikorsky helicopter from New 
        York City to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, to deliver 2 cases of blood plasma 
        for 150 injured United States Navy sailors, completing the flight in 
        just 14 minutes and conducting the first lifesaving helicopter flight;
Whereas, on March 15, 1946, the Coast Guard first used aircraft to scout for ice 
        and determine the limits of the ice fields along critical North Atlantic 
        shipping lanes in support of the International Ice Patrol and since that 
        date, Coast Guard surveillance aircraft have conducted the primary 
        reconnaissance work for the International Ice Patrol, monitoring for 
        ships transiting the North Atlantic the movement of icebergs throughout 
        thousands of square miles of ocean;
Whereas, on December 17, 1951, President Harry Truman presented to the Coast 
        Guard, the Department of Defense, and the helicopter industry the 
        Collier Trophy in a joint award for outstanding development and use of 
        rotary-winged aircraft for air rescue operations;
Whereas Bobby Wilkes--

    (1) on March 25, 1957, was designated as Coast Guard aviator number 
735; and

    (2) was the first African-American--

    G    (A) Coast Guard aviator;

    G    (B) promoted to the rank of captain in the Coast Guard; and

    G    (C) to command a Coast Guard air station;

Whereas, on January 9, 1963, the Coast Guard received the first of 99 HH-52A 
        helicopters, which was instrumental in the rescue of more than 15,000 
        people during its 26 years of service, more lives than have been rescued 
        by any other helicopter;
Whereas, on March 31, 1967, the Coast Guard established an aviator exchange 
        program with the United States Air Force that authorized Coast Guard 
        pilots to serve with combat search and rescue forces during the Vietnam 
        War and as part of the program, 11 Coast Guard pilots served heroically 
        with Air Force pilots on harrowing missions behind enemy lines during 
        the rescue of downed United States airmen;
Whereas, on March 4, 1977, Janna Lambine was designated as Coast Guard aviator 
        number 1812, becoming the first woman Coast Guard aviator;
Whereas, on October 9, 1982, a Coast Guard aircraft participated in the first 
        rescue mission using a satellite search and rescue system;
Whereas, on October 30, 1984, Congress authorized the Coast Guard to establish a 
        Rescue Swimmer program to train personnel to rescue incapacitated people 
        from the water and since that date, Coast Guard Rescue Swimmers have 
        demonstrated exceptional bravery and dedication during the rescue of 
        innumerable people from the ocean under extreme conditions;
Whereas Commander Bruce E. Melnick--

    (1) on June 5, 1987, became the first Coast Guard aviator to 
participate in the space program; and

    (2) in October 1990, serving as a mission specialist aboard STS-41, 
became the first Coast Guard aviator to complete a space mission;

Whereas, on February 13, 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, 2 HU-25A Falcon 
        jets from Air Station Cape Cod, equipped with specialized oil detection 
        technology--

    (1) were deployed to Saudi Arabia to serve with the interagency oil 
spill assessment team;

    (2) provided a critical service by mapping over 40,000 square miles to 
locate every drop of oil on the water after 1 of the worst oil spills in 
history;

Whereas, on June 24, 2005, Lieutenant Junior Grade Jeanine McIntosh-Menze was 
        designated as Coast Guard aviator number 3775, becoming the first 
        African-American woman Coast Guard aviator;
Whereas in the weeks following Hurricane Katrina, 1 of the worst natural 
        disasters in United States history, the heroic efforts of Coast Guard 
        flight crews contributed to--

    (1) the rescue of more than 33,000 people; and

    (2) the delivery of nearly 2,000,000 pounds of relief supplies;

Whereas, on October 29, 2012, during Hurricane Sandy, the heroic efforts of 
        Coast Guard flight crews contributed to the rescue of 14 sailors aboard 
        the HMS Bounty, during which the Coast Guard flight crews located the 
        shipwrecked sailors and performed, at great personal risk, a helicopter-
        borne night rescue in 18-foot seas and gale-force winds; and
Whereas, since 1916, 4,493 Coast Guard aviators have been trained at Naval Air 
        Station Pensacola, Florida--

    (1) in preparation for assignment to operational Coast Guard air 
stations; and

    (2) in support of the national defense, law enforcement, and maritime 
safety, security, and stewardship missions of the Coast Guard around the 
world: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes 100 years of Coast Guard aviation; and
            (2) honors past and present Coast Guard aviators who have 
        served in support of the safety and security of the United 
        States.
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