Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater
Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater | |
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HC-130H Hercules |
United States Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater (CGAS Clearwater) is the
Air Station Clearwater also operates two aviation facilities in
History
In 1934, a Coast Guard air station was commissioned on the west coast of
CGAS Clearwater has a rich history and its operations have been at the heart of significant events in Florida and the Caribbean for many years. In the early 1980s, its high operations tempo earned AIRSTA Clearwater two
In 1986, following on the success of the previous operation, AIRSTA Clearwater conducted
CGAS Clearwater became the Coast Guard's largest air station in 1987 with the expansion of the drug interdiction mission, Operation Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos (OPBAT). This large ongoing mission resulted in the eventual assignment of twelve HH-60J Jayhawk helicopters, then the newest in the Coast Guard fleet, and boosted personnel strength to over 500 men and women. Also during this period, three additional HC-130s were stationed at AIRSTA Clearwater to support the increased law enforcement efforts. The air station's motto of "Anytime, Anywhere" accurately describes its pace of operations.
The 1990s were no less dramatic for the men and women of CGAS Clearwater. In 1991, the station's HC-130s responded rapidly to fly personnel and supplies in and out of the Southwest Asia combat theater in support of
In 1997, the U.S. renewed its effort towards the
- Winner of the National Defense Transportation Award for 2000.
- Winner of Excellence in Food Services Award for 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2007.
In 2005, Air Station Clearwater crews deployed overseas to aid and support the survivors of the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean.[4]
In 2006, the United States Navy Reserve vacated the former Navy Operational Support Center St. Petersburg/Clearwater (formerly Naval Reserve Center St. Petersburg/Clearwater) adjacent to the air station, consolidating with Navy Operational Support Center Tampa at a recently completed purpose-built facility at MacDill Air Force Base. The Navy transferred its former Clearwater facility to the Coast Guard which then placed it under the oversight of Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater.[5] The complex now supports Port Security Unit 307, a Coast Guard Reserve unit, as well as providing additional facilities for AIRSTA Clearwater requirements.
In 2012 and 2013, AIRSTA Clearwater figured prominently in The Weather Channel television documentary series, Coast G. AIRSTA Clearwater then commenced transition of their HH-60J fleet to the MH-60T Jayhawk in 2014 a
Current aircraft
The HC-130 Hercules first became a part of Air Station Clearwater in 1976. The Lockheed HC-130H model is the current version assigned, with 5 such aircraft in the air station's current inventory. HC-130s from Air Station Clearwater have deployed worldwide, to including most of the contiguous 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, throughout the Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The HC-130H Hercules performs numerous missions in support of Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement, Marine Environmental Protection, and logistics. The aircraft is an ideal platform for long range Search and Rescue, with over 14 hours of airborne endurance and large scanner windows for observers built into the airframe sides.
The nine
Installation Facilities
AIRSTA Clearwater is a tenant military activity / long-term leased facility comprising several acres in the northwest quadrant of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. A separate Army Aviation Support Facility (AASF) of the
References
- ^ "Commanding Officer – Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater". U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- ^ "Air Station Clearwater". U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
- ^ "Milcom Monitoring Post: US Coast Guard Asset Guide – Update 3 Feb 2016". mt-milcom.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ^ "FindArticles.com | CBSi". findarticles.com. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- ^ "USCG Air Station Clearwater, Florida". www.uscg.mil. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
External links
Media related to Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater at Wikimedia Commons