Coast Guard

Chief Petty Officer Khristian Pizarro, U.S. Coast Guard:   Not one person can do their job by themselves. We all rely on each other. That's one of the main things that is an advantage to having a team. The different backgrounds bring different experiences, different knowledge levels to the table, so that makes the job easier.

Lieutenant Katie Ustler, U.S. Coast Guard:   Having 24 crew members from all different places in the world and the country provides different life experiences. Folks who've been on different ships, grew up in different areas just all bring diverse perspectives to the mission and what we're doing.

Petty Officer First Class Laura Reece, U.S. Coast Guard:   As you go on in your career, you learn different things, and everybody becomes a specialist at something. Who has the most law enforcement experience or marine experience, having them all under one roof definitely helps bring the Command Center together.

Ustler:  This is my second command, my ninth year afloat, and I've never had anyone tell me I can't do something. It's been absolutely amazing.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Vanessa Valdes: I am a reservist at United States Southern Command. I’m an intelligence specialist, second class, and on my personal time, I’m a full-time student at Broward College, studying criminal justice.

Seaman Deirdre Gray: My job right now is a Seaman on the Healy. Our main objective and mission is to assist the National Science Foundation in their science research of the Bering and the Arctic.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Adrien Cheval: As an individual, I really enjoy getting underway. The fact that I’m getting paid to — to drive a boat and to save lives and to also enforce federal law is a great privilege.

Seaman Deirdre Gray: You know, these are things that, outside of the Military, I don’t think I would have had the — ever had the experience to see or do.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Adrien Cheval: The Coast Guard’s also a humanitarian agency, in the sense that we — we provide assistance to Americans and others in distress, here and abroad. For example, in 2005, we conducted search and rescue operations during Hurricane Katrina.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Vanessa Valdes: I think my passion for the ocean drove me to join the Coast Guard. Whether it be boating or, you know, under-the-surface scuba diving, but just everything about it. It’s pretty much my life.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Adrien Cheval: I chose the Coast Guard for a particular reason, and I knew what I was getting myself into. And today, I’m very happy that I made that decision.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Vanessa Valdes: What makes me the most proud is seeing my mom’s face light up when I tell her, you know, about my day, and looking at the pictures of all my experiences and just thinking back. It’s like, “Wow, I was there, I did this, I did that.” You know, none of that would have been possible without the Coast Guard.