Coast Guard Enlisted Association Gateway Branch

Today was our first day of trail maintenance on the 3 mile Taum Sauk section of the Ozark Trail! With the tallest waterfall it offers amazing views all the way to Devils Tollgate, and the CGEA was fortunate to have be able to adopt such an awesome section of trail. Special thanks to John for catering out a case of donuts, which hit the spot.... We had a blast and look forward to the next event soon! See more

The CGEA gateway branch was at it again at Powder Valley Nature Center! Enjoying the beautiful weather, we removed invasive grasses, cleaned and remulched a bird viewing area, trimmed overgrown grasses, and redid a children’s nature trail. Thank you so much for everyone that attended and I look forward to next months project!

It was a great day at Powder Valley Conservation center! Thanks to all the CGEA members and volunteers who removed trees, shrubs, vines and grasses in order to construct the parks new prairie project. Hope to see everyone again soon at another event!

We hope everyone can make it to this years Coast Guard day celebration! See the below flyers for details and information! See you all on August 2nd.

Yup, it’s that time of year again. People are guardedly swiping the spider webs from their paddleboards and duct taping their kayak paddles back together for a...nother year of waterborne antics while wondering when Coast Guard approved lifejackets are going to go on sale at the local discount store. As you make your preparations to set sail to discover new lands in your 6’ blow up oar propelled craft, please take the time to ensure you have your contact information posted legibly somewhere inside of it. The Coast Guard will spend (tens of? hundreds of?) thousands of our tax dollars this year looking for the owners of abandoned/lost paddle craft that have been found in nearby waters without any sign of their captains. The men and women that work to keep you safe on the water Coast Guard boat crews and pilots, local harbormasters, Police and Fire Departments, commercial assistance providers and countless others will be tasked with looking for people that aren’t in distress, putting themselves at risk while doing so. PLEASE take the time to stick an informational placard like the one pictured below to your craft. An alternative to the sticker is use a permanent marker to legibly place a current phone number and your name and the phone number of an emergency contact inside a compartment or area that is more or less protected from the elements. Additionally, if you lose your kayak/paddleboard/watercraft (yes, it happens often), let the Coast Guard know so they can record information about it and possibly return it to you if/when someone finds it. Head to the store and buy that Coast Guard approved life vest (and then use it every time you head out on the water). Pick up a reliable paddle that wont break in half at the most inopportune time (which is anytime you are on the water) and get to know the areas that you are thinking of paddling to this season. Have a great, safe season on the water! SHARE WILDLY!

FYI for all St. Louis military families!

CPOA/CGEA National Initiative Alert!!! PLEASE SHARE ON CHAPTER/BRANCH/PERSONAL PAGES!! Mrs. Lois Bouton, affectionately known as "The Coast Guard Lady," was no...t only a member of the Coast Guard, but has also written over 40,000 letters to the men and women of the Coast Guard, to encourage them and to celebrate their Coast Guard membership/accompishments. This year she is turning 100 and we want to give an overwhelming salute to her service in and for the Coast Guard! Here's our call to action: The CPOA and CGEA National Officers would like our membership to honor the dedication of Mrs. Bouton by collecting and sending 100th birthday cards and personal letters to our National Office, to be presented to her at her 100th Birthday Celebration in September. We would like for Chapters/Branches to solicit their membership for individual and/or collaborative mailings. We ask that all cards and letters be received at our office NLT 15AUG19. The cards and letters will be placed in a custom box, created by Chief Jenn Collins, of the Southeastern Connecticut Chapter. Thank you, Chief, for donating your time and effort to this worthy endeavor! Please send all mailings to: U. S. Coast Guard CPOA C/o The Coast Guard Lady 5520-G Hempstead Way Springfield, VA 22151 Thank you, in advance, for honoring our dear friend and shipmate! To learn more about Mrs. Bouton, please click on these links: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2013/09/write-on/ http://allhands.coastguard.dodlive.mil//adm-papp-presents/