U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Two Rivers

02/04/2020

We recently responded to a discrepancy at Green Island Light. The light was reported extinguished and thanks to the awesome support and expertise of the flight crews at Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City - our crew was able to hitch a ride to the island and replace the faulty LED lantern.

Green Island Light was first built in 1863 to help guide the mariner for transits into Green Bay as well as provide an offshore signal for the entrance to the Menominee River. First manned by Keeper Samuel Drew, the light would continue to be manned until it was automated in 1933.

One of Samuel Drew’s sons Frank would eventually follow in his father’s shoes and become head Keeper in 1909. Frank and his brother George would go on to perform dozens of heroic rescues during their time as as Lighthouse Keepers. Hence, one of the Coast Guard’s Keeper Class Coastal Buoy tenders, the USCGC FRANK DREW, was christened in his honor in 1999.

The lighthouse structure was abandoned in 1956 and an 80’ tall skeleton tower was built in its place to continue this vital Aid to Navigation.

Aid Technicians and Advanced Climbers for the mission were Electrician’s Mate Second Class Meyer, Machinery Technician Third Class Angelucci, and Fireman Perry.

Photos courtesy of EM2 Meyer.

11/05/2019

Cranking through Fall Retrieve, although it feels a little more like Winter Retrieve as we really haven’t seen much of a Fall here in Two Rivers.

As always the crew has adapted and overcame as we pulled out buoys in Manitowoc, Great Lakes, Green Bay, Chicago and Milwaukee- fitting in some discrepancy response and training in between. Been windy and cold but this OIC couldn’t be any prouder.

BMCS Olson sends.

10/15/2019

Fall Retrieve is here. Today we kicked off this busy time of year by decommissioning all 16 of the Green Bay City buoys on the Fox River. It was a little rainy and a little chilly but an awesome day to do what we do.

Pictured are BM2 Thomas, SN Maxwell-Flores, EM2 Meyer, MK3 Angelucci, BM3 Beebe, and SN Samartin.

Photo by BMCS Olson

09/04/2019

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is situated off of Annapolis, MD and is one of the most photographed sites in the country. Lighthouse construction was completed in 1875, making the structure 144 years old this year. The current structure is the third on the site since 1825, and was the last manned lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay until 1964 and was automated in 1986 the light was automated. In 1999 the lighthouse was designated a National Historic Landmark. While the crew of Aids to Navigation Team Baltimore maintain the light signal, the ownership of the structure was transferred in 2004 to consortium comprised of the Chesapeake Chapter of the US Lighthouse Society, City of Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and the Annapolis Maritime Museum. Since that time the lighthouse has been beautifully restored to show its past condition. The fourth order Fresnel Lens was removed from Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in 1996 and moved to then named USCG Activities Baltimore. Today the lens was relocated to the current location at the entrance of USCG Sector Maryland-National Capital Region and placed under the protective acrylic case.

08/28/2019

EM2 Meyer and MK3 Angelucci finished the last of our southern ATON inspections today in Milwaukee in both the North and South entrance gaps. We’ll wrap up our northerly aids to navigation in the next few weeks while gearing up for Fall Retrieve. We sincerely hope you all had a wonderful summer.

07/31/2019

BM2 Thomas and MK3 Angelucci conducted some awesome tower climbing training on Tuesday to get a few more unit personnel certified to climb at advanced heights. Many of our Aids to Navigation are located on tall towers and structures. Performing maintenance on this equipment requires climbs up to 100 feet.

07/26/2019

Please wear a life jacket and be mindful of weather conditions that can change very quickly on the Great Lakes.

We have had 64 drownings in the Great Lakes region since January 1st. We share this tragic statistic to bring awareness to the potential dangers of the lakes. Cold water, rip currents, boating under the influence, boating without a lifejacket, not filing a float plan with someone on shore, not having signaling devices/EPIRBs/VHF radio are all contributing factors in these deaths.

On Monday morning a 57-year-old woman was rescued after spending more than 14 hours in the water after falling off her jet ski the night before. She likely survived because she was wearing a lifejacket.

Friday morning, two men were rescued from their capsized boat. They were stranded for nearly 16 hours. Luckily, they were both wearing lifejackets and had a flashlight to signal to the helicopter crew.

We need to be aware of the danger and then know what we can do to prevent or lessen it. Know the conditions of the lake. Know the water temperature. Know the weather. And when you learn, share that knowledge with others! We can all contribute in saving lives by spreading information. One person might decide to wear their life jacket this weekend all because you shared a post!

06/08/2019

Unbelievably proud of this crew for their professionalism and poise in the safe removal and relocation of these priceless and historic beacons.

Crew members from Aids to Navigation Team Two Rivers, Wisc. helped replace Fresnel lenses in two lighthouses on the western shores of Lake Michigan, Thursday. Members assisted a trained and experienced Lampist, Kurt Fosburg, contracted by the Coast Guard, with the delicate removal of the lenses from the Algoma and Kewaunee Lighthouses in Wisconsin. The lenses were replaced with modern, energy-efficient LED lights and will be on loan to nearby museums for viewing and educational purposes.

05/11/2019

Day in and day out our Petty Officers, Firemen, and Seamen are the backbone of unit operations- whether the task be extraordinary or mundane- they work together to make sure that the mission gets done right.

Pictured from the left are Seaman Maxwell-Flores, Fireman Perry, MK3 Angelucci, BM2 Picotte, BM2 Thomas, and Seaman Samartin.

05/11/2019

Admiral Karl Schultz

A Huge THANK YOU to all who support and stand by us each day we head out to accomplish our tasks. We are truly grateful.

Today, and every day, is Military Spouses Day. When a U.S. Coast Guard cutter sails over the horizon or a helicopter launches into a storm. When the call comes in the middle of the night. Whenever a child goes to bed not knowing where mom or dad is deployed. When the moving truck shows up or a spouse changes jobs again.

Military Spouses Day is every day you support us through the burdens and achievements of military service. You didn’t take an oath to serve, but your dedication to your servicemember and our Nation is steadfast. You deserve the world, but all we can give is our love and admiration. Thank you for all you do.

I’d personally like to thank the military spouse nearest and dearest to my heart, Dawn Schultz, U.S. Coast Guard Ombudsman at Large, for her unwavering support over the past 36 years of service.

If you want to recognize the military spouse in your life, share this post or tag them in the comments below with a special note.

#MilitarySpousesDay

04/09/2019

Officially kicked off Operation Spring Restore today by commissioning the six Manitowoc Harbor buoys. Each Spring we set 53 seasonal buoys marking various waterways from Chicago, IL. to Escanaba, MI. We also conducted an ATON crew member checkride for MK3 Angelucci who performed flawlessly. Pictured are BM2 Picotte as Buoy Deck Supervisor and MK3 Angelucci rigging the deck.

02/11/2019

U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes

U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

09/06/2018

Summer Island Light is by far the most remote Aid to Navigation we maintain. It’s a nearly 25 nautical mile transit from Washington Island and very weather dependent; no docks to moor up to- beaching our boats the only option to access. Thanks to BM1 Faulkner, EM1 Schumann, BM2 Thomas, BM3 Picotte, and Fireman Tork- they conducted a routine inspection and brushing to keep this Aid to Navigation watching properly.

Photos courtesy of EM1 Schumann.

09/05/2018

Responding to a report the sound signal at Manitowoc Breakwater Light was inoperable... turned out to to be a bad Oscillator and got it functional again. Got a great photo of the S. S. Badger arriving just as we finished up.

Much thanks to BM2 Thomas, SN Maxwell-Flores, EM1 Schumann, BM3 Picotte, MK3 Angelucci, and Fireman Tork.

Photos by BMC Olson.

08/20/2018

Routine maintenance and inspection of our assets keep them ready to perform the mission at all times. Our Engineering department recently removed both lower units from one of our boats to inspect and clean the water pumps. Here you have the EPO, MK1 Stevens, with MK3 Angelucci and Fireman Tork working hard to keep our small boats Fully Mission Capable.

08/10/2018

Come on down if you’re in the area and visit the Sailing Vessel Denis Sullivan in Two Rivers this Sunday at 3 PM. We’ll have our gates open right next door- come visit our unit and talk about the multitude of missions that the Coast Guard conducts right here out of Two Rivers. See you there!

08/09/2018

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse Museum

Working together towards another 150 years of preservation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Two Rivers, Door County Historical Society Board Members, and Eagle Bluff Lighthouse Museum Staff celebrate the first 150 years!

08/09/2018

Thanks to the hard work of EM1 Schumann, BM2 Thomas, BM3 Picotte, and our newest member of the team, MK3 Angelucci, we serviced three major Aids to Navigation in Milwaukee Harbor today finishing off our routine services for the southern portion of our scheduled maintenance. Next up- headed back north soon for the islands of the Door Peninsula.

08/08/2018

Today we were fortunate enough to be invited to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of Eagle Bluff Lighthouse in conjunction with National Lighthouse Day. It was on this day in 1789, that Congress approved an Act for the establishment and support of lighthouses, beacons, buoys and public piers.

06/29/2018

Making the most of good weather days in Chicago; set a lighted buoy, conducted four routine inspections including Chicago Harbor Light, and painted a few structures for better day mark visibility.

06/14/2018

Coast Guard veteran dedicates 43 years to keeping mariners safe

Coast Guard veteran dedicates 43 years to keeping mariners safe

Chief Petty Officer Trainor reenlists on “PA” Lighted Buoy in the Straits of Juan de Fuca, while stationed aboard Coast Guard Cutter Fir (WLM-212) in February 1986. Photo courtesy of Bob Trainor.

04/24/2018

So far, so good. Aids to Navigation Team Two Rivers has set all seasonal buoys from Manitowoc south; now we just wait on the ice to melt up north. Meanwhile the crew got in some great training, servicing shore aids, and rolling on some fresh paint.

04/11/2018

We kicked off Spring Restore by commissioning the fog signal at Kewaunee Shoal Light last week and started setting buoys this week in Chicago.

All photos by the unit's Engineering Petty Officer, MK1 Stevens

04/11/2018

U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Two Rivers's cover photo

02/15/2018

Very grateful to U. S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City today for providing support to continue our Aids to Navigation mission even during a fairly arduous ice season. We got a perfect weather day for a ride in their HH-60 Jayhawk so that ANT Two Rivers' MK1 Stevens and EM2 Schumann could respond to a reported ATON discrepancy at Minneapolis Shoal Light near Escanaba, Michigan.

11/03/2017

Operation Fall Retrieve is well underway. Today this stellar crew battled through Chicago traffic to launch at first light, seasonally decommission three buoys along the Chicago waterfront, repair two damaged dayboards, retrailer and pull two more buoys near Great Lakes Naval Base. Nice work! On the crew from left to right: BM3 Picotte, BM1 Bichsel, SN Maxwell-Flores, MK3 Harsvick, and MK1 Stevens.

10/25/2017

A great mid fall weather day allowed the crew to replace dayboards and complete an inspection at Green Island Light, centrally located in Green Bay off of Menominee/Marinette. With no suitable place to moor our boat, the crew beaches on the island for the 80' climb.

Photos by BM3 Picotte and EM2 Schumann.

10/20/2017

Aids to Navigation Team Two Rivers had another great week, knocked out some buoy ops training, serviced all the Range Lights in Green Bay and performed an inspection of Green Bay Channel Entrance Light. Bring on Fall Retrieve!

10/12/2017

It's been a busy couple of weeks at ANT Two Rivers... knocked out some boat crew training, converted a few lights from incandescent to LED, and serviced one of our more weather dependent lighthouses at St. Martin Island. Plus we got quite a few more certifications done and are ramping up for Operation Fall Retrieve where we begin pulling all of our seasonal buoys out before Winter.

Photos provided by EM2 Schumann and BM3 Picotte.

09/11/2017

Newly certified members of ANT Two Rivers, BM3 Picotte, MK3 Harsvick, and SN Maxwell Flores worked extremely hard to obtain their qualifications. Great job!

08/30/2017

Another great day. Grabbed a calm weather day to recharge Kewaunee Shoal Light, repainted the Breakwater Light, and serviced Kewaunee Pierhead Light. Even had some time to conduct some Boat Crew Training.

08/30/2017

U.S. Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Two Rivers's cover photo

08/30/2017

Good day servicing Aids to Navigation in Death's Door, one of the major entry points from Lake Michigan into Green Bay.

08/10/2017

Today the crew installed an 8 tier LED in the Milwaukee Breakwater Light, replacing the rotating VRB-25 beacon with a more efficient and reliable optic and got some extra help for the mission from Chief Warrant Officer Porter and Commander Webb from Sector Lake Michigan's Prevention Department.

Photos taken by EM2 Schumann, master electrician and overall ATON ninja.

08/06/2017

Last week we upgraded Chicago Harbor Light from an incandescent VRB-25 rotating beacon to an 8-tier powerful LED. The nominal range increased to 15 nautical miles and the LED light will be a much more efficient and reliable beacon for this historic, treasured landmark.