SAN FRANCISCO — Coast Guard Port Security Unit (PSU) 312 members takes a few moments out of an intensive training schedule, Friday, to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Coast Guard Reserve at Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco.
The Auxiliary and Reserve Act of 1941 designated the Coast Guard Reserve as a military branch of the Armed Forces. This Act, founded Feb. 19, is recognized today as the event that marks the birthday of the Coast Guard Reserve.
Cmdr. Tiffany Danko, Commanding Officer of Port Security Unit 312, speaks to her crew members about the significance of their service as Coast Guard reservists and about the 75th Anniversary of the Coast Guard Reserves in San Francisco Feb. 19, 2016. Guests from Coast Guard Pacific Area were in attendance to thank the crew for their service as well on the services' anniversary. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Second Class Prentice Danner)
Since World War II, Coast Guard Reserve men and woman have served in major conflicts and domestic emergency response from the beach heads of France and Iwo Jima, the sands of Southwest Asia, to the shores of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. PSU 312 proudly continues this tradition, having deployed overseas on three separate occasions since its commissioning in 2005. The unit deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism. In 2010, PSU 312 deployed to Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2014, the unit was in Guantanamo Bay once again, returning to San Francisco January 2015 after a nine-month deployment.
PSU 312 is comprised of 133 selected reservists and six active duty personnel, accounting for 12% of the 1,115 reservists billeted in the state of California. PSU 312 is an expeditionary warfare unit specializing in maritime anti-terrorism/force protection and port security in support of military or humanitarian operations worldwide. PSU 312 maintains garrison facilities as a tenant command of Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco in San Francisco.
A 32-foot Ports and Waterways Boat and crew from Port Security Unit 312 conducts training in San Francisco Bay Feb. 19, 2016. The unit regularly conducts training in order to maintain efficiency while conducting their port security missions. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Second Class Prentice Danner)
The officers and crew are proud to be a part of the Northern California and Bay Area community. PSU 312’s reserve work force includes employees of many local businesses and public agencies, from well known companies such as Google and Walmart to smaller businesses such as Wheel Works and Heat and Control Inc. The unit’s boat crews are manned by students from the University of California, Berkeley, and California Maritime Academy, while its medical division is staffed by health care specialists employed by the University of California, San Francisco and Donor Network West. Additionally, the Coast Guard and PSU 312 benefit from the talents and experience brought in by the many members of the unit employed in local and federal law enforcement and public service agencies such as Oakland Police, Oakland Fire, Alameda Police, Tracy Police, San Francisco Public Library, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the National Park Service.
“What makes working at Port Security Unit 312 a rewarding job for me as a member of the Coast Guard Reserve, is that the reservists play a pivotal role in the unit’s success," said Petty Officer 1st Class William Hernandez, a machinery technician assigned to PSU 312. "While this is a challenging assignment, we know that our efforts contribute to the success of the team.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: For those interested in more information regarding PSU 312, please contact Lt. Dawn Black at (650) 808-2805 or Lt. Cmdr. James W. Fitzgerald at (650) 826-0367.