Lake Murray Coast Guard Axuiliary names new leaders
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 12-3 Lake Murray installed 2016 leaders during a change of watch ceremony late last year, the organization announced in a news release Monday.
Capt. Gary Tomasulo, commander at Coast Guard Sector Charleston, and Justin Longval, chief boatswain’s senior chief at Coast Guard Station Charleston, conducted the swearing in Nov. 30, 2015, for the 2016 flotilla leadership. Lake Murray Coast Guard Auxiliary 2016 elected leaders are Festus Burchfield, flotilla commander, and Scott Iverson, vice commander.
Burchfield, a retired commercial airline pilot, was flotilla ommander in 2014 and 2015. Iverson is battalion chief for the City of Fayetteville, N.C., Fire/Emergency Management and lives in Elgin.
Staff officer appointments are Calvin Bowen, communications; Barbara Burchfield, communication services, website, finance and publications; Stephen Pstrak, diversity; Festus Burchfield, human resource and operations; Michael Mikutaitis, information systems and materials; Eric Starmer, marine safety; Allen Crothers, member training; Roger Deaton, navigation systems, Billy Lindsay, public affairs; Scott Iverson, public education; Robert Falsetti, recreational boating safety program visitation; Lucy Wingard, secretary; and John Mezynski, vessel examiners.
Appointments for special projects are Kenny Uschelbec, Russ Jernigan and Billy Lindsay.
Capt. Tomasulo and BMCS Longval presented Coast Guard Auxiliary Achievement Medal to Festus Burchfield and Barbara Burchfield. The citation recognizes their superior performance of duty from October 2009 through June 2015, while serving as state liaison officers for South Carolina.
Longtime auxiliary member Gerald Ruschkofski was presented a congressional letter and certificate by Butch Wallace, district director from the office of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, to honor his 35 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The Auxiliary is a volunteer, non-military component of the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security that is assigned to many of the same operational missions as the Coast Guard. Learn more about Flotilla 12-3 Lake Murray at www.uscgaux-lakemurray.com.