Faces of Hamilton: Seaman Meleah Tiber

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Sydney Phoenix | Seaman Meleah Tiber, from Bridgeport, Ohio, is stationed on USCGC Hamilton, as seen here in the Atlantic Ocean, May 28, 2021. After joining the Coast Guard at 17-years-old, she was stationed aboard Hamilton after boot camp and quickly was integrated into the crew. As a seaman, she is tasked with cutter maintenance, qualified helm and lookout, and assists with small boat launch and recovery and helicopter operations. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sydney Phoenix)  

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC, UNITED STATES

06.04.2021

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sydney Phoenix 

U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area

Seaman Meleah Tiber, from Bridgeport, Ohio, is stationed on USCGC Hamilton.

After joining the Coast Guard at 17-years-old, she was stationed aboard Hamilton after boot camp and quickly was integrated into the crew. As a seaman, she is tasked with cutter maintenance, qualified helm and lookout, and assists with small boat launch and recovery and helicopter operations.

“Upon departing from homeport in February, my expectations for deployment were to learn as much as I could,” Tiber said. “I had never been in a work environment similar to being on a cutter, so I needed to start with understanding the basic knowledge.”

She has now been on Hamilton for four months and was on the most recent deployment in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the first deployment of a national security cutter to the region.

“My biggest challenge this deployment was adapting to the cutter lifestyle,” she said. “At first, it may seem like a lot of information at once, but after a while, you start to understand the way the ship operates. It is a good feeling looking back at when you first reported and getting to see the progress you made.”

Tiber’s favorite part of the deployment was getting to see the different countries and becoming a part of the crew.

“It is fascinating to do engagement exercises with crews from different parts of the world and experiencing different cultures in ports,” she said. “I enjoyed helping out with operations with the small boats, helicopter, and the fast response cutters we helped escort across the Atlantic.”

Her advice for anyone thinking about or considering a cutter life is to try to make the best of every situation and enjoy the time you get to spend with your shipmates.

“The deployment is always going to be what you make of it,” Tiber said. “Embrace the good days and fight through the bad.”

• Date Taken: 06.04.2021
• Date Posted: 06.04.2021 15:03
• Story ID: 398136
• Location: NORTH CHARLESTON, SC, US
• Hometown: BRIDGEPORT, OH, US