The Unified Command, consisting of the Coast Guard, Newark Fire Department, Gallagher Marine Systems and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, in charge of ongoing salvage and response efforts, provide an update regarding the fire on the motor vessel Grande Costa D’Avorio during a press conference at Port Newark, New Jersey, July 11, 2023. A fire broke out on the vessel at the Port Newark Marine Terminal in New Jersey on July 5, 2023. (Video courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey)
Rear Adm. Francis “Stash” Pelkowski is a veteran, merchant mariner, maritime industry business leader, licensed attorney and a professor at SUNY Maritime College. To say the 58-year-old father has accomplished a lot in life is a gross understatement. However, to hear him describe his early adult years leading to his enlistment in 1980, his present-day success and many achievements were far from predictable.
Thirty-eight years later,...
The Coast Guard prides itself on honor, respect and devotion to duty for the men and women in its ranks. Once a year, a member of the Coast Guard is selected as the top performer in the service for the active duty and the reserve component through the enlisted person of the year program.
