Distinguished Seaman Readies to Depart Eagle
From USGC Eagle Public Affairs  


May 8, 2009

“I’m going to miss sailing, I’ll never be able to do that at any other Coast Guard unit in the world,” he said.

Lockhart’s shipmates will miss him as well.

“Seaman Lockhart is the perfect example of someone who comes to us from boot camp and has no background and no experience in the seagoing way of life,” said Capt. Chris Sinnett, Eagle’s commanding officer. “However, by spending his time on Eagle he not only has gained tremendous experience in the maritime profession, he has more experience in grassroots seamanship than any of his peers on other cutters.”

Lockhart, who grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio joined the Coast Guard in April, 2006.

“I joined the Coast Guard for the experience,” the 23-year-old recalled. “My grandfather, who was in Army, inspired me by telling me the military provided a lot of opportunities and good jobs, and would help me get out and see the world.”

Following boot camp in Cape May, New Jersey he reported aboard Eagle, in New London, Connecticut in August, 2006.

“I remember thinking that I could not believe there was a tall ship in the Coast Guard, and that I was getting stationed aboard it,” Lockhart said. “I wondered ‘What am I getting myself into?’ ”

Since joining the crew of Eagle, Lockhart has deployed three times, visiting numerous countries, including Barbados, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Panama, Galapagos, Mexico and Canada. During that time, he has qualified as boat crewman, helmsman/lookout and inport watchstander. Most recently, he has qualified as boatswain’s mate of the watch (BMOW), as the three-masted, square-rigged cutter sailed 3,149 miles along the 35th parallel north on an 18-day cruise that began April 20 in New London, bound for Rota, Spain.

“BMOW normally can only be attained by rated BMs on most other cutters,” Sinnett noted. “This qualification was not required of him; it was an additional duty and responsibility that he chose to go after and his chain of command supported him. They believed he had shown the desire and aptitude, and we are happy to have him as a BMOW.”

Lockhart’s supervisor, Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Kenneth McSherry, agreed that allowing Lockhart to go above and beyond was an easy decision to make.

“We let him because his goal is to become a boatswain’s mate, and this qualification is only going to help him,” he explained. “We put him in the watch rotation as break-in BMOW and it took him about three weeks to qualify.”

Lockhart is proud of his qualification, and said, “I didn’t find it difficult, it was just a matter of studying all the things you have to know as BMOW. It came pretty easily because I already had knowledge of the rig.”

Prior to his departure, sometime in the next few weeks, he hopes to also qualify as navigator of the watch.

“He has changed a lot since he reported aboard. He knows the ship, knows his job and what is expected of him,” McSherry said. “He’s one of my best crewmen. Right now he is working with the newer sailors aboard so they can do his job when he leaves. It’s going to hurt my division to lose him, and he will be greatly missed.”