Father and Daughter Reunited Aboard America’s Tall Ship
From USGC Eagle Public Affairs  


May 8, 2009

In her case, she serves aboard USCG Eagle, homeported in New London, Connecticut, well over 1,500 miles from the Dallas home where her parents reside.

However, Scheidel was able to bring her father aboard Eagle 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 bound for Rota, Spain.

“Right after I reported aboard, I found out I could bring family members on some cruises, and he was one of the first people who popped in my mind,” she recalled. “I knew he would love to be back on a Coast Guard ship.”

U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. Thomas Scheidel left the Coast Guard almost 20 years ago, as a chief quartermaster, after spending 20 years on combined active and reserve duty.

“I will be retiring in the next few months, and I wanted to return to sea one more time,” Cmdr. Scheidel said. “I really didn’t have any knowledge of how to do that, but my daughter was recently assigned to Eagle and it turned out that through a simple request, family members can come while Eagle is underway. It was a perfect time and a very unique opportunity.”

Since reporting aboard the ship in February, BM3 Scheidel has qualified as helmsman, lookout, navigator of the watch, import watchstander, and is currently breaking in as boatswain’s mate of the watch.

The Scheidels have more in common than just blood – she has nearly the same job he did, two decades ago.

“Because the Coast Guard combined the ratings of boatswain’s mate and quartermaster, she is standing some of the same watches I used to stand,” he said. “I stand those watches with her and observe her, and am very impressed with the level of confidence she has already, very early in her career. Her accomplishments have been wonderful.”

BM3 Scheidel joined the Coast Guard in October of 2006.

“I decided in high school that I wanted to join the military, and then in college decided it would be the Coast Guard,” she said. “It was the right choice, without a doubt.”

Both insist the former Coast Guardsman had nothing to do with his daughter’s decision to join the military.

“I was very happy and very proud of all the things she wanted to do,” Cmdr. Scheidel said. “She has right-sized her goals, found the opportunities to meet every one of her needs and has achieved all the goals that she has wanted to.”

This is not the commander’s first time boar America’s Tall Ship – he spent about 15 minutes aboard in the mi-1970s, while making a delivery as a boat coxswain.

He’s thrilled to be back.

“He is like a kid in a candy store!” BM3 Scheidel remarked.

“Eagle has a unique mission, which is preparing today’s Coast Guardians and the future leaders of the Coast Guard in some of the very complex elements of working with the sea, the weather and ships,” Cmdr. Scheidel noted. “It’s a fabulous training environment, and a unique operational setting.”

The elder mariner is just as impressed by the changes that have occurred in the Coast Guard since he last served as he is with Eagle.

“The Coast Guard has changed significantly for the better,” he said. “I speak very fondly of almost every moment that I was in the Coast Guard, but I am very impressed with what it has evolved into. They are able to accomplish many missions with high levels of confidence, skill and positive outcomes.”

Father and daughter both hope that he will be able to repeat this experience again someday.

A year from now, during the Eagle’s next tour, I may ask if there’s some space to allow an old retired person to come aboard,” he said. “It’s nice to be back at sea, it’s nice to be on a Coast Guard cutter, and I would live to do it again even in my retired years.”

“I hope so,” the boatswain’s mate agreed. “It’s really nice being able to spend this time with him.”