U.S. Coast Guard boarding experience (not typical i dont think)

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Don't think so, svlamorocha. I used to live in Southern California, and routinely carried flares as safety equipment in my car's trunk. No cases of spontaneous combustion. Furthermore, they're fairly standard, and CA has millions of cars....

Ann

Thanks. I had forgotten that it is a uniquely American thing to carry flares in cars (instead of lights or reflective stuff as used by us aliens). In fact you remind me that when I lived there my company vehicles had them.

I confess I do not know if those flares are similar to the ones we use on boats, but I am sure that I know that the flares I am familiar with say that "storage above 120 degrees F for a long period of time (more than 1 week) should be avoided". I have seen the the damage from the explosion of a can of spray paint that exploded in the trunk of a car in the SoCal desert and learned how hot a trunk could get and that is way hotter than 120 degrees F.

I do not mind carrying expired flares on a boat where they will not get too hot but would not do it in a car in a sunny place. I will not object of others do it though!

Cheers

[Rustic Charm]

Guys, (and gals), marine flares generally have flash points that are way up over 100C, well beyound the temperature any car gets inside.

For example the Pains Wessex flares, at least common in Australia have a flash point on their MSDS sheet of 160 C or 320 F.

They are however not guaranteed to be useful as a safety device if kept in heat and should be kept in a cool dry place. Max temp for keeping is 70 c. That's still much hotter than the inside of a car boot.

Orion road side flares (as an example) have a flashpoint of 167 F in contrast to the marine flares.

The other thing to consider is that marine distress flares are quite different than the roadside flares used in the US. If you set off a marine flare on a road side, you will risk blanketing the road, causing other problems for motorists. Where as purpose designed emergency flares for the road have a small, but bright area which they light up.

[svlamorocha]

Originally Posted by Rustic Charm

Guys, (and gals), marine flares generally have flash points that are way up over 100C, well beyound the temperature any car gets inside.

For example the Pains Wessex flares, at least common in Australia have a flash point on their MSDS sheet of 160 C or 320 F.

They are however not guaranteed to be useful as a safety device if kept in heat and should be kept in a cool dry place. Max temp for keeping is 70 c. That's still much hotter than the inside of a car boot.

Orion road side flares (as an example) have a flashpoint of 167 F in contrast to the marine flares.

The other thing to consider is that marine distress flares are quite different than the roadside flares used in the US. If you set off a marine flare on a road side, you will risk blanketing the road, causing other problems for motorists. Where as purpose designed emergency flares for the road have a small, but bright area which they light up.

Thanks for the useful info on flares. I am not sure of your point about 70C, at least for a dark car in a very sunny place.

[jsc7]

Originally Posted by natraps116

Hi all, I am a big supporter of our brave men and women in the Coast Guard, but lets not forget. They are law enforcement officers first and foremost...

Uh,... NO, they are not "law enforcement officers", they are SOLDIERS. They are enlisted members of Department of Defense, previously known as the Department of War.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by jsc7

Uh,... NO, they are not "law enforcement officers", they are SOLDIERS. They are enlisted members of Department of Defense, previously known as the Department of War.

1. USCG members are military but not soldiers.

2. There are officers as well as enlisted.

3. Very often their mission is law enforcement.

[jsc7]

Originally Posted by sailpower

1. USCG members are military but not soldiers.

Every uniformed member of Department of Defense is considered "first and foremost" a soldier and they all take the same oath, which is a military oath.

In the military it doesn't matter whether you are a cook or doctor or what: you are a soldier "first and foremost" and you are given a gun and the purpose of that gun is to kill the "enemies" of the United States and you swear an oath to it.

I object to the OP describing coast guard as "first and foremost" as "law enforcement officers" which is completely untrue. The coast guard is a MILITARY organization and is one of the five branches of the US federal armed forces, the others being the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by jsc7

Every uniformed member of Department of Defense is considered "first and foremost" a soldier and they all take the same oath, which is a military oath.

In the military it doesn't matter whether you are a cook or doctor or what: you are a soldier "first and foremost" and you are given a gun and the purpose of that gun is to kill the "enemies" of the United States and you swear an oath to it.

I object to the OP describing coast guard as "first and foremost" as "law enforcement officers" which is completely untrue. The coast guard is a MILITARY organization and is one of the five branches of the US federal armed forces, the others being the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.

No, that is incorrect.

Seems like you have never worn a uniform?

I was active duty USN for seven years and was never considered a soldier. I was a sailor, specifically a submarine sailor. We don't have submarine soldiers and we weren't issued weapons. LOL

A huge component of the USCG mission is in fact maritime law enforcement. look it up.

[mramoo]

The USCG is no longer under the DOD. They are now under Homeland Security. They are law enforcement officers.

[emcmia]

Originally Posted by jsc7

Uh,... NO, they are not "law enforcement officers", they are SOLDIERS. They are enlisted members of Department of Defense, previously known as the Department of War.

The USCG is currently under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). And as SailPower indicated, they are not "soldiers".

[tdh1849]

I am a retired Chief Petty Officer, E7, 25 years service in the USCGR, and would politely suggest that some of the posts on this tread are incorrect and that the correct information can be found by doing a ,"Wiki" on the United States Coast Guard.

Semper Paratus.............

[a64pilot]

I was a Soldier for a little over 20 years.
I can tell you a very good way to get into a bar fight is to call US Marine "soldier"

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by mramoo

The USCG is no longer under the DOD. They are now under Homeland Security. They are law enforcement officers.

USCG has only been under DoD during wartime.

Prior to being under DoHS, they were Dept of Transportation and before that Dept of Treasury.

Their existence as an armed seagoing force predates the USN.

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by jsc7

..... you are given a gun and the purpose of that gun is to kill the "enemies" of the United States and you swear an oath to it.

.

Forget to add that in military basic training the recruits quickly learn the difference between their rifle and their gun.

There are a number of ways to train recruits if they forget the difference, most employing the phrase, "This is my rifle and this is my gun" stated by the recruit while holding on to the respective items and performing various physical activities.

Hint: You are not issued a gun.

[Outcasts]

Originally Posted by Adelie

USCG has only been under DoD during wartime.

Prior to being under DoHS, they were Dept of Transportation and before that Dept of Treasury.

Their existence as an armed seagoing force predates the USN.

ORGANIZATION DATE FOUNDED
US ARMY (USA) JUNE 14, 1775
US NAVY (USN) OCTOBER 13, 1775
US MARINES (USMC) NOVEMBER 10, 1775
US COAST GUARD (USCG) AUGUST 4, 1790
WOMEN'S ARMY AUXILIARY CORP (WAAC) MAY 15, 1942
WOMEN IN NAVY (WAVES) JULY 30, 1942
WOMEN IN COAST GUARD (SPARS) NOVEMBER 23, 1942
WOMEN MARINES FEBRUARY 13, 1943
WOMEN'S ARMY CORP (WAC) JULY 1, 1943
US AIR FORCE (USAF) SEPTEMBER 18, 1947
WOMEN IN USAF (WAF) JUNE 12, 1948

[cwoflyboy]

I don't remember how the law reads, but DOD types does not have arrest authority. The CG has the same arrest, search or detain authority as the Customs service. When you see a drug bust by a naval vessel, it is because the have a CG team on board. During my 30 years of active duty, I rode many naval vessels for LE including British and Dutch warships.