(Courtesy Gloucester Mathews Gazette-Journal)
U.S. Coast Guard Station Milford Haven in Mathews County has been operating since April 30 with reduced crews, who are working scheduled shifts rather than being on duty 24 hours a day.
Lt. Luke W. Pinneo, USCG District 5 public affairs officer, said the station has transitioned to a Scheduled Mission Station, which means that crews are no longer on hand 24 hours a day to conduct search and rescue missions but are instead scheduling boat operations and missions, along with training, maintenance, and unit administration at the station.
Hours at Milford Haven remain flexible, said Pinneo, “allowing the crew to maximize support to the region with limited resources.” Typical daily staffing there is around 11 crew members, he said, and they operate two 29-foot response boats for “high-speed, easily deployable capability.”
Workforce shortages said to be the reason
The station’s status was changed under the Coast Guard’s 2024 Force Alignment Initiative because of service-wide workforce shortages, said Pinneo. He said the status is temporary and is aimed at “ensuring the Coast Guard can continue to prioritize its lifesaving missions and statutory obligations despite significant personnel shortages.”
“Operating our boats, planes, helicopters, and cutters with insufficient personnel puts our crews and the American public at risk,” he said. “These changes will create a more resilient response network of Coast Guard boat stations and assets without decreasing our ability to protect the public.”
Once there are sufficient personnel to fill “all critical billets,” said Pinneo, the Coast Guard will reexamine the operational status of Station Milford Haven.
Meanwhile, when there are emergencies, Pinneo said that nearby stations such as Cape Charles and Saint Inigoes (approximately 27 and 47 nautical miles away, respectively, according to Broad Bay Sailing Association’s Chesapeake Bay Mileage Chart) will respond, as will air assets from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina. He said mariners can still use VHF Channel 16 or call the Sector Virginia Command Center on its 24-hour hotline, 757-483-8567, for assistance.
Congressman Wittman’s response
U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Montross, who was instrumental in 2021 in convincing the Coast Guard not to downgrade Station Milford Haven to a seasonal station that’s open only six months a year, said in an email from his communications director that he was notified of the temporary staffing changes in April.
“I was discouraged to see this adjustment to their schedule,” he said; “however, I recognize the challenges faced by the Coast Guard as they deal with recruitment shortfalls.”
Wittman said the Coast Guard told him that they are “continuing to evaluate the status of their workforce but have yet to decide how to prioritize the return to full operations.” He said they continue to stress to him that the changes are not permanent.
“I will advocate for a return to the station’s regular schedule as soon as possible,” said Wittman. “I reassure the Chesapeake Bay community that they will still receive support from the Coast Guard, and I am closely monitoring this change to ensure that the community receives the coverage it needs.”