Team Quest coaches Scott McKendry & Brad Hannah were invited to Swan Island, just north of downtown Portland to train the US Coast Guard of the USCG Bluebell station – Marine Safety Unit. The servicemen were introduced to some grappling, take downs, take down defense and some FitQuest for their strength & conditioning.
On an average day the men and women of USCG Station Portland patrol 127 miles of waterways on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers; Professionally conducting patrols to protect the ports and harbors of the greater Portland/Vancouver area. These men and women expertly handle search and rescue cases and enforce federal laws on the water each and every day.
With the rigorous physical and mental demands of being the combination of Lifeguard, Fireman, and Police Officer the men and women of USCG Station Portland have to be in shape ready to answer the call any of the time day or night.
“Physical fitness is an important part of life onboard a Coast Guard Station. It is not only to maintain physical readiness but it also helps with mental stress relief and inspires a good espirit de corps. Everyone onboard the station is involved with some kind of physical activity whether it be weight lifting, biking, hiking, running, boxing, playing football, basketball, or soccer. This group work out is a great way for everyone to work together as a team and have some fun along the way” – Senior Chief Justin Eaton, Officer in Charge.
The U.S. Coast Guard is one of the five armed forces of the United States and the only military organization within the Department of Homeland Security. Since 1790 the Coast Guard has safeguarded our Nation’s maritime interests and environment around the world. The Coast Guard is an adaptable, responsive military force of maritime professionals whose broad legal authorities, capable assets, geographic diversity and expansive partnerships provide a persistent presence along our rivers, in the ports, littoral regions and on the high seas. Coast Guard presence and impact is local, regional, national and international. These attributes make the Coast Guard a unique instrument of maritime safety, security and environmental stewardship.
The USCG are demanded to be ready for anything at anytime in any situation. Daily tasks for the USCG can be made up of a hybrid of military, fire and law enforcement operations as they are often working closely alongside other military and service units. The job is demanding, requires discipline and courage that is uncommon.
“Our goal for the US Coast Guard was simple today, to give them an honest evaluation through a Q.U.E.S.T (quality under extreme stress test) of where their fitness level currently is and how they will be able to react to that stress while enduring physical & mental fatigue. We understand that in 60 minutes, a group of 30 people are not going to learn, understand and retain a whole bunch of technique, so we decided to give them a few simple exercises and drills that they would be able to grasp and hopefully use in the future for their betterment.”, said McKendry the FitQuest master trainer and general manager for Team Quest.
The 30 USCG service people were put through some H.I.R.T.S (high intensity resistance training systems) sprints, vertical rope pulls, battle rope, kettle bell swings, 100 lb dummy carry’s and various calisthenics such as burpees, push ups, mountain climbers and jumping jacks. After their FitQuest training session, the coast guard were taught a few basic wrestling drills and practiced both take down and take down defense moves. The drills were simple to ensure that the shipmates were able to retain the information that they had just received from the coaches.
The USCG shipmates were also kind enough to take the Team Quest coaches out on to the Willamette river on one of their Defender Class boats boats and give them a unique tour of the downtown waterfront.
Developed in a direct response to the need for additional Homeland Security assets in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Defender Class boats were procured under an emergency acquisition authority. With a contract for up to 700 standard response boats, the Defender Class acquisition is one of the largest boat buys of its type in the world. The 100 boat Defender A Class (RB-HS) fleet began arriving at units in MAY 2002 and continued through AUG 2003. After several configuration changes, most notably a longer cabin and shock mitigating rear seats, the Defender B Class (RB-S) boats were born. This fleet was first delivered to the field in OCT 2003, and there are approximately 300 RB-S boats in operation.
The Defender Class boats currently in operation are assigned to the Coast Guards Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST), Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT), Marine Safety Units (MSU), and Boat Stations throughout the Coast Guard. With an overall length of 25 feet, two 225 horsepower outboard engines, unique turning radius, and gun mounts boat forward and aft, the Defender Class boats are exceptional waterborne assets for conducting fast and high speed maneuvering tactics in a small deployable package. This is evidenced in the fact that several Defender Class boats are already in operation by other Homeland Security Department agencies as well as foreign military services for their homeland security missions.
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