LIHU’E — When Lt. JG Jennifer Cook took command of the U.S. Coast Guard station at Nawiliwili Harbor, she joined an elite group of fellow officers nationwide. Cook became the first female commanding officer at the Kaua’i facility and, at
LIHU’E — When Lt. JG Jennifer Cook took command of the U.S. Coast Guard
station at Nawiliwili Harbor, she joined an elite group of fellow officers
nationwide.
Cook became the first female commanding officer at the Kaua’i
facility and, at 24, is among only 20 or so officers in her age range who run
a Coast Guard station.
About two weeks ago, she took over the Nawiliwili
facility from outgoing Lt. JG. Michael Schoonover during a change-of-command
ceremony—a day she will remember the rest of her life, Cook said.
On
that day, the new 87-foot USCG Cutter Kittiwake, bought at a cost of $3.5
million, was christened and officially assigned to the Kaua’i station.
Under her command will be 20 men, the cutter and two 24-foot, hard-hulled
inflatable boats, all of which can be used in rescues off Kaua’i waters. In
emergencies, the Kittiwake can be deployed as far away as the Big
Island.
Cook said the facility operated efficiently under the previous
commander and that she wants to continue that tradition. That means
establishing standard operating procedures for search and rescue missions and
missions related to law enforcement by federal, state and county agencies, plus
more training, Cook said.
Also under consideration is a plan to undergo
training at the Marine Safety Office of the Coast Guard on Oahu to better
respond to oil or fuel spills.
As a commanding officer, Cook said her focus
is “safety of the men” and ensuring missions are carried out
successfully.
Cook said she also wants to continue the strong relationship
the Nawiliwili station has with local boaters.
Instead of citing boaters at
sea for safety violations that could result in fines, Cook wants to set up days
on which boaters can bring their boats to the Coast Guard station for safety
checks.
“Their safety is our main concern,” she said.
For the past
two years, Cook served as a divisions officer assigned to the 378-foot Coast
Guard boat Rush, berthed at Sand Island on O’ahu.
Rescue missions that took
her to Guam and Alaska helped season her as an officer, she said. The missions
also illustrated the importance of teamwork in potentially life-threatening
situations at sea, she said.
“When people have a goal, when you have a
search and rescue, and you know you have a potential to save someone’s life,
people can do extraordinary things,” she said.
The rescues, in some cases,
have been heart-thumping adventures.
“It is a thrill getting out there and
being in 25 knots into the waves for a rescue,” Cook said.
Being in the
Coast Guard has taught her a valuable lesson: Being responsible for
others.
“Decisions I make can affect a lot of people, not just myself,”
Cook said.
Cook hails from Phoenix, Ariz. She excelled in sports, including
soccer, basketball and baseball.
Although her father was in the Air
Force, Cook said the idea of joining the military only came about after she
went on vacations to San Diego, Calif. and saw Coast Guard helicopter
rescues.
“I liked the idea of helping people,” said Cook, who aspired to
become a pilot until she stepped aboard a ship and realized ocean rescues could
be just as rewarding as air rescues.
Had she not joined the Coast Guard,
Cook said she probably would have become a science teacher.
She
specialized in marine environmental science and earned a bachelor of science
degree at the Coast Guard Academy in London, Conn., the equivalent of the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Following
graduation, she put in for duty in Hawai’i — her first choice.
“My mother
is from New Zealand , and I have been out in the Pacific islands before,” she
said. “I love the tropics. I just really like the lifestyle and always have
enjoyed being around the water.”
Her tour of duty on Kaua’i is two years.
Future goals? If she decides to make the Coast Guard her career, she said she
will work toward a doctorate degree and seek another assignment with a Coast
Guard facility in Hawaii.
The alternative, she said, would be a command
on the West Coast, where she can broaden her experience.
One of Cook’s
men, E2 fireman apprentice Mckinley Coley, said Cook can handle her current
assignment and more.
Coley said Cook has “excellent experience, probably
more than what is required for this station. Excellent captain.”
Staff
writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or
lchang@pulitzer.net
