Military

US Coast Guard Breaks Ground on Cockspur Island Complex

January 13, 2022Noelle Wiehe
Tybee

US Coast Guard leaders break ground on a new building at Coast Guard Station Tybee on Georgia’s Cockspur Island Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. Photo by Noelle Wiehe/Coffee or Die Magazine.

COCKSPUR ISLAND, Ga. Weeks after workers demolished a condemned building here, US Coast Guard Station Tybee crew members broke ground Wednesday, Jan. 12, on a new structure that promises to transform the entire waterfront.


“Today is a seminal moment for moving forward on this waterfront,” Coast Guard Capt. John Cole, the commander of Sector Charleston, said.


Construction of the new 25,000-square-foot structure is slated to be finished in early 2023, said Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate Eric Risner, the officer in charge of Coast Guard Station Tybee.


It will house 38 active-duty Coast Guard members and roughly 20 reservists, plus the six-person crew of Aids to Navigation Team Tybee Island and the 14 crew members of the cutter Pompano who patrol offshore. 


Cockspur Island
A US Coast Guard MH-65D Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Savannah, Georgia, flies over Coast Guard Station Tybee and the cutter Pompano on the way to Charleston, South Carolina, Aug. 7, 2021. US Coast Guard photo by Public Affairs Specialist 2nd Class Barry Bena.

Architects have planned for a three-and-a-half-story platform with a boathouse so crews can perform maintenance on two vessels at the same time. 


“It will be built at the 500-year flood level, and therefore, we should be able to sustain hurricane-type winds and storms here,” Risner said. 


The original two-story building was built in 1983 and could house only 20 personnel overnight.


“With the top floor of the former facility condemned, duty crews had to live in trailers,” Cole said. “I say ‘living’ on purpose. Staying overnight and staying on watch is part of Coast Guard living. It’s what we do.”


Cockspur Island
US Coast Guard officials broke ground Jan. 12, 2022, on a new structure to house personnel at Coast Guard Station Tybee on Cockspur Island in Georgia. Photo by Noelle Wiehe/Coffee or Die Magazine.

Station Tybee oversees an area of roughly 75 coastal miles, from South Carolina’s Saint Helena Sound to Georgia’s Sapelo Sound. It includes rivers, creeks, tributaries, and Low Country marshes.


The primary missions for the Coast Guard’s crews are law enforcement and search and rescue operations. In any given year, they run roughly 250 search and rescue operations and undertake 500 law enforcement boardings, officials said.


Read Next: Alaska SAR Alarm: Daring Coast Guard Rescue Saves 4 Mariners



Noelle Wiehe
Noelle Wiehe

Noelle is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die through a fellowship from Military Veterans in Journalism. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and interned with the US Army Cadet Command. Noelle also worked as a civilian journalist covering several units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment on Fort Benning, before she joined the military as a public affairs specialist.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

Ouija Board aircraft carrier
Low-Tech ‘Ouija Boards’ Have Helped Aircraft Carriers Operate for Decades

Since the 1920s, a low-tech tabletop replica of an aircraft carrier’s flight deck has been an essential tool in coordinating air operations.

Army vs. Navy mascot
The Navy Goat vs. the Army Mule: Mascot Origin Stories

For nearly as long as the Army-Navy football rivalry, the academies’ hoofed mascots have stared each other down from the sidelines. Here are their stories.

ukraine long-range weapon
Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Has Developed a Long-Range Weapon, a Day After Strike Deep Inside Russia

Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel the weapon was produced by Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries but gave no other details.

ambush
7 of the Best Movie Ambush Scenes of All Time

Ambushes make for great action scenes. Here are seven of the best to ever grace the big screen.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, with his daughter, center right, reportedly named Ju Ae, review the honor guard during their visit to the navy headquarter in North Korea
North Korea Launches Missile Toward Sea After US Flies Bomber During Drills

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the launch occurred Wednesday but gave no further details, such as how far the missile flew.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved