The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley presented the crew of the St. Louis District’s MV Pathfinder with a custom made inscribed Louisville Slugger (direct from the factory) that reads, “"From Your Grateful Friends - US Coast Guard Sector Ohio Valley- PATHFINDER.”
“While being acknowledged by your superiors is certainly nice, to be recognized by your peers to me is the finest complement and makes going to work in the morning much easier,” Terry Bequette, captain of the MV Pathfinder said.
Partners on the river, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard often work hand in hand to provide safe and reliable river transportation.
The St. Louis District is authorized to maintain a minimum 9-foot deep, 300-foot wide navigation channel on 300 miles of the Mississippi River from Saverton, Mo. to Cairo, Ill., the lower 80 miles of the Illinois River and on the lower 36 miles of the Kaskaskia River.
The channel patrol boat, MV Pathfinder, identifies possible dredging locations by performing channel reconnaissance surveys. The MV Pathfinder also assists the Coast Guard with buoy positioning on the navigable waterways within the St. Louis District boundaries.
“I have been blessed with an unprecedented working relationship with the Skippers of the five Cutters and their respective commands which overlap in our district,” Bequette added. “We have also received numerous awards and certificates from the Coast Guard over the years, but they really knocked it out of the park with this one.”