Auxiliarist Conklin sweeps the dust while LT J. Andrew Ely looks over the renovation work.

Auxiliarist Yannone removes the debris from the construction area.

Spring is in the air and the walls are coming down at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in New London, Connecticut.  On 20 March, as active duty members went about their daily routine they could hear the sound of pounding hammers, whirling saws and detached drywall crashing to the deck above.

The third deck demolition was being conducted by Auxiliary members at the request of the station’s commanding officer, Lieutenant J. Andrew Ely.

The Station’s third deck was originally a squad bay open from end to end.  Over time the space was partitioned to provide berthing spaces, a library, television room and recreation area.

Auxiliarist Pillar removes receptacles and secures loose wiring.

The needs of the Station have evolved necessitating a reallocation of available space.  The Station now has a recreation room on the first deck and the cramped training room on the third deck made it impossible to conduct ‘all hands’ training in that location.  Removing the wall will combine the training and recreation areas providing an additional forty feet of usable space.

“The new space creates a flexible floor plan to accommodate a variety of functions at the Station,” said Mr. Ely, “Auxiliary Division 25 now holds their meetings at the Station, and this larger room is better suited to accommodate their purposes.”

Additionally, the room creates a meeting place for the entire Station crew to hold their weekly quarters and all hands training on Wednesday mornings.

“On occasion the Station hosts law enforcement meetings for operations conducted in support of the New London Naval Submarine Base, the Coast Guard Academy, and large scale marine events in the area, said Ely, “for all of these reasons the new floor plan is a significant upgrade to the facility.”

This project, like many at the Station, has been undertaken by a group of Auxiliary members who call themselves the Auxiliary DC (damage control) team.  

The team is led by Vincent Yannone, who served at the station as a reservist from 1974-1996.  After his retirement he joined the Auxiliary and formed the DC team.  Also serving on the DC team are Auxiliarists Ganiford “Buzz” Graml, Richard Pillar, Geoffrey Conklin and Kenneth Jacobs.

Finishing touches in the space include an overhead projector and Coast Guard workstation to present material as well as an education center with a computer purchased for the crew of Station New London by the Coast Guard Foundation. The renovation is expected to be completed within two weeks.