Fall 2023 DTRAIN
 Fall 2023 DTRAIN 22-24 September, 2023 Wyndham Resort and Conference Center, Lancaster, Pennsylvania FALL DTRAIN DEADLINES ARE COMING UP FAST! DTRAIN & Hotel Reservations Close 06 September FROM THE COMMODORE Fellow Auxiliarists, Fall DTRAIN is right around the corner! Registration is still open! DTRAIN is absolutely THE best opportunity to get to know your fellow District Shipmates. Nothing beats face-to-face interaction and our District Team has worked overtime to make this an outstanding DTRAIN. We have a wonderful new location that has been fully renovated with outstanding new conference facilities and a golf course. The District Board Meeting, open to all members, is on Friday morning. Scheduled events for members follow Friday afternoon and evening, Saturday and Sunday. Come hear from the U.S. Coast Guard Active Duty about exciting new opportunities for D5NR Auxiliarists at our Saturday Commodore’s Banquet where we will be celebrating the accomplishments of many of our members. Also be sure to join us for our Western Fun Night on Friday! Every District member should make the effort to come for the entire DTRAIN weekend. If you can’t make it for the entire weekend, come in for training on Friday and/or Saturday. Your time will be very well invested; you are certain to have a great time and will gain valuable knowledge along with some terrific new friends. Be sure to catch up with me to have a chat!  Looking forward to seeing you at DTRAIN!Semper Paratus!  Commodore Kurt P. Sarac, Sr., District Commodore, Fifth District-Northern Region U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Here are some great reasons for participating in DTRAIN: Reason #1 Fellowship & Fun Fellowship may be the unsung single greatest benefit from attending DTRAIN. This is one of only two times a year that so many D5NR Auxiliarists gather in one place. The training and events are absolutely top notch, but interacting with all the individuals from all levels of the Auxiliary and the Active Duty literally brings to your life the names and the faces of your fellow Team Coast Guard Shipmates. Truly, lifelong friendships have started at DTRAINS. You get to meet such a variety folks from across our District and beyond—all in an extremely friendly and welcoming environment. Put aside any reservations you might have about shoulder boards, stars and stripes—the key element that makes DTRAINs so wonderful is that every attendee is approachable and eager to visit with each other. Of course, decorum and respect are still expected. New Acquaintances & More Opportunities Come to DTRAIN looking to make new acquaintances and friends. Explore with other members the full spectrum of opportunities and experiences available in working with and supporting Team Coast Guard. You bring talent, experience, knowledge and dedication to the organization. In turn, Team Coast Guard offers you training, opportunities to serve in broader capacities and the sincerest appreciation and gratitude for your significant contributions. Some of the best value from DTRAINs comes from your time between sessions and events—the “off times.” Meals are a great time to interact. Sit with folks that you don’t know! Introduce yourself and participate in the conversations. A great conversation starter is “What do you do in real life?” You may be amazed at the answers. This also works with Active Duty, by the way. For certain, at the very least, you will come away with a deeper appreciation of your shipmates (and folks who will be familiar to you at the next gathering). New to the Auxiliary or first time at a DTRAIN? Introduce yourself and then share that this is new to you. Expect an enthusiastic welcome.  Friday Night is Fun Night—Western Style A time set aside to get to know your shipmates and to mix with people from across the District—Gold and Silver, Active Duty, Auxiliarists and Guests. The Friday Fun Night theme is Western Night—Grab yer Western duds and get your Yee-Haw on! There will be a hearty buffet—big enough to satisfy any appetite. Prizes for Best Costumes and challenging contests. Relax! Have fun! Get to know folks! For additional fellowship be sure to stop by the All-Member Hospitality Suite on Friday and Saturday Nights. Reason #2 Training, Training, Training! This is your Distict TRAINing event so expect to receive the very best training available. Take this opportunity to increase your knowledge, sharpen your skills and learn about other missions and specialties. There is something for just about everyone. The instructors have the knowledge and the experience to help you advance toward your personal goals in the Auxiliary. You must register for sessions for which you need to receive credit. However, if you have the time and the curiosity, you may want to quietly pop in or out of a session of interest. Come with a sense of purpose and let your curiosity take you to new opportunities and adventures. Please take the time to carefully review the following training offerings. Reason #3 Meet Your Leadership Sessions There are times scheduled for all members to meet senior leadership from both D5NR Auxiliary and the Director of Auxiliary Office. Get to know your leaders—face-to-face. You will be impressed with their spirit, their dedication and how much they each love the service to which we have all sworn our support. You’ll find the atmosphere in the sessions to be friendly and open. Reason #4 Personal Satisfaction For some Auxiliarists DTRAIN is a right of passage, for others it is a time of renewal of friendships and knowledge. This DTRAIN, in particular, will provide all attendees with a clearer sense of the Auxiliary’s evolving missions and purpose. Attending will help galvanize the importance that your volunteer service has to the Auxiliary, the Coast Guard, the public we serve, and the country. Every contribution, every member makes a positive difference that has never mattered more. We are truly One Team—One Fight.  Fall 2023 DTRAIN ScheduleTHURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER PRE-DTRAIN GOLF OUTING 0900 START District Golf Outing ($40 + Tax) Price includes 18 Holes of Golf as well as Cart Rental. The fee will be collected at the Pro Shop prior to golfing. Please Note: The Golf Outing is wholly separate from the DTRAIN event—participation is solely at the expense of the member. There is no funding support available for the Golf Outing. FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER DISTRICT BOARD MEETING & TRAINING 0930 – 1230 TIME SLOT Fifth District-Northern Region Fall Board Meeting This our Semi-Annual Board Meeting. All members are welcome! 1145 – 1315 LUNCH 1330 – 1730 TIME SLOT Variety of Meetings, Round Tables & Sessions For all members. Unique sessions, new content. Full details to follow. SATURDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 0900 START TIME  Flotilla Leadership Training(8-Hour Course, Class Times SAT 0800 – 1700 — lunch break included, SUN 0900 – 1100) Instructor: Daniel Toms For newly Elected or Appointed Flotilla Officer. Selected “Nuts and Bolts” subjects will be covered to assist you on starting off on the right foot.  Navigation Systems Training(4-Hour Course, Class Time 0800 – 1430 — lunch break included) Instructor: Frank Williams This class is designed for coxswains and aid verifiers. Boat crew would also find it useful. The class takes a much closer look at many of the aids in our specific AOR. It describes buoys and ranges and identifies the CG units responsible for them. It talks about how the CG maintains the local ATON. It will have displays of older technologies and the new equipment that is replacing them. It gives you an up close and personal view of aids that you may only see at a distance from your facilities and shows you what equipment is actually on that tower. It discusses Federal ATON discrepancy reporting and PATON verification. It goes much deeper than the typical boat crew class and will give attendees a much clearer understanding of the aids to navigation systems in our AOR. Incident Command System (ICS) Opportunities at Sector Delaware Bay (2-Hour Course, Class Time 0800 – 1015) This course covers a brief description of ICS, the AUX ICS structure within Sector, such as the District Staff Officer-Emergency Management and IMAST Coordinator, the opportunities available within the Sector, and how to get qualified. Vessel Examiner Qualification Certification (Session A: 2-Hour Course, Class Time 0800 – 1015) Instructor: Ed Seda VE certification process enables candidates to complete their five mentored VSCs to qualify the candidate. Various type of craft (motor boat, jet ski, canoe/kayak) will be available to inspect. Candidates will have to have passed the VE Exam which can be checked on AUXDATA II. (Note: Limited Availability and only one session per person.) 0915 – 1015 TIME SLOT Annual Budgets and Audits A review of Auxiliary annual budgets and annual audits that should be held. Auxiliary Awards Preparation Learn the types of USCG awards available to Auxiliarists, the process for submitting the award recommendation, and how to prepare the award recommendation package in this D5NR Award Preparation Workshop. Take care of your deserving shipmates and recognize them.  Division Commanders MeetingThis meeting is for all Division Commanders & Division Vice Commanders to discuss upcoming expectations and priorities. 1030 – 1130 TIME SLOT  Coast Guard Recruiting TrainingLearn about the CG Recruiting Command request for Auxiliary Support of Coast Guard Recruiting. Cold Weather Operations Training Cold Water Operations as outlined in our Operational Commanders Guidance (OPCOM) document. (Requires two sessions—see details on Registration Website)  Meet the New Director of Auxiliary (DIRAUX)Take the opportunity to meet our new Director Commander Laura Moose, the Operational Training Officer Chief Warrant Officer 4 Mickey Price & the DIRAUX Office Staff. Vessel Examiner Qualification Certification (Session B: 2-Hour Course, Class Time 1030 – 1230) Instructor: Ed Seda VE certification process enables candidates to complete their five mentored VSCs to qualify the candidate. Various type of craft (motor boat, jet ski, canoe/kayak) will be available to inspect. Candidates will have to have passed the VE Exam which can be checked on AUXDATA II. (Note: Limited Availability and only one session per person.) 1145 – 1315 LUNCH 1330 – 1430 TIME SLOT Scouts BSA Youth Protection Training (2-Hour Course, Class Time 1330 – 1545)  Scouts BSA Youth Protection Training course is designed to teach you what to look out for when working with children. This includes sexual harassment, pedophiles, and bullying. You will be instructed on what to do if you encounter these situations including to whom you have to report such incidents. This is a Scouting BSA course and is used by numerous youth organizations in the country. This is a required course to have if you want to work with Sea Scouts or Boy Scouts and must be renewed every two years.Human Resource Processing (2-Hour Course, Class Time 1330 – 1545) Training on new application processes; privacy/confidentiality; terminations/disenrollments; transfers; ID cards; CORE classes & BQ2 online courses, and AAMS Contact Management Program.  Meet the Executive Committee (EXCOM)Take the opportunity to meet your current and future senior leaders of EXCOM. The Committee is comprised of the District Commodore, District Chief of Staff, the Immediate Past District Commodore, the District Captains of the Eastern, Central and Western Areas, the Director of Auxiliary and the District Operational Training Officer. 1445 – 1545 TIME SLOT AUXDATA II and a Member Operational Facility AUXDATA II training for processing the inspection, offer for use and approval of facilities, entering required information in AUXDATA II, and, how to review a facility’s information in AUXDATA II. Wraps up with a Question-and-Answer session. Coast Guard AUX ETS Training (2-Hour Course, Class Time 1445 – 1700) An orientation session on using E2Solutions for Coast Guard travel which includes completing and submitting the FSMS supplier request form, logging into ETS, completing the travel authorization and travel voucher, and reviewing the process for local travel. Vessel Examiner Qualification Certification (Session C: 2-Hour Course, Class Time 1030 – 1230) Instructor: Ed Seda VE certification process enables candidates to complete their five mentored VSCs to qualify the candidate. Various type of craft (motor boat, jet ski, canoe/kayak) will be available to inspect. Candidates will have to have passed the VE Exam which can be checked on AUXDATA II. (Note: Limited Availability and only one session per person.) 1600 – 1700 TIME SLOT How to Conduct a Marine Safety Public Outreach Booth Cover preparations for and conduct of a Marine Safety outreach booth at a public event. Topics covered include, but not be limited to, planning, gathering of outreach materials from ANSC and other sources, table/display arrangement and tips for interacting with passersby. Public Affairs officers might benefit from this as well. AUXDATA II — How to Find and Create Reports The session will provide insight into AUXDATA II Reports: How find a report in AUXDATA II, how to copy an existing report and change it for your own or other members’ use, how to Save it in your Private Report Folder, Flotilla Report Folder, Division Report Folder, how to create a report using a pre-defined template and a Question-and-Answer session.  Meet the District Commodoreand District Chief of Staff Take this opportunity to meet your District Commodore, COMO Kurt Sarac, Sr. and Noreen Schifini, District Chief of Staff. SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 0800 – 1100 Past Division Commanders Association Breakfast & Semi Annual Meeting Open to all PDCA Members and their guests. Any member having served for 1 year as Division Commander is eligible to join the Association. There is a nominal one-time fee for life membership. The Association is dedicated to mentoring other members in leadership and Auxiliary culture by drawing upon the extensive experience gathered over the years of dedicated service of its members. 0900 – 1100 Flotilla Leadership Training (Final Session) SUN 0900 – 1100) Instructor: Daniel Toms Conclusion of Flotilla Leadership Course (FLC) Watch for Addtional DTRAIN Classes & Sessions via NOGI Updates Online Fall DTRAIN Registration DTRAIN Deadlines Hotel Reservation Deadline 6 SEPTEMBER 2023 Meal and Class Registration Deadline 6 SEPTEMBER 2023 We encourage you to register as early as possible to assure your choices for classes and events. Space is limited for all sessions and events. The DTRAIN Registration Website is open. Full Class Schedule and registration for classes is on the website. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for DTRAIN New Location! Lancaster, PA Upgraded Facilities—More Space Wyndham Golf Resort & Conference Center is situated on 225 acres in Amish Country, adjacent to two working Amish farms. New location, new facility, larger rooms, excellent reviews. Indoor and outdoor pools, terraces, indoor and outdoor meeting areas. Warm friendly staff. Nearby shopping outlets and attractions.  Hotel Reservation Details Hotel reservations should be made directly with the Hotel. The hotel can be reached at 1-717-299-5500 or 1-800-233-0121. When booking your room please be sure to share with the staff our group name of Fall DTRAIN. This will ensure that you receive the preferred room rate. You may also register for a room using the hotel quick registration site, which is listed below, please be sure to only book the days you will be attending, as the date range is longer than the normal DTRAIN period of time: Online Fall DTRAIN Hotel Reservation All hotel bookings need to be made by 1700 on 6 September 2023. ABOUT FUNDING: 01 August was the official deadline to obtain Coast Guard member travel funding for members. However, limited Reimbursable Funding from the Auxiliary District budget may still be available on a first-come basis for members residing 50 or more miles from the DTRAIN site (DHS policy). Check with your Division Commander or District Captain as soon as possible as funds are limited. For members residing within the 50 miles radius of DTRAIN please check with your Division Commander or District Captain to secure a coupon code in advance of registering. Reimbursement for hotel accommodations may be provided by the Auxiliary District for special needs. YOU MUST SECURE ADVANCE APPROVAL FOR DISTRICT REIMBURSEMENT VIA AUXILIARY CHAIN OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT—Division Commander or District Captain. Under no circumstance will any funding from any source be available “after the fact.” FOR MORE DTRAIN INFORMATION Please Contact Jason Flynn, District Conference Coordinator via his mobile number (1-717-683-3180) or email jflynn78@icloud.com for any questions or issues you might have. For Future Coast Guard Travel Reimbursements MEMBERS SHOULD REGISTER FOR E2Solutions: While deadlines have passed to receive Coast Guard travel reimbursement for DTRAIN, it is still critical that all members that are eligible to receive travel reimbursement apply for their vendor number for E2Solutions System (ETS). The E2Solutions System (ETS) provides extremely fast reimbursement for your expenses—as fast as a day, but certainly within a few days, of your completing your orders. Registering takes about 10-20 minutes; we have directions and online presentations to assist you. Reach out to your peers who have been through the process to assist you personally in registering with ETS. The immediate goal is to get as many members as possible fully funded to attend Fall DTRAIN this 22-24 September in Lancaster, PA. To do so we need you to do the following four steps. Register on E2Solutions System (ETS) This is a once and done registration for all Coast Guard reimbursements. Upon successful completion of registration you will receive a personal identification number and will then be set up with automatic payments to your bank account. Getting that number is very important. Click for Recorded Presentation—Registering with ETS/E2Solutions Click Here for ETS/E2Solutions Registration Form Email your password-protected completed PDF form to FINCEN. Send your document password to FINCEN in a separate email. Once your vendor number has been returned to you from FINCEN, email that number to DIRAUX. DIRAUX will then return you the link with one-time login to ETS and set your password. What to Wear at DTRAIN Civilian Wear Members may choose to wear appropriate civilian attire at any time. For class work, meetings and social gatherings at events such as DTRAIN appropriate dress would be business casual. A polo or comfortable dress shirt/blouse and nice slacks (not jeans) are acceptable. Leisure wear, sport team wear and t-shirts are not acceptable. Remember, you are attending a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary event so be respectful in your dress and your actions. For formal gatherings, such as the Saturday evening Commodore’s Banquet, a suit or sport coat and tie for the gents shows proper respect. For the ladies, a semiformal dress, gown or suit is the norm. Those in uniform at the banquet will be wearing the equivalent of semi-formal to formal wear. For comparison, the White Dinner Dress Jacket uniform is on par with a tuxedo. For after hours and Friday night, relaxed and comfortable are the key words. You may well see a fair amount of U.S. Coast Guard and Auxiliary ‘affinity’ wear—think sport team wear. NO political wear is permitted—ever. Official Uniforms  Friday and Saturday(until the banquet) The designated Uniform of the Day for Friday’s District Board Meeting and all day Saturday is Trops. When outdoors, covers (uniform hats) should be worn—either a combination cap or garrison cap. Ball caps are not authorized to be worn with Trops. Trops consist of a light blue CG uniform shirt, CG Service Dress Blue uniform trousers, black socks and plain-toed, well-polished black oxfords. All members should wear a white V-neck undershirt—no crew neck tees. The belt is black web with a polished silver closure. Hard shoulder boards, name tag, ribbons, insignia and devices are worn. Trops are not authorized for wear at the formal Saturday Evening Commodore’s Banquet. Winter Dress Blue Uniform (Dark blue CPO Shirt and Tie with collar devices) is not approved for this event. Saturday Evening, Commodore’s Banquet This is a formal event. Your option is to wear appropriate civilian attire as described above or one of the two following formal Auxiliary uniforms.  Dinner Dress BlueThis is a refinement of the Standard Dress Blue uniform (SDB). In place of the light blue shirt a white plain collar dress shirt is worn. For men a plain black bow tie is proper; women wear the black tab tie. In place of ribbons, miniature medals are worn. Miniature devices replace the larger devices worn on Trops. The standard size AUXOP and Past Officer pins are worn. Name tags are not worn.  Dinner Dress White Jacket Uniform In Fifth District-Northern Region we only wear the Dinner Dress White Jacket uniform. There is a Dinner Dress Blue Jacket version for winter formal events in other districts. The jacket itself is the standard U.S. Coast Guard/U.S. Navy White Mess Jacket with the addition of loops sewn onto the shoulders to accommodate enhanced shoulder boards. The buttons on the jacket are silver Auxiliary buttons. The men’s jacket is closed with a short silver chain through small button holes. Shirts are white tuxedo shirts pleated for men, frilled and pleated for women. Shirts are closed using brushed silver studs. Black bow tie for gents, black tab tie for the ladies. Black slacks are worn with braces, women have the option to choose a black floor-length skirt. A silver cummerbund is worn (pleats up). Only the Combination Cap is worn with this uniform. Sunday—No Uniforms for Auxiliary Members. For complete guidelines on uniforms and their proper wear check the National U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary website / Human Resources Department. Click here for direct link.  Operational Dress Uniform (ODU) The ODU is worn for operational duty assignments including missions and work at some U,S, Coast Guard facilities. NOTE: ODUs are not authorized for wear at any time during DTRAIN. ### End of Newsletter |
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