Being prepared is key for Coast Guard unit

The new commanding officer of Morgan City’s U.S. Coast Guard unit is focused on making sure his staff is prepared to respond to any situation they may face relating to the area’s waterways.
Coast Guard Capt. Blake Welborn is also preparing the unit to move its main office to Houma within about 1½ years. But there will still be a sub-unit in Morgan City equipped to handle necessary duties in the area, he said.
Welborn began a three-year tour in Morgan City June 3, taking over as commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Morgan City from Capt. David McClellan, who left for an assignment in Hawaii.
Welborn is in his fifth tour on the Gulf Coast, having previously been stationed in Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, Morgan City and New Orleans.
Welborn, 48, a Dallas area native and 23-year veteran of the Coast Guard, wants the unit to be ready to respond to any event that could affect the area, but he has a “keen eye toward the weather,” he said.
As commanding officer, Welborn is responsible for about 120 personnel sta-tioned in Morgan City, 50 personnel at the Houma sub-unit and five staff in Lafayette.
Though a hurricane hasn’t hit the region in several years, the possibility of one is “ever front in our mind,” Welborn said. The Morgan City unit works for the Coast Guard’s New Orleans sector and is available to help if a crisis occurs in New Orleans and vice versa, he said.
From 2010-14, Welborn made his first tour in Morgan City as the unit’s executive officer, serving as No. 2 in command of the unit.
Welborn recognizes the importance of paying close attention to the Atchafalaya River levels and currents.
He was in Morgan City during the 2011 high water event so he had experience working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to protect areas that could have flooded. He also assisted in holding public meetings to inform people what they could expect and how the Coast Guard could help support them.
In his new job, Welborn will be tasked with leading the Marine Safety Unit through a transition phase. The Coast Guard plans to move the majority of the unit’s staff, including the commanding officer position, to Houma probably in late 2017, Welborn said. The move is due to the growth of commercial industry in Houma and Port Fourchon.
Once the move is complete, the unit will have roughly 50 personnel stationed in Morgan City.
The vessel traffic service, which monitors the Atchafalaya River 24/7, and boat-house, which includes vessels to conduct search and rescue missions and law enforcement patrols, will remain in Morgan City, Welborn said.
The Marine Safety Unit is also responsible for doing pollution response, marine casualty investigations; including fires, groundings, injuries and deaths; and facility inspections of water-front businesses that transfer oil and gas.
Welborn understands how important the waterways are to people who live in the Morgan City area.
“You can’t drive down the street and not see a boat in almost every backyard. Everybody’s either got one or their brother’s got one or their neighbor’s got one. And it’s very important for the people here to be able to access the waterways, recreationally and commercially,” Welborn said.
In his immediate past job, Welborn worked for Coast Guard headquarters and was stationed in New Orleans at the Investigations National Center of Expertise. There, he led the marine casualty investigations division.
Having made two tours in Louisiana already has helped him to better understand the people, culture and weather here, Welborn said.
One of the “hats” Welborn wears as commanding officer is serving as federal maritime security coordinator responsible for the security for ports and waterways in south central Louisiana. He is the officer in charge of marine inspection leading the inspection and investigation of all commercial vessels operating in the area.
Welborn serves as federal on-scene coordinator responsible for responding to oil and chemical spills in the coastal zone, which extends 200 miles offshore.
The unit has different duties that extend up to the end of federal waters 12 miles offshore, he said. Welborn is captain of the port in charge of south central Louisiana’s ports, ensuring they’re open and available for commerce. However, restrictions are sometimes required based on weather or other environmental conditions, he said.
In addition to protecting and serving commercial and recreational waterway users, Welborn has a commitment “to the folks that are wearing blue,” he said. He sees members of the unit as family and strives for members to sup-port one another in their professional and personal endeavors.