Anicia Hokanson
Growing up in Guam, I
never traveled, or got to
see much of anything
besides water. After high
school I tried college
for a semester but
decided I was ready for a
different kind of
challenge.
I met with a
recruiter and got excited
about the Coast Guard’s
mission in marine
environmental safety and I
enlisted.
After boot camp, I
spent a few years doing
search and rescue as well
as law enforcement
missions. Then I went to
a specialty school to
become an Emergency
Management Specialist. In
this role, I examine
ships doing business in
the United States and I
conduct water-side
facility inspections to
make sure they meet the
environmental regulations
necessary to avoid
damaging our ports and
water ways. I also
educate other Coast Guard
units, federal agencies,
and commercial businesses
on how to anticipate,
avoid and react to
hazardous incidents.
I joined the Atlantic
Strike Team, one of
four regional strike
teams in the United
States that do a lot of
really cool things.
For
example, if there’s an
oil spill, hazardous
spill release, or weapons
of mass destruction
incident, we deploy our
highly-trained people and
specialized equipment to
protect the public health
and the environment.
I enjoy travelling for
my work since I didn’t
get to travel very much
prior to military
service.
I have seen
many different places I
would have never seen,
and that’s pretty
exciting.
I was at an
oil spill in Puerto Rico,
I cleaned up ricin (a
toxin fatal to humans) in
Washington DC, and I
worked an anthrax case in
Connecticut. I've been to
several different states
from Maine down to
Florida. And I’ve been to
Idaho and Colorado, too.
Being a member of the
Coast Guard also gives me
a chance to give back to
the community. Recently,
a group of
underprivileged children
went on a search and
rescue boat with us for a
day long cruise, and we
showed them what we do
during a mission. To see
their faces brighten up
was really rewarding for
me.
My favorite thing
about the Coast Guard,
since it is the smallest
of the five services, is
that it feels a little
like a family. And that
feeling of family has
helped nurture
relationships which I
know will provide job
opportunities and lasting
friendships in the
future.
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