BOSUN'S MATE GOES FROM PIRATE-WATCH TO PATROLLING COAST.Byline: ERIC LEACH Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - After nearly a year of patrolling Mideast waters for pirates and terrorists, U.S. Coast Guard bosun's mate Jay Galazin will soon be home to spend time with the son he's rarely seen and enjoy the local beaches that propelled him to the Coast Guard. Galazin, who grew up in Simi Valley, spent his youth fishing in the Santa Barbara Channel The Santa Barbara Channel is that part of the Pacific Ocean which separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the city of Ventura. and romping in the surf along the Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, coast. ``It was going to the beaches and out on fishing trips that gave me my love for the ocean, which is why I chose the Coast Guard,'' said Galazin, who met his wife Jillian in the Coast Guard. The couple now has a 3-year-old son, Jakob. ``I've missed over half of his life because of my service to the country,'' he said, looking forward to being reunited "Reunited" was a #1 hit in the United States in 1979 by the Washington, D.C.-based group Peaches & Herb. Preceded by "Heart of Glass" by Blondie Billboard Hot 100 number one single May 5 1979 Succeeded by "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer with the boy when he returns for his new assignment as an executive petty officer on the Coast Guard cutter Blackfin in Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. . But Galazin is proud of his work in the Persian Gulf Persian Gulf, arm of the Arabian Sea, 90,000 sq mi (233,100 sq km), between the Arabian peninsula and Iran, extending c.600 mi (970 km) from the Shatt al Arab delta to the Strait of Hormuz, which links it with the Gulf of Oman. , where the Coast Guard has been protecting oil terminals vital to the recovery of Iraq's economy. ``He volunteered to go to the gulf. He's very patriotic,'' said his wife, who is also looking forward to moving from Washington state to Southern California for her husband's new assignment. ``It's been hard for him, being gone, and he's very much looking forward to being around Jakob again.'' Off the coast of Iraq, Galazin said, the Coast Guard ships are almost in perpetual motion Perpetual motion The expression perpetual motion, or perpetuum mobile, arose historically in connection with the quest for a mechanism which, once set in motion, would continue to do useful work without an external source of energy or which would produce more , boarding and inspecting everything from 30-foot fishing boats to supertankers to ensure they are not transporting terrorists. Even with the military presence in the area, there is a threat of pirates, who pull up alongside other boats to hijack them or rob passengers, he said. As for the threat of terrorism, the October 2000 attack on the destroyer USS USS abbr. 1. United States Senate 2. United States ship USS abbr (= United States Ship) → Namensteil von Schiffen der Kriegsmarine Cole that killed 17 sailors and injured 39 illustrates the danger from even small boats filled with explosives. ``The biggest thing is the potential for danger you can't really identify,'' Galazin said of his work in the gulf. ``The terrorists have a tendency to hide among the good and the honest people. You always have to ask, `Is this a fisherman or a terrorist waiting for a chance to blow someone up?' '' Galazin said that despite the danger, most of the Iraqi fishermen he encounters embrace the idea of democracy. ``Fishermen the world 'round are independent people,'' he said. ``They are like farmers, trying to employ nature as an asset. Iraqi fishermen aren't any different from fishermen off Southern California. Most of them have been looking forward to more freedom.'' Galazin said that after he graduated from Royal High School in Simi Valley and attended Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. and California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , he had been doing construction work and trying to start a career in firefighting or law enforcement because he knew a number of police officers and firefighters from his Simi Valley neighborhood around his parents home on Marter Court. ``One rainy season when construction was getting kind of slow, I saw an add in a newspaper for the Coast Guard, so I applied. ``I wish I'd done it at 18,'' said Galazin. The U.S. Coast Guard is considered the fifth branch of the military even though it is part of the Department of Homeland Security Noun 1. Department of Homeland Security - the federal department that administers all matters relating to homeland security Homeland Security executive department - a federal department in the executive branch of the government of the United States . There are about 40,000 ``Coasties'' on active duty with the Coast Guard around the world, plus 8,000 reservists. In the Persian Gulf, the Coast Guard has provided port security for Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq. Galazin's sister, Erin Knebel, a teacher at Justin Elementary School elementary school: see school. in Simi Valley where Galazin once attended school, said her brother was always protective of her and has always wanted to stand up for the underdog. ``He has always wanted to stand up for people who can't stand up for themselves,'' she said. ``He loves his country and has a strong sense of duty. It's wonderful to see he's found his calling. We love him and are very proud of him.'' Galazin said his family has been ``hugely supportive,'' and added that expressions of support mean a great deal to him and other military personnel and their family members. ``When we know our families are being treated kindly, it makes it easier to do our work here,'' he said. Galazin said although he will be returning from Iraq and working soon off the coast of Southern California, it does not mean his job will be easy. ``When it gets stormy and the weather gets bad, that's when it's time It's Time was a successful political campaign run by the Australian Labor Party (ALP) under Gough Whitlam at the 1972 election in Australia. Campaigning on the perceived need for change after 23 years of conservative (Liberal Party of Australia) government, Labor put forward a for me to go to work. Life in the Coast Guard is definitely an adventure.'' eric.leach(at)dailynews.com (805) 583-7602 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Coast Guard bosun's mate Jay Galazin is seen with his son, Jakob. (2 -- color) Coast Guard bosun's mate Jay Galazin, serving in Iraq for the past year, will return home soon to be with his wife, Jillian, and his son, Jakob, in Southern California. ``It's been hard for him, being gone, and he's very much looking forward to being around Jakob again,'' Jillian Galazin said. |
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