Well written!

$75 .. this is going to my favorite nonprofit organization.

I agree with others ... good post!

(contd) ..Yes it was a blunder on CNN reporting it ... but the blame should also be shared with the USCG for not giving it a thought that it was quite possible that someone could mistake the exercise as something real. If I recall when drills are being conducted, there has to be a Notice to Mariners' security broadcast on channel 16, mainly to make sure boaters stay out of the way. From what I can tell in the news articles, that wasn't done.

Even more important - not informing the key law enforcement agencies about this was going on was a big mistake on the Coast Guard's part. If they've been doing this type of exercise for awhile - then they certainly need to fix it!

Vince

My view ...

It was rather insensitive for the Coast Guard to not think about the effect of the date 9/11 when conducting this exercise. They could have turned this into a much more positive marketing event by welcoming the news media to see how the Coast Guard's mission has changed since '9/11,' and the fact that we didn't have a Coast Guard Station Washington here before that time. Previously, the Potomac River security responsibilities were under the U.S. Park Service. Also the Coast Guard is the princiipal security for the air space in and around the Washington DC Capital Region area. Not very many people know that.