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BALTIMORE — Long before the first ship arrives in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, Coast Guard personnel have spent months coordinating operations, building partnerships and planning for every possible scenario.
While families and visitors will see ships, aviation demonstrations and festivities, they won’t see all the planning it took to make Sail250 a success.
For Coast Guard personnel at Sector Maryland National Capitol Region, the event represents more than a week of celebrations, it is the result of more than a year of planning.
Sail250 is a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States and will bring thousands of visitors to Baltimore’s waterfront. The Coast Guard is crucial to ensuring an event like this can happen.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicole Starner, a marine science technician reservist at the sector, knows firsthand the immense coordination required for the event. She even paused her civilian job as a high school teacher and librarian to serve as the Sail250 project officer.
Starner said she had no idea what she was getting herself into. She not only filled the role of project officer but planning section chief and port liaison officer for the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, making her one of the Coast Guard’s key coordinators behind the event.
To make sure the Coast Guard and their partner agencies were on the same page, Starner attended numerous meetings and relayed information between the different agencies. Her responsibilities ranged from helping coordinate major operational plans to confirming smaller logistical details were accounted for.
“You have to think about every single aspect,” said Starner. “Nothing can be left to chance.”
The crew at the sector has to plan for every scenario and each detail, including weather, vessel fueling, air and water operations, and public safety concerns.
One of the most prominent ships of Sail250 is the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, known as America’s tall ship. It serves as the training vessel for cadets at the Coast Guard Academy and will be participating throughout the week with public ship tours and ceremonial events.
Lt. Alexander Feltman, the governmental affairs officer at the sector, has worked since the fall of 2025 with the Eagle to make sure things go smoothly when it makes its way into the Baltimore Harbor.
“For every asset you see underway there’s numerous people behind the scenes who’ve worked for months, very, very diligently to make sure that is happening,” said Feltman.
Feltman mentioned that there are Coast Guard members who may not even see it for themselves, despite all the work they have put into it. Instead, they are working in the command center, responding to search and rescue cases, or conducting law enforcement operations.
Coordinating and scheduling is a big part of this planning process. A part of that effort is ensuring the public is aware of the rules and regulations for vessels out on the water.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Natasha Hand, a marine science technician at the sector, helped write the rules and regulations that go out to the public. The broadcasts will state where the safety zones are each day and where vessels are not allowed to go.
These broadcasts are vital to guaranteeing safety for the public during Sail250.
Hand said it was a bigger event than she would have thought, but it was cool to see the different moving parts and all the other agencies.
“It really opened my eyes to how big of an event this is,” said Hand.
The number one priority for the Coast Guard it to make sure everyone remains safe and secure during this event. This is why each safety zone requires a specific number of vessels and personnel, with every Coast Guard member contributing to the mission’s success.
“I am incredibly proud and fully confident in our team,” said Coast Guard Captain Burkett, sector commander and incident commander for Sail250. “Facilitating safe and secure maritime commerce and public events is at the very core of the Coast Guard’s mission.”
It takes a team to bring something like Sail250 together and each member has such a critical role.
For Feltman, one of the most impressive aspects of the event has been Starner’s leadership. All this coordination led through Starner did not go unnoticed.
“My thing I’m most proud of is the work that Petty Officer Starner has done as the overall project officer,” said Feltman. “Her work has been immense and for a 2nd class petty officer to step in a job that’s typically filled by an O-3 or O-4, the work she has done is immense.”
Despite long days and occasional stress along the way, Starner said the experience has been rewarding because it brought together people from different organizations and many Coast Guard personnel who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to work alongside one another. It’s created new connections that can carry on to future projects.
“Success is defined by safety and seamless execution,” said Burkett. “A successful Sail250 means that the public gets to enjoy a spectacular, historic celebration on the water without any major safety or security incidents.”
While much of the planning will remain unknown to visitors, Coast Guard personnel are confident that their efforts will create a safe environment where families can enjoy this historic day of Sail250.
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