When most parents come to career day at their child’s school, they might wear a uniform, bring a visual aid or pass out some little souvenirs like pens.
But when sixth-grader Kylie Beach’s father came to Oxford Middle School Friday, he brought a $10 million helicopter complete with flight crew.
Students, and even some adults, couldn’t contain their excitement when they saw the large orange U.S. Coast Guard helicopter sitting in the school parking lot.
Coast Guard Lt. Tab Beach, of Oxford, was definitely the hit of Career Day, organized by language arts teacher Neil Peruski. Beach works out of the Coast Guard’s Air Station Detroit based at the Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
From search and rescue missions and law enforcement to homeland security and monitoring pollution (i.e. oils spills, dumping, etc.), Beach, who serves as a flight instructor/examiner and air crew commander, spoke to students about the Coast Guard’s role in protecting America.
The most rewarding part of the job for him are ‘definitely the rescues.?
Sometimes the rescues are challenging like the time he had to take seven people off a boat that had run aground in Lake Erie at night. Sometimes the rescues are heartbreaking such as the time they found the drowned body of a 12-year-old Boy Scout who had gone missing around Oscoda.
‘Those are hard,? Beach said.
He also spoke to students about what they need to do to prepare for a career in this branch of the Armed Forces. ‘The Coast Guard supports the importance of an education,? Beach said. ‘To do what we do you have to stay in school, you have to get good grades and you have to try your best.?
Air Station Detroit covers the Eastern Great Lakes Region, which consists of more than 1,000 miles of shoreline and encompasses Lakes Ontario, Erie, St. Clair and Lake Huron south of the 44th parallel. The coverage area extends all the way out to Massena, New York along the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Each pilot averages around 300-plus hours in the air annually. The helicopter Beach brought with him, an HH-65 Charlie Dolphin, has a top cruising speed of 135-140 knots or 150 miles per hour. ‘That’s going as fast as we can to get somewhere,? he said.
Just because Beach, who’s been in the Guard for seven years, is stationed close to home, don’t think he just leaves for work in the morning and returns home in time for dinner everyday. ‘It is anything but a 9-5 job,? he said. ‘I’ve gone into work thinking I’m going to be there for a 10-hour day and not come home until the next day.?
Over the last three years, Beach’s averaged about 16 weeks away from home annually. And because it’s the Coast Guard’s busiest season, there are very little opportunity for summer vacation.
‘My wife and my kids put up with a lot for me to do this job,? Beach said. ‘They sacrifice, too, and I’m grateful to them.?