GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — As the 99th annual Coast Guard Festival gets underway in Grand Haven, people from across Michigan will come to celebrate the men and women serving in the Coast Guard. The festival boasts food, events and activities, ship tours, live music and more.
Along with the festival, the Grand Haven Coast Guard station is home to one of the only two female commanding officers on the Great Lakes.
Jeannette Greene is the commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, which has a home port in Cheboygan. The U.S. Coast Guard Mackinaw helps move buoys to direct traffic as well as break up ice on the lakes.
Greene began her career aboard the USCGC Mackinaw back in 2005. She has spent about 10 years at sea. She said she's "had a blast," and that going into the Coast Guard was previously a job she never considered.
"It's a huge privilege. It's fun. I laugh every day," she said. "My crew is amazing. They're sailors, you know, jokesters, tricksters. They're amazingly hard workers. And they're really proud of being able to serve on the Great Lakes. So really, it's just fun that I get to be with them."
Now serving as the commanding officer and overseeing a crew of 55 personnel, her responsibilities have changed.
"My main responsibility is overall safety and welfare of the crew," she said. "I'm supposed to have a little more experience, I'm supposed to be able to identify if something's not going good, and mainly we're supposed to carry out our missions, which is to keep the ships moving on the Great Lakes...It's awesome. I love it."
Greene is not the only female commanding officer. The other is Lt. Taylor Peace, who is based in Cleveland. Of the 10 cutters on the Great Lakes, Peace and Greene make up the only two women serving as commanding officers.
She said serving with women has been a welcome change throughout her career.
"It is really, really cool to have other women out here. My crew actually has quite a few women. Most of the officers onboard are female," Greene said. "And that has been amazing. When I was a young junior officer, it wasn't necessarily the case, to have as many other women with me, but times have changed. Women are welcome. They feel comfortable, I hope, serving in the Coast Guard and it's just really cool that they're here."
With the festival now underway, Greene said getting to interact with the public during ship tours and see their supporters is her favorite part.
"Seeing all these little girls and boys come aboard, and looking at them through the lens of a mom now, and hoping that they know that this is all open to them if they want to do it," she said. "Also, just to have so many thousands of people lining the break wall for our arrival was amazing...It was just, it was cool. So I really appreciate the support from everyone."
She said anyone is able to join the Coast Guard, regardless of previous experience, and that those interested should consider enlisting.
Tours of the USCGC Mackinaw and other ships are available throughout the duration of the Coast Guard Festival, which runs until Sunday, Aug. 6. For more information or to learn more about the festival, click here.
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