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Log Book and no longer expected to be found, said Barnett. “Amazingly, out of nowhere, a bird landed on the edge of my boat! A bird! That was the first sign of life I had seen for two days, and it brought a strange sense of peace over me…it calmed me,” said Barnett through a veil of tears. On the second day, after an extensive search, Kamenar and his crew were told to head to a different location to look for Barnett. On the way to the new coordinates, they flew over a previously searched area. “I remember it was hot that day and I opened up the side door of the cabin to let some cool air in,” said Kamenar. “I looked down and saw Barnett, just like that. I just saw him there, waving his arms.” Kamenar and the other crewmembers immediately dropped flares to mark Barnett’s position. Within minutes an HH-52A Seaguard helicopter was launched from the station to snatch Barnett. The helicopter lowered a rescue basket above Barnett’s head. With the last bit of energy that remained inside him, he hung onto the basket as they hoisted him to safety. “I remember my feet swept the water as I clenched my fingers around the basket,” said Barnett. Barnett was grateful to the crew that located him, and especially to Kamenar. A month after Barnett was rescued, he wrote a letter to Kamenar thanking him and requesting to meet him one day. “It took 39-years,” said Barnett, “but I wouldn’t have been able to see these years if it wasn’t for James. I owe my life to him and he will always remain my hero.” Senior enlisted leaders from 40 nations came together in Oahu to share ideas and foster international relationships during the Global Maritime Senior Enlisted Symposium Sept. 22-24, 2008. The symposium, co-hosted by MCPOCG Charles Bowen, and MCPON Joe Campa, supports the Navy and Coast Guard’s global maritime strategy and built upon the 2007 conference in New Zealand, the first Global Maritime Senior Enlisted Symposium. Topics discussed included multinational interoperability, interpersonal relations between international partners and nations, and enlisted development. The attendees spent most of the symposium in working groups and discussed the challenges and opportunities they had in common. Bowen said fostering relationships across international deckplates is an important focus of his tenure. “It has been said that, all men of the sea are brothers. I believe those words to be true,” said Bowen. “I also believe that the cross-pollinated experiences and connections made [at the symposium] will pay huge dividends for future peaceful and beneficial interactions between our services and countries.” The chief warrant officer of the Republic of Singapore navy, CWO Aloysius Cheong, who oversees 4,500 enlisted members, said his service has worked closely with the Navy in the past and is looking forward to increased relationships with the Coast Guard. “This symposium is a great way to come together and share best practices,” said Cheong. “We’re able to identify common interests so we can identify how we can have closer collaboration.” The topics discussed at the symposium directly support the unified maritime strategy “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower,” which was signed in October 2007 by the service chiefs of the Coast Guard, Navy and Marine Corps. The strategy stresses an approach that integrates seapower with other elements of national Global Partnerships Story by PAC Chad Saylor, 14th Dist. Thank you Barnett and Kamenar shake hands shortly after meeting for the first time. Photo by PA3 Sondra-Kay Kneen, PADET St. Petersburg Six Stars MCPOCG Charles Bowen and MCPON Joe Campa hosted a symposium for senior enlisted leaders from around the world. Photo by PAC Chad Saylor, 14th Dist. 48 Coast Guard — Issue 4, 2008 49 uscg.mil/mag