In her own words: Kate Sheehan, DISL Master’s Student and US Coast Guard Reservist

As an M.S. student with Dr. Just Cebrian, Kate Sheehan juggles a full roster of classes, research and work as a technician in the Ecosystems Lab.  Throw into this mix a job as a US Coast Guard reservist, and you’ve got a schedule that really goes into overtime:

	Kate Sheehan (left) attaches the load hook of the hoist line to the bottom of the helicopter with one of her shipmates looking on for safety.

I  am a reservist, so I work for the Coast Guard one weekend each month and for an additional 2 weeks every summer. My technical training is as a Marine Science Technician, of which I am currently a 3rd class petty officer. I work up in Mobile at the Aviation Training Center (ATC) base with the Gulf Strike Team. The Strike Team is one of three units that make up the National Strike Force, a component of the Coast Guard/Department of Homeland Security that consists of first responders for sensitive events, such as terrorist bombings and weapons of mass destruction, hurricane clean-up operations, and large scale environmental threats. I recently completed Center for Domestic Preparedness training for weapons of mass destruction at Ft. McClellan in March. My duties at this time are as a hazardous material technician. For the most part I am trained to assist with the response and clean-up of mishaps that occur in and along waterways, although we respond to land-based activities as well. Overall, we work to help protect the life, safety and commerce of United States and foreign citizens and the animals and plants with whom we share the world.