ALCOAST 267/26 - AUG 2026 EIGHT BELLS - A SEA SERVICE CELEBRATION

R 311415Z AUG 26  MID120041488358U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 267/26
SSIC 1650
SUBJ: EIGHT BELLS - A SEA SERVICE CELEBRATION
A. Coast Guard External Affairs Manual, COMDTINST 5700.13A
B. Cutter Recognition and Heritage Programs, COMDTINST 1650.20A
1. On 18 OCT 1974, the Coast Guard promulgated the Coast Guard
Cutterman Insignia program to "recognize the contributions and
qualifications of our personnel."
    a. This year marks the 52nd anniversary of the creation of the
Cutterman Insignia. Since 1790, professional mariners have
manned the deck of our cutters and braved the high seas, Great
Lakes, and inland waterways.
    b. Today, we celebrate more than 236 years of our sea-going
traditions, currently upheld by more than 8,000 active-duty
personnel aboard our 239 cutters.
    c. See paragraph 4 for contest event criteria and submission
procedure.
2. The Coast Guard Office of Cutter Forces, COMDT (CG-751),
the Heart of the Service, is sponsoring Eight Bells - A Sea
Service Celebration to recognize the hard work done by all who
serve in the cutter community, including career cuttermen,
cuttermen-to-be, and all shoreside personnel who support Coast
Guard cutters and enable the fleet to operate. Our seagoing
traditions serve as the basis of our Coast Guard culture and
unite the cutter community.
    a. While our cutters operate globally in diverse missions, a new
crewmember can report aboard a cutter of any size or class and be
comforted by the shared traditions of the ringing of eight bells and
testing the ship's alarms and whistle at noon, completing underway
checklists, checking the setting of material condition Yoke, closing
the brow at first call to morning and evening colors, and, of
course, coffee break for the crew, among many others.
3. Theme. This year's Eight Bells theme, "A sea going service
guided by the stars of tradition," celebrates the bold, modernized
capabilities charting our future, navigated with the absolute
confidence of the timeless legacy that has always defined our
service.
4. Contests. As part of Eight Bells - A Sea Service Celebration,
COMDT (CG-751) encourages all cuttermen, Operational Commanders,
and cutter support elements to participate in the following events:
    a. One-page essay/poem/sea story contest - deadline for
submission is 07 OCT 2026. All are invited to submit an original
one-page essay, story, or poem, on the theme of "A sea going service
guided by the stars of tradition."
        (1) Contest information is available at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser.)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/cg751/8%20Bells/Forms/
AllItems.aspx

        (2) All submissions should be of good taste and professional
in nature. For more information on this and other public affairs
policies, see REF (A). Do not submit entries from prior years.
    b. Audio/Video contest - deadline for submission is 07 OCT 2026.
Submit an original audio or video clip of no more than 4 minutes on
the theme of "A sea going service guided by the stars of tradition."
        (1) Contest information is available at:
(Copy and Paste URL Below into Browser.)

https://uscg.sharepoint-mil.us/sites/cg751/8%20Bells/Forms/
AllItems.aspx

        (2) Videos will be posted on social media platforms, so do
not use copyrighted music. Do not submit entries from prior years.
        (3) All submissions should be of good taste and professional
in nature. For more information on this and other public affairs
policies, see REF (A). Do not submit entries from prior years.
    c. Submissions from paragraphs 4.a and 4.b will be judged by a
panel consisting of representatives from COMDT (CG-751), Board of
Directors of the Douglas Munro Chapter of the Surface Navy
Association, other illustrious cuttermen, and King Neptune. Entries
will be judged on creativity, quality, and ability to inspire esprit
de corps.
    d. The top three winning entries from paragraphs 4.a and 4.b
will be shared via social media platforms, placed on the COMDT
(CG-751) SharePoint page, and shared with Surface Naval Association
Presidents, Rating Force Master Chiefs, and Operational Commanders
for distribution within the cutter community.
5. Local events: Commands are encouraged to host appropriate
functions that celebrate sea service traditions during the month of
October, particularly on 18 OCT if possible. Suggestions include:
local Cuttermen Calls, Dinings-in, cutter round-ups with friendly
competitions (DC Olympics, shiphandling challenges, etc.), and
wearing cutter t-shirts. Notify POCs in paragraph 7 below of any
planned events and tag any social media posts with #EightBells and
#GuidedbytheStarsUSCG.
6. Headquarters Event: COMDT (CG-751) will host an Eight Bells
Celebration event at Coast Guard Headquarters on 15 OCT 2026
from 1000-1200.
    a. All Coast Guard Headquarters and interested personnel are
invited to attend.
    b. TDY costs will be funded by the member's unit,
subject to availability. Permissive orders are authorized.
Interested personnel must request attendance through their
chain-of-command for unit level approval.
7. POCs.
    a. Primary: LT Foster Graham, Foster.J.Graham@uscg.mil
    b. Secondary: LT Christina Gonzales,
Christina.M.Gonzales@uscg.mil.
8. CAPT Tobias C. Reid, Director for Capabilities (CG-7), sends.
9. Internet release is authorized.