Eastern Great Lakes Chief Petty Officers Association

10/18/2026

It wouldn’t be CCTI without burritos and coffee! Selling burritos and coffee is a long-standing tradition for CCTI participants, bringing people together while raising funds to support the experience and everything it represents.

CCTI is about more than just the challenge. It’s about teamwork, accountability, and taking responsibility for your actions and decisions. It’s about building stronger Chiefs who understand that leadership means showing up, supporting one another, and owning the outcome.

Want to support CCTI and take home a piece of Great Lakes history? We have one-of-a-kind challenge coins available for purchase! These coins bring together everything we love about the Great Lakes, the Chiefs Mess, and of course…THE BUFFALO BILLS!

Every coin helps support CCTI and keeps this tradition going for future participants!

📲 HOW TO ORDER:
1️⃣ Hold down the QR code on the flyer and select the option to open the link in Safari or your preferred web browser.

2️⃣ Having trouble? Save the flyer to your camera roll, open it in your Photos app, and press and hold the QR code. The link should pop up for you to access!

The price includes shipping, so you can get your coin delivered right to you!

Have questions? Reach out to Gaaron Blanchard for more information!

10/09/2026

FALL CHIEFS CALL TO INITIATION IS UPON US!

What better way to commemorate the legendary traditions of CCTI and the Eastern Great Lakes region than with our very own, one of a kind challenge coins!

Coins are officially available for pre-order, and we’d love for our Chiefs, future Chiefs, and supporters to get their hands on one! Every dollar raised goes right back into supporting our members!

📲 HOW TO ORDER:
1️⃣ Hold down the QR code on the flyer and select the option to open the link in Safari or your preferred web browser.

2️⃣ Having trouble? Save the flyer to your camera roll, open it in your Photos app, and press and hold the QR code. The link should pop up for you to access!

The price includes shipping, so you can get your coin delivered right to you!

Have questions? Reach out to Gaaron Blanchard for more information!

10/05/2026

Coast Guard Station Rochester recently celebrated an incredible milestone - 150 years of serving and protecting the Rochester community and our waterways!

Even a rainy morning couldn’t dampen the celebration or the pride we have for this incredible unit. For a century and a half, the Coast Guard has stood ready to answer the call, and today, the men and women of Station Rochester continue that proud tradition.

We are incredibly proud of the men and women who man this unit, putting in the work day in and day out to keep our waterways safe, respond when people need help, and serve the communities around them.

Here’s to 150 years of Station Rochester and to all those who have worn the uniform throughout its history.

United States Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes
U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes

09/26/2026

Tomorrow, one of our incredible junior enlisted members will be taking on the Tunnel to Towers 5K in Brooklyn, NY! She’s representing our Coast Guard family and honoring the heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11th, as well as those who continue to serve and protect our communities.

She is just a few dollars away from reaching her $1,000 fundraising goal!

Let’s rally behind her and help her cross that fundraising finish line before she even crosses the 5K finish line! Every dollar counts and every donation helps support the incredible mission of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Good luck MST2 McKay!

https://runsignup.com/Race/118632/Donate/vFqk4HAiOaoDYIgn

09/25/2026

We recently had the honor of welcoming BMC Eduardo Sanchez from Station Rochester into the Chiefs Mess and as (hopefully) the newest member of CPOA!

BMC Sanchez has already proven himself to be an absolute gem as an Executive Petty Officer, bringing leadership, dedication, and a genuine commitment to his crew to everything he does.

We’re incredibly excited to have him on the team and even more excited to watch him continue to grow into the well-rounded Chief we know he is destined to become. The Chiefs Mess is stronger with you in it, Eduardo!

09/20/2026

As we continue to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, we also remember a man whose commitment to service extended across three branches of public service: the United States Marine Corps, the New York City Police Department, and the United States Coast Guard Reserve.

Vincent G. “Vinny” Danz served as a Port Security Specialist 2nd Class in the Coast Guard Reserve, drilling with Coast Guard Activities New York. He was also a New York City Police Officer assigned to the Emergency Services Unit, where he spent his career answering calls when others needed help most. Before joining the NYPD, Danz proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Officer Danz and his fellow ESU officers responded to the World Trade Center. He entered the Towers to help rescue those trapped inside. When the South Tower collapsed, Vincent Danz made the ultimate sacrifice while trying to save others.

His courage was recognized with the NYPD Medal of Honor, and the Coast Guard later dedicated a Sector New York housing facility in his honor. In 2019, the Coast Guard announced that a Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter would bear his name. That ship, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), was commissioned in New York in May 2026.

Today, his name continues to sail with the Coast Guard - carrying forward the legacy of a man who answered the call to serve his country and his community, regardless of the uniform he wore.

Marine. Police Officer. Coast Guardsman. Hero.

YNC McKillip had the honor of completing the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Buffalo, NY with PO2 Danz.

09/19/2026

Today, our CPOA team came together to complete the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Buffalo, NY in memory of everyone who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

It was a morning filled with both somber reflection and happiness - a morning where we walked, ran, remembered, and came together as a community to honor the lives and legacies that must never be forgotten.

Our CPOA team set a goal of raising $100 and proudly surpassed it, raising $120! Every dollar will help support military heroes, first responders, and their families through programs that provide mortgage-free homes, smart homes, housing for homeless veterans, scholarships, and other vital support.

We were especially honored to have YNC McKillip and HSC Hoy complete the 5K in memory of Machinery Technician First Class Jeffrey Palazzo and Port Security Specialist Second Class Vincent Danz, two Coast Guard Reserve members who made the ultimate sacrifice and perished on September 11, 2001.

We walk for them.
We remember them.
We honor them.
And we will NEVER FORGET.

Bellevue Fire Company

09/18/2026

We’re $20 away from our goal of $100 for Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk Buffalo, NY tomorrow!

Can you help us?

Slap that donate button and search Chief and our team will show up!

https://runsignup.com/Race/127368/Donate/3s9bZPp8DeR8t9L0?fbclid=IwRlRTSAUaisVwZG9mAWZkaWQWUOolew6LYaI8kVEXA-A9--F-wSTYV2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7CEvNMb4kkNiZgJAZRZL-ZU8xI7zPU11O6aKmwrYQ_gqoheT_TZFO1F0exgg_aem_sO6zM3y-YPi1ByCHkf7-Gw

09/15/2026

Please help us welcome MSTC Marty Mueller as the newest member of the Chiefs Mess and the newest member of CPOA!

MSTC Mueller wasted no time jumping in and taking the reins. He stepped up in a BIG way during our golf tournament, helping wherever he was needed with absolutely no questions asked. That kind of initiative and willingness to jump in and get the job done is exactly what being a Chief - and being part of this team - is all about.

Even outside of CPOA and his new role as a Chief, Marty has already shown us what a phenomenal team player he is. We’re incredibly excited to have him on our team and can’t wait to see all the great things he’ll bring to the Chiefs Mess, CPOA and the service!

09/13/2026