FEATURE: A lifetime of service: A volunteer’s journey to honorary Coast Guard chief

Source: United States Coast Guard

03/27/2025 10:41 AM EDT

A cloudless sky and crisp late-January air surrounded the crew of Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle during a ceremony celebrating Petty Officer First Class Kyle Vaders, the station’s executive petty officer, who advanced to the rank of chief. While the crew and the audience harbored a secret, there was one person attending who had no idea what was about to occur.

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