Training Center Petaluma
Encyclopedia
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
training facility in the northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
counties of Sonoma
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
and Marin
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
. Approximately 4,000 students train there each year. It was formerly the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Two Rock Ranch Station.
The training center is located in a rural area north of San Francisco at 38.25°N 122.791°W. It is about 9 mi (14 km) from the coast and 9 mi (14.5 km) west of the city of Petaluma, California
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
, at the junction of Tomales Road and Valley Ford road, just south of Stemple Creek
Stemple Creek
Stemple Creek is a long, westward-flowing stream in the California counties of Sonoma and Marin, which feeds into the Estero de San Antonio. Its waters ultimately reach Bodega Bay, part of the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary on the Pacific Ocean.-Course:Stemple Creek springs from...
and the village of Two Rock, California
Two Rock, California
Two Rock is an unincorporated community in Sonoma County, California, United States. It is located on Stemple Creek in a rural area west of Petaluma...
.
The facility occupies more than 800 acre (323.7 ha) of land, which include 129 family housing units and 90 other buildings. It has its own clinic, chapel, fire department, and police.
Rate specific training schools
Students at the individual "A" schools receive entry level training in one of these rates:- Electronics Technician (ET)
- Food Service Specialist (FS)
- Health Service Technician (HS)
- Information System Technician (IT)
- Operations Specialist (OS)
- Storekeeper (SK)
- Yeoman (YN)
Graduates of these "A" schools are advanced to Petty Officer Third Class
Petty Officer Third Class
U.S. NavyGood conductvariationU.S. NavyPetty officerthird classinsigniaPetty officer third class is the fourth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, just above seaman and below petty officer second class, and is the lowest rank of non-commissioned officer, equivalent to a corporal in...
and are then assigned to a new duty station.
"C" school training is also offered for advanced training in each of these rates.
Subject matter specialists and course writers
Each of the "A" schools at Training Center Petaluma has Subject Matter Specialists and Course Writers assigned to it for the purpose of developing up to date course materials and instructional aids relative to each rate. These specialists are usually Chief Petty OfficerChief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
s that are very experienced in their rate. Courses developed are used in the field to help enlisted persons learn new skills in their rate. Advancement is dependent in successful completion of these courses and passing grades on Service-wide Examinations in each rate.
Chief Petty Officer Academy
The United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
operates the Chief Petty Officer Academy at the Training Center Petaluma. This Academy trains Chief Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...
s for the Coast Guard and Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
s for the U.S. Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
.
Enlisted Coast Guardsmen who have advanced to Chief Petty Officer, must attend the Chief Petty Officer Academy, or an equivalent Department of Defense school, to be advanced Senior Chief Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer
U.S. Coast GuardSenior ChiefPetty Officercollar deviceU.S. Coast GuardSenior ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaGood conductvariationSenior ChiefPetty OfficerinsigniaSenior ChiefPetty Officercollar device...
; United States Air Force Master Sergeants, as well as international students representing their respective maritime services, are also eligible to attend this Academy. The basic themes of this school are:
- Professionalism
- Leadership
- Communications
- Systems thinking and lifelong learning
Other advanced training
Other schools offered include advanced leadership training in Course Design, Instructor Development, Professional Development as well as Instructional Systems training.History
The U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
built a top-secret communications station on this site during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The Coast Guard took possession on July 1, 1971 and converted it into a training facility.
Environmental hazards
The site carries over 10000 lbs of leadLead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
. Each year, 4000 lbs to 43000 lbs are shipped off-site for metal recovery, 14000 lbs are disposed of on-site, and 294 lbs are released into the air.