Boat Captain Radios Coast Guard: 'We Appreciate You Guys Being There Without Pay'

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Karl Munson pilots a 26-foot boat while Petty Officer 2nd Class Gabriel Diaz keeps an eye on a boarding team who is inspecting a 79-foot shrimp boat in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of New Orleans, La., on April 27, 2005

Radio transmissions to the U.S. Coast Guard are usually calls for help from boaters, but one captain got on the radio recently just to say thanks to the men and women who are currently working without pay.

"My name's Joseph and I'm the captain of a shrimp vessel, and I'd just like to thank you," the radio transmission began from a boat captain near the Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Alabama on Thursday.

"Thank you to the Coast Guard who's working and ain't receiving pay. I'm sure I speak for all of us. We appreciate you guys being there without pay. It's nice to know we're out here at night and we can still depend on you."



He added: "I appreciate it. Thanks. Thank you Coast Guard."

The Coast Guard missed its first paycheck on Tuesday amid a government shutdown, now the longest in American history. Roughly 40,000 active-duty service members are working without pay during a lapse in government appropriations for the first time in history, according to Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard Commandant.

Some lawmakers have been working on a bill to pay the Coast Guard during the shutdown, which is still being negotiated. "We're making progress," said Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska).

The transmission in Alabama was shared from the official Coast Guard Twitter account on Friday, along with the message, "thank you for your support, Capt. We continue to stand the watch at home and around the world."



Listen below: