Petty Officer 3rd Class Wayne Ballard, a Coast Guardsman, throws a rope across to stranded sailor during a rescue in the Gulf of Mexico Dec. 19. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Karissa Rodriguez)
A 45-foot Coast Guard boat pushes away from a Naval ship Dec. 19 in the Gulf of Mexico. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Karissa Rodriguez)
Coast Guardsmen, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jon Greenlaw and Wayne Ballard, secure a rope during a sail boat rescue in the Gulf of Mexico Dec. 19. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Karissa Rodriguez)
Petty Officer 3rd Class Wayne Ballard, a Coast Guardsman, secures a rope while towing a broken sailboat during a rescue in the Gulf of Mexico Dec. 19. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Karissa Rodriguez)
Petty Officer 3rd Class Wayne Ballard, a Coast Guardsman, prepares a rope for a rescue in the Gulf of Mexico Dec. 19. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Karissa Rodriguez)