after demonstrating his fluency in Haitian Creole, he was enthusiastically endorsed. “I didn’t know what I was getting into,” he said. “But I just took it as my responsibility to the Coast Guard.” Jean-Louis’ temporary duty proved to be both fast-paced and wide-ranging. He was assigned to three Coast Guard cutters during his time with OVS: the fast response cutter Jacob Poroo, the 270-foot, cutter Campbell and the 270-foot cutter Thetis. Once underway, there was little time for a learning curve. Fortunately, he received intensive on-the-job training in interpretation from the Spanish-language translators who patrolled alongside him. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Plazas, a Spanish interpreter who served with Jean-Louis aboard the cutter Jacob Porroo, said he was glad to have an officer with law enforcement experience at his side. “He helped out logistically with anything the boat needed,” he said. “The XO of the boat trusted him with so many different tasks, from guard duty to detainee watch.” But Jean-Louis’ impact was felt in other ways, too. “It got really difficult for me personally,” said Plazas. “During repatriation, I just kind of broke down. But Ensign Jean-Louis was there to support me. He sat down with me and talked with me about some of the things he went through as a member of the police department. That was a huge deal for me. I had somebody on the boat that was there to look out for me.” Jean-Louis’ ability to connect on a deeper level would be an asset during encounters with Haitian migrants — he recalls more than 200 on the Campbell alone. He learned to speak to people’s most basic fears and human impulses. “People were hungry and desperately thirsty,” he said. “When people are that scared, they don’t know you’re there to help.” He remembers one instance when he was standing on the flight deck of the Campbell when a shipmate came sprinting at him from the stern. The cutter had just intercepted a vessel with Haitian migrants. “It was clear they needed my help immediately,” Jean-Louis recalls. Racing toward the fantail, Jean-Louis could make out a man clinging to the bulwark of a Coast Guard over-the-horizon small boat. The man was stricken with fear, shirking off the Coast Guard crew members who were trying to help. It was early in the morning, and still dark. He could see that the man was in a state of panic, and his mind grasped for something to say. “Konfye nan lie!” he shouted, finally. Trust in them. With one look of recognition, Jean-Louis saw the fear vanish from the man’s face. He watched as the man steadily began to ascend the cutter’s ladder and set foot on the deck. “Biblical,” said Jean-Louis. “That’s the only word I can use to describe it.” Now that he has returned home, Jean-Louis is quick to deflect any praise for his contributions to OVS, choosing instead to shine a light on his active-duty counterparts. “The sacrifices those guys are making on a regular basis are truly amazing,” he said. “What they do day in and day out is incredible. It was sincerely an honor to serve with them.” Exhausting as his deployment was at times — “two hours of sleep never felt so good,” he said — Jean-Louis hopes his recent stint with OVS won’t be his last. “All that I can say is that I am blessed to be a part of this,” he said. “To give back to the Coast Guard for what it provides for me, to give back to my parents for what they sacrificed to bring me here, and to give back to this country that provided me the opportunity to succeed — it’s pretty special.” ” . Issue 3 • 2023 Issue 3 • 2023 . Reservist 21 Celebrating Celebrating 70 70 years of the Reservist years of the Reservist
