Rockland harbor master bound for coast guard post on Black Sea

ROCKLAND – The city’s harbor master is headed for a new job in the Republic of Georgia, where he will help the nation build a coast guard on the Black Sea.

Jon Trumble, 45, said Friday he is resigning June 14 to become U.S. senior maritime adviser to the nation, which is a former part of the old Soviet Union.

Trumble has been harbor master for five years and was previously commander of the 140-foot U.S. Coast Guard cutter Thunder Bay in Rockland. He served 20 years in the service, before retiring as a lieutenant commander.

Two years ago, Trumble spotted an advertisement for the foreign job in a military retirees’ publication and applied for it. When the position was offered, he passed it up for personal reasons, he said.

Then, recently, he got a call from the presiding senior maritime adviser, who is leaving.

One thing led to another, and the post was offered to him again.

Originally, Trumble’s reason for wanting the one-year assignment was “the unique experience,” he said.

“But the more I’ve thought about it, every person that I know likes the opportunity to work at their highest level of skill. So this is a test.”

The Republic of Georgia is in southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia. It became independent in 1991, but has had difficulty in establishing control over its economy.

On Monday, the Rockland City Council had been expected to vote on a one-year leave of absence for Trumble, but he turned in his resignation Friday afternoon.

After speaking at length with City Manager Tom Hall, Trumble concluded that he did not have Hall’s backing and, therefore, it was unlikely he would garner support from the council. So he resigned. Hall could not be reached Friday for comment.

Now, Trumble will move full steam ahead with his plans to leave the country.

Sometime in July, he departs for Washington, D.C., for two to three weeks of briefings and then on to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where the U.S. Embassy is located.

As well as helping to create a coast guard, Trumble will work with a team of U.S. Coast Guardsmen, who are there on temporary duty. The U.S. service members will spend time with their Georgia counterparts. Trumble will also deal with U.S. aid to the country on such issues as contracting shipyard repairs and equipment purchases.

The Coast Guard team will be in the city of Poti, which is a major seaport, Trumble said, noting that the country’s efforts to build its forces along the Black Sea are aimed at curtailing a black market.

“Their economy is supported by their access to the water,” he said. “The Black Sea is the easiest way” to get into the country.

According to Trumble, the U.S. Coast Guard provides two 82-foot patrol boats to Georgia, one of which is the former Point Baker, which he served on 10 years ago for six months as commanding officer.

Georgia also has an old mine- sweeper donated to the country by the Germans, he said, and several smaller boats. The minesweeper is used as a patrol boat, he said.

When asked about the salary for the one-year post, Trumble said, with a smile, “I’m not losing any money.”