Service Records: Steve Bell and Hoyt Hatfield
A closer look at the careers of two shipmates who retired this summer
In our Summer edition we said fair winds to Steve Bell and Hoyt Hatfield, who retired this year after nearly half a century of combined service. Here is a fuller picture of what that service looked like.
Steve Bell: 24 Years
Steve joined the Auxiliary in 2002 in a flotilla on the south side of Tampa Bay, Fla. He moved to Bellingham and joined Flotilla 11 in 2013. Over his career he qualified as boat crew and coxswain, vessel examiner and aid verifier, and in Florida he also served as a program visitor and instructor. His own boat was an Auxiliary facility for much of that time.
Steve served as flotilla commander, vice flotilla commander and immediate past flotilla commander in both Florida and Bellingham, and here he was also an assistant district staff officer for vessel examination. His flotilla staff offices included Vessel Examination and Human Resources in both places, and Operations, Member Training and Program Visitation in Florida.
Steve earned 12 ribbons and awards, among them the Auxiliary Achievement Medal, an Auxiliary Commandant Letter of Commendation, ten Auxiliary Sustained Service Awards, eight Auxiliary Operations Service Awards, six Coast Guard Unit Commendations, three Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendations and the Transportation 9-11 Ribbon. We wish Steve and Jolie a pleasant retirement.
Hoyt Hatfield: 25 Years
Hoyt joined the Auxiliary in Flotilla 19 on June 25, 2001, joined Flotilla 11 in October 2021, and retired on June 26, 2026. He qualified as boat crew and coxswain, vessel examiner, aid verifier, program visitor, instructor and fingerprint technician, and he offered his skills as a first aid and CPR provider. His boat, too, was an Auxiliary facility for much of his career.
Hoyt's leadership reached well beyond the flotilla. He served as District Captain North, District Directorate Chief for Prevention, District Staff Officer for Program Visitation, Division 1 Commander and Vice Commander, and division staff officer for Publications and for Human Resources. At the flotilla level he was flotilla commander and immediate past flotilla commander, and he held staff offices in Aids to Navigation, Vessel Examination, Operations, Program Visitation, Finance, Human Resources, Public Education, Communications, Communication Services and Materials.
Hoyt earned 14 ribbons and awards and three insignia: the Auxiliary Coxswain, Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) and Past Officer devices. His awards include the Auxiliary Achievement Medal (2012), the Operations, Examiner and Instructor Program Medals, fifteen Vessel Examination and RBS Visitation Program Service Performance Awards, eleven Auxiliary Sustained Service Awards, six Coast Guard Unit Commendations and two Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendations.
Both men's racks also carry the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to the Coast Guard for its Hurricane Katrina response, the Department of Homeland Security Outstanding Unit Award and the Coast Guard Special Operations Service Ribbon. Fair winds and following seas, shipmates.
