Magazine article: The Freewinds creating an ever widening wake of LRH technology (2010)

With the Maiden Voyage Anniversary comes a salute to the Ship herself. She’s not only the ultimate distraction-free environment, but she sails in a rare tradition of maritime excellence and cuts a significant wake in terms of enhancing lives in her latitudes.

Consider a brief reintroduction, vis-a-vis this from LRH: “Individual ships are incredibly different in performance and amount of untoward incident. Some are ‘lucky,’ some aren’t. But the difference is entirely that of the competence and coordinated organization.” –LRH

Maritime Excellence: To anyone with a maritime eye, what most distinguishes the Freewinds is the vessel herself. And for that just enter the pages of Maritime Reporter and Engineering News,   the veritable bible of the marine industry. If it is newsworthy, noteworthy or sets a new industry standard, Maritime Reporter covers it–such as this: “In today’s ‘I need it yesterday’ world, emphasis on quantity often overpowers quality. while the quick fix can supersede the correct one. Step back, take a deep breath, and enjoy the fruits of a tremendous labor, a labor of love…”

Whereupon readers were treated to a six-page spread of the Freewinds’ top-to-bottom renovations completed last year, which   Maritime Reporter described as “absolutely incredible.”

Spreading Safety at Sea: Beyond aesthetics, there is all the Freewinds represents in terms of sheer seafaring mastery. It bears repeating that the Freewinds remains the only Caribbean vessel authorized to train and certify seamen. She is also essentially the regional authority for action like this:

Security chiefs and emergency response representatives from Santa Marta, Colombia, assembled under the auspices of an International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPSC), initiated after al-Qaeda hit a French tanker in 2002. Accordingly, at 0900 hours on the 10th of August, the Freewinds‘ own security team called in a mock bomb threat to show them how it is done.

All port fire and emergency medical squads assembled dockside. Colombian Army bomb squads boarded and commenced sniffing out mock explosives. Said “explosive” was discovered and disarmed. But intelligence indicated mines on the hull. Hence, the Ship’s own dive team led Colombian coast guard divers over the side.

But there was another unit itching for Freewinds’ training–specifically fire-fighting units from the Cartagena Naval Academy. Their curriculum was initiated in the wake of Caribbean piracy–the kind that takes down container ships with black-market assault rifles and grenade launchers.

Part of the “cure” was a joint United States military and Colombian Special Forces exercise in which the Freewinds was asked to participate–since her crew know the ropes. In attendance was a fully appointed Twin Huey combat chopper, US Navy Seals and Colombian Special Operations personnel.

The Freewinds doubled as a slow-moving cargo ship under hostile attack while Special Forces “had boys” dropped on board, deadly serious on completing in regulation manner. Or, at least until a certain Freewinds’ passenger–IAS Freedom Medal Winner and Latin American superstar Ruddy Rodriguez–happened onto the pool deck. Whereupon maneuvers were temporarily suspended by “popular consent” for a photo shoot–although the forces are now more committed than ever to eradicate piracy from these waters!

All told, a full 92 percent of all Caribbean security personnel were trained aboard the Freewinds.

Spreading Calm with LRH Tech: There is, however, another Freewinds course to safety, and this one leaves the widest wake of all: the Freewinds as an emissary of The Way To Happiness.

It’s been a top-down operation to the likes of police officers from St. Kitts, the Barbados Ministry of Culture, the Aruba Minister of Education, even the Prime Minister–while the Minister of Finance funds airplay of the PSA “Be Temperate” on all three island stations, immediately cutting drunk driving fatalities to zero. Throughout the Caribbean, the Freewinds is now the conduit for more than 240,000 booklets across the islands, not to mention the Honorable Haligan Riley, who is the newly appointed Minister of The Way to Happiness.

Colombia: Then there is the definitive model of a grassroots operation for social salvage–the conclusive story of the Freewinds’ humanitarian undertaking in Colombia.

All commenced in early 2009 with Way to Happiness seminars at the Colombian naval base at Cartagena. Distribution was likewise initiated among Colombian naval personnel. Freewinds personnel also linked with Major Ricardo Antonio Prado from the Colombian National Police, and tagged with Colonel Carlos Mena–Bolivar State Police Commander. In combination,they organized independent seminars in Cartagena schools and colleges, and Major Prado initiated a distribution network principally through Bogota police.

Simultaneously, Freewinds officers linked with Captain John Carlos Flores of the Cartagena Navy flotilla. After which, they were running distribution through Amazonian gunboats on the trafficking lanes. Then it was seminars to Colombian naval officers in the Starlight   Cabaret aboard the Freewinds.

By late summer 2009 the Freewinds was seeing Cartagena police in her course rooms, and after a Freewinds’ Ability Congress in the middle of a Bogota military base, Colombian officials were beginning to embrace the tech whole cloth.

They were also developing sophisticated distribution. Major Prado’s The Way to Happiness motorcycle police made heavy inroads through better than a dozen cities. It mushroomed with with events like the big Cartagena pageant where police filtered some 20,000 booklets into the crowds. Then there was Colonel Mena’s Way to Happiness float, which effectively signified the whole Bolivar State Police Force was on board.

Finally, there was both The Way to Happiness and human rights materials requested on behalf of every military branch. Then it was The Way to Happiness precepts airing up to 100 times a clay all over Colombian networks. While better than 20,000 police and military officers possessed The Way to Happiness and human rights materials.

Whereupon it was over 3 million booklets through Colombian cities in the last 18 months–absolutely date coincident with a 50 percent drop in national crime rates. While on behalf of the army as a whole, Colonel Diaz just presented LRH with this:

“To Master L. Ron Hubbard, our greatest acknowledgment for your knowledge, teachings and doctrines to the military forces of Colombia…”

Colombian Postscript: All begins with Major Prado’s formal academic thesis to National Police command on how TWTH might be broadly employed to improve Colombian law enforcement.

Result: He has been approved for promotion to Police Colonel and is now a Lifetime Member of the IAS who vows not to rest until Colombia is blanketed with LRH technology.

Then there is Captain Flores, a “friend for life” of the Freewinds and “at their service” forevermore. He is now Chief of Staff for the largest naval command in Colombia. Moreover, he has all ships distributing booklets.

Finally, there is Colonel Mena–now General Mena, Chief of Security for the Colombian President. And he likewise vows to infuse his nation with LRH technology.

All told: with both police and military, Colombia’s Ministry of Defense has just approved a curriculum to bring The Way to Happiness and the human rights campaign to every military branch, more than 800,000 personnel in all!

[Inset:] With both police and military, Colombia’s Ministry of Defense has just approved a curriculum to bring The Way to Happiness and the human rights campaign to every military branch, more than 800,000 personnel.

[Image captions:]
(left) The Freewinds 20th Anniversary stamp issued by St. Kitts. (right) Article in the Maritime Reporter: “To bring a ship like the Freewinds back to better condition than when she first arrived is unheard of.”
SPECIAL FORCES DROP ON DECK
US MILITARY AND COLUMBIAN SPECIAL FORCES WITH FREEDOM MEDAL WINNER RUDDY RODRIGUEZ
ANTI-PIRACY DRILLING
FREEWINDS DIVERS ESCORT BOMB SQUAD
COAST GUARD DRILLING
COAST GUARD
TWTH SEMINAR HONORED GUESTS & SPEAKERS
MINISTER OF THE WAY TO HAPPINESS, ARUBA
CURACAO COAST GUARD
ARUBA COAST GUARD
COLUMBIAN BOMB SQUAD DRILLING
SANTA MARTA SECURITY FORCE
2ND DAY, TWTH CARIBBEAN SUMMIT

The Freewinds has now drilled and/or trained more than a dozen military, coast guard and emergency rescue units throughout the Caribbean and a full 92 percent of Caribbean security.

PRESENTATION OF AWARD TO LRH

“Permission is granted to use the videos and materials in the academic curriculum for all military forces of Columbia.”

The Colombian military has seen a date-coincident crime reduction pursuant to implementing The Way to Happiness–hence the awards to LRH and thanks to the Freewinds.

[Sidebar:] THE RIPPLE EFFECT

Between the Columbian coast and the Leeward Islands, the Freewinds has now introduced at least three million people to LRH technology. And when you figure in the ripple effect, it all sizes up this way: the Freewinds is not only a ship with grand stature from a Scientology vantage point, she is a ship looming immeasurably large in the hearts and minds of all she meets and helps–a ship that has today entered the honored lanes of nautical lore, where she yet continues to bring the hope and glory of LRH tech everywhere she sails.

POLICE OFFICER, ROYAL ST. KITTS & NEVIS POLICE FORCE: I saw a particular lady who at times can be hard to deal with and I saw her reading the book and I said, “Gosh you just made my day. You’re reading that book from the Freewinds.”

POLICE OFFICER, WEST INDIES FEDERAL POLICE FORCE: I don’t think people just see it as just another ship sailing into the harbor. It’s like you’re in a dark room and you see a light coming. That’s what the Freewinds means.

MINISTER OF TOURISM AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT, ST. KITTS: If it was possible for one group to become so closely linked to the people and that they would continue doing it for so long–that is really what makes the story so novel.

MINISTER BARBADOS: Thank you for giving us an opportunity for this material to reach us. Our young people are looking for answers, and The Way to Happiness has been a revolutionizing book.

VICE PRESIDENT, CABLE NOTICIAS NEWS NETWORK, COLUMBIA: After you get out of the boat you feel better. You feel relaxed and you say, “Oh, I need to help the world, I need to help my country.”

DIRECTOR GENERAL, RED CROSS, ANTIGUA & BARBUDA: You have set a foundation of friendship. So when you come we are ready with open arms to accept you.

COMMANDER, NATIONAL POLICE TOURISM UNIT, CARTEGENA, COLUMBIA: I want to thank you for making me a better person, making me a better leader, making me a better man.

NATIONAL COORDINATOR, YOUTH & ADOLESCENTS, NATIONAL POLICE, COLUMBIA: The Ship is a magnificent model of civilization. It is the best place to learn how to create an ideal scene and build an ideal planet.¹

Notes