Immediate Past District Commodore's Message
6 OVER THE BOW - Spring 2016
First, I want to remind you that since each of us – from the AP member to the National Commodore – is a walking, talking, breathing part of the US Coast Guard, we must hold that honor always in front of us. In uniform or out, under orders or not, each of us is part of the Long Blue Line that runs from Alexander Hamilton directly through the ages all the way to the Commandant, Admiral Zukunft. At what level of performance, integrity and sagacity should we each dress for and operate at?
The highest.
Second, as the DCO, Alex Malewski lays out the goals for 2016, we must gain ground against the marks he has set and we collectively have set for ourselves, that govern our course and speed over the ground, every day or we lose ground. We are part of the finest organization in the greatest country on Earth and we must thus always act to ensure and enhance the preservation of our heritage, looking back at the wake of the ship, while maintaining a constant drive to adapt to a world – air, land, and sea – that is never at rest.
For the harsh facts of the matter are that we stand on this front edge of 2016 at another turning point in the history of this country, the US Coast Guard and the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. The world is a mess, perhaps as messy as it has been since the 1930s (which didn’t end well). Terrorist organizations competing with each other for expressions of brutality and inhumanity on at least 4 continents – Europe, Asia, Africa, and of course here; traditional nation-state competitors on the march, seeking to press small advantages into strategic gains and redraw maps in their favor; and our allies asking the US, again, to lead them. We have an outgoing president and three philosophies being asked to be of us to opine on – more middle of the road, way to the left or way to the right – none of which there actually appears to have any way to be paid for...
Third, we must prove all over again whether this organization of volunteers - or any organization so conceived to serve its country, to contribute to the effectiveness of the US Coast Guard - can long endure with its freedom of choice for any and all members, its breadth of authorized missions, its opportunity to do something that actually matters – while faced with the single-minded blade of cut/cut/cut hanging over our heads, for as far into the future as we can see. You’ve heard me say more than once over the years that our stock goes up as budgets go down – so we can be sure that our stock is going straight up since budgets continue going straight down.
Story continued on next page.
Shipmates,
Although I could be violating my general advice of “economy of expression”, I hope you’ll bear with me for a few minutes in here. We only have one start o’ year Over The Bow and I want to say (re-say, some) a number of things to you. Always bear in mind that each of you is a walking, talking part of U.S. Coast Guard Forces – and it is you who will give all these plans, aspirations and goals – life.