Change and Challenge
Next time you go to a flotilla meeting look around you and I guarantee you will see some amazing people. You will see people who do great things for the Coast Guard, their community, their country. As you go through this publication you will read about just a few of the things that the members of District 1 SR have done in the last few months. D-Train to Fleet Week to the Open House at Sector Long Island Sound, AUXMU and the Auxiliary Band. The list seems endless because it is. Some time ago a fellow member told me that he was hesitant about seeking a leadership position in the Auxiliary because he was a pilot and not familiar with surface operations. I explained to him that we have 3400 members in the District and only about 600 are involved in surface and air operations. The Auxiliary does so much more. What do you want to do? We are only limited by our imagination.
Summer is here and it is often referred to as the “Busy Season” of the Aux. Actually the “Busy Season” starts Jan 1 and ends Dec 31st. All of the articles in this edition of OTB concern events that took place before summer started. Nevertheless the water is warming up, slowly, and we are back training and on patrol. We got the PPE Waiver and we are good to go.
In addition to Surface Ops, PA events, VEs, and PE classes there will be a lot going on this summer. NACON will take place in Phoenix, AZ at the end of August and we will elect a new National Commodore. I am submitting a proposal to the National Board to change the way a quorum is determined at Flotilla meetings. We are in the early stages of planning another night at Citi Field to see the Mets. The District elections will take place Sept 10 and we will elect a new DCO, DCOS, and four DCAPTS. Plus we have a new DIRAUX, LCDR William Grossman has replaced CDR Laura Moose as Director and we will also have a new OTO and YN and let’s not forget a new Sector Commander for Long Island Sound and District Commander. If you like change you will love the Coast Guard and Auxiliary. The one thing that remains constant is the Auxiliary, we provide continuity to Active Duty in things ranging from knowledge of the AOR to relationships with Partners.
The PSI problem will soon be behind us and our next big challenge is MANDTR or Mandated Training. There is an effort about to change the name to Core Values Training because people don’t like to be mandated. The bottom line is come next year we will effectively have two Auxiliaries. The Auxiliary will be comprised of those who have completed the training and those who haven’t. Those who can do and those who can’t because come Jan 1, 2017 if you haven’t completed the training there will not be much you can do. This is another challenge that I am confident we will overcome because that is what we do. The vast majority of us joined to do something, to serve, to help, to make a difference. If we have to complete some training to do that I am sure that most of us will.
So let’s keep up the outstanding work and above all STAY SAFE.
BZ to all and see you around the District.
Semper Paratus,
Alex Malewski
Commodore Alex Malewski
District Commodore,
First District Southern Region
District Commodore's Message