Ears to Hear

Reflections on May 1976

It was supposed to be a big day for me, the honor ceremony at my high school. An officer of the U.S. Coast Guard stood at the podium and announced my appointment to the academy. But he was less than impressive. He looked a bit disheveled, he stumbled over his words, and he lacked energy. A classmate wrote in my yearbook, “Congratulations on getting in the academy, but I hope you don’t turn out like that guy who was at the awards!”

How could this have happened in the world’s premiere Coast Guard? Was he just having a bad day? Or maybe he had been passed over for promotion and didn’t care anymore.

Hate to break it to ya’ 2030, but there will probably be times when our service lets you down. Most of the force is highly motivated and professional, but some are not. Most systems have been regularly improved and optimized, but some have not. Don’t be bitter about it. Be wise.

That time, 1976, was a low point in the history of our service. We had attracted a lot of people who were not really interested in serving, just in not going to Vietnam. (The USCG did suffer casualties in theater, but not in the same numbers as other armed services.) We had recently lost our original home in the Department of Treasury to pad the budget of the newly formed Department of Transportation. Our uniforms had gone from Navy Blue to the “Bender Blues” after the Commandant in the early ’70s. People said we looked like bus drivers.

May it never be so again. Things turned around right after our graduation in 1980. President Reagan invested in all of the armed services in his successful bid to outspend the Kremlin. Beards were shaved under the order of our new Commandant, ADM Paul Yost. “Welcome to the Yost Guard,” we said.

Being plankowners of the Department of Homeland Security, formed in 2003, has served us well. A better fit than Treasury, actually. Your mentors in ’80 had a big role in this transition, including yours truly. The Bender Blues gave way to BDUs.

It’s hard to imagine a world in which our service goes back to the dog days of 1976. But anything is possible. Be wise.

It won’t be long until you have the con. Keep a weather eye on the shifting winds of politics and culture. Be ruthless about trimming fat and adding value. Consistently measure and improve processes. Cultivate a warrior spirit and think purple, even as you keep the peace. Represent the Coast Guard with honor on every occasion, even if it’s just a high school awards ceremony.

Semper Paratus,

CAPT, USCGR (ret) sends