UPDATED: My New Year's Resolution: Replace the Word Coastie with Guardian

This story is a great example by Station Lorain's OIC, Chief Seth Tomas, of taking the Guardian Ethos to heart and employing it as both a communication and leadership tool:

"The guardian ethos is the essence of today's Coast Guard. Our core values remain focused on saving lives and protecting both people and the environment," said Chief Seth Tomas, officer-in-charge of Station Lorain. "My crew responded because their commitment to being 'guardians' would not allow them to sit idle while this swan froze to death in the ice."

Well Said!

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My New Year's Resolution: Replace the Word Coastie with Guardian
Captain Cari B. Thomas
Commanding Officer, Training Center Cape May
(excerpts from an article for CGA Alumni Association Bulletin)

Ask ten people on the street or at boot camp what the Coast Guard does, and you'll likely get ten different answers. Many want to save lives because they saw the rescues during Katrina. Others want to pursue interests in law enforcement. Often they want to clean up and preserve the environment. Most acknowledge the desire to serve their communities and their country.

At the direction of the Commandant of the Coast Guard and in partnership with the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard in 2007, Training Center Cape May was charged with refining the curriculum for enlisted recruits in order to better internalize the Coast Guard culture, character and core values...unifying our service character.

One outcome was the development of an organizational identity, now known as "The Guardian Ethos". It defines our service culture and characterizes each member of the Coast Guard as a Guardian. But, in the end, this ethos will prove an enduring way to think, manage, follow and lead. These are not just words, nor are they the latest management fad. This ethos is intended to shape how people conduct themselves in performing the mission and taking care of each other.

The Guardian Ethos as a Communication Tool
With external audiences, the ethos can be a powerful way to make a point, particularly in the conduct of Coast Guard operations. The Atlantic Area Commander used it in response to an editorial in the Washington Post:
When the Coast Guard asks its young men and women to operate in an often unsafe maritime environment, they will be equipped with the tools needed to keep them safe, including boots and, at times, weapons. When they board a vessel, they will do so professionally and in keeping with our ethos -- to protect, defend and save those in distress. They risk their lives every day to save our fellow citizens, even ungrateful ones.


The Guardian Ethos as a Leadership Tool; "Guardians for Guardians"
Admiral Allen challenged senior leaders to consider the Guardian Ethos not only for the maritime public that we serve, but to protect, defend and save our own. As one Chief says, its a "Guardians for Guardians" philosophy. Its a tool that has been effective at Captain's Mast to reinforce failure to abide by the ethos.

There are 28 leadership competencies; these are the skills, knowledge and expertise that the Coast Guard expects from its leaders. Each of the competencies require different levels of ability at different paygrades, and they are broken into four major categories; Leading Self, Leading Others, Leading Performance and Change, Leading the Coast Guard. If you frame each category with a Guardian Ethos lens, you begin to understand what it means.

The Guardian Ethos as a Management Tool
As part of the 2008-2011 Commander's Intent for Cape May, the need for Coast Guard and recruit modernization was framed within the context of the Guardian Ethos.

I serve the citizens of the United States.
- Through the various modernization efforts, we commit to supporting the ongoing business processes alignments. So that limited resources are applied to the highest priorities, the strategic underpinnings identify methods to properly source funds and manpower to strategy.

I will protect them.
- The World is changing. The Coast Guard has a need to remain relevant around the world and the variety of international maritime partners, organizations and trade agencies that we deal with. Part of the Commandant initiative regarding modernization includes providing the right forces for the right mission. Mission requirements begin with the most junior personnel who perform much of the difficult duties at the deckplate.

I will defend them.
- As a Coast Guard, we have global imperatives that demand our attention, including asymmetric threats. Providing members proper conditioning, understanding a sense of urgency and basic attention to detail are of the utmost importance. Interagency relationships, relevant authorities with law enforcement, Department of Defense, intelligence agencies and maritime safety partners all influence individual outcomes.

I will save them.
- As a service, we were incapable of focusing on readiness issues due to the "Tyranny of the present." This strategy is one effort to focus on needs of both today and tomorrow's Coast Guard. The enlisted workforce is a critical national asset to DHS and to the country; we understand the need to operate with the clearest objectives.

I am their Shield; for them I am Semper Paratus.
- Mission execution remains our highest priority. Preparing Guardians that have basic training, are properly conditioned with an understanding of our core values is Training Center Cape May?s part of completing that mission.

The Guardian Ethos...In the Cabin, the Wardroom, the Mess and on the Mess Deck
In an op-ed piece in May 2008, Admiral Allen said about the ethos, "This is really the essence of the Coast Guard today, though it dates back to the days when the Coast Guard was the Steamboat Inspection Service, the Revenue Cutter Service, the Life Saving and Lighthouse Services...And our core values remain focused on saving lives and protecting both people and the environment. We will always be America's Maritime Guardian."

Our biggest challenge remains educating our existing workforce and providing consistent infusing of the ethos. It was born at Cape May following the need to "refine their curriculum to support the development of a more physically fit apprentice who had internalized the CG's culture, character and core values as depicted in Publication 1."

However, this is not an enlisted ethos. Academy cadets and Officer Candidates recite the Guardian Ethos. But, for full cultural ownership, saturation of the ethos is required. Evaluations, both officer and enlisted should be updated to reflect both abiding by and teaching the ethos. Place the Guardian Ethos on the servicewide examination. Changes of command and changes of watch should all include the ethos. Leadership curriculums and the various leadership competencies require changes. Perhaps we commission a Guardian Class of ships.

In general, absent the presence of the ethos in the cabins of the CO/OINCs, wardrooms, Chief's Mess and mess decks across the Coast Guard, it will never completely infuse itself into the hearts and minds of all our service members and those who succeed us. Make a New Year's resolution to replace the word Coastie with the word Guardian in your vocabulary. Remember, we are Guardians. All of us.