Leadership Spotlight -- Partnership

VADM Pekoske
Originally uploaded by icommandant

Guest Post by Vice Admiral David P Pekoske, Commander, Pacific Area

Partnership -- It is the first thing that is impressed upon us as we enter the halls of basic training, officer candidate school, or the Academy. In the beginning we are drilled in the fundamentals, simple exercises that allow us to tap into parts of ourselves previously unrealized. From the moment we put on Coast Guard blue a sense of purpose begins to form, we draw down roots into the heart of our ethos, we begin to live our core values. It is the reason that a group of strangers can meet on the tarmac in Mobile, Alabama fire up the rotors and immediately become a team capable of extraordinary heroism in the wake of a devastating event. The uncommon bonds forged in the wake of a crisis, lead us to achieve those things that are unimaginable if we attempt to tackle them alone. The true, unfailing friendships that emerge from the trials and tribulations of a lifetime committed to public service are worth more to our nation than any boat, ship, or plane. These partnerships are what make our organization great.

Through the close partnerships between operators and their support staffs the country's smallest military service is capable of playing a pivotal role in the execution of our national security strategy. An aging fleet, a rapid transition to a modern organization, and a deteriorating infrastructure, each on their own can appear as seemingly insurmountable obstacles. A Deck Watch Officer and her helmsman steering a course through a gale force storm to intercept a foreign vessel illegally fishing in the U.S. EEZ; or a civilian employee that spends his Christmas in Dutch Harbor directing the Planning Section of the Unified Command in an effort to protect the pristine resources of Alaska from degradation, these shared experiences help us build the partnerships that allow our organization to succeed. Often times, however, it is the simple act of a Second Class Petty Officer from the Deck Department remaining after hours to lend a hand to a Third Class Petty Officer from the Engineering Department that matters most. When an Auxiliarist rushes into the station on a moments notice to assume the watch upon hearing that the duty watchstander must depart on emergency leave, it is a testament to the commitment we have to each other. These are the kinds of acts that make all the difference in transforming a unit into a team. The desire to develop strong partnerships and to belong to something greater than ourselves, these are the reason most of us join the Coast Guard and it is why together we sail confidently into the future, partners in service to humanity.