CGC TAHOMA
Command Philosophy
TAHOMA is a team of professionals working together, with pride and purpose, to serve our shipmates, families, operational commanders, and country. We protect American national interests by protecting life and property at sea, enforcing U.S. and international law, and conducting military operations.
It is my privilege to sail and serve with you. My priorities are the safety of the crew and ship, operational readiness, and mission excellence. I will perform my duties to the best of my ability; the Core Values will guide my actions. I expect and require the same of you. The following principles will guide all hands:
Professionalism:. Be professionals at all times. Cutter life is arduous but rewarding. A positive attitude and steadfast effort are the hallmarks of a professional mariner. We treat others as we would want to be treated if we stood in their shoes. When in a leadership position, we set a positive example for others; when in a position of followership, we support the leader. We support the chain of command, respect each other and our fellow citizens, and practice military customs and courtesies. A fit appearance, unquestionable ethical behavior, and integrity are our standards. As cuttermen we act with humility, prudence, and recognition that there is no end to learning. We do not have to brag about who we are because we let our positive actions tell our story.
Responsibility:. We take responsibility for our and our subordinates’ actions; we will be held accountable for the consequences of those actions. When we make an error we take responsibility, identify a solution, and take the initiative to correct the error. As mariners, our safety depends on one another.
Excellence:. We are committed to excellence. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing right the first time. Work to continuously improve all aspects of our unit. Be flexible, proactive, and innovative. Each crewmember is vital to our success as a team and each is expected to give his or her best effort. We take pride in our own and our shipmates’ accomplishments and provide timely recognition of and reward for superior performance.
Communication:. We maintain open communications up, down, and across all levels of the chain of command; no member is inapproachable. Bad news does not get better with time; get issues out in the open so they can be addressed. Effective communication and teamwork are prerequisites of a successful cutter.
Training:. We aggressively use training to improve our skills in all evolutions and emergency procedures so that we are Always Ready for every contingency. Our goal is for each member of our crew to achieve professional and personal success. We provide mentoring, leadership opportunities, and the training and educational resources necessary to prepare all members to advance and to assume greater responsibility.
Maintenance:. We maintain our health and well being, and that of our shipmates and our families, through a positive and balanced work environment and a strong family support network. Our safety depends on having a safe and operational cutter; we will improve our ship’s condition by precisely completing PMS requirements, carefully operating all machinery and systems, and maintaining a clean, safe, and organized cutter. We take pride in our ship and work to maintain and improve it so that it may be passed to the next generation.
Operations:. When we go out, we and our ship will come back unhurt and undamaged. Safety is our first priority at all times. Our training and maintenance efforts are the foundation of our success. We execute all assigned missions to the best of our ability, with Courage, Justice, and Compassion.
Commander Christopher P. Mooradian
U.S. Coast Guard
Commander Mooradian was commissioned after completing Officer Candidate School, Yorktown, VA, in 1990. His first assignment was aboard USCGC LAUREL (WLB 291), Jacksonville, FL, where he served as a Deck Watch Officer and Navigator. He then served as Executive Officer of USCGC ADAK (WPB 1333), from 1992 to 1994, where he conducted fisheries law enforcement and search and rescues in the First Coast Guard District (Northeast United States). Following his tour on CGC ADAK, he was assigned to Office of Military Personnel, Policy and Standards Branch at Coast Guard Headquarters, from 1994 to 1997.
In July 1997, CDR Mooradian took command of USCGC WRANGELL (WPB 1332), Portland, ME, where he carried out missions in law enforcement and search and rescue operations throughout the First Coast Guard District and in the Caribbean. While serving on CGC WRANGELL, CDR Mooradian made two deployments to Frontier Shield and Frontier Lance, Coast Guard counter-drug operations in the Caribbean.
Upon completing his assignment on USCGC WRANGELL in 1999, CDR Mooradian was assigned to Duty under Instruction in the Coast Guard’s law program. His first assignment as a judge advocate was to the Coast Guard Judge Advocate General’s Office of Maritime and International Law, where he worked on law of the sea, communications, and maritime homeland security/homeland defense issues, from 2002-2004. CDR Mooradian then served as the first Coast Guard Representative to the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the General Counsel, from 2004 to 2006. While at DHS, he worked on customs, immigration, and maritime homeland security/homeland defense issues. He also served as an adjunct instructor with the Defense Institute for International Legal Studies (DIILS), Newport, RI.
In 2006 CDR Mooradian returned to shipboard duty on USCGC JARVIS (WHEC 725), Honolulu, HI, where he served as Executive Officer until 2008. While serving on CGC JARVIS, he made fisheries law enforcement deployments in the Bering Sea, the North Pacific, and the Central Pacific.
Since July 2008 Commander Mooradian has served as the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate for the First Coast Guard District, in Boston Massachusetts.
CDR Mooradian received his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, with a concentration in economics and Latin America, from Kenyon College in 1989. He received his Juris Doctor in 2002 from Boston University School of Law, where he also served as Articles Editor, Boston University Law Review.
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