I am proud to welcome to our team our new Director , Commander Steven A . Koch and our new OTO , BOSN CWO4 Jason Grimm .
DISTRICT COMMODORE ’ S MESSAGE
I am proud to welcome to our team our new Director , Commander Steven A . Koch and our new OTO , BOSN CWO4 Jason Grimm .
Finally , the Battery Building is back in operation , but not without lots of hard work by the Director ’ s staff and several of our Auxiliary members who spent many hours in making it shipshape . A big shout out as well to D1NR Director Commander Christina Sullivan and her team for all their hard work this year while we awaited the transition of Directors and their staff .
We are an integral part of Team Coast Guard , and while RBS is our job-one we also have many other Traditional and non-Traditional missions that we bring to the table . The Coast Guard is being asked across the board to do more with less , so that is where we as the Auxiliary can , will and have stepped forward to assist . Active duty is experiencing an extremely severe workforce shortage which is only expected to worsen . We already augment their numbers and missions , or worded another way , we are the force multiplier . I consider the Auxiliary to be the very best investment that the Coast Guard could make in its future . We are more diverse in what we have to offer than any other component of the Coast Guard , whether active duty , reserve or civilian . Our talents are a universal spectrum of employments ready to be tapped for the asking .
At last count D1SR has 2,641 members of the nation ’ s 20,900 members which is more than 12 % of the Auxiliary . Since 2021 we have been averaging 300,000 reported hours each year . During 2019 ( pre-pandemic ), D1SR reported 438,000 hours . Estimates are that upwards of 30 % of hours go unreported , so we could significantly add to our totals and the funding that the Coast Guard receives by seeing that our members fully account for their work .
In recent meetings with active duty in both D1SR and D1NR , emphasis across the board has been placed on Resilience , Readiness and Recruitment . So we need to find new ways to increase our own recruitment by targeting needed individuals and talents . Let us figure out a campaign using innovative and adaptive marketing tools , so rather than waiting for members to find us , we reverse that trend and find them . We need to find our sweet spot in finding that new talent and to keep those we already have motivated and active . We need to match the growing needs of active duty with the right people .
To quote Admiral Fagan ’ s strategy :
“ We will transform our total workforce by modernizing how we recruit , hire , develop , train and support our people and families . We will sharpen our competitive edge by driving a culture of innovation to integrate new technologies and provide our people with reliable assets , systems and infrastructure . And we will advance our mission of excellence by pioneering new operating concepts while enhancing our readiness ”.
Michael West
Michael West District Commodore First Southern District
4 OVER THE BOW USCGAUX FIRST DISTRICT SOUTHERN REGION - SUMMER 2023