P a ge 5 t opside V olume 114 , I s s u e 1
Message from the Chief of Staff
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve as your District Chief of Staff ! I am proud to be a part of your District 5 Northern Region ( 5NR ) Executive Committee ( EXCOM ), to support Commodore Kyper and to work with the district ’ s very dedicated elected and appointed officers as well as with our Director and our active duty colleagues .
All of EXCOM ’ s efforts will be in keeping with Commodore Kyper ’ s focus on serving our members , which he has summed up in his statement : “ Our Members – Our Strength .” We are committed to providing the direction and support you need to accomplish your missions . We value your time , talents and efforts . We will do all we can to see that you can get the training you need to operate at the highest levels of proficiency possible . We also insist that each of you enjoy your service to the boating public and Coast Guard to the utmost ! In return , we ask that you support your elected and appointed leaders , keep the core values of honor , respect and devotion to duty in mind at all times and always follow the Chain of Leadership and Management . If problems do arise , please recognize that it is the responsibility of your leadership to resolve them promptly and at the “ lowest organizational level ” possible – hopefully at the flotilla or division level . We also ask that you look for opportunities to recognize your deserving fellow members with awards whenever appropriate .
Thomas J . Dever District Chief of Staff
U . S . Coast Guard Auxiliary 5th District-Northern Region
In a nearby article , Commodore Kyper discusses the initiatives that are already underway – leadership training , task forces for recruiting and retention , the Auxiliary University Program , and the investigative & intervention program . We will keep you informed about these efforts throughout the year . All of these efforts have at their heart the recognition that recruiting and retention of members is the foundation for everything else we accomplish .
Many of us in district leadership positions just returned from the week-long national training and board meeting in St . Louis ( N-TRAIN ). The training was intense , excellent and intended to enable us to do our jobs better . It was also fascinating to see that the Coast Guard is increasingly reaching out to the Auxiliary for help . Every indication is that we can anticipate becoming more and more integrated into “ Team Coast Guard .” You can expect to see new Auxiliary clergy , financial planning and museum docent programs ( qualified Auxiliarists will serve with the active duty members in the first two and at the proposed new Coast Guard Museum for the third ). A highlight of N-TRAIN was the keynote address by U . S . Coast Guard Commandant Adm . Paul Zukunft followed by the Commandant ’ s signing of the recently completed US Coast Guard Auxiliary Strategic Plan ( available here : http :// cgaux . org / leadership / index . php ).
Thank you for your service to the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary !
Thomas J . Dever District Chief of Staff
Coast Guard Auxiliary Fifth District Northern Region