Sector Boston's New Take on a Long-Standing Training Model
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AND IN THE SERVICE BEYOND Sector Boston’s New Take on a Long-Standing Training Model By LTJG Justin S. Daniel ’12 and LTJG Clare M. Snyder ’10 n the Coast Guard, we understand ask the question: How can we make this Ithat our core strength is comprised of age-old training model even better? the talented men and women who wear We began by asking one of our our uniform. It is for this reason that our TAD members, LTJG Jonas Miller ’12 of organization is perpetually committed USCGC THETIS, to use part of his TAD to the professional development of period at Sector Boston to begin drafting its members through educational a new, formal training program for opportunities, service schools, and members who are TAD for the primary special assignments. One way that purpose of professional development. As the Coast Guard regularly fosters his dream sheet deadline approached, professional development opportunities, LTJG Miller was looking to learn from both for its members and those interested Sector Boston more about the Response- in joining the service, is through Ashore community before deciding on Temporary Assigned Duty (TAD) billet selections for his second tour. We training periods. asked him to identify the general needs Whether by hosting Coast Guard and goals that TAD members have when Academy cadets during the summer they arrive at an unfamiliar unit, eager to training period or by welcoming a learn but uncertain about where to start. junior officer hoping to capitalize After LTJG Miller departed Sector on an extended in-port period by Boston one of the authors, LTJG Justin experiencing an unfamiliar field, Daniel ’12, continued to revise the the Coast Guard’s commitment to program that LTJG Miller started, promoting professional development gathering input from the Sector Boston is evident in its willingness to send and Command Cadre and personnel receive members across a wide array of throughout the Sector. The result was units. Even during this period of fiscal a Sector Boston Instruction, outlining constraint, personnel continue to pursue a comprehensive training program for TAD training opportunities by taking TAD members. Rather than having advantage of available Unaccompanied members piece together an ad hoc Personnel Housing or units located training regimen after their arrival, this within reasonable commuting distance. written instruction provides structure, Commanding Officers and Officers in concrete goals, and ample guidance Charge throughout the service routinely throughout the TAD period. Several key open their doors to junior members elements comprise Sector Boston’s TAD in the hopes that these men and Professional Development Program. women will leave their units refreshed, impassioned, and confident about the The Sponsor path that lies ahead of them. Each TAD member is assigned a junior As a large, centrally located unit officer sponsor who is responsible for just down the street from the First Coast providing guidance, logistical support, Guard District, and located alongside and overall structure for the TAD three Medium Endurance Cutters, Sector member throughout the assignment. Boston is as active as any other command The sponsor is assigned through a in sharing our operations with those standard junior officer rotation, or looking to get a glimpse of something through a particular department if the they haven’t seen before. That fact, along TAD member is primarily assigned to with an influx of Academy cadets and gain experience in a single field, such junior officers as travel restrictions limit as Prevention or Intelligence. On the other options, recently prompted us to member’s first day, the sponsor will 32 THE BULLETIN AND IN THE SERVICE BEYOND introduce the member at the morning brief, assist them in meeting key personnel at the unit, and ensure that the member is able to schedule operational experiences. Pre-Arrival Outreach Sponsors engage their prospective TAD members in advance of their arrival, having them complete a standard questionnaire that allows the sponsor to gather background information about the TAD member’s operational experience, qualifications, and training objectives. Additionally, sponsors Sector Boston’s new TAD provide prospective TAD members with Professional Development required reading material, including Operations First Program is a figurative the Sector Commander’s command For members TAD at Sector Boston, “heaving line” for those philosophy and biography, as well as The operations take priority. On the first CG personnel seeking a Bulletin article “A Look at Sectors” by day of a TAD assignment, the sponsor positive and worthwhile Admiral Joe Vojvodich ‘85 (Vol. 73, No. will escort the member to meet with TAD experience. The 6, p. 40). Members primarily interested program establishes a each of the operational schedulers at connection between the in one area of Sector operations, such as the Sector and schedule involvement TAD member and a junior Response or Prevention, may be asked to in law enforcement operations, vessel officer sponsor, who is read additional articles that shed light on inspections, pollution response activities, “responsible for providing that field. Instituting these requirements facility inspections, and standing watch guidance, logistical of a TAD member in advance of their in the Sector Command Center. If a support, and overall arrival ensures that they are familiar with member is TAD for several weeks or structure for the TAD the Sector construct before they arrive, member throughout the longer, that scheduling process will assignment.” (U.S. Coast thereby allowing the member to focus on be repeated weekly to ensure that Guard photo by Petty gaining practical, operational experience the member has a steady stream of Officer 2nd Class Rob during their assignment. operational experiences throughout their Simpson.) assignment. Unit-Wide Familiarization All TAD members are provided with PQS a TAD Professional Development Visit To provide overall structure to the Worksheet that lists key personnel at member’s TAD assignment, and to Sector Boston, their titles, and several ensure that the member gains some bulleted lines describing the primary exposure to aspects of Sector operations functions for which that person is that may not be available at the time responsible. Regardless of the member’s of their visit, the Sector Boston TAD area of interest, all TAD personnel are Professional Development Program also required to meet with as many of these incorporates Personnel Qualification personnel as is feasible during their Standards (PQS) requirements for the assignment. At Sector Boston, each member. The Boat Force Operations PQS division within the Sector works closely and the Waterways Management PQS and routinely with every other division, are used due to their broad overview of and the TAD Professional Development Response and Prevention operations, Program reflects the belief that gaining respectively. Members complete two an accurate understanding of Sector sections of the applicable PQS each operations cannot be accomplished week of their assignment, if longer than without becoming familiar with each of one week. If necessary, sponsors are its constituent parts. responsible for identifying additional April 2014 33 HISTORY LESSON PQS that may be used to suit a member’s the span of a week, she had gathered training goals and area of interest. enough information to leave the unit well-prepared for making future career Continuous Feedback decisions. Before departing the unit, each TAD It was evident in LTJG Snyder’s member submits a memorandum, TAD experience that the structure, addressed to the Department Head of clarity, and broad-based exposure their sponsor, providing feedback of provided by Sector Boston’s TAD the TAD Professional Development Professional Development Program Program and describing their experience was crucial to the success of LTJG while TAD. They are asked to discuss Snyder’s assignment. With the guidance accomplishments, experiences, and and direction provided by the TAD recommendations for future TAD Professional Development Program, personnel. This process allows for along with her sponsor, LTJG Snyder continuous improvement, and allows was able to schedule participation in Sector Boston to maintain a record a host of operations and activities that documenting the experiences had by quickly absorbed the entire period of her members during their assignments. It assignment. With little down-time during also provides a written account that the visit, and exposure to almost every can provide the parent command with facet of Sector operations, LTJG Snyder a snapshot of the member’s use of their came away from her experience with TAD period. more focused career objectives. Designated face-time with the Units across the Coast Guard should Sector Commander is also an important invest the time and energy required to component of each TAD member’s establish a training program similar visit, time and operations permitting. to that established at Sector Boston. Having the sponsor arrange a time for Such a program is flexible, allowing for the member to meet with the Sector members to focus on experiences that Commander allows the member an satisfy their particular training objectives, additional opportunity to provide direct while also providing standardized feedback at the command level. It also expectations and structure to maximize provides the Sector Commander with use of the member’s and the host an opportunity to welcome the member command’s time. While not intended to to the unit, share his or her wealth of replace other tools like the Academy’s experience, and offer career guidance. Cadet Summer Training Manual and guidance provided by parent commands, Beta Testing the TAD Professional Development Sector Boston had the opportunity Program supplements them and to utilize the TAD Professional provides a level of clarification that only Development Program soon after its the host unit can provide: specifics about inception by hosting one of the authors, the operational dynamics of the unit, LTJG Clare Snyder ’10 of the First Coast insight into what activities might provide Guard District.