Every coast guardsman is a lifesaver

Earlier this month, I honored a team of Coast Guard men and women for a perilous rescue of forty people from a research vessel burning in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.  In desperation, the crew was abandoning ship into the cold winter sea, while a Coast Guard helicopter and two boats vectored to the scene.  Our crews recovered all forty people just before the vessel became engulfed in flames. 

It gave me great pride to know that I serve among such talented and selfless people, young men and women who put the lives of others before their own.  I started thinking about the folks who were not at this awards event, the ones making things happen behind the scenes – the cooks, yeoman, mechanics, electricians, and mission support folks who do not garner attention at these types of ceremonies or in the headlines.  I thought back to the movie “The Guardian,” which highlighted the courage and fortitude of our rescue swimmers, who tend to be the most visible in our service.  Unfortunately, the movie, and quite frankly our own awards and even some of the best news coverage, does not tell the whole story. 

Saving lives is about bravery and courage, and about an individual’s character, but it goes well beyond that.  Every member of the Coast Guard shares our core values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty.  And each individual member plays an important role in all that we do – every operation, sortie, and mission. 

Though you may not realize, behind every rescue, every life saved, every drug interdiction, is a long line of people you may never hear about – our training cadre in Yorktown and Petaluma, the engineers and flight mechanics maintaining our boats and aircraft, the yeoman and storekeepers keeping our commands equipped, and the watchstanders in our Command Centers.  Often our Command Centers are simultaneously interfacing with our partners in DOD, other DHS agencies, local law enforcement and first responders.  They coordinate all the units to ensure a seamless operation, while continually communicating with the subject of the case.  In the Gulf rescue I just mentioned, Coast Guard men and women from five units were directly involved with saving those forty lives. 

The bottom line is that all of our Coast Guard successes – from the responses following 9/11 to those in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, were not only about extraordinary individuals.  They were about our service culture that stresses teamwork and innovative thinking, and the character of our people, who live our core values.  To be agile and responsive, we have to be a team from the beginning and at every step of the way – from the strategic vision, to the planning and outfitting of our people, to the training and exercising of all aspects of an operation. 

This is not only the case in search and rescue missions.  Patrolling in the Arabian Gulf or breaking ice in the Antarctic, our men and women are working together to provide this country the security, the safety, and the stewardship of our oceans demanded in an uncertain time and an often dangerous world.  Wherever they are stationed, whatever job they do, whatever missions they execute or support, every member of the Coast Guard plays a critical role. 

And you can be assured, when it’s time to launch that helicopter or lower a boat to answer the call for a ship that is sinking, to respond to a major oil spill, or to stop a drug smuggler in the Deep Caribbean, we are ready.  There is an entire Coast Guard team behind that animated young Coast Guardsman telling the story you watch on the evening news.  So the next time you go the movies or are out grocery shopping and see a few Coast Guard members, regardless of whether they are cooks or pilots, know that underneath it all, they are lifesavers.  Ever member of the Coast Guard is a lifesaver. 

On this Memorial Day, as we honor the men and women who gallantly gave their lives for this Nation, remember that today’s generation is no different.  Courageous and selfless young men and women in all the armed forces serve with distinction throughout this country and around the world in countless ways. They possess the same courage and spirit as their predecessors, keeping America and Americans free and safe.  Their commitment, as well as that of their families, symbolizes the pride, strength and idealism of this great Nation.  They are America’s next “greatest generation.”

Allen is the commandant of the United States Coast Guard.

SPECIAL SECTION: Tribute to our Troops
The world’s finest armed forces
The American Soldier
Sailors building trust, one person at a time
Morale of Marine Corps at an all-time high amid challenges
Warriors of the sky
Serving at home and abroad
Whether on American or foreign soil, Army Reserves answer the call of duty
Greetings from home