Graduation Celebrated at Nation’s First Detachment at The College of William and Mary

The Coast Guard Auxiliary Detachment—the first such program in the nation—at The College of William and Mary marked the graduation of its first student at a ceremony and reception held in conjunction with the school’s weekend-long commencement activities. Emily Johnson, the year’s only graduate from a program that includes nine students, described the event as one that, "celebrates all that the students and staff have worked to accomplish, and all that is yet to come for a new generation of leaders that will work to make the Coast Guard Auxiliary one of the world’s truly great volunteer and humanitarian services."

Other awards were given in addition to the conferring of graduated status on Ms. Johnson, who served as the unit’s student leader during her senior year. New members from the spring semester were recognized for having completed new member training. Other students received qualifications as Communications Specialist (AUXCOM) and Instructor Specialist (IT), and the two original students and one staff member were recognized as the program’s Plank Owners. A Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation was awarded to the team responsible for initially standing up the program. Speakers at the event included Johnson, Andrew Welch (FSO-DL, program director), James Clark (FC), Heidi Derby (DCAPT), Chaplain Donald Troast from the Navy’s Commander, Submarine Force, and Taylor Reveley, President of The College. Commodore Albert DeJean (DCO-5SR), The Honorable Michael Powell, Rector of The College’s Board of Visitors and former Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, and a number of other representatives from the Auxiliary and local active duty commands joined family and friends in attendance.

The program began in 2007 as the brainchild of Welch and Clark. Johnson was initially attracted to the Auxiliary because of the opportunity for rigorous leadership training the Detachment promised to provide. With a stated mission to “prepare Detachment Members to serve effectively as officers in the United States Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary,” the program works at the cross-purposes of preparing approximately one third of its members for application to and success at Coast Guard Officer Candidate School, and the two-thirds majority of its members to serve as a new generation of young leaders within the Auxiliary. While Johnson, who aspires to a career in international refugee work, will continue to work in the Auxiliary, her shipmate from the William and Mary program, Michael Piantedosi, has just been accepted as a transfer into the Coast Guard Academy’s class of 2013.

The program is open to all students who meet the basic requirements for Auxiliary membership and who are willing to take on the added challenge of training and education as Detachment Members. During the first semester of membership, students complete "Basic Auxiliary Requirements" (BAR) training, a program developed in-house and field tested for the Detachment and future programs nationwide by instructors from Flotilla 67 in Williamsburg, VA. Most of BAR is taught by more senior students, and includes a heavy focus on Coast Guard Core Values and the concepts of "teamwork" and "shipmates", as well as Coast Guard and Auxiliary history, organizational structure, correspondence and writing, ranks, rates, offices, insignia, and uniforms. Detachment Members must also complete the ICS-100 training, pass a NASBLA-approved safe boating course, fulfill a collateral duty within the Detachment, participate in the weekly "Leadership Lab", and complete a 72-item Personal Qualification System in order to complete BAR training and earn "Senior Status" within the program. Students then spend the remainder of their time in the program working within a chosen "Area of Concentration"—Surface Operations, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, Public Outreach, or Organizational Management—which are structured training programs that utilize the range of operational training that the Coast Guard Auxiliary offers. In order to graduate, students must complete BAR and one Area of Concentration, participate in the weekly all-hands Leadership Lab for the duration of their membership, average 60 hours logged in AUXDATA for each semester of membership, and average a score of 4 (on a 1-7 scale) on their leadership evaluations during their final semester in school. Each student is also assigned to one or more collateral duties, mirroring FSO staff functions, or leadership positions (Detachment Commander, Detachment Executive Officer, or a Squad Leader).

Students benefit from a two-pronged approach to their training and professional development. Areas of Concentration provide structured operational training that supports mission execution, while the rigorous leadership components—both theoretical and experiential—prepare them to serve as future Coast Guard and Auxiliary leaders, and to succeed in whatever civilian career field they choose. Program staff, which include non-student Flotilla members assigned to oversee the program and serve as instructors, stress the importance of a truly student-run unit. Most say that their job is to teach, to coach, and to provide guidance and leadership where necessary. Though the FSO-DL (Detachment Leader) is ultimately "in charge", the real burden of leadership is on the student Detachment Commander, who reports to the FSO-DL. "It’s designed to simulate leadership of a Flotilla, or a Coxswain on a boat, or a business, but in a safe environment where mistakes can be made, lessons learned, and bold initiative rewarded," said one instructor.

The approach, which stresses accountability for self and shipmates, has already begun to pay off. Detachment Members have progressed to the point in their training where they are now getting out on the water, performing vessel inspections, and, in one case, even serving as an FSO when the Flotilla was short an experienced Auxiliarist to perform the Communications Service duties. "Though I have no interest in a military career," said Johnson, "the structure and expectations of this program have taught me an unbelievable amount. I don’t think I would have been interested in the Auxiliary without it."

Though education and training are the program’s primary objectives, students also enjoy an element of fun and camaraderie. Detachment Dining Out has become a semester tradition of members in their dress blues, with guests, out for a night of dinner, toasting, and laughter. Students clad in “USCG” tee shirts have also fielded teams for a campus-wide paintball tournament (where the Auxiliarists held their own against a team of Army ROTC cadets), and a three-on-three charity basketball tournament sponsored by one of The College’s sororities (where, unfortunately, the Auxiliarists did not fare quite as well). Late night’s studying for sign-offs, writing papers for classes, or meeting active duty counterparts at the local pub have preserved the Auxiliary tradition of fellowship and made the Detachment a place as much for friends and shipmates as it is for training and operations.

Approximately fifty Auxiliarists, active duty personnel, family, and friends came together to celebrate at what is expected to be an annual fixture on The College’s commencement calendar. The William and Mary tradition of public service was apparent throughout the weekend, perhaps most notably in the words of President Reveley, who in front of thousands assembled for the main graduation ceremony on Sunday recognized the new Army and Marine Corps Second Lieutenants, school teachers, and Coast Guard Auxiliary Detachment graduate from the class of 2009, saying "And, yesterday, we celebrated the first graduate of our new Coast Guard Auxiliary detachment, the first such Coast Guard unit in the country. Would you all please stand?"

In this graduation and the imminent selection of national staff to develop, manage, and grow the Detachment Program nation-wide, the Auxiliary has much reason to celebrate as, what Welch described in his closing remarks, “a service of business people, doctors, construction workers, teachers: Americans from all walks of life, who, when the workday is done, put on their country’s uniform,” and serve as America’s Volunteer Guardians, who, through the devoted leadership of these students and those that will follow, will be an ever-evolving service that grows and thrives, meeting tomorrow’s unknown challenges with the devotion to duty for which it has so long been known.

First Photo: Detachment Members, Leader, and President of The College are, L to R, Andrew Welch (FSO-DL), Alex Wright (’10), Michael Piantedosi (’12), Nicholas Zaremba (’12), Austin Bayer (’11), Emily Johnson (’09), Laura Visochek (’11), Taylor Reveley (President of The College); Not pictured are Devin Hernandez (’12), Caitlin Kirkpatrick (’10), and David Kraemer (’10). Photo credit Stephen Salpukas, Office of University Relations, The College of William and Mary.

Second Photo: Carl Pearson (FSO-MT), center, works with Michael Piantedosi (’12), left, and Nicholas Zaremba (’12), right during one of many Boat Crew classes on campus.

Third Photo: Andrew Welch (FSO-DL) presents Plank Owner certificate to Emily Johnson (’09); Welch and Johnson, along with David Kraemer (’10), were recognized as members of the original crew that stood up the new program in 2008. Photo credit Stephen Salpukas, Office of University Relations, The College of William and Mary.

Fourth Photo: The Detachment’s team at a campus-wide charity basketball tournament included, L to R, Michael Piantedosi (’12), Christian Fitzsimmons (’10), Nicholas Zaremba (’12), and “coach” Emily Johnson (’09). Fitzsimmons has since left school at William and Mary, opting instead for an enlistment in the Marine Corps.

This article was originally posted on the Detachment's website at www.wm.edu/coastguard, and submitted for publication in The Navigator, the Coast Guard Auxiliary's national magazine.