Command Philosophy

     A command philosophy is a document that captures the Commanding Officer's conception of how the ship is to be run and how the crew should run it. To capture every facet of this very complex and dynamic world takes volumes of writings and requires constant updating. Most of the guidance for the operation of the ship and for the conduct of the crew will be captured in our Organization Manual, Directives, Notices and Instructions and in Coast Guard Regulations, so I will not repeat that here.

     I have many expectations of BERTHOLF but those I present in this document are the five elements that I believe are the most important, and the ones that I will guide BERTHOLF towards. They are:

Good Environment
Mission Success
Professionalism
Continuing Education & Career Development
Satisfaction

     BERTHOLF will be a safe, clean and well-maintained environment, for working as well as for living. A ship is a unique workplace and also a unique living environment. Even new, it needs constant care in order to keep a clean appearance and healthy living conditions; it needs safety devices that are in place and can operate in case of an emergency; and it needs continuous maintenance on every piece of machinery in order to be kept in full operating condition.

     BERTHOLF will be highly successful in every mission that is set before us. This ship exists to serve our country in a variety of maritime missions and we will strive to be knowledgeable, proficient and successful in each one. Classroom and hands on training will be carried out for new, as well as seasoned crewmembers to ensure that we are armed with the right skills to perform all our missions.

     BERTHOLF crewmembers will be professional in all dealings with the public, as well as with each other. We are in a noble and unique profession - members of the United States Coast Guard and crewmembers aboard the newest, most capable cutter that will be in the public's constant spotlight. We are not only members of one of the Armed Forces, but professional mariners as well. We serve the public and will therefore display professionalism in all our dealings with them, be it an open house in a port or a law enforcement boarding on the oceans of the world. And let's not forget that we serve each other ' from me to the newest recruit aboard, we depend upon each other to keep us safe and fully operational, each and every day. Treat each other with courtesy and respect, for you are professionals and deserve no less.

     BERTHOLF crewmembers will take every opportunity to advance their educations and their careers. A successful organization is well educated and constantly learning. Although formalized classroom education is difficult in a shipboard environment, crewmembers will continue their studies through online courses, correspondence courses and Service members' Opportunity College Coast Guard. Senior members will foster a mentoring relationship with juniors to assist them in their career development as Coast Guard men and women.

     BERTHOLF crewmembers will gain satisfaction in the performance of their jobs. To do a job well, you have to be able to derive some amount of enjoyment from it. Not everyone has a job they love, and there might even be some aboard ship that you hate, but I will strive to make the overall experience of being on BERTHOLF professionally rewarding, satisfying and hopefully, fun.

     These objectives that I have set before you, my expectations of BERTHOLF, are quite achievable if embraced by everyone on board. I am proud to be a part of this plank-owner crew and look forward to working with you to reach these goals.

PATRICK H. STADT
Commanding Officer