Affinity Group Participation -- "Not just a check in the box"
Guest Post by CDR Gary Thomas, Commanding Officer, LSU Wildwood
As the result of input from the Diversity Advisory Council, late last summer Admiral Allen directed in ALCOAST 391/08 that all Commanding Officers in the rank of LCDR and above attend an affinity group's national-level meeting (eg. - National Naval Officers Association, Association of Naval Services Officers, Coast Guard Women's Leadership Association, Blacks in Government, etc.) during their command tour.
Recently I had the opportunity to fulfill that obligation by attending the Association of Naval Service Officers (ANSO) national conference in San Diego, CA. Having gone there to "meet the requirement," I can say without hesitation that I left there feeling I had just attended one of the most educational and informative conferences I've attended in my career. From exceptional presentations to practical workshops, ANSO put together a spectacular event that provided exceptional training and mentoring opportunities.
While ANSO was founded to assist officer recruitment and retention efforts in the Hispanic community, the conference was filled with men and women, officer and enlisted, from the USCG, USN and USMC who were Hispanic, African-America, Pacific Islander, and yes, white males like me. This allowed for a breadth of personal and professional view points and discussions that few people in the Coast Guard encounter on a regular basis at their own units. And no matter how good a leader you are, no matter how informed you think you are on issues of diversity or how inclusive your command is, there is simply nothing that has the same impact as discussing the issues with those directly impacted. It is one thing to listen or read reports that indicate white males will no longer be the majority in a few decades and it is quite another to discuss the implications of that fact with the young men and women who will help shape the sea services between now and then.
My original plans had been to attend with my PXO, LCDR Rene X Casarez, and one of my shipmates. When the unit's schedule changed and the member of our crew couldn't attend with us, I released our travel order number to ISC San Pedro who had inquired if there was any additional funding (CG Headquarters sponsored nearly 60 individuals). As a result, four additional CG members received funding to attend various events over the four day conference. As useful as my attendance was to me, let me relate what some of these members gained from the conference:
The Commandant's direction to attend one of the affinity group's national-level meetings is spot on, but don't think of it as check box to be marked off. Whether it is having the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of people like General James F. Amos, Assistant Commandant of the Marines, who described the six most important things he's learned in his career, both in peace and war; listening to Sgt. Maj. Steven J. Lara, USMC -- a veteran of multiple tours to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom - discuss the things that make junior officers successful or cause them to fail; or have lunch with the USN CDR wearing the purple heart ("a minor disagreement with an IED"), think of these conferences as an excellent opportunity to learn, grow and better understand. I know you'll return to your command better for having attended
As the result of input from the Diversity Advisory Council, late last summer Admiral Allen directed in ALCOAST 391/08 that all Commanding Officers in the rank of LCDR and above attend an affinity group's national-level meeting (eg. - National Naval Officers Association, Association of Naval Services Officers, Coast Guard Women's Leadership Association, Blacks in Government, etc.) during their command tour.
Recently I had the opportunity to fulfill that obligation by attending the Association of Naval Service Officers (ANSO) national conference in San Diego, CA. Having gone there to "meet the requirement," I can say without hesitation that I left there feeling I had just attended one of the most educational and informative conferences I've attended in my career. From exceptional presentations to practical workshops, ANSO put together a spectacular event that provided exceptional training and mentoring opportunities.
While ANSO was founded to assist officer recruitment and retention efforts in the Hispanic community, the conference was filled with men and women, officer and enlisted, from the USCG, USN and USMC who were Hispanic, African-America, Pacific Islander, and yes, white males like me. This allowed for a breadth of personal and professional view points and discussions that few people in the Coast Guard encounter on a regular basis at their own units. And no matter how good a leader you are, no matter how informed you think you are on issues of diversity or how inclusive your command is, there is simply nothing that has the same impact as discussing the issues with those directly impacted. It is one thing to listen or read reports that indicate white males will no longer be the majority in a few decades and it is quite another to discuss the implications of that fact with the young men and women who will help shape the sea services between now and then.
My original plans had been to attend with my PXO, LCDR Rene X Casarez, and one of my shipmates. When the unit's schedule changed and the member of our crew couldn't attend with us, I released our travel order number to ISC San Pedro who had inquired if there was any additional funding (CG Headquarters sponsored nearly 60 individuals). As a result, four additional CG members received funding to attend various events over the four day conference. As useful as my attendance was to me, let me relate what some of these members gained from the conference:
"I thought every single military member I approached throughout the day had useful and important information to pass on my way in terms of officer promotions, leadership, integrity, etc." AET3 Michael Sarniak, Sector San Diego
"I wasn't able to stay for all of the events...but the other seminars and group sessions were very useful in utilizing my leadership skills and experiences to build a more unified and diverse Coast Guard." DC2 Brian Lee, Sector San Diego
"I have to say that the information I got was invaluable and the opportunity to associate with officers in general in a non-formal way [was] definitely worth the trip. It all gave me a good sense of what to expect in and after OCS. ...networking was the most beneficial aspect of the symposium for me. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to become an officer." MST2 Christopher Smith, Sector San Diego
"This provided an optimal opportunity for JOs to gain the senior enlisted leadership perspective on leadership expectations, pitfalls, and successes for both JOs and those enlisted members who are considering accession into the officer ranks." LT Monica Anderson, ISC San Pedro
The Commandant's direction to attend one of the affinity group's national-level meetings is spot on, but don't think of it as check box to be marked off. Whether it is having the opportunity to listen to and ask questions of people like General James F. Amos, Assistant Commandant of the Marines, who described the six most important things he's learned in his career, both in peace and war; listening to Sgt. Maj. Steven J. Lara, USMC -- a veteran of multiple tours to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom - discuss the things that make junior officers successful or cause them to fail; or have lunch with the USN CDR wearing the purple heart ("a minor disagreement with an IED"), think of these conferences as an excellent opportunity to learn, grow and better understand. I know you'll return to your command better for having attended
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3:15 PM
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