Embrace the Coast Guard’s Strength
Proceedings Magazine - September 2018 Vol.
by Lieutenant Commander Luke Petersen, U.S. Coast
What’s in a motto? Can a few words set the tone for an organization? Or summarize its culture? The Coast Guard motto— Semper Paratus or “Always Readyâ€â€”supposedly does both. It is an aspirational slogan that also describes an ethos engrained in every Coast Guardsman. The Coast Guard prides itself on being ready for any and every task and mission.
According to past Commandant Admiral James Loy, however, the motto is a curse, “a description of an operational readiness level that we refuse to let slip.â€
If an organization is “always ready,†it is hard to argue that it cannot meet its missions, that it needs more funding, more people, or more support. As Admiral Loy concluded,
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2018-09/embrace-coast-guard%E2%80%99s-strength
