Auxiliarist Michael Barth acquired his fee as an ensign within the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve July 6. He made this transition after greater than 5 years of service within the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Highlights of his service embrace being named the Auxiliarist of the Yr in 2019 and being featured as a particular visitor of the Commandant on the 2021 Coast Guard Pageant. All through his Auxiliary profession, Barth used his skilled coaching and time administration abilities to navigate each a Wall Avenue profession and his Auxiliary service, which in 2019 resulted in over 2,000 hours in public outreach and leisure boating security actions within the New York Metropolis space. He additionally used his time within the Auxiliary to construct an enormous community of lively obligation, Reserve, and Auxiliary contacts that ready him for his journey to the Reserve. The Auxiliary Public Affairs Directorate caught up with Barth for an interview previous to his preliminary reporting to Coast Guard Sector New York.
The next is the creator’s interview with Barth.
What impressed you to transition from the Auxiliary to the reserve?
I had an unbelievable expertise within the Auxiliary and have had the chance to participate in a mess of Coast Guard missions. I wished to proceed my service to the Coast Guard and tackle extra duty, in addition to have alternatives to deploy and participate in legislation enforcement and protection operations. I’m excited to report back to the incident administration division of Sector New York and plan on qualifying in my specialty areas whereas additionally engaged on extra {qualifications} that can serve me effectively as a response officer. I stay up for actively in search of deployment alternatives to grease spills, hazardous materials releases, hurricanes, and different incidents whereas exploring different help roles for the Division of Homeland Safety.
Did any coaching or experiences out of your Auxiliary service put together you for this transition?
My 5 years within the Auxiliary have allowed me to be taught the inside workings of the Coast Guard group, together with its construction, missions and core values. Alongside the best way, I picked up particular job-related duties corresponding to writing awards, studying public affairs insurance policies, participating in response and prevention augmentation roles, and incomes {qualifications} that can pay dividends in my Reserve profession. My incident command system {qualifications} will carry over, which can present a pleasant basis for my coaching. We’re additionally eligible to put on the federal navy awards earned throughout our Auxiliary service, such because the Coast Guard Unit Commendation.
Inform us about your expertise going by way of the Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination (ROCI) course over these 5 weeks on the Coast Guard Academy. What was the best problem and your biggest accomplishment?
It was an unbelievable expertise. The overarching mission of ROCI is to organize officer candidates to serve successfully as officers. Candidates face psychological, bodily, and educational challenges, and are anticipated to digest a big quantity of data, grasp uniform preparation, and serve in management roles. Oftentimes, quick discover is given earlier than taking over an assigned obligation, and you will need to be taught the ins and outs of the function rapidly. The most important problem was working by way of competing deadlines with homework assignments, management roles, exams, and different navy obligations, however with correct time administration and dedication, it’s each doable and rewarding. My largest accomplishment was being voted in as the manager officer of my firm’s Honor Make, which confirmed the unit’s confidence in my management. I had the honour and privilege of main the corporate with the corporate commander by way of our closing week and into commencement.
What was the importance of the place and attendees at your oath ceremony?
I truly had two oath ceremonies. First, I enlisted into the Coast Guard Reserve on Could 3, throughout a ceremony on the Battery Park World Struggle II Memorial in New York Metropolis. Each of my grandfathers have been World Struggle II fight veterans and my grandmother served as an Army officer throughout the conflict. Being surrounded by the names of those that fell within the conflict—together with the names of a few of my grandparents’ associates—was deeply significant. Their legacy was one of many components that impressed me to hitch the navy. The memorial is situated straight throughout from the Statue of Liberty, which has a deep symbolic which means for many who served, these coming into service, and the nation at giant. My grandparents crossed the waters between the memorial and the Statue of Liberty on their approach to combat. Our sector commander, Capt. Zeita Service provider, introduced me into the Coast Guard. She is an inspirational chief and function mannequin for the Coast Guard at giant and is an officer I’ve a deep respect and admiration for. I invited a number of folks to my oath ceremony together with Dr. Victor Wong, an in depth pal of mine for over 23 years; Auxiliarist Alexander Rico, my former flotilla commander and one in every of my closest associates; my recruiter, Petty Officer 1st Class Leslie Morales; and recruiters from the New York Recruiting Workplace.
Subsequent, my commissioning ceremony occurred July 6 on the Leamy Corridor Auditorium at the USA Coast Guard Academy. Our total officer corps is educated on the Coast Guard Academy, and being commissioned there’s an extremely excessive honor. I’m grateful to my associates, household, and shipmates who attended the ceremony.
Do you might have any recommendation for Auxiliarists contemplating lively obligation or reserve careers?
Attempt to get as a lot publicity as you’ll be able to with Coast Guard missions. Increase your native models and work in the direction of lively obligation {qualifications} or the Auxiliary’s equal. Response, prevention, recruiting, and public affairs are all nice avenues. Construct a community within the fields you want to enter. It should considerably profit your profession forward. Don’t be afraid to attempt one thing new or one thing that will curiosity you. The Auxiliary offers a low-risk surroundings to experiment with totally different profession fields. Communicate to an Auxiliarist who has made a transition to the lively obligation or Reserve elements of the Coast Guard. Take the leap and do it. It should serve you effectively and you’ll not remorse it!
As Barth factors out, Auxiliarists with particular abilities and backgrounds can take the leap to assist the Coast Guard fill crucial reserve personnel wants. This transition aligns with the Commandant’s intent for 2022 of reworking the Coast Guard workforce by leveraging expertise and assets already inside the group. Seasoned Auxiliarists like Barth can extra rapidly regulate to a reserve function given they already embody the core values, have present institutional data, and sure have served in augmentation roles with native models. Furthermore, reservists can stay members of the Auxiliary which offers a bridge for Auxiliary models to higher combine inside Staff Coast Guard.
