From the
Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Department
By David Hand DC-M

As the first meeting of 2005 with our District Staff Officers for Marine Safety, we are taking this opportunity to conduct an intensive training program to equip and prepare them to support and direct the Marine Safety efforts in their Districts.

Our 2005 program begins with a thorough review and discussion of the duties and responsibilities of a DSO-MS. We will also discuss and identify areas that should be considered for modification to meet our changing missions and roles for 2005.

We have invited many guest speakers from the active duty and reserve Coast Guard to participate with us in this training. They will share with our group their particular expertise, their expectations of the Auxiliary, and their areas of need where the Auxiliary may provide augmentation to them and their field units in performing their missions.

They will discuss the close working relationship of our programs with theirs and explore the future changes as the USCG moves to the Sector organization model.

Each M Department Division will explain and explore the programs and missions that are conducted under their leadership. These presentations will serve to better acquaint our DSOs with the programs and resources available to them through the National Department to assist and support them in their day to day activities in the field.

We hope to broadly educate our DSOs on the many missions and activities that are open to Auxiliary member participation. Marine Safety, Environmental Protection, Public ME Education, Trident Program , and all other M programs are open to all of our members and contain areas of interest that need publicized and communicated to the membership.

Our expectations for this training program are that the DSOs leave N-Train fully equipped to perform their tasks with the tools they will need to make a positive contribution to the Marine Safety programs in their Districts and throughout the Auxiliary.

By providing them these tools, and contacts they should be better equipped to manage their District programs in the rapidly changing and evolving M world of 2005/2006.