Mobile musings and my tacit endorsement of the iPhone4

Several small "phone events" sparked my interest yesterday when they converged in a single afternoon.  The first was when I set up my iPhone to sync with my e-mail on the Exchange server at work, a previously impossible task before Apple's iOS4 mercifully came along to allow me to use the Exchange protocol to sync both my personal Gmail and work accounts.  Good stuff.

The second was a trip to my local (and I may add, very well run) Radio Shack, where I took a minute to peruse the latest cell phones to hit the market.  Frankly, I could care less, because I can't imagine ever replacing my iPhone... but I was surprised to note how increasingly difficult it is to actually find a model that is not a smartphone.  What was, just 18 or 24 months ago, a luxury for folks willing to spend hundreds on a phone has now become the norm.  I am routinely in the company of entire groups of folks with not a standard phone (you know, the ones that just make phone calls) among us.

I am reminded of an article by Carolyn Friedman that I was sent last month, "10 Seriously Cool Predictions for the Future of Your Cell Phone".  I frankly disagree with some of her assertions, but overall I think she puts together a nice education for folks that don't spend a lot of their free time pondering the future of their cell phones.

I remember when I was in school I had a teacher excitedly tell us how the Texas Instruments graphing calculator was a "pocket computer."  Seems quaint now, doesn't it?

For me, vacation is coming up soon, and somehow that time just several years back when I managed to respond to a new business inquiry, direct a technical repair to a remote sever (I do not miss the days when I worked in IT, by the way), and dock a recreational boat all in a five minute span using my old Blackberry doesn't seem that remarkable anymore.  Some might argue that my iPhone keeps my chained the the office, but I have come to think that its mobile power sets me free from work every now and then.  I'd rather take a call from my boat than from my desk.

Alas, the last month has been abuzz with grief over the iPhone4's reception issues.  I had mine in hand by 09:30 on the first day, and was miserable at first.  Once 1.7 million new phones had been attached to the AT&T network inside of three days, though, things mellowed out.  I don't love the new iPhone for some reason, but I definitely have found it to be the best thing going today... certainly better than those "smartphones" that I got to play with at Radio Shack yesterday.

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USCG Commandant shares guidance on officer selection with active duty, reserve, auxiliary, and civilian personnel

Admiral Papp (Commandant, USCG) distributed guidance on Coast Guard officer selection in an e-mail yesterday, and urged all hands to take note:

"I want our entire workforce - officers, enlisted, civilian and auxiliary - to be aware of the attributes I expect our Officer Corps to strive to attain. Leadership is a bond of trust. I hope to engender trust by sharing insight on my expectations for leaders with all members of our Service."

In reading the six-page document, I couldn't help thinking that, though the guidance was intended for direct application in active duty and reserve officer selection and promotion, its contents can and should be applied much more widely as guidance on leadership.  As an Auxiliarist, I believe that our unique system of selection for progressively greater responsibility can benefit tremendously from the consistency that comes from principled guidance such as that which Admiral Papp has promulgated; in the absence of something Auxiliary-specific, we must look elsewhere, so I therefore urge Auxiliary unit commanders and nominating boards to take note and consider your 2011 selections in the context of the Commandant's guidance here.  In general, I hope that any of our shipmates -- officer, enlisted, auxiliary, civilian -- aspiring to greater responsibility will give the document due consideration in any Coast Guard setting, for as the Commandant writes:

"We have the honor and privilege of performing meaningful work that is essential to the long term safety and security of our country... demand for our unique capabilities and leadership in responding to these dynamics has never been greater... we must cultivate and promote officers who possess the leadership skills and competencies to achieve mission success... It is our expectation that all officers will demonstrate a commitment to the culture and Core Values of the Coast Guard."

Below I have digested and excerpted pieces of the original document for those not inclined to read in its entirety.

On "Servant Leadership" and "Responsibility, authority, and accountability"
"You should be particularly vigilant in your evaluation ofperfonnance to take note of those who step forward to serve and succeed in positions accompanied by additional risk and rigorous accountability ... Officers who undertake broadening assignments gain invaluable experience and judgment that will pay dividends to our Service in the future ... "Care and concern" is not just humanitarian interest in morale and welfare, it is also the ability to inspire, mentor, and encourage our people to greater levels of performance; to set the bar high ... leaders must display the strength of character to hold subordinates accountable for lapses in performance and/or behavior ... leaders must be mindful ofthe communities, industries, governments, and citizens that we serve ... We need leaders who can sustain key relationships to make our Service more capable and credible in local areas of operation and as well as in the greater maritime domain ... The range ofpartners includes federal, state and local agencies, tribal interests, as well as appropriate academia, industry, non-governmental, sovereign and international entities."

On "Honoring our Profession"
"Officers should select a specialty, and a sub-specialty, and continually work to gain experience, knowledge and proficiency in these areas ... We should promote leaders who demonstrate dedication to professional growth commensurate with their chosen specialty; show evidence of progressive development in their specialty as they ascend in rank ... live by our Core Values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty; seek responsibility, understand their authorities, exercise them judiciously, and ensure accountability ... the Coast Guard needs leaders who are active participants in affinity groups and professional organizations, using knowledge gained there for mentoring and other meaningful measures that foster individual development. We need leaders who strive to create a climate of equity that fosters an envirorunent where all individuals have the opportunity to prosper, advance in their careers and contribute their utmost to Coast Guard missions."

On the consideration and selection of more junior officers
"Look for leadership, accomplishment, and adherence to our Core Values. Discount minor errors, as long as subsequent performance reflects lessons learned ... should he establishing their specialty or are progressively demonstrating technical competence in their specialty ... should also he developing and honing their leadership skills."

On the consideration and selection of more senior officers
"Should he demonstrating evidence of mastery in their specialty and the analytical ability to solve complex challenges ... strong representational, oral and written communication skills ... commitment to the development and well-being of their personnel which may include a record of mentoring others, including reaching out into their field as well as diverse segments of our society ... Evaluate bow they exercise it, and whether they successfully lead teams to accomplish tasks. Look for innovation, vision and adaptability. Look for character and enthusiasm. Look to promote leaders who demonstrate the ability to complete major projects and initiatives vice merely proposing meritorious ideas or promising methodologies ... must also have an understanding of the major issues facing the Coast Guard."

On the consideration and selection of flag officers
"Give particular consideration to officers that stepped forward to take on the most difficult and challenging high-responsibility high-visibility assigrunents and leadership positions ... Required characteristics include: decisive, balanced and strategic decision making; poise, knowledge and presence that advances the reputation and excellence of our Service; political understanding, savvy and ability to impact national-level policy making as an advocate of our Service; demonstrated sound stewardship for public resources; and finally, humility...the basic characteristic of a servant leader ... We need our flag officers to be those recognized leaders with impeccable Service reputations and with whom subordinates, peers and seniors seek to serve. They must have a passion for our Service, clear conviction of purpose and the demonstrated ability to act in a collegial manner."

My final thought: Strong and much appreciated guidance wherever, however, and whenever you serve.  Strive to meet the standard, and support others around you so that they can do the same.

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Independence Day reflection - A holiday for all Americans

Friends, Family, Shipmates, Colleagues:

Independence Day weekend is upon us, and I want to wish you, your families, and friends a happy and safe couple of days. Earlier today I sent messages to my teams both at my day job at USIS and in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, so I also want to share the spirit of those messages with you.

The recent weeks have been challenging for many of you I know.  Some of you have faced much activity at work, students and teachers have finished spring sessions and have begun several months of life in other pursuits, Coasties work around the clock battling oil in the Gulf of Mexico (and CGBlog.org tells the story) while those Auxiliarists in Flotilla Arlington | Northern Virginia are working hard to train and qualify an influx of new people and the largest group of new small boat crew trainees in recent memory.  My staff in the University Programs Branch has been working hard as well to support the dedicated instructors and students around the country and to prepare programs to launch at new schools.  My friends at Whitecoat Strategies have hit the road telling the story of science while my friends at Decisions for Heroes have made great improvements to the way they help rescue teams save lives around the world.  Everywhere I look, the community of friends, family, shipmates, and colleagues that I am so privileged to be a part of and who make up the community around this blog are doing really great things.  The world is remarkable.

Everyone does what they do for different reasons, but in talking with many of you it becomes clear that you count love of country, compassion for the people of the world, and devotion to duty among your personal motivations. We each come from different places and different backgrounds. Unlike Memorial Day, Labor Day, or Veterans Day, honoring the fallen, the workers, and the returned heroes respectively, the holiday we celebrate this weekend is one that we Americans own together (and we invite others around the world to celebrate with us). I wish you the best as you honor it, enjoy it, and spend it with family and the best of friends.

It is a beautiful day in Virginia, so go out and take advantage. My two requests are that you be safe, and help to pass the spirit of this message to all with whom you serve and celebrate.

As always, please be in touch, and thank you for your service!

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"Thirty years of Apple in two minutes" brings back childhood (and more recent) memories

I have to thank Dave Caolo at "The Unofficial Apple Weblog" (aka "TUAW") for sharing this video today.  It's a quick, probably rather pointless video, but with the hype surrounding Apple's launch of the iPhone4 last week, I found this a very interesting look back at the last 30 years of history.  It also brought back many memories of the nine Apple desktops and laptops that I have had over the years.  Enjoy...

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Coast Guard Auxiliary turns 71, deploys to the Gulf of Mexico

What a week for the demands of my day job to have taken me away from writing.  The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary celebrated its 71st Birthday this past Wednesday, June 23, 2010.  I spent that evening reviewing charting techniques and problems with our new boat crew trainees, followed up afterwards with a celebratory drink across the street.  Celebrations and milestones there may be, but our work never ceases.

...And the work goes on in the Gulf of Mexico, where on Tuesday -- the day before the Auxiliary's birthday -- Admiral Salerno released a message calling Auxiliarists to 30 day assignments supporting the Coast Guard's response to the "oil spill" there.  The message assures that Auxiliarists will be "incorporated into the Coast Guard long-term Deepwater Horizon response strategy," but that there is an immediate need for Trident qualified and Incident Command knowledgable Auxiliarists to step up now.  Personnel with qualifications as Pollution Investigators, Pollution Response Specialists, Prevention Outreach Specialists, Marine Safety Watchstanders, and those possessing Incident Command System (ICS) course completions have been specifically called on.  I encourage all to read the message distributed on June 22 and act accordingly.

The men and women of the Coast Guard Auxiliary have answered the call for seventy-one years, but we are now called to do so in ways previously unimagined.  Unique in history, volunteer lifesavers, Guardians, honored by their country's uniform, the coming months and years will call us to new missions, new expectations that will truly test our Devotion to Duty as we continue to modernize our structure, our model of training and force readiness, and as we recruit, educate, and train a new generation of America's Volunteer Guardians.  There is great work ahead in the Gulf of Mexico, around the country, and around the world.

The Commandant, Admiral Papp, wrote of the Auxiliary's birthday this week...

"Over the past year, the Auxiliary has set the standard for organizational resilience and continuous improvement... it broadened its capabilities through a major expansion of its Trident program to provide greater support for the Coast Guard’s marine safety mission, the innovative application of social media and language interpretation skills to support rescue operations following the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and the formalization of the Auxiliary’s chef program to better support Coast Guard food service personnel. More recently, Auxiliarists have served in a range of capacities in support of Deepwater Horizon Spill Response operations, including over 5,000 hours checking the readiness of vessels participating in clean-up operations, monitoring deployed booms, supporting the area command center, and assisting with public affairs."

Admiral Salerno wrote...

"Coast Guard Auxiliarists have answered the call for 71 years, but non have been as uniquely challenging as this assignment [in the Gulf of Mexico]. Your consideration and concerted effort as shipmates in answering this bell are already appreciated and admired. Semper Paratus."

Indeed, as Admiral Papp concluded, "Our shipmates, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, have performed superbly, always standing a taut watch and exemplifying our core values. Please join me in recognizing their superb dedication by celebrating their seventy-first anniversary with your local Auxiliarists."

To the Auxiliary, happy birthday, and to all: thank you for your

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