For each of our sea service leaders, their people are
their most important
asset. No mission can
be successful without
the drive, dedication
to duty, innovation
and resourcefulness
of their personnel.
In his “Human
Capital Strategy” re-
leased in January, Commandant
Adm. Paul F. Zukunft wrote: “Many
organizations assert that people are
their most important resource, but
for the U.S. Coast Guard, this part of
our culture is the key to the Service’s
success. Our cutters, boats, aircraft,
facilities, and supporting systems do
not accomplish the Coast Guard’s
missions — people do.”
Since becoming commandant of
the Marine Corps in September, Gen.
Robert B. Neller has spoken to thou-
sands of Marines, Sailors and civil-
ians throughout the Corps. “I have
heard your questions, concerns and
opinions, and believe the path we are
on is a good one,” he wrote in his Jan.
19 frag order. For the Corps “to be
the most ready force when the nation
is least ready,” Neller laid out the five
areas vital to achieving future suc-
cess. At the top of that list is people,
followed by readiness; training, sim-
ulation and experimentation; inte-
gration with the naval and joint force;
and modernization and technology.
“Marines have historically pos-
sessed an innate drive to succeed, to
excel in all that they do, including
winning in combat,” the comman-
dant wrote. “We will sustain this
trait and ensure this drive to suc-
ceed, excel, and win continues to
define our Corps by
maintaining a force of
the highest quality,
which is smart, re-
silient, fit, disci-
plined, and able to
overcome adversity.”
The chief of naval
operations, Adm.
John M. Richardson,
released in January “A
Design for Maintain-
ing Maritime Superiority.” In the doc-
ument, he details his four “lines of
effort” (LOEs) for the fleet today and
into the future, with one focusing
specifically on his Sailors and civil-
ians. In that LOE, “Strengthen our
Navy Team for the Future,”
Richardson wrote: “We are one Navy
Team — comprised of a diverse mix
of active duty and reserve Sailors,
Navy Civilians, and our families —
with a history of service, sacrifice and
success. We will build on this history
to create a climate of operational
excellence that will keep us ready to
prevail in all future challenges.”
In this issue, we celebrate the
people — Sailors, Marines, Coast
Guard men and women, and those
in the civilian maritime workforce
— who serve. The “Profiles in
Service” special section, beginning
on page 35, features snapshots of sea
service life. We asked 15 men and
women what motivates them to
serve, why they do what they do and
what their service means to them.
From flag officer to chief of the boat,
chief engineer to port police officer,
all are an inspiration.
People Matter Most
By AMY L. WITTMAN, Editor in Chief SEAPOWER
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE
NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES
Volume 59, Number 2, February/March 2016
PUBLISHER
Skip Witunski
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Bruce Butler
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Amy L. Wittman
awittman@navyleague.org
DEPUTY EDITOR
Peter E. Atkinson
patkinson@navyleague.org
MANAGING EDITOR
Richard R. Burgess
rburgess@navyleague.org
DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES
Charles A. Hull
charlesahullbus@msn.com
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS &
SOCIAL MEDIA
Kerri Carpenter
kcarpenter@navyleague.org
SENIOR MANAGER, IT & WEB SERVICES
Donald Cheatham
dcheatham@navyleague.org
SEAPOWER CORRESPONDENT
Megan Scully
PHOTOGRAPHER
Lisa Nipp
PROOFREADER
Jean B. Reynolds
DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
Lauren Emeritz and Rob Black
Abstract Orange Design
SEAPOWER
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