Chief Petty Officer Academy: United States Coast Guard

CPO Academy

Chief Petty Officer Academy offered me the opportunity to reflect on my career in the United States Coast Guard. It afforded me time to recount the years I spent serving with other leaders. The information I have gathered from the academy has helped me to make a conscious decision on what type of leadership style I think will suit me best. The Coast Guard is an unparalleled organization that prides itself on being the most well managed group of members serving this country. As a Chief Petty Officer (CPO) in this organization it is imperative that this standard is upheld in order to ensure the Coast Guard’s success. There were many informative classes that I was able to be a part of while attending the academy and while they

Stress can cause a lack of enthusiasm at work and at home. This can negatively impact the job you are trying to accomplish and will reflect on you poorly as someone in a leadership role. The environment in which you are in can affect the amount of stress in your life. It impairs the way you think and act and impedes your ability to focus and make rational decisions. Stress can lead to depression which can prove to be detrimental to your work life as well as your home life. Stress can affect everyone around you and can become worse if it is not managed accordingly. As a Chief, it is my responsibility to identify stressors and to become involved to help those in need. It is necessary to listen to what the member has to say and be able to redirect them to Work Life staff so that they can get the help they need. This class also helped me to assess my own stress level. By being able to do this, I was educated on what my stress level was and how I manage it. I found that this course educated me on ways I can successfully identify, understand, prevent, and manage my own stress. This will play a vital role in helping other members to be able to do the same which is what an efficient and empathetic leader

In this course I was able to be evaluated by an array of primary, secondary and tertiary members through a survey. This survey allowed for an assessment of what others thought of my leadership strengths and weaknesses. I learned that although I do lead by modeling, it is important that I remember to empower my subordinates and peers so that they may learn to overcome challenges that may arise within their career. This course and survey also compelled me to reassess myself so that I may improve to become the best leader possible.

The final class I felt was most informative and helpful to me was Sexual Assault Prevention Response (SAPR). As a CPO, it is my duty to lead by example. My leadership and conduct mimics the utmost professionalism which is what I hope for all of the members I encounter throughout my career. By being a proponent for SAPR sets a standard and guideline of what is expected by everyone in the Coast Guard. This class has prompted me to become a Victim Advocate and I hope that by supporting my fellow Coast Guardsmen, they too will feel empowered to take a stance against any type of sexual