The Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard conduct a pass in review to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the start of the modified 59th Inaugural Parade. Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Jacob Holmes Five-service team plans Inaugural events By Chief Warrant Officer Anastasia Devlin, Coast Guard Headquarters Office of Public Affairs The difference, operationally, between the 58th and the 59th Presidential Inaugurations was palpable, visible, and undeniable. What remained true and unshakeable was the Coast Guard’s—and, more broadly, the military’s—support for an event that’s featured military involvement since the very first presidential inauguration in 1789. Though faced with many factors that made 2021’s inaugural period a challenge to everyone, both planners and participants, the professionalism displayed and the honor and tradition remained constant. Coast Guardsmen have historically been detailed to a Department of Defense-heavy unit formed for NSSEs called the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region. Many of the members who work alongside hundreds of their DoD counterparts in planning events are reservists, recalled for a number of months to round out the temporary command. The officers and enlisted serve in many roles from event security to public affairs management to operational planning to on-scene command. A major difference was meeting with colleagues and planners through video conference software; in many instances the operators would never meet in person. The JTF put strict health and safety protocols in place to ensure stability during the planning process, including: restriction of movement for those reporting aboard, testing procedures for certain groups, enforced quarantine measures after out-of-state leave, and limits on the number of people with boots-on-the-ground on any one day. Rotating telework schedules were encouraged, and planners minimized the number of people who could gather for the most necessary rehearsals in the final weeks before the Inauguration. With the events of Jan. 6 at the Capitol, combined with health concerns about large crowds that typically gather for inaugurations and the surrounding events, the military planners stayed flexible in managing the changing constraints. Some portions of the parade or ceremonies were eliminated or down- sized to keep participants safe; others were completely reimagined, such as the post-inauguration balls, which were turned into a virtual celebration broadcast on television. Petty Officer 2nd Class Joe Garone, a reservist from Sector New York, served as an operations officer with the communications directorate for the JTF. Garone said, "It was an awesome experience. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work the Inauguration, just one of those things, one of those unique opportunities." Capt. Michael Ruwe, commander of the Coast Guard Reserve Unit Joint Staff-South, served as the Joint Team Street Cordon, which organized, trained, and directed the men and women representing every service in providing their new commander in chief with his first salute as he made his way down the parade route toward the White House. "The Coast Guard's inauguration staff numbers were few but, as the Commandant likes to say about our service, we punched well above our weight class," said Ruwe. "Integrating with the other services in a very dynamic environment presented both challenges and opportunities. Working virtually added to the challenges, but our coordination with our DoD partners was seamless, and we were able to roll easily with the changes that came along. I believe that the greatest benefit that Team Coast Guard brought to the Joint Task Force was our inherent flexibility and ability to adapt to changing circumstances." Adaptation and flexibility are things that are well-versed in the Coast Guard, but its Reserve members, who made up the majority of Coast Guard presence in planning the 59th Inauguration, really demonstrated their ability to remain Semper Paratus. Every Presidential Inauguration is different, from the weather to the politics to the performers in the parade, but the 2021 Inauguration will certainly stand out as being unlike any other. And in four more years, Coast Guardsmen will be ready to protect and honor the commander in chief again, on behalf of their brothers and sisters in arms across the country. � 36 RESERVIST � Issue 1 • 2021
