RESERVIST MAGAZINE AROUND THE RESERVE Members of ROCI Class 1-21 take their oath of office at the graduation ceremony. Largest officer class in years commissions into the Coast Guard Reserve Story and photo by Lt. Brittany Sagardia, Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination Course Chief, Leadership Development Center “The Standard…The Stories…The Lighthouse” has morphed from mere words on a plan of the day into Alfa Company’s mantra. For the officer candidates of Reserve Officer Candidate Indoctrination class 1-21, this phrase has become a declaration of identity, duty and hope. The students laid out these tenets in hopes that ROCI 1-21 would set the standard for the next ROCI class, that their impact on the fleet would become the stories told in future classes, and that they would act as a lighthouse for those aspiring to lead and be led in the Coast Guard. Eighty-five prospective officers committed themselves to the goal of long- lasting impact and arrived at the Leadership Development Center on the grounds of Coast Guard Academy, located in New London, Conn. At the start of the course, they dropped their prior enlisted insignia into the heirloom box filled with enlisted insignia from decades of officers who have gone before them, committing to the goal of earning a commission as an officer in the Coast Guard Reserve. Before receiving their commissions, officer candidates must demonstrate they are ready to bear the responsibility of the “special trust and confidence in the patriotism, valor, fidelity and abilities” of an officer. ROCI’s mission is to prepare officer candidates to serve effectively as Reserve officers; to contribute to the success of that mission and their own individual successes, the students must exhibit key traits such as teamwork, integrity, and professionalism. 8 RESERVIST � Issue 3 • 2021 This class was historic in several ways. First, traditionally, ROCI has been a three-week course for prior-enlisted members; however, ROCI 1-21 piloted a five-week course based on recent analysis results of what a first-tour Reserve junior officer required. Furthermore, the class size was larger than previous classes, mainly due to the need for more Reserve officers in the fleet. In the past, classes were typically closer to 40 students, but as part of the Reserve End-Strength Action Team’s initiative to restore the component to 7,000 members, the class was expanded up to 85 students. ROCI 1-21 entered the Coast Guard on the heels of COVID-19. Even during a pandemic, the OCs stepped up and brought diverse skill sets to the Coast Guard Reserve. Their professions and experiences ranged from lawyers and doctors to engineers and special agents. Those with prior military experience varied from senior enlisted Coast Guardsmen to former Army and Marine Corps officers; combined, the students brought 395 years of prior military service. They also had diverse collegiate experiences, many of them holding masters degrees and juris doctorates. ROCI tested candidates physically, mentally and academically. Their days were filled with physical training, academics, inspections and team building exercises. There are four phases: indoctrination, junior phase, senior phase, and transition phase. Each phase simulates the challenges of serving as an officer, and the duration of each phase is dictated by the company’s performance.
