Aloha and greetings from the 14th District in the beautiful state of Hawaii, home to the Coast Guard’s largest area of responsibility. It’s with sincere appreciation that we thank the reservists and active-duty members who supported (and continue to support) our District for Hurricane Mawar in May and most recently, the wildfire response on Maui in August. There has been an unbelievable outpouring of support from across the service, and it’s a great illustration of the care and concern we have for each other. Living and serving on a remote island chain, we are no strangers to barriers of service. We face many challenges, including traveling great distances for drills, stringent timelines, access to training, systems timeouts and more. There is a saying that goes, “It’s not the will to win that matters; everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.” Reserve barriers come in all types and situations, but most fall into three categories: self- barriers, leadership barriers and organizational barriers. The first one is 100% in your wheelhouse: it’s your internal resistance to doing things. This happens in all walks of life, but it’s especially detrimental to your work as a reservist. Throughout my career, I have found that a large part of my challenges as a reservist could be resolved by being intentional with my time. In the Reserve, we have 36 days a year to accomplish all the items that the Coast Guard requires of us to be effective in our mission. Make every attempt to be intentional about your days in the Coast Guard. Set a goal to accomplish something, no matter how small, every time you report to drill. Keep pursuing, because the effects compound. You’ll be amazed at how far you’ve gone by the end of the year. Leadership problems are the second most significant barrier to success. They can be a motivation killer for those who succeed in overcoming their own resistance. These barriers arise from lack of knowledge between the two components or two members, and can include policies, work life challenges, geographic issues, and mission pressures. Both Reserve and active-duty leadership pursue common goals that benefit the unit and the Coast Guard’s mission. An important rule as a leader is to remember that people don’t care what you know until they know you care. This leads me back to my solution to the first barrier and that is to be intentional. Know your crew, know the situation, know your environment, know the problem and adjust your leadership for the best course of action. In the event that you have an incompatible leader, seek support (command, badge, senior Reserve officer). In my experience, most policy barriers are generated by misunderstandings or misappropriation of policy—which is the third barrier. Nothing is more frustrating than being held accountable or hostage to a policy that is interpreted incorrectly. My advice is to learn policies that affect you, your unit and mission, and be able to articulate why you are impacted by a particular policy, how it is used both correctly or incorrectly, and how it could be changed to remove the barrier. Most importantly, suggest the change to the Reserve Policy Board. Not everyone will make the effort to overcome the barriers that inhibit us, but remember that being intentional about your time and effort is the number one determinant in how far you go. Keep pushing. Semper Paratus and hui hou kakou (until we meet again). Reservist Magazine Deckplate Soundings Master Chief Petty Officer Wesley Overton Reserve Command Master Chief, Sector Honolulu "Not everyone will make the effort to overcome the barriers that inhibit us, but remember that being intentional about your time and effort is the number one determinant in how far you go." Issue 4 • 2023 . Reservist 5
