Command Philosophy

I am incredibly grateful and humbled to serve as Commanding Officer of USCGC ESCANABA (WMEC 907). This document outlines my priorities and vision for our time onboard this storied cutter, as we serve the maritime community and strive to honor the public trust earned by our predecessors.

Mission Execution: ESCANABA exists solely to execute critical missions in support of national interests. Search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, and homeland security are tremendous responsibilities, and we will always prioritize mission readiness and execution when balancing the competing demands of cutter life. Each level of the chain of command is empowered to take initiative and make decisions with a focus on ensuring ESCANABA is able to meet all mission demands. During our time together, we will be called upon to complete dangerous and challenging missions with very little warning, and we will succeed.

Professionalism: To me, professionalism means two things: Technical expertise and attitude. We need each crewmember to be a technical expert at his/her rate and rank. Each individual job, from myself to our newest non-rate, is truly essential to ESCANABA’s mission success, and we must all take full ownership of mastering our roles. Additionally, professionalism is about maintaining a positive attitude and acute focus on mission execution, particularly during the most difficult times. We will not always control our schedule, our mission, or our circumstances, but we always control our personal attitudes. “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.” – Colin Powell

Communication: Prompt, clear two-way communication is essential to mission execution. Each crewmember is exceedingly capable of generating ideas for process improvement and are empowered to bring recommendations to their chain of command. Supervisors, including myself, are charged with being receptive to feedback and questions, as operations permit. We will be explicit about the “why” behind our decisions and actions to provide transparency and foster self-correcting behaviors and an invested crew.

Respect: Respect begins within our lifelines. We will always treat one another with courtesy, empathy, and acceptance. We will strive to assume the best of one another. Additionally, we will respect each other’s families and loved ones, and look out for the collective ESCANABA family. We will respect everyone that comes aboard our ship from official visitors, to migrants, to detainees…This standard for respect will not change.

Thank you in advance for your hard work and selfless dedication to our ship and our service. Let’s work together to make this a rewarding tour.

M. A. Nalli, CDR
Commanding Officer
USCGC ESCANABA (WMEC 907)