News Release

Story and photos by: Petty Officer 1st Class NyxoLyno Cangemi

U.S. Coast Guard First Class Cadet Samuel Galli, 22, of Cupertino, Calif., poses for a photograph Monday, July 11, 2011, aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle.  Galli is the cadet executive officer aboard the Eagle and is responsible for leading and managing the cadets sailing aboard the ship during the 2011 Summer Training Cruise.

With more than 200 people aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, managing the cadets and crew aboard requires a leadership team comprised of active duty members, reservists and even some of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy cadets.

While the ship has its own chain-of-command structure, a similar command structure is in place within the 150 cadets training aboard the ship.

The cadets aboard the Eagle undergo a comprehensive training schedule, including daily lessons in sailing, navigation, engineering and damage control; however, the lessons cadets receive in leadership and management are instilled in every facet of their shipboard life. Leadership is deeply engrained in the cadet chain-of-command structure. Everything within the cadet's chain funnels upward through the ranks to the cadet executive officer (or cadet XO) who works closely with the ship's executive officer - a relationship that both structures the ship's management and is beneficial in providing professional leadership development training for the cadets.

The executive officer aboard a ship is the second in command after the commanding officer. While the commanding officer is responsible for the overall safety of the crew and the ship, the management of day-to-day operations falls within the hands of the executive officer. Aboard the Eagle, the ship's executive officer works closely with the cadet XO to manage the cadets.

The cadets aboard Eagle are split into two separate groups - first class and third class cadets. Third class cadets are those individuals entering their sophomore year at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., while the first class cadets represent those individuals who are entering their senior year at the academy. Having sailed aboard the Eagle during their sophomore year, first class cadets take on a supervisory and leadership role by managing the group of third class cadets. The cadet command structure is formed within this group of first class cadets.

During the 2011 Summer Training Cruise, which commemorates the Eagle's 75th anniversary, the role of cadet XO was filled by First Class Cadet Samuel Galli, 22, of Cupertino, Calif.

Galli makes corrections to a nautical chart Wednesday, June 15, 2011, in London.

On an average day, the cadet XO both oversees the cadet's training regimen and works with the ship's XO to manage day-to-day operations of the ship.

"My first priority each day is to account for each of the cadets," Galli said. "I also make sure all the trainings for the day are in line and that the cadets are getting the most from their training. From there I'll attend the executive officer's Request and Complaint Mast, where anyone on the ship can come in and voice any ideas or complaints with the ship’s executive officer. I'm there to represent the cadets, but at the same time I'm shadowing the XO and learning about the issues he deals with each day."

"My relationship with the XO is more of a learning role," Galli said. "I'm usually observing the XO when I shadow him."

Of all the responsibilities Galli had in his role as cadet XO, finding the balance between being an authoritative leader amongst his own peers is one of the unique challenges he had to overcome.

"We created a hierarchy for the first class cadets to give them an appreciation for what the command structure does on a ship," said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Michael Turdo, the executive officer aboard the Eagle. "What's unique and interesting about the cadet XO position is that he's put in a position where he has to exercise some peer leadership. He's the cadet executive officer, but he also has to work with his fellow classmates. I think that presents him with some unique challenges that helps his leadership development."

"Having to manage and lead amongst your peers is one of the most difficult things that you're tasked to do as an officer," Turdo said. "They're getting a little taste of that here - of having to figure out how to use some of their other tools in their leadership bag in order to be effective."

For Galli, finding the balance between being a good shipmate and being a good leader meant being constantly aware of how he presented himself to his fellow shipmates.

Galli prepares to toss a flower Friday, July 1, 2011, from the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle near Reykjavik, Iceland, during a wreath-laying ceremony for the fallen crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alexander Hamilton.

"I've learned how to balance professionalism with the personal relationships I've formed with everyone," Galli said. "You don't always have to put on the face of a disciplinarian, but you do have to be aware of the image you portray to the crew. If I could have it my way, I'd be the 'cool guy' - friends with everybody. But I'm in a position where I have to maintain a particular image, and part of that image is being the disciplinarian. I have to be the voice of accountability."

Despite the difficulties and challenges of leading one's peers, the leadership experience Galli has gained aboard the Eagle has prepared him for his future career as a Coast Guard officer - a position in the service which embodies authority and respect.

"The most rewarding part about being the cadet XO is that people recognize the work I do," Galli said. "Everyone treats me as a professional, and I notice it every day. Whenever I walk around the ship and talk with everyone, I am humbled by the way people acknowledge me."

"I'm really thankful to have the responsibility I have, and I look forward to waking up each day for a new challenge aboard the Eagle," Galli said. "In the big picture, being the cadet XO has better prepared me to become a junior officer in the Coast Guard. Overall, my experience has been very rewarding."

To follow the crew and the cadets aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle during the 2011 Summer Training Cruise, please visit their Facebook page at http://www.facebook/CoastGuardCutterEagle

First Class Cadet Samuel Galli on other lessons he's learned while serving as cadet executive officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle:

"One of the things I'll definitely take away from this experience is getting used to the rigorous schedule that a junior officer would have. I feel like I've really had to manage my free time because there's so little of it. It's forced me to prioritize those things I want to do with those that I need to do."

"I'm challenged most by the day-to-day changes. I could be doing a really good job one day, but it takes just one slip at this level to change the entire crew's view of you. "

"Being a cadet at the Coast Guard Academy and aboard the Eagle is a lot different than any other experience I've had, because this job challenges me to be a constant professional. It's forced me to become more mature, but the biggest effect is my internalization of the service's core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty."

"The biggest thing I'm going to take away from my time as the cadet XO is that being an executive officer is a 24/7 job. You have to be willing at any moment to step away from what you're doing, re-prioritize and help anyone who needs your assistance."