A Welcome Letter from the Commanding Officer

Welcome to the Defense Information School at Fort George G. Meade, Md. As the Coast Guard liaison officer and Coast Guard detachment commander for DINFOS I’m looking forward to meeting you and helping with any issues that may arise during your time here. There are also two Coast Guard first class petty officer instructors here who will also be glad to assist you.

There are some things I would like you to keep in mind while you are here:

First and foremost, ALWAYS remember you are one of the very few representatives of the United States Coast Guard at DINFOS and on post, regardless of how long you will be here. Fort Meade is an Army post, while DINFOS is a joint-service school attended by members of all five U.S. armed forces, as well as civilian government employees and military members of foreign nations. In many cases, you will be the first and possibly only Coastguardsman many people will ever see or meet. It is imperative that you always be mindful of this, both on and off duty – in or out of uniform. I expect you to act in a manner befitting of a member of the United States Coast Guard at all times: with Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty. Your actions here or anywhere else reflects upon our service, especially when you are working and training in the public affairs arena.

Due to the small number of Coastguardsmen on Fort Meade at any given time failure to recognize our uniforms and insignia is a common challenge we face. If your rank requires a salute, or if you are being saluted and should not be, be sure to POLITELY educate those who make these common mistakes. Remain professional and please help us overcome this challenge.

If you are an "A" school student, you will often be surrounded by people of higher rank. If you are a "C" school student, it is possible you outrank many of those around you, including one or more of your instructors. This does not mean you should question their authority. I expect all Coast Guard students to maintain a professional attitude and treat everyone with respect at all times, regardless of their service, affiliation, rank or position.

I also expect you to perform to your highest ability in whatever course you are attending at DINFOS. Public affairs is a serious business, and the DINFOS instructors are the best at what they do. Come to class ready to learn, participate and excel as a Coast Guard PA. I expect you will have a lot of fun while you are here, both in and outside the classroom, but always remember, you are here to LEARN, and that should remain your top priority.

Please take a moment to read through the additional information provided under the Coast Guard heading by following the links on the left side of the page. It will give you guidance on uniforms, student policies and regulations such as smoking and cell phone use, etc. If you have further questions please feel free to contact any of the Coast Guard DINFOS staff.

Welcome to DINFOS and Fort Meade. I hope you find your stay here to be fun, rewarding and most importantly, educational. Semper Paratus!