Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashlee Leppert, an avionics electrical technician from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, takes a moment to reflect during ongoing missions in Houston while deployed for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Honor, Respect, Devotion to Duty: AET2 Ashlee Leppert

When Hurricane Harvey made landfall in August 2017, Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashlee Leppert was one of the first aircrew members to deploy amidst raging winds and rising floodwaters. For her rescue efforts, President Donald Trump recognized Leppert and the hundreds of other Coast Guard members who responded to the hurricane at his 2018 State of the Union address.


Petty Officer 1st Class Speece

These are my core values

Our core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty define who we are as the United States Coast Guard. A company commander’s primary mission in recruit training is to instill these values in the hearts and minds of every recruit along their journey to becoming a Coast Guardsman. Sexual assault is incompatible with our core values and, therefore, who we are as Coast Guardsmen. It is my goal to foster a culture of prevention, awareness and accountability in every recruit entrusted to my care. At the very root of this goal are our core values. Here’s my definition of how each one applies to sexual assault prevention.


Members of the Bay Area Chief's Mess hold letters spelling the words "No Bystanders" on the flight deck of Coast Guard Cutter Stratton April 3, 2013. The Chief's Mess sponsored the day as Service Dress Blues Day to attract attention and begin discussions with personnel about sexual assault prevention awareness. April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention month, and during this month, every unit in the Coast Guard will conduct a unit sexual assault awareness and prevention event to inform personnel about how to prevent sexual assault and resources available. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer Thomas McKenzie)

Chiefs dress up to recognize Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

If you were at a Coast Guard unit yesterday you may have wondered why Coast Guard chiefs were walking around in their dress uniforms in the middle of the week. Good. That is just the conversation starter we wanted when we created Service Dress Blue Day. April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in the Coast Guard and, as chiefs, we wanted to send a very strong message to all Coast Guardsmen that sexual assault will not be tolerated in our Coast Guard.


boat

This is my Coast Guard. This is my unit. This is my watch.

The month of April is designated Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and throughout the month Coast Guard Compass will highlight first-person accounts from men and women of the Coast Guard who are taking a stand against the crime of sexual assault. Our first account comes from Master Chief Petty Officer Devin R. Spencer, officer-in-charge of Station San Francisco, whose experience has taught him “It all starts at the top.”