MCPOCG (Ret.) Vincent Patton III: The Importance of Leadership, Finding Mentors, and How Recruiting Duty Shaped His Career

<p>Today I had the pleasure of speaking with MCPOCG (Ret.) Vincent Patton III.  Master Chief Patton became the first African American selected as the Coast Guard's senior-most enlisted member as the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard in 1998. His career included staff and operational assignments both afloat and ashore throughout the United States, and a joint military service assignment in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba">Cuba</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti">Haiti</a>.  Master Chief served as the eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard from May 1998 to October 2002. As the service's top senior enlisted leader and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ombudsman">ombudsman</a>, he was the principal advisor to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandant_of_the_Coast_Guard">Commandant of the Coast Guard</a>, his directorates, and the Secretaries of Transportation and Defense.  </p><p>During this conversation I spoke with Master Chief Patton about his Coast Guard career, his time as a recruiter in Detroit, his leadership philosophy, how he earned his Jump Wings, and what it meant to him to become the first African American Coast Guard member to be selected as the Master Chief Petty Officer Of The Coast Guard.  I hope you all enjoy this discussion as much as I did and are able to take away some pretty inspiring parts of his story.  Thanks for listening. </p><p>Legal Disclaimer:</p><p>As a reminder, the views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not represent those of the United States Coast Guard or any other government agency. The primary purpose of this podcast series is to educate and inform. This podcast series does not constitute official policy guidance from the speakers nor the United States Coast Guard.  </p><p>Please feel free to submit any questions you might have about this podcast or suggestions for future casts to <a href="mailto:AskCGRC@gmail.com">AskC