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Rampage: Deckplate Leadership Learned under Sail
Embark on a journey of growth, courage, and the unwavering spirit of those who chart their own course.
In July of 1999, Brian Boland reported in with the class of 2003 at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Quickly immersed in an academically and physically demanding curriculum, Brian joined the sailing team hoping to find relief from the day-to-day grind. With little experience on boats, he dove headfirst into the sport of racing sailboats and immediately gravitated towards its practical lessons in seamanship. Juxtaposing structured academic studies ‘up the hill’ with the dynamic environment of offshore sailing, Brian found that the two were, at times, at odds with each other.
As he trades textbooks for tillers, Brian finds solace on the deck of an old boat named Rampage, where the open sea becomes his classroom, and he grapples with the high stakes demands of maritime leadership while learning valuable lessons in seamanship and resilience.
Selected as the team captain in his senior year, Brian graduates with a deep respect for and nascent understanding of the sea. As a Coast Guard officer, Brian served over 20 years on active duty, primarily as a search and rescue pilot. From those experiences, he shares dramatic accounts of flying through tropical storms, hurricanes, and across vast swathes of open ocean, applying those same lessons he learned as a young cadet on the deck of Rampage.
“As a Marine Corps KC-130 pilot, I have to admit a real sense of jealousy after reading these exploits. Their average day in the office consists of high-dose adrenaline mixed with the satisfaction of saving a life in the end. Exciting adventures that the masses have never heard! Semper Fi...”
—LtCol Mitch “Taco” Bell, USMC (Ret.) Naval Aviator, Tall Tales with Taco
In July of 1999, Brian Boland reported in with the class of 2003 at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Quickly immersed in an academically and physically demanding curriculum, Brian joined the sailing team hoping to find relief from the day-to-day grind. With little experience on boats, he dove headfirst into the sport of racing sailboats and immediately gravitated towards its practical lessons in seamanship. Juxtaposing structured academic studies ‘up the hill’ with the dynamic environment of offshore sailing, Brian found that the two were, at times, at odds with each other.
As he trades textbooks for tillers, Brian finds solace on the deck of an old boat named Rampage, where the open sea becomes his classroom, and he grapples with the high stakes demands of maritime leadership while learning valuable lessons in seamanship and resilience.
Selected as the team captain in his senior year, Brian graduates with a deep respect for and nascent understanding of the sea. As a Coast Guard officer, Brian served over 20 years on active duty, primarily as a search and rescue pilot. From those experiences, he shares dramatic accounts of flying through tropical storms, hurricanes, and across vast swathes of open ocean, applying those same lessons he learned as a young cadet on the deck of Rampage.
“As a Marine Corps KC-130 pilot, I have to admit a real sense of jealousy after reading these exploits. Their average day in the office consists of high-dose adrenaline mixed with the satisfaction of saving a life in the end. Exciting adventures that the masses have never heard! Semper Fi...”
—LtCol Mitch “Taco” Bell, USMC (Ret.) Naval Aviator, Tall Tales with Taco
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2024
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August 11, 2024
Really fun read for me to walk down memory lane through our hardest and some of the most fun experiences at the Coast Guard Academy sailing. You are an entertaining storyteller, the pictures you paint with your words take me right back to Chase Hall, Thames River, Newport, Block Island, etc. It was the best of times and the worst of times - it was the most ridiculous of times and your humor shines through. I love how you tied in the sailing experiences to your future Coast Guard aviation experiences, I feel that was a huge influence in my career as well (marine safety). The autonomy, teamwork, leadership, risk management, and perseverance you learn sailing pay huge dividends in a multitude of life paths both in and outside the Coast Guard. I also really appreciate you not describing the sights and sounds of me being constantly seasick! Best wishes in retirement.
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