Herman Melville, social media and saving lives at sea

Well I’m not sure how I missed this video but surprises are good and this one made my day today. :-)

Link to the Amver post with the Herman Melville passage mentioned above.

Ben Strong leads the US Coast Guard’s Amver (Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System) unit.  Amver has been saving lives since 1958 and their blog tells their great story. Make sure you check it out.

I interviewed Ben about Amver and other topics on Messing About In Ships podcast episode 36 ; make sure you listen to this too.

Not only does Ben lead Amver but he’s also on the leading edge of using social media in the maritime world and government sector. The above video is a great example of how Ben experiments with new communication tools. This must make his ultimate boss happy because when I interviewed USCG Commandant Admiral Thad Allen for the Weekly Leader podcast episode 5 he shared his thoughts about the United States Coast Guard’s commitment to using new technology in advancing their mission.

So, thanks Ben for the kind words about the Sea-Fever blog and the leadership work we do and Happy Belated Birthday to Herman Melville!