Benjamin B. White was pursuing a career in baseball when a worn-out shoulder diverted his life's course . After an enlistment in the U.S. Army, White ended up as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard . Now, in snarky dispatches filled with insight and humor , he reveals what he learned along the way! Established in 1790 as the Revenue Cutter Service, the modern Coast Guard is the maritime security, search-and-rescue, and law-enforcement service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. Its motto is "Semper Paratus" —"Always Ready!" Retired from uniformed service, White now teaches human resources, business administration, and college success courses from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. " Veterans and military families of all eras and branches will delight in White's sharp wit and storytelling . His stories of adventures and misadventures are sure to variously inspire laughter, reflection, and patriotic pride ," writes the publisher. "After all, who doesn't love a good sea story?" ◆◆◆◆◆ "SKI BOAT" I worked for a guy I would work for Anytime, anywhere … And he told me It was possible To ski behind A 44-foot Motor Lifeboat Though he stopped short Before telling me How he knew that. "Like a conversation studded with sea stories, White's collection ranges from the serious—fractured marriages, war casualties—to the serious silliness of the 360-degree club and Golden Dragon initiation."— Jacquelyn Bengfort, U.S. Navy veteran, and author of Navy News Service and Suitable for All Methods of Communication "White's poetry serves as a magnifying glass that enhances the details and allows them to tell the whole story. The direct style throughout Always Ready is as mesmerizing as it is powerful. White's presentation of his career is raw and full of keen observations, humor, mischief, and tragedy. There is a chapter's worth of insight on every page! I never thought that so few words could hit me so hard. White seems to have truly seen it all!"— Caroline Walsh, U.S. Coast Guard veteran and author of Fairly Smooth Operator: My Life Occasionally at the Tip of the Spear "Veterans and military families of all eras and branches will delight in White's sharp humor and storytelling. His stories of adventures and misadventures are sure to variously inspire laughter, reflection, and patriotic pride!"— Randy Brown, U.S. Army veteran and author of Welcome to FOB Haiku: War Poetry from Inside the Wire "There are libraries full of books on Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps topics, but fewer on the U.S. Coast Guard. Always Ready cures that by delivering a huge spectrum of observations—everything from the deck plates to the engine rooms. It's at times funny, at times poignant, and always deeply revelatory of the Coast Guard experience few know and fewer understand. Strongly recommended!"— Daniel Charles Ross, U.S. Navy veteran and author of Force No One: A Thriller "Benjamin White's poems—sharp, pithy, at times hilarious and at times gutting—showcase the beautiful and bizarre moments in the country's least-known military service. Always Ready is a captivating tour of White's time in the Coast Guard, and his poems illuminate the genuine humanity of a life spent in uniform."— Sonner Kehrt, U.S. Coast Guard veteran and investigative reporter for The War Horse Journal "Among the beauties of White's energetic paean to the Coast Guard are some striking poems about military families. From 'The Family Pants,' for example: 'But worse than that / He would have to face his wife, / A classmate of his from the Academy /Who gave up her own career ...A great read that contains surprises!"— Frederick Foote, U.S. Navy veteran and author of Medic Against Bomb: A Doctor's Poetry of War