ALAMEDA, Ca. – The Commandant of the Coast Guard is prepared to name a 500 page copy of the 2010 Edition of “The Essential Guide To Leadership and Management” Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf during a change of command ceremony on Friday morning, according to sources.

The manual has already assumed the duties of the former skipper, Capt. Robert E. Thomas, who assumed command of Coast Guard Cutter Stratton back in January. Thomas issued a statement, saying, “I look forward to seeing what this purely inanimate object can accomplish with this wonderful crew in tow.”

Captain Essential Guide is already saying the right things, according to officers familiar with the situation. “As a leader ... your primary job is to create an operating environment where others can do great things," said the manual, on page 367. “Leadership cannot be trained, although it may be educated and improved through instruction and mentoring,” Guide added, in its introduction.