All Hands Messages
Commandant's SITREP 2 - First 100 Days
To the Men and Women of the Coast Guard:
When I assumed the duties of Commandant in May, I communicated to each of you my intent to focus our entire organization on improving and sustaining Mission Execution. I will continue to communicate directly with you on important matters and am doing so again today. In the first “100 Days” of my tenure I traveled to field units in all but two of our Coast Guard Districts across the country and met many hundreds of Coast Guard active, reserve, civilian and auxiliary men and women. I have talked with many of you, often with Master Chief Skip Bowen at my side, aboard VIGILANT in the Caribbean, from the buoy deck of the STORIS in Kodiak, aboard MACKINAW in Grand Haven, at Air Stations Sitka and Kodiak, on GANNETT and VALIANT with President Bush in Miami, at Station Little Creek VA, and in the footprint of where Station Gulfport MS once stood. I have explained my goals and priorities and sought your input. In turn, you have informed me and inspired me, and I thank you for your honest comments and insightful questions. As I passed during those unit visits there are three knotty issues I am taking on as Commandant that currently do not have a sufficiently clear solution or path ahead. They are (1) the future of the polar icebreaking fleet, (2) the status of the inland and intercoastal short range aids to navigation mission and the recapitalization of those fleets, and (3) the condition of our shore facilities. As we delve deeper into these issues to determine the way ahead, you will be hearing more about them from me in subsequent SITREPs.
In my first SITREP outlining my Commandant’s Intent, I indicated that we would take immediate steps to reorganize our operational forces, improve our service and support systems, better align with our departmental and interagency partners, and make our logistics and financial systems more efficient and accountable. Shortly after my change of command I issued six “Commandant Intent Action Orders.” The following is a status report for each of these Action Orders:
(1) Develop plans for establishing a new Deployable Operations Group (DOG)
that will integrate our special deployable forces into the third and final
leg of our trident force structure (in addition to shore-based Sector forces
and maritime patrol and interdiction Deepwater forces).
Status: A DOG command element will stand up in summer 2007 (approx. 100
billets) and will assume program-level responsibility for the MSSTs, MSRT,
PSUs, TACLETs, and the National Strike Force. This is a first step in reshaping
our capability to provide adaptive force packaging and will be accomplished
within existing resources at this stage of its development.
(2) Develop and publish a comprehensive Coast Guard Maritime Strategy (CGMS)
that provides a strategic framework for planning maritime Safety, Security
and Stewardship responsibilities of the Coast Guard through the next 4-5
years.
Status: The senior leadership will complete its review and approval of the
CGMS by 31 October and it will be published shortly afterward.
(3) Realign the Coast Guard’s logistics organization to reduce the
burden on our field units, control costs and improve accountability.
Status: Significant progress has been made planning this complex realignment
and I expect to approve the final plan later this month.
(4) Complete the reorganization of HQ staff into numbered staffs (CG-1,
CG-2, CG-3, etc) to improve the way we develop policy and manage resources
for the Coast Guard, and better align with DoD.
Status: I have approved a plan that will be executed by the end of the year.
(5) Consolidate the Acquisition Directorate (G-A) with the Integrated Deepwater
System Directorate (G-D) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of
our total acquisition system.
Status: Consolidation of acquisition functions into a single Headquarters
Directorate will be implemented over the next year.
(6) Review our financial accounting system to improve its accuracy, accountability
and alignment with the Department of Homeland Security.
Status: A Task Force established to spearhead this initiative has already
identified 25 items that are being implemented to improve our financial
accountability.
I have also approved four additional Action Orders:
(1) Develop a new operational framework for the Coast Guard to execute our
missions more effectively and efficiently. This effort will focus on the
command and control structure needed to effectively execute our missions
through our new force structure.
(2) Create a new human resource strategy to support our organizational changes.
(3) Conduct a comprehensive review of our Reserve Component mission support
system.
(4) Implement a service oriented architecture (eCG) to better serve the
needs of all of our internal and external customers. We must address connectivity
issues with our patrol boats and small ATON cutters.
We are aggressively working on all of these and other initiatives in close coordination with Area and District staffs. I realize that some of these initiatives are Headquarters focused and field personnel may not immediately identify with their potential impact. However, the policy and organizational changes that these orders produce will affect each and every Coast Guard member: active, reserve, civilian and auxiliary. Some will occur more quickly than others based on the availability of existing resources and new requirements. Ultimately, our success in implementing these changes will directly impact the way we plan, support and execute all of our missions. I will keep you informed of significant progress and milestones as we move forward via SITREPS and updates posted online.
I traveled with President Bush during his recent visits to Sector Miami and the Gulf Coast, and Secretary Chertoff visited units in the Thirteenth, Eleventh and Fifth Districts recently as well. There are no stronger supporters of our Service than these two leaders. They understand that America depends on its Coast Guard to protect our security, to preserve our freedoms and to save the lives of those who can’t save themselves. I reported to them at my change of command that the Coast Guard was mustered and on watch. We must never lose sight of the importance of excellence in Mission Execution. We are all in the business of protecting the Nation and saving lives. From the auxiliarist conducting a courtesy vessel examination, to the procurement specialist acquiring personal protective equipment, to the rescue swimmer, the boat crewmember, the cutter coxswain and the command center operations controller, each of you is vital to our ability to execute our missions. We work as a team and we succeed as a team.
Finally, I want to reiterate the importance of taking care of our shipmates as we end a busy summer season and complete our yearly transfers. The recent commemoration of hurricane Katrina, the tragic events aboard HEALY, and the grounding of the MSST New Orleans RB-S remind us of the dangerous operating environment we often find ourselves in during the normal course of our busy lives in the Coast Guard. I want each of you to reassess your activities, both on and off duty, and look after those who live and work around you. Take care of yourself, take care of your family, and take care of your shipmates. We need you!
Stay safe and stay focused.
Admiral Thad Allen
Semper Paratus!
All Threats…All Hazards…Always Ready