R 011134Z DEC 11



ALCOAST 555/11

COMDTNOTE 5354

SUBJ: OPERATIONAL TASKING (OPTASK) DIVERSITY FY2011 SITREP FOUR

A. U.S. COAST GUARD DIVERSITY STRATEGIC PLAN

1. IN JAN 2010, COMMANDER ATLANTIC AREA (LANTAREA), COMMANDER PACIFIC

AREA (PACAREA), DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR OPERATIONS (DCO), AND DEPUTY

COMMANDANT FOR MISSION SUPPORT (DCMS) DEVELOPED DIVERSITY ACTION

PLANS RELEVANT TO THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL FOCUS IN AN EFFORT TO OPTIMIZE

WORKFORCE READINESS AND MEET THE MARITIME CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST

CENTURY. THE RESULTANT PLANS IDENTIFIED ACTION ITEMS THAT WOULD HELP

THE COAST GUARD ACHIEVE ITS STRATEGIC DIVERSITY GOALS AS OUTLINED IN

REF A.

2. REF A REQUIRES THAT QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORTS AND UPDATES BE

SUBMITTED TO DCMS. THE FOLLOWING UPDATES ARE PROVIDED TO OUTLINE THE

PROGRESS AND INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN THE LAST

QUARTER.

       A. IN AN EFFORT TO DEVELOP AND SUSTAIN ROBUST APPLICANT POOLS,

THE COAST GUARD PARTICIPATED IN 18 OUTREACH EVENTS AND PROFESSIONAL

MEETINGS TARGETING DIVERSE POPULATIONS FOR ALL ACCESSION

OPPORTUNITIES. (GOAL 3)

       B. REFLECTING ON THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF HONOR OUR

PROFESSION

AND RESPECT OUR SHIPMATES, ADM PAPP RECORDED A DIVERSITY MESSAGE THAT

EMPHASIZES DIVERSITY AS A SERVICE IMPERATIVE WHICH WILL GUIDE US TO

BECOME THE PROFESSION OF CHOICE WHILE ATTRACTING AND RETAINING A

DIVERSE WORKFORCE.  THIS VIDEO IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL TO SEE ON THE

COMDT (CG-12B) WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/DIVERSITY. (GOAL 1)

       C.  IN ORDER TO FOCUS SERVICE-WIDE EFFORTS AND AUGMENT

PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN CG LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS AND DIVERSITY POLICIES,

ADM PAPP AUTHORIZED THE MERGER OF THE LEADERSHIP ADVISORY COUNCIL

(LAC) AND DIVERSITY ADVISORY COUNCIL (DAC) AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF

THE LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY NETWORK COAST GUARD WIDE.  THE FIRST

OFFICIAL COMBINED LAC/DAC MEETING WILL BE HELD 12-16 DECEMBER. (GOAL

1)

       D. COMMITTED TO BECOMING THE VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION OF CHOICE

THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, THE COAST GUARD AUXILIARY CREATED THE

NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TO WORK IN SUPPORT OF

ITS DISTRICTS, DIVISIONS AND FLOTILLA UNITS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

THE NEW DEPARTMENT WILL PROVIDE INVALUABLE DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP TOOLS

ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF THE AUXILIARY AND WILL ASSIST IN MEETING THE

GOALS AND MISSION OF THE AUXILIARY STRATEGIC PLAN FOR MANAGING

DIVERSITY. (GOAL 1)

       E. ALWAYS STRIVING TO STRENGTHEN OUR PARTNERSHIPS AND MAXIMIZE

CONSTRUCTIVE OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES, THE COAST GUARD ESTABLISHED A

COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF

LATINO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION EXECUTIVES AND PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE

IN SUPPORTING THEIR INAUGURAL WOMENS EVENT.  THIS MEETING OFFERED

ACCELERATED TRAINING AND INFORMATION ON LEADERSHIP WITH STRATEGIES

FOR EFFECTIVE CAREER MANAGEMENT.  OPPORTUNITIES SUCH AS THIS LEND TO

THE RETENTION OF A HIGHLY SKILLED AND DIVERSE WORKFORCE. (GOAL 4)

       F. STRENGTHENING OUR PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH EXPANDED OUTREACH,

COMDT (CG-52) LIAISED WITH MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF

ENGINEERING, A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY (HBCU), IN

AN EFFORT TO ESTABLISH A JOINT SURFACE FORCE LOGISTICS CENTER/COMDT

(CG-4) AND COMDT (CG-52) PARTNERSHIP.  RELATIONSHIPS SUCH AS THIS

EXPAND OUTREACH TO ACHIEVE ACCESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERREPRESENTED

POPULATIONS BY RAISING AWARENESS OF COAST GUARD CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.

(GOAL 3)

       G. AS A MEANS OF OPERATIONALIZING A PARTNERSHIP WITH TEXAS

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY (TSU, AN HBCU), COMDT (CG-5G) COORDINATED EFFORTS

WITH COMDT (DCO-84), COMDT (CG-5X) AND SECTOR HOUSTON-GALVESTON TO

LOCATE A SUMMER INTERN POSITION FOR A TSU STUDENT. THE EXCEPTIONAL

AND VALUABLE EXPERIENCE PROVIDED TO THE STUDENT ILLUSTRATED A GROWING

PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL PAY DIVIDENDS INTO THE FUTURE. (GOAL 3)

       H. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF BLACK

ENGINEERS (NSBE), MEMBERS FROM PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER (PSC) AND

COMDT (CG-1) PARTICIPATED IN THE SUMMER ENGINEERING EXPERIENCE FOR

KIDS (SEEK) PROGRAM.  SEEKS MISSION IS TO INCREASE THE APTITUDE OF

STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-8 IN MATH AND SCIENCE AND INCREASE THEIR

INTEREST IN PURSUING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH

(STEM) CAREER FIELDS BY HAVING THEM ENGAGE IN INTERACTIVE, TEAM-BASED

ENGINEERING PROJECTS.  COAST GUARD PARTICIPATION FOSTERS

COMMUNITY-LEVEL RELATIONSHIPS AND ENHANCES PUBLIC AWARENESS AND

UNDERSTANDING OF COAST GUARD MISSIONS AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. (GOAL

3)

       I. RECOGNIZING THE SUPERB INITIATIVE AND OUTSTANDING EFFORTS

OF

THEIR MEMBERS, PSC SELECTED TWO MEMBERS AS DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS FOR

THEIR ACTIVE AND CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN DIVERSITY OUTREACH.  THIS

OPEN RECOGNITION OF PERSONNEL COMMUNICATES A LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT TO

DIVERSITY AND FOSTERS ENCOURAGEMENT OF OTHERS TO ASPIRE TO THE SAME.

(GOAL 1)

       J. PACAREA CONTINUED TO ENHANCE THEIR REPUTABLE PARTNERSHIP

WITH THE OAKLAND MILITARY INSTITUTE (OMI) COLLEGE PREP ACADEMY BY

ARRANGING FOR OVER 30 STUDENTS TO CONDUCT A SHIP RIDE ON THE USCGC

COBB DURING RECENT FLEET WEEK ACTIVITIES.  ADDITIONALLY, OVER 20

PACAREA MEMBERS HAVE TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO MENTOR OMI STUDENTS.

(GOAL 3)

       K. AS A MEANS TO IMPROVE THE WORKFORCE CULTURAL CLIMATE,

DISTRICT FIVE ESTABLISHED THE DISTRICT FIVE WOMENS MENTORING PROGRAM

LOCATED ON CG PORTAL AT

HTTPS://COLLAB.USCG.MIL/LOTUS/MYQUICKR/WOMENS-MENTORING-PROGRAM/WELCO

ME

(LOWER CASE SENSITIVE). THE PROGRAMS VISION IS TO BROADEN AND BUILD

WOMENS LEADERSHIP IN THE COAST GUARD AND TO CREATE A WIDER SOCIAL

CIRCLE FOR FEMALE MEMBERS OF EVERY RANK AND RATE. (GOAL 2)

       L. DISTRICT NINE HOSTED A HISPANIC HERITAGE EVENT THAT WAS

ATTENDED BY OVER 200 CIVILIAN, MILITARY AND COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES

AND FEATURED RADM CASTILLO, DISTRICT 11 COMMANDER, AS THE KEYNOTE

SPEAKER.  THE SUCCESSFUL EVENT INCLUDED A PERFORMANCE FROM A LOCAL

HIGH SCHOOL DANCE TROUPE AND PROVIDED MEANINGFUL INSIGHT TO ALL IN

ATTENDANCE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING A DIVERSE

WORKFORCE.  IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS EVENT, OVER 40 TEAM COAST GUARD

PERSONNEL ATTENDED A LEADERSHIP AND MENTORING SESSION WITH THE GOAL

OF INCREASING RETENTION THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION. (GOALS 3 AND 5)

       M. THE COAST GUARD PROVIDED A ROBUST PRESENCE AT THIS YEARS

NATIONAL NAVAL OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (NNOA) MEETING. WITH 170 COAST

GUARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE, THIS YEARS MEETING PROVIDED NUMEROUS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS AND MENTORING/NETWORKING

OPPORTUNITIES. ADDITIONALLY, THE COAST GUARD WAS WELL-REPRESENTED AT

THE BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT ANNUAL NATIONAL TRAINING EVENT AND THE

ANNUAL ACADEMYWOMEN FALL LEADERSHIP MEETING. AIMED AT INCREASING

RETENTION, AFFINITY GROUP MEETINGS SUCH AS THESE PROVIDE INVALUABLE

CAREER GUIDANCE OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH OPEN LEADERSHIP DISCUSSIONS

WHICH OPTIMALLY POSITION OUR MEMBERS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL.

(GOAL 5)

       N. AIR STATION ELIZABETH CITY STRENGTHENED AN EXISTING

PARTNERSHIP AND HOSTED ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITYS AVIATION

CAREER EDUCATION (ACE) ACADEMY FOR AN OVERVIEW IN AVIATION AND

AEROSPACE.  DESIGNED BY THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, THE ACE

ACADEMY PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH AN INTRODUCTION INTO THE AVIATION AND

AEROSPACE FIELDS. THIS COLLABORATION PROVIDES AN INVALUABLE OUTREACH

OPPORTUNITY TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WHILE EMPHASIZING STEM FIELDS TO

UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS. (GOAL 3)

3. COPIES OF REF A ALONG WITH OTHER VALUABLE DIVERSITY INITIATIVE

INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE COAST GUARD OFFICE OF DIVERSITY

WEBSITE AT WWW.USCG.MIL/DIVERSITY/RESOURCES.ASP.

4. POINT OF CONTACT: CAPT CATHERINE A. HAINES, COMDT (CG-12B),

(CATHERINE.A.HAINES(AT)USCG.MIL), 202-475-5245.

5. VADM J. P. CURRIER, DEPUTY COMMANDANT FOR MISSION SUPPORT, SENDS.

6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.