Commandant Announces to the Press the Reactivation of the CGC Polar Star

Commandant Announces to the Press the Reactivation of the CGC Polar Star
Originally uploaded by uscgpress

Guardians,

On Wednesday I was pleased to announce the commencement of repair and renovation work which allow the POLAR STAR to commence operations in 2013. The Congress has appropriated $62m to fund the reactivation. I spoke with the caretaker crew and thanked them for maintaining the material condition of the ship while funding issues were resolved. They are anxious to begin the work which will be done at Todd Shipyard in Seattle. We also estimate that this work will result in the employment of 250 people.

This is a significant step in maintaining the readiness of all three of our icebreakers pending further discussion regarding the future of the POLAR SEA and POLAR STAR which are nearing the end of their service lives. Our icebreakers are the only vessels in the US fleet capable of establishing a presence in polar regions. Their endurance, command and control capability, and flight decks allow operations to be conducted in remote locations where there are no forward operating bases and access is difficult.

My thanks to skipper LCDR Jack Jackson and his crew for the visit.

ADM A

Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors

WASHINGTON- Rear Adm. Scott Burhoe, Superintendant for the Coast Guard Academy, Chairman James Oberstar of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (D-8th/MN) and Adm. Thad Allen, Commandant of the Coast Guard, discuss the Coast Guard Acade
Originally uploaded by uscgpress

Guardians,

On Tuesday I joined Coast Guard Academy Superintendent, Rear Admiral Scott Burhoe, at a lunch in the House Rayburn Building for the member of the Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors. This Congressional mandated body provides "advice and recommendations" to the Commandant on the "operation and matters relating to the Coast Guard Academy."

The Board membership includes both the House and Senate. Current members include:

House of Representatives:
Chairman James Oberstar, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (D-8th/MN)
Representative John Mica (R-7th/FL)
Representative Howard Coble (R-6th/NC)
Representative Joe Courtney (D-2nd/CT)
Representative Mazie Hirono (D-2nd/HI)
Representative Michael Michaud (D-2nd/ME)

Senate:
Chairman Jay Rockefeller, Chairman, Committee on Commerce, Science, and Technology
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) - Chair
Senator David Vitter (R-LA)
Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)

We appreciate Chairman Oberstar serving as the host and the insightful comments offered by all participants. Members of Congress noted the community service of Coast Guard Academy cadets and the service of our personnel in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina. We look forward to seeing the members at the Academy in the future.

ADM A

21st Century Partnerships

Guest post by CAPT Bruce Jones, Chief, Office of Strategic Analysis (CG-0951):

The Coast Guard has long understood the importance of partnerships as a force multiplier. The interagency and international response to the catastrophe in Haiti is the most recent example. Working together, under a unified command structure with partners who share common goals, can result in remarkable success in mission execution and mission support. The same principle is equally important in planning strategically for the future.

Last week, CG-0951 hosted 60 government professionals from 6 Cabinet-level Departments and 12 different federal agencies with maritime responsibilities to the first ever Evergreen Federal Interagency Stakeholders Workshop in Lansdowne, Virginia. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm and spirit of cooperation of our federal maritime partners throughout this three day event.

Evergreen is the Coast Guard's process to develop strategies to prepare for the future. Each four-year cycle of Evergreen engages over 200 Guardians and stakeholders. The program uses an "alternative futures" approach to strategic planning employing five scenarios set in the year 2030, with each representing a different plausible future. Past Evergreen efforts have helped us identify and implement concepts such as Maritime Domain Awareness and Coast Guard Sectors.

Using these future scenarios, participants were asked to imagine opportunities, challenges, and potential partnership strategies for maritime stakeholders. The partnership strategies were then "tested" in the other scenarios. Those that worked well in all five scenarios are deemed "robust strategies" that will better prepare us, and our interagency partners, for whatever future we may face.

In 2008, we held a similar Maritime Stakeholders Workshop that included members of the commercial maritime industry. Because that workshop was so successful, we decided to make external stakeholder workshops a permanent part of the Evergreen process.

This workshop is an outstanding example of how we are implementing one of our own Evergreen strategies, "21st Century Partnerships", and I would like to thank all of those who participated. If you would like to learn more about Evergreen or get involved, please visit our website.

The agencies that participated were:
Department of Homeland Security - Headquarters, Customs and Border Protection, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Transportation Security Administration, and U.S. Coast Guard;
Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation;
Department of the Interior - Minerals Management Service;
Department of Defense - U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers;
Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
Department of Transportation - Maritime Administration and Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Modernization Series: Reserve Force Readiness System Update

Guest Post by RADM Ronald Hewitt, CG-1:

In his blog on the DCMS website, RDML May provides a recap of the Reserve Force Readiness System (RFRS) and introduces upcoming training for those active duty and civilian Coast Guard personnel responsible for the management of our Reserve forces. This nine day training will provide those in attendance the necessary skills to expertly assist Reservists with their unique administrative, training and legal issues, aiding them to be fully integrated within our Service, working side by side with our active duty members.

Please visit our mission support blog to view this post and stay up to date as we continue to roll mission support information out to the field. As always, any questions and feedback are welcome. Please email questions or topics for future posts to AskMissionSupport@uscg.mil.

Semper Paratus!

RADM Ron Hewitt
Assistant Commandant for Human Resources

Shout Out from a retired Chief on Coast Guard Haitian response operations

Aerial view of damaged Port Au Prince neighborhood and adjacent emergency shelter camps
Originally uploaded by uscgpress

Guardians,

We have received several comments over on Facebook on our Haitian recovery operations posts. I received the below email from Chief Petty Officer (retired) Ken Lukins. I took the photo from a Clearwater H-60 as we overflew Port Au Prince enroute the Killick Coast Guard Base last Monday.

ADM A

"Admiral - may this find you well. I wanted to pass information about the excellent job the CG was doing in Haiti. I met with some of the CG personnel at the embassy during my last trip on the relief effort. Cmdr Bell and LCDR McClain were at the top of their game. I also wish to thank the CG for their assistance in helping me with injured team members - the medical team I was protecting were involved in a bus accident with serious injuries. The CG came through in helping me coordinate aid - through a long, round about way: my calling my wife (a disabled CG vet), her calling the CG and the ball began to move. My best regards and deepest respect. Ken Lukins, Chief, USCG (retired) (I am the Chief who helped brief you and Dick Clark on terrorism issues at the Atlantic Strike Team back what seems another life time ago)."

Vancouver 2010 Olympics - Praise for All Hands

Guardians,
We released the following message today complimenting all those involved with the planning and support for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver:

SUBJ: BRAVO ZULU ? OPERATION PODIUM
1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN SUPPORT OF THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPICS. I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO DEDICATED SO MUCH TIME IN THE PLANNING, PREPARATION, AND EXECUTION OF THIS HISTORIC OPERATION. FROM THE CUTTERS, BOATS, AND AIRCRAFT PATROLLING OFFSHORE TO THE WATCHSTANDERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER, OPERATION PODIUM WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.
2. THIS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS THE TREMENDOUS VALUE THE COAST GUARD PROVIDES TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND THE GLOBAL MARITIME COMMUNITY. TO PROTECT THE OLYMPIC VENUES, YOU CREATED A SEAMLESS SECURITY REGIME ACROSS AN INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY BY LEVERAGING ALL OF OUR CAPABILITIES, AUTHORITIES, AND PARTNERSHIPS. YOU OPERATIONALIZED THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE STRATEGY FOR 21ST CENTURY SEAPOWER BY MERGING NAVY AND COAST GUARD SKILL SETS AND INTEGRATING THEM WITH OUR CANADIAN PARTNERS TO CONSTRUCT A UNITED SECURITY FRONT.
3. OUR SHIPRIDER AGREEMENT WITH THE CANADIANS AND ABILITY TO EMBED CG PERSONNEL IN CANADIAN INTERAGENCY OPERATIONS CENTERS WERE CRITICAL ELEMENTS IN PREVENTING TRANSNATIONAL CRIMINALS OR TERRORISTS FROM EXPLOITING THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY. THESE STRONG INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS PROVIDE TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE SAFETY AND SECURITY EFFORTS ACROSS THE NORTHERN BORDER. I KNOW THIS LEVEL OF COLLABORATION REQUIRES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK SO PLEASE PASS ALONG MY PERSONAL APPRECIATION TO ALL THOSE WHO EXECUTED OR SUPPORTED OPERATION PODIUM.
4. I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO NOTICED AND APPRECIATED YOUR EFFORTS. SECRETARY NAPOLITANO AND GENERAL RENUART, COMMANDER U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND, ALSO NOTED YOUR EFFECTIVENESS AND HIGHLIGHTED IT AS A MODEL FOR FUTURE INTERAGENCY AND INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS.
5. BRAVO ZULU!
6. ADMIRAL T. W. ALLEN, COMMANDANT, SENDS.

Bravo Zulu - Coast Guard Tsunami Preparations and Public Notification

Guardians,
Following the devastating earthquake in Chile it was our duty to immediately prepare the public for what could have been an enormous tidal surge on our coasts. I am very pleased with those efforts and praised you all for your actions in my message released today:

SUBJ: BRAVO ZULU ? TSUNAMI PREPARATIONS
1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENT EFFORTS IN PREPARING FOR THE TSUNAMI FOLLOWING THE DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE ON 27 FEBRUARY. ON EXTREMELY SHORT NOTICE, PACAREA AND ALL OF THE WEST COAST DISTRICTS BEGAN TO IMMEDIATELY WARN THE MARITIME PUBLIC OF THE POSSIBLE TIDAL SURGE WHILE SAFEGUARDING OUR OWN ASSETS SO THEY WERE AVAILABLE FOR FOLLOW-ON RESPONSE OPERATIONS.
2. THE FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY OF OUR COMMAND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONAL ASSETS WERE ON DISPLAY ONCE AGAIN. MOVING AIRCRAFT TO HIGHER GROUND, EVACUATING CUTTERS, TRAILERING BOATS, AND LOOKING AFTER OUR PERSONNEL RESIDING IN TARGETED AREAS WERE ALL ACCOMPLISHED EFFICIENTLY AND IN CONCERT WITH LOCAL AND STATE AUTHORITIES. OUR WELL ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS AND PROTOCOLS WITHIN THE PORT ENVIRONMENT AND THROUGHOUT GOVERNMENT FACILITATED THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND ENSURED ALL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS WERE TAKEN IN A COORDINATED MANNER.
3. WHILE I AM EXTREMELY GRATEFUL THE TIDAL SURGE WAS NOT AS SUBSTANTIAL AS INITIALLY FEARED, THE QUICK RESPONSE EFFORTS WERE A BENEFICIAL EXERCISE IN DISASTER PLANNING AND REFLECTED OUR UNIQUE VALUE TO THE MARITIME PUBLIC. I KNOW SECRETARY NAPOLITANO WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THE COAST GUARDS EFFORTS AND THE OVERALL COLLABORATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. PLEASE PASS ALONG MY PERSONAL APPRECIATION TO ALL OF OUR STAFFS AND UNITS WHO REACTED TO THE TSUNAMI WARNINGS.
4. BRAVO ZULU!
5. ADMIRAL T. W. ALLEN, COMMANDANT, SENDS.
6. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.

Restoring the commercial port in Port Au Prince, Haiti

Damage to the container pier in Port Au Prince
Originally uploaded by uscgpress

Guardians,

The picture shown here is what is left of the commercial container port in Port Au Prince. The warehouse on the right used to be adjacent to the pier where containers were offloaded. To the left is a barge that is spudded down and acting as a offload platform for containers while the port is rebuilt. At the far right end of the barge you can see a crane. That crane formerly sat on the pier and is now in the water. The entire area between the barge and the warehouse is where the container pier used to be.

Our thanks to RDML Sam Perez (USN) who is leading the port reopening. Thanks also the Coast Guard Maritime Transportation Recovery Unit and USCGC OAK for their critical effort in support of port reopening.

ADM A

PSU 307, Port Au Prince Haiti

PSU 307
Originally uploaded by uscgpress

Guardians,

This photo was taken in Port Au Prince harbor with the final contingent of PSU 307 prior to their deployment back to Clearwater. They were the 'ready' PSU when the call came to support the port reopening and did a terrific job insuring the safety and security of the port, including training Haitian security force to protect the port.

ADM A

Air Station Clearwater H-60 on soccer field at Killick Coast Guard Base, Haiti

Air Station Clearwater H-60 on soccer field at Killick Coast Guard Base, Haiti
Originally uploaded by uscgpress

Guardians,

On Monday we visited Port Au Prince. We flew by helo from Santo Domingo to avoid using a landing slot at the airport which remains busy with relief operations. Overflying Port Au Prince at low altitude the extensive damage was apparent as were the numerous tent villages that have built to accommodate the displaced population.

We landed at the Haitian Coast Guard Base at Killick. This picture shows our helo in the background on the soccer field. in the foreground is the former Haitian Coast Guard Mess Hall which collapses in the quake. The base was hit hard but our Haitian partners were resilient and assisted our crews that came ashore from cutters in treating local citizens injured the quake. The boat maintenance facility was damaged but remained in tact and is being used by the United Nations as a warehouse for relief supplies from Colombia.

From Killick we moved by small boat to the port in Port Au Prince where I met with RDML Sam Perez (USN). RDML Perez is an old friend and Deputy Director of JIATF-South. He was deployed by SOUTHCOM to supervise the port opening and repair. We will provide pictures of the port damage in a subsequent post.

Finally, I met with the last contingent of Port Security Unit 307 who were making preparations to redeploy after providing security for the port reopening. We had lunch together, dining on MRE's.

We returned to the Killick Base and then helo'd over the North Claw of Haiti to Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands where our OPBAT helos have operated since our hangar at Great Inagua was destroyed by a hurricane last year. From there we proceeded to Nassau for the meetings I discussed in an earlier post.

ADM A