The Director of the Auxiliary is the direct representative of the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard to the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. (Title 14, USC Chapt. 23)

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer component of Team Coast Guard. Founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the US Coast Guard Reserves and re-designated the Auxiliary in 1941. The 30,000 volunteer members (men and women) donate millions of hours in support of Coast Guard missions.

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Message from Sec Napolitano on Vet's Day

November 10, 2009

Honoring Our Veterans

Dear Colleagues:

Tomorrow, our nation will honor the service and sacrifice of America's military veterans, including the tens of thousands of veterans who serve our country as members of the Department of Homeland Security.

The recent loss of seven of our men and women from the U.S. Coast Guard reminds us of the tremendous sacrifice those in uniform make every day for our Nation.

Veterans make up more than a quarter of our civilian workforce at DHS. In all, we have 47,000 veterans, including our Deputy Secretary, Jane Holl Lute, and key members of our senior leadership team.

Veterans directly contribute to our mission every single day: guarding against terrorism, securing our borders, enforcing immigration laws, building a more ready and resilient nation, and unifying and strengthening our operations.

Yesterday, I joined President Obama as he signed an Executive Order establishing the Veterans Employment Initiative to increase employment opportunities in the Federal Government and help recently hired veterans succeed in their jobs.

Engaging veterans and benefiting from their unique talents and experience remains one of my top priorities and it is our goal to employ 50,000 veterans at the Department by 2012.

To help us achieve that goal, today we are launching a new web site for veterans - www.dhs.gov/veterans - that will serve as a one-stop-shop for information about job opportunities for veterans, contracting with veteran-owned small businesses, and information about how veterans can get involved in their communities through efforts like Citizen Corps.

We want, and need, veterans to be part of the DHS family, because veterans and their skills, leadership and commitment to service remain critical to our mission.

Tomorrow on Veterans Day and every day throughout the year, please join me in thanking the Department's veterans - and all veterans - for their service to our country.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano
Secretary
Posted by Webmaster at 10:13:14 PM on 10 Nov 2009

Evolving Mission Support Towards Modernization 2.0

SUBJ: Evolving Mission Support Towards Modernization 2.0

To the men and women of the United States Coast Guard:

Coast Guard Mission Support has undergone substantial change in the past year, but our work is not yet complete. I refer to our current mission support structure, which was just implemented in the field on 27 September 2009 http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/2009/09/evolution-of-mlcs-iscs-no-changes-in.asp#links , as "Modernization Version 1.0" for mission support. Effort focused primarily on establishing five Service and Logistics Centers and the Asset Project Office (APO) to support the Coast Guard Logistics Business Model http://www.uscg.mil/announcements/alcoast/ALCOAST42508.txt . The recent changes were a realignment of our support organization intended to prepare the field to receive support through product lines. The command and control design for local delivery of that support has not been adequately developed, so I have commissioned an analysis, which when complete, will lead to a defined construct for service delivery to the field level.

Now fully established, the new Service and Logistics Centers are squarely focused on establishing product support under a standardized business model with assistance of the APO. Each center will initialize at least one product line in the next year. Currently the APO and the Surface Forces Logistics Center are introducing the Patrol Boat Product Line (PBPL), which includes the 87' Coastal Patrol Boat (WPB), the 110' Patrol Boat (WPB), and Fast Response Cutter (FRC). The 87' WPB re-base lining effort is well underway, with a pilot being successfully implemented at Group Port Angeles this week. The FRC, one of the first new acquisitions expected to be delivered since modernizing will be provided in accordance with our new Coast Guard Logistics Business Model. 35% of small boats and 35% of Sectors are now operating under the business model. We anticipate reaching 100% of small boats at Sectors and subordinate units by the end of calendar year 2010.

Mission Support Modernization 2.0 is now working to build an efficient operating structure of efficient partnerships between sector logistics and other field support units previously attached to the Maintenance and Logistics Commands (MLCs). Additionally, this next phase will establish a peer relationship between the support community and our operational partners that before only existed in the aviation community.

As we transform the way we do business, clear direction and open communication of Coast Guard's men and women everywhere that will ensure success throughout this evolution. We will continue to ensure our labor-management responsibilities and ongoing dialogue with our unions are a top priority. People at all levels and across the organization are participating in discussions relating to how we can continue to evolve mission support's operational model. I especially appreciate the open discussions on iCommandant http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/ , our Mission Support blog http://www.dcmslog.blogspot.com/ , and elsewhere about these changes. This input is guiding the actions we're taking now and those that will frame our future strategies. For example, as suggested by an Engineering Chief on a major Cutter, we are preparing the DCMS Users Guide. It will be a desk reference for accessing Coast Guard Mission Support that identifies where to get help for various support-related issues. Approximately one hundred people in the support and operational communities are coming together on seven new integration study teams, what we call iTeams. Chartered by me personally, they are studying ways to better integrate the support community with operations and will provide input that helps define our mission support operating model.

From a field support perspective, the most notable iTeam is the Field Mission Support Delivery Integration Team (iTeam) being led by CAPT Timothy Heitsch of our Logistics Directorate (CG-44). This iTeam will propose the most effective and efficient field support structure considering sector logistics and major asset logistics. These areas were not studied extensively during the Version 1.0 review. Half of the team's 20 members represent sector logistics. FORCECOM and the future OPCOM are also represented. The iTeam is reviewing the structure and roles of logistics support elements below the Logistics and Service Center level up to and including the Sector Logistics Department.

The team is charged with:

* Delineating Organizational and Depot level support;
* Defining the "straight line vs. dotted line" support relationships;
* Aligning with the four cornerstones of the Coast Guard Logistics Business Model; and,
* Linking to other related studies.

The other six iTeams are studying mission support Headquarters functions, including communications, integration, resources, security, and the role/staffing of the new Asset Project Office (APO).

Multiple options will be evaluated, except for one -- we will not halt our positive momentum. Sector logistics and the aviation community attest that this business model works. It will enhance mission readiness and execution. Through this change, we will forge a better Coast Guard. Our mission support business processes will formalize the effective and consistent delivery of services at all levels of the organization.

All hands must take action to help achieve Modernization's objectives:

1. Take ownership by strengthening relationships between peers in the mission support and operational communities.
2. Take ownership of problems when they arise (vice kicking them over the fence.)
3. Contribute ideas to make the Coast Guard better up your Chain of Command and with your Master Chief.

If the current structure appears immature, it's because we're not done. Change itself is not the goal. We must become a Coast Guard that constantly looks for ways to improve. Those changes are evaluated against our objective, which is to deliver better mission support by increasing accountability, lowering risk, and increasing operational effectiveness. We need All Hands on task everyday to achieve our objective.

Change isn't easy. Improvement is what we're after. Every person at every level may not see immediate changes in their world of work. The benefits may take time to accumulate. I appreciate the patience of our team, especially their passion for supporting our operational partners as the top priority. I expect that all of you will assume a positive leadership role in implementing Modernization.

The mission support Service and Logistics Centers and their field units are encouraged to foster open conversations with their peers in the operational community. People can submit ideas or questions to AskMissionSupport@USCG.mil. We want the input of our workforce and invite participation by our union partners and other stakeholders to collectively build a better Coast Guard.

Thank you for your continued support of Modernization and for your dedication to help ensure we meet our call to be "Always Ready."

Semper Paratus!

John P. Currier, VADM
Chief of Staff, U.S. Coast Guard
Posted by Webmaster at 8:47:07 PM on 9 Nov 2009

ALL HANDS - Loss of CG-1705

-----Original Message-----
From: Allen, Thad Admiral
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 5:41 PM
Subject: ALL HANDS - Loss of CG-1705

To the Men and Women of the United States Coast Guard:

On Sunday, we suspended the search for the seven missing Guardians from CG-1705 and the two Marines onboard the AH-1 Cobra helicopter. I am deeply saddened that we were not able to locate any survivors but am proud of the thousands of people who conducted or supported the search efforts.

Our focus is now on determining the cause of the accident. Recovery operations are ongoing and salvage efforts will commence soon. The Coast Guard will conduct a Joint Service Safety Investigation Board with the Marine Corps and RDML John Korn will serve as the President. I ask for your patience during the course of the investigation. It is important that we not speculate about the cause of this accident and that we allow the investigation to inform our understanding of what happened.

After hearing about the accident, I immediately traveled to AIRSTA Sacramento and to Sector San Diego to visit with the families and the personnel involved in the search efforts. Please visit iCommandant (http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/2009/11/cg-1705-update-support-investigation_02.asp#links) for more information on those visits.

The National Ensign will be flown at half-mast to honor our seven missing Guardians until we hold a memorial service on Friday, 06 November at AIRSTA Sacramento (ALCOAST: http://www.uscg.mil/announcements/alcoast/628-09_alcoastt.txt). I am extremely grateful to the Coast Guard Foundation for their selfless assistance; once again, they are rescuing the rescuers.

Being that we are such a small Service, this loss will touch every member of the Coast Guard. As Guardians, keep a weather eye on your shipmates and keep the families in your hearts during this difficult time.

Admiral Thad Allen
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
Posted by Webmaster at 8:31:54 PM on 5 Nov 2009

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR CREW OF CG-1705

This ALCOAST provides information on the Memorial Service and Reception on Friday, 6 November 2009 in honor of the Seven Guardians and two Marines who were tragically lost while CG-1705 was engaged in Search and Rescue Operations. Please read about them in ALCOAST 561/09 at http://www.uscg.mil/announcements/.
Posted by Webmaster at 8:31:19 PM on 5 Nov 2009

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