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DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSITION UPDATE
NUMBER FOUR
ALCOAST 080/03
R 141717Z FEB 03
ALCOAST 080/03
COMDTNOTE 5740
SUBJ: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TRANSITION UPDATE NUMBER FOUR
1. THIS ALCOAST IS AN UPDATE FOR TEAM COAST GUARD DURING THE TRANSITION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT) TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS). THIS MESSAGE INCLUDES COMMENTS AND GUIDANCE FROM DHS SECRETARY RIDGE AND INFORMATION ON THE TRANSITION OF COAST GUARD CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES FROM DOT TO DHS.
2. OUR EFFORTS TO SEAMLESSLY TRANSITION FROM DOT TO DHS ON 01 MAR 03 REMAIN ON COURSE. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO ENSURE THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE DURING THE TRANSITION. YOUR HARD WORK IS PAYING OFF AS THE COAST GUARD REMAINS IN THE VANGUARD OF OUR NEW DEPARTMENT DURING THIS FORMATIVE PERIOD.
3. PERHAPS THE BIGGEST QUESTION ON THE MINDS OF TEAM COAST GUARD IS: "WHAT WILL CHANGE ON MARCH FIRST?" MY ANSWER HAS TWO PARTS: FIRST, ORGANIZATIONALLY, THE CHANGE IS SIGNIFICANT IN THAT WE SHIFT OUR FLAG FROM DOT TO DHS, REPORTING TO A NEW SECRETARY. SECOND, TO MOST OF YOU IN THE FIELD, THERE WILL BE LITTLE CHANGE. YOUR MISSION AND DAILY TASKING TO PRESERVE SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE MARITIME DOMAIN WILL NOT CHANGE. SECRETARY RIDGE ADDRESSED THIS QUESTION DURING A RECENT ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION WITH FUTURE DHS EMPLOYEES AND SERVICE MEMBERS, STATING: WHEN YOU SHOW UP FOR WORK ON MARCH FIRST, YOU ARE GOING TO BE DOING THE SAME THING YOU ARE DOING NOW. THE DHS ORGANIZATION IS NOT ABOUT RESHUFFLING AGENCIES, BUT REINFORCING OUR BORDERS AND SECURING THE NATION.
4. THE TRANSITION TO DHS WILL REQUIRE ACTIONS IN CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES. TO MAKE THE TRANSITION EFFECTIVE, TWO NOTIFICATION OF PERSONNEL ACTION FORMS (SF-50), MUST BE PREPARED. THE FIRST WILL BE EFFECTIVE 8 MARCH 2003 AND WILL HAVE AS THE NATURE OF ACTION "TERMINATION - APPOINTMENT IN HS" IN BLOCK 5-B. THIS IS THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENT THAT TRANSFERS EMPLOYEES OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT EMPLOYEES ARE SEPARATED FROM THE COAST GUARD. THE SECOND SF-50 WILL BE EFFECTIVE 9 MARCH 2003 AND HAVE "MASS TRANSFER" AS THE NATURE OF ACTION IN BLOCK 5-B. BLOCK 46 WILL SHOW THE EMPLOYING DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY AS "DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY/USCG". THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT TRANSFERS EMPLOYEES INTO DHS. A COPY OF BOTH FORMS WILL BE PLACED IN YOUR OFFICIAL PERSONNEL FOLDER (OPF) AND YOU WILL RECEIVE COPIES SHORTLY AFTER 9 MARCH 2003. THESE ACTIONS WILL NOT AFFECT SENIORITY, LEAVE, PAY, OR ANY OTHER ENTITLEMENT. LEAVE BALANCES, INCLUDING ANNUAL AND SICK, COMPENSATORY TIME, AND RESTORED LEAVE WILL CARRY FORWARD INTO THE NEW DEPARTMENT. ALL BENEFITS AND CURRENT DEDUCTIONS AND ALLOTMENTS WILL CONTINUE. UNTIL A NEW PERSONNEL AND PAYROLL SYSTEM IS IN PLACE, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WILL CONTINUE TO PROCESS OUR CIVILIAN PAYROLL.PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SERVICING HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST OR COMMAND STAFF ADVISOR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
5. SECRETARY RIDGE FIELDED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ELEVATED NATIONAL ALERT LEVEL (ORANGE) ON 07 FEB 03. ONE QUESTION SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSED THE COAST GUARD. SECRETARY RIDGES ANSWER AFFIRMS THE VALUE OF OUR OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE TO THE NATION AND THE DEPTH OF OUR MILITARY, MARITIME, AND MULTI-MISSION CHARACTER: QUESTION: "SECRETARY RUMSFELD TOOK NINE COAST GUARD CUTTERS AND TWO PORT SECURITY UNITS, ALL OF THESE INVOLVED IN PORT SECURITY, AND SENT THEM TO THE GULF. IS THIS A GOOD IDEA IN LIGHT OF THIS INCREASED (TERRORIST) RISK?" SECRETARY RIDGE: ONE OF THE REMARKABLE QUALITIES OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD IS THEIR ABILITY TO ADAPT TO A CHANGE IN MISSION STATUS AND TO RELY UPON THEIR RESERVE COMPONENT IN TIMES OF A NATIONAL CRISIS WHEN PART OF THEIR OPERATION IS PULLED IN TO SUPPORT A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE INITIATIVE. SO, AGAIN, FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO DO NOT KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT THE COAST GUARD, AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST UNDER-APPRECIATED ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THEIR HISTORIC ABILITY TO ADAPT TO THIS KIND OF CHANGE IN MISSION AND MOVE QUICKLY AND RESPONSIBLY IS ONE OF THEIR UNIQUE QUALITIES - WE DO NOT LOSE ANY FORCE PROTECTION, THEY (THE COAST GUARD) WILL ADAPT.
6. A WIDE ARRAY OF DHS INFORMATION REMAINS AVAILABLE AT HTTP://WWW.DHS.GOV. COAST GUARD SPECIFIC DHS TRANSITION INFORMATION REMAINS AVAILABLE AT HTTP://DEV.MLCA.USCG.MIL/TRANSITIONTEAM/DEFAULT.CFM.
7. I RECOGNIZE THIS CHANGE COMES IN A PERIOD OF UNPRECEDENTED OPERATIONAL DEMAND ON OUR ASSETS AND PEOPLE. YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE STRONG SUPPORT FROM SECRETARY RIDGE AND THE PRESIDENT. TO VARIOUS DEGREES, WE HAVE BEEN CONDUCTING MARITIME HOMELAND SECURITY FOR OVER 200 YEARS. ON 01 MAR 03 AND BEYOND, TEAM COAST GUARD WILL CONDUCT THIS DUTY WITH THE SAME COMMITMENT TO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED IN THE PAST. SEMPER PARATUS.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
9. VICE ADMIRAL THAD ALLEN, CHIEF OF STAFF, SENDS.
BT
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