Page 41: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2015)

The Commandant on Legacy

Every Commandant has a de? ning moment, and for me it’s going to be the Offshore Patrol Cutter.

This will be the largest investment in our acquisition history, but this is a decision where 40 years from now this cutter will still be in service. I can’t predict what the year 2060 has in store for us, but the ? rst ship will be delivered around 2021. So that means in 2060, this ship will still be operating, and the people operating that ship should be able to look back and say, ‘Thank God they got this one right.’

You are almost a year in this position needs to go?” I would liken it to the say we’ve checked that block off, as nation.” What does that mean? First, we as the Commandant of the United old NASA model, where if you asked a well. So I’m delighted with where we’ve better be aligned with the Department of

States Coast Guard. Looking back, janitor, “What do you do at NASA?” he gone in the ? rst 12 months, but through Homeland Security. It combines Coast critique year one. would say, “Well, I’m going put a man 2018, I will own the ’16, ’17, ’18, and Guard, CBP, and Immigrations & Cus- on the moon.” (I wanted people to feel) ’19 budgets. So that’s the big challenge toms Enforcement, looking at all things When we (started) we stood connected to the mission that had three going forward as we look at the demand maritime. Within “service to nation” up a “continuity team.” Oftentimes we straightforward goals. We have already for our services, (and determine how to was also “having intelligence drive our call it a transition team, but words mat- checked a number of these goals off: best) sustain our great record of perfor- operations.” One of the ? rst things I did ter, (and we called it continuity) be- • We had a clean ? nancial audit, mance. was I moved our Intelligence Directorate cause what we didn’t want to do is turn which was one of my immediate objec- into Operations, and so we clearly have the Coast Guard on its side, especially tives. If you want to grow your budget So coming into the job in May of intelligence driving operations today to among our workforce. We set out some you want to make sure that you’re a good 2014, what were your top three goals the point where in the drug threat transit very clear objectives and shared them steward of it. and what progress has been made in zones, we have about 80% awareness, at with our ? eld units, and said, “Here’s my • We wanted to make sure that we’re achieving these goals to date? least one layer of intelligence of all the

Commandant’s direction. Does every- in complete alignment with the Depart- drug ? ow. But out of all the great intel body understand where the Coast Guard ment of Homeland Security, and I would Our ? rst goal was “service to we have, 60% of the intel we can’t take www.marinelink.com 41

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