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and Customs and Border Protection [CBP] have impressed upon me. For example, CBP starts with a shipping con- tainer overseas, monitors its loading, tags it, and tracks its eventual arrival in a U.S. port. Although a shipping container is only one of many potential threats, this concept applies to our Coast Guard Deep- water assets. They extend our defense-in- depth strategy seaward by being out on the front line, using intelligence and awareness of abnormalities to make sense of our global maritime environment.
It was instructive to see how we use intel- ligence to screen those who would do us harm. All of this has relevance, I believe, to our Deepwater Program's moderniza- tion and recapitalization of the Coast
Guard. Our net-centric system for C4ISR [command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance], for example, will con- tribute to improved maritime domain awareness in a number of ways.
MN: Looking back to 9/11, how has it affected the Coast Guard's missions?
Rear Adm. Blore: The tragedy of 9/11 caused the Coast Guard to re-evaluate its role in both maritime security and service to the nation. It led to a productive assess- ment of how we would allocate resources for maritime security, marine safety, sup- port of combat forces, and other mission areas. The tragedy of 9/11 also put us on the national radar screen. Before 9/11, the proposed fiscal year 2002 budget would have resulted in a Coast Guard that was smaller than it was in fiscal year 2001.
Coming out of the tragedy of 9/11, the nation had an improved awareness of the
Coast Guard's importance.
Four years later, Hurricane Katrina gave the public additional insights into the ser- vices provided by the Coast Guard- including our flexibility, quick decision- making, and agile deployment of assets. I believe the public senses that the Coast
Guard is a really good example of a very functional government agency. Hurri- canes Wilma, Katrina, and Rita demon- strated that investments made in the Coast
Guard are important. We are more capable today, and we will be more capable and interoperable tomorrow. That is the essence of the Deepwater Program.
A second major development after 9/11 was our reorganization into a new depart- ment. We were aligned under the Depart- ment of Homeland Security [DHS] with a strong, clear focus. Being on the national radar screen as an agency in a first-tier department responsible for our nation's homeland security has had many positive results, especially with regard to intera- gency collaboration and resource alloca- tion. This was demonstrated last year with the development and presidential approval of the new National Strategy for
Maritime Security-a joint effort by the
Department of Defense and the Depart- ment of Homeland Security. With the momentum that the Department of Home- land Security provides we were able to join with other agencies, including the
Navy and FBI, to draft the strategy and its eight supporting plans in less than a year's time.
MN: Taking a longer perspective-how has the Coast Guard changed during your career?
Rear Adm. Blore: Unquestionably, we have witnessed major changes in the post- 9/11 era. But were you to review the Coast
Guard's history for the past 30 years, you would find a remarkable continuum in our maritime missions. Search and rescue is a constant, but there have been many times since the 1970s when we simply flexed our priorities to adjust our missions to meet the nation's needs at the time. This is evident in our counter-drug, environmen- tal protection, and migrant-interdiction operations.
Our commitment of forces to support U.S. combatant commanders in our national defense mission expanded during Opera- tions Desert Shield and Storm. I had the opportunity to witness firsthand our close working relationship with the U.S. Navy in the Arabian Gulf during that conflict. If anything, that relationship is even stronger today. Much of the post-9/11 transition that I have seen has resulted in a
Coast Guard that is much more combat- minded and security-focused. Continuity and change have very much been the twin hallmarks of the Coast Guard's history. 28 • MarineNews • June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· U H D O Z D \ V K H U H I R U \ R X 6 F K X \ O H U 5 X E E H U & R , Q F : R R G 5 H G 5 G : R R G L Q Y L O O H : $ 8 6 $ ? ) D [ Z Z Z V F K X \ O H U U X E E H U F R P , G D 5 R D G % U R X V V D U G / $ 8 6 $ ? ) D [ Z Z Z V F K X \ O H U P D U L W L P H F R P
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Through April 2006, 34 HH-65 helicopters have been re-engined and upgraded as part of the Deepwater
Program. This re-engined HH-65C prepares to land on the medium endurance cutter CGC Vigilant during a patrol off the Florida Keys in December. Three of the more powerful HH-65C helicopters also rescued more than 300 people during the Coast Guard's search-and-rescue operations following Hurricane Katri- na. (USCG Photo by ET1 Jonathon Chambers)
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