Q&A: Admiral Thad W. Allen
Written by Mark Fitzgerald
CGF 2009 Volume: 1 Issue: 1 (November)
MARITIME GUARDIAN:
Always Ready to Respond to All Hazards—All Threats
Admiral Thad W. Allen
Commandant
U.S. Coast Guard
Always Ready to Respond to All Hazards—All Threats
Admiral Thad W. Allen
Commandant
U.S. Coast Guard
Admiral Thad W. Allen assumed the duties of the 23rd commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on May 25th, 2006. As such, he leads the largest component of the Department of Homeland Security, comprising about 42,000 men and women on active duty, 7,000 civilians, 8,000 Reservists and 34,000 volunteer auxiliarists.
Allen has held operational command both at sea and ashore, conducting missions to support the maritime safety, security and environmental stewardship interests of the nation. As a flag officer, he served as the principal federal official for response and recovery operations for hurricanes Katrina and Rita, while also serving as the Coast Guard Chief of Staff. He was responsible for leading Coast Guard forces as commander of the Atlantic Area and U.S. Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic. Prior to that he commanded the Seventh Coast Guard District, where he directed all operations in the southeastern United States and Caribbean. He served aboard cutters Androscoggin and Gallatin and commanded the Citrus. He wore a dual hat as commanding officer of Group Long Island Sound and captain of the port, and he commanded Group Atlantic City and Long-Range Aids to Navigation Station Lampang, Thailand.
Allen graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1971, and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the George Washington University, and received their Alumni Achievement Award in 2006. He also holds a Master of Science degree from the Sloan School of Management of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2007, Admiral Allen was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from the National Graduate School.
Allen was interviewed by CGF Editor Mark Fitzgerald.
Q: Good afternoon Admiral Allen. Could we start with an overview of the Coast Guard’s scope and size, in particular to any significant structural or size changes in recent years?
A: The Coast Guard is currently undergoing a modernization effort to improve its organizational structure to optimize mission execution and support. On our org charts, we describe this as our pre- and post-modernization organization and can show, by function, the anticipated benefits of our modernized structure.
Q: It seems that the Department of Homeland Security is a well-suited home for the Coast Guard with its range of missions. Did this move allow the Coast Guard to better define its missions and tailor its capabilities?
A: The Coast Guard is such a unique organization, with a broad spectrum of statutory responsibilities that require close cooperation with so many other departments; military and law enforcement authorities; the public and private sectors; local, state and federal agencies, so there is no perfect fit for us among federal departments. The Department of Homeland Security is the best fit, and our placement within it puts us in a good position to better prevent attacks against our nation, to mitigate the impacts of natural and man-made disasters, and provide for the resiliency of our maritime infrastructure, which is so vital to our national economic prosperity. The Coast Guard adds immeasurable value to the mission execution of the department through its unique mix of authority and capability, and its organizational flexibility makes it a great resource to respond to All Hazards—All Threats.
Q: Overall, are you satisfied with your fiscal year 2010 budget as compared to your funding in FY08/09? Any views on the budget expectations for the coming years?
A: Yes. The Coast Guard’s FY10 budget request sustains service delivery and continues critical recapitalization efforts. The initiatives focus on three key strategic areas: recapitalizing operating assets and sustaining infrastructure, enhancing maritime safety and security, and modernizing business practices.
The first area is recapitalizing operating assets and sustaining infrastructure. The president’s budget requests $591.4 million for the following surface asset recapitalization or enhancement initiatives: completion of National Security Cutter #4; continued analysis and design for the Offshore Patrol Cutter [OPC]; production of Fast Response Cutters #5-#8; production of Deepwater Cutter Small Boats; and crucial operational enhancement of five Medium Endurance Cutters and three 110- foot Patrol Boats at the Coast Guard Yard through the Mission Effectiveness Program.
The second strategic area is enhancing maritime safety and security. For this, the president’s budget requests $7.5 million to support 74 additional personnel including marine inspectors and investigating officers at field units, marine inspector training officers at feeder ports, staffing for the Steam and Vintage Vessels Center of Expertise, engineers for standards development and review, and expanded training curricula at the Marine Safety School in Yorktown, VA.
Last is modernizing our business practices. Funding in the president’s budget requests $20 million to support critical modernization of the Coast Guard’s financial management structure, which includes processes, internal controls, IT systems and human resources. The goals of this transformation are to improve the service’s ability to link mission performance to budget and ensure compliance with the DHS Financial Accountability Act. Financial management modernization will create an environment for a sustainable clean audit opinion on annual financial statements.
The demand for Coast Guard services is outpacing our ability to provide them. We are limited by capacity, not capability. We have acknowledged our need for increased capacity to reduce maritime risks, but we recognize the nation’s dire financial situation. While our capacity needs remain, we will do our part to use existing resources and improve efficiency without sacrificing the ability to conduct our vital missions in the interest of the nation’s safety, security and prosperity.
The first area is recapitalizing operating assets and sustaining infrastructure. The president’s budget requests $591.4 million for the following surface asset recapitalization or enhancement initiatives: completion of National Security Cutter #4; continued analysis and design for the Offshore Patrol Cutter [OPC]; production of Fast Response Cutters #5-#8; production of Deepwater Cutter Small Boats; and crucial operational enhancement of five Medium Endurance Cutters and three 110- foot Patrol Boats at the Coast Guard Yard through the Mission Effectiveness Program.
The second strategic area is enhancing maritime safety and security. For this, the president’s budget requests $7.5 million to support 74 additional personnel including marine inspectors and investigating officers at field units, marine inspector training officers at feeder ports, staffing for the Steam and Vintage Vessels Center of Expertise, engineers for standards development and review, and expanded training curricula at the Marine Safety School in Yorktown, VA.
Last is modernizing our business practices. Funding in the president’s budget requests $20 million to support critical modernization of the Coast Guard’s financial management structure, which includes processes, internal controls, IT systems and human resources. The goals of this transformation are to improve the service’s ability to link mission performance to budget and ensure compliance with the DHS Financial Accountability Act. Financial management modernization will create an environment for a sustainable clean audit opinion on annual financial statements.
The demand for Coast Guard services is outpacing our ability to provide them. We are limited by capacity, not capability. We have acknowledged our need for increased capacity to reduce maritime risks, but we recognize the nation’s dire financial situation. While our capacity needs remain, we will do our part to use existing resources and improve efficiency without sacrificing the ability to conduct our vital missions in the interest of the nation’s safety, security and prosperity.
Q: It has been noted that when you came to the Coast Guard in 2006, it was with a goal to evolve it into a “change-centric organization through a modernized command, control and logistics support structure, an optimized work force and improved business practices.” How would you measure the Coast Guard today in that process, and what are some of the challenges forward?
A: All strong, high-performing organizations must continually take stock of themselves. Building on prior studies and analysis, lessons learned from 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, and the Coast Guard’s Evergreen planning process, the Coast Guard Modernization is a holistic look at our service focused on preparing the organization to meet the challenges we face in today’s dynamic operating environment.
Coast Guard modernization represents an overarching strategy to build on the service’s strengths, while simultaneously capitalizing on today’s technologies and efficiencies to equip our work force with the infrastructure and business processes necessary to maintain operational excellence and sustainable mission execution.
Since planning began nearly three years ago, the Coast Guard modernization has already achieved some key milestones, for example:
The Deployable Operations Group was established in July 2007 and over the last two years has proved extremely capable of providing our nation with adaptive force packaging for all threats and all hazards.
Key elements of the financial transformation are in place providing improved control of funds/base management, and the merger of Acquisitions Directorate and Deepwater into CG-9 provides the service with more effective project management and acquisition governance.
In June 2008, the deputy commandant for operations was officially established, as a two-star/rear admiral position until Congressional authorization is granted to transition it to the requested three-star/vice admiral. This organization formally aligns operational policy and planning under a single deputy commandant, which optimizes the Coast Guard’s maritime safety, security and stewardship capabilities consistent with our national priorities.
In October 2008 the Coast Guard’s mission support organization and DCMS began to take shape with the establishment of the first of the five logistics/service centers, the Aviation Logistics Center in Elizabeth City, N.C. This center unifies support under a single organization for our aviation forces.
On June 1, 2009, an interim 2-Star Force Readiness Command [FORCECOM] was established. FORCECOM is a component of Coast Guard Pacific Area and is charged with the current and future readiness of our work force to ensure it is capable when called upon to execute the mission. Under the current construct, FORCECOM assumes responsibility and programmatic oversight of all of our training centers, training support commands, and selected standardization and assessment teams. At full three-star standup, pending Congressional authorization, FORCECOM will also assume responsibility for readiness and allocation of deployable specialized and maritime patrol forces.
Early this month we completed all of our collective bargaining agreements with our civilian unions, enabling the stand-up of the shore infrastructure logistics center, C4IT Service Center, proposed OPCOM [and associated staffing changes at D5], new Civil Rights organizational alignment, Financial Service Detachment of the Finance Center, Asset Project Office, FORCECOM [and associated staffing changes at D11], Coast Guard-wide Reserve Forces Readiness System changes, Personnel Service Center, Mission Support and Deputy Commandant for Operations headquarters changes, Legal Service Center and Area numbered staffs.
On September 27, we plan to complete our transition from the current structure for mission support to logistics and service centers that will now be providing mission support. Product line managers will be established in our logistics and service centers, and they will be accountable for providing needed support Coast Guard-wide.
Q: How much of a challenge is it to train and prepare for a range of maritime security missions ranging from the interdiction of illegal immigration and human trafficking, drugs and piracy?
A: To understand how the Coast Guard does everything it does, you really have to look at the nature of our service and our enduring character as being Semper Paratus—Always Ready. Over time these bedrock characteristics have translated into seven Principles of Coast Guard Operations.
• Clear Objective
• Effective Presence
• Unity of Effort
• On-Scene Initiative
• Flexibility
• Managed Risk
• Restraint
The challenge is not whether we are capable of conducting our many unique missions; the challenge is what capacity we have to do them when you operate in the reality of finite resources. As I frequently say, many of our assets and our people are capable of executing five missions at any time, but they cannot execute five missions at the same time. This requires us to make difficult, risk-based decisions as it relates to resource allocation and employment.
Q: Deepwater is a program that has seen its share of challenges. What can you tell me about the program today and what its goals are?
A: Any discussion of our acquisition organization and its effectiveness needs to begin with where we are today and what has been accomplished in the last 2 1/2 years. We must always learn from the past and make corrections where needed, but today we are in a new place, and it needs to be recognized. The Coast Guard is now a completely revitalized and improved acquisition organization, working as the lead systems integrator for all acquisition projects—better-equipped to oversee costs, manage schedules, and ensure delivered assets meet operational requirements. No longer does the Deepwater program operate separately from other Coast Guard oversight elements. It is one Coast Guard team working together. Acquisition leadership does not make any major decisions without coordinating with the Coast Guard sponsor and its technical authorities. Everyone has a role, and with early input on every project and Coast Guard personnel working together on acquisition in concert, the Coast Guard will be better-served for years to come.
Q: Does the United States need a new class of ice breaker or can you sustain your mission with the fleet as it is?
A: We will continue to evaluate the operating requirements and resources necessary to ensure the safety, security and stewardship of the Arctic region associated with increased domestic and international maritime activity. Among other things, this requires a minimum of three icebreakers to meet mission requirements in both the Arctic and Antarctic. To retain this critical national capability we need to preserve our current capacity and reactivate the Polar Star. Meanwhile, planning must begin now to sustain this capability into the future, either through service life extensions of the existing icebreakers or building new ones.
Q: Your fleet of HC-144As is growing. Is the platform meeting your early expectations?
A: The HC-144 is just one example of this successful revitalization. We recently accepted the eighth Ocean Sentry aircraft and granted the class Initial Operational Capability. In March 2009, an HC-144A participated in the highly publicized search and rescue effort following the capsizing of a small fishing boat carrying four men, including two professional athletes, 38 miles west of Tampa Bay, Fla. The HC-144A’s sensors, loitering capability, endurance and passenger capacity suited the mission requirements and demonstrated that the Ocean Sentry is well-matched to the multi-mission Coast Guard it will serve.
Q: How are you doing on meeting your manning recruitment and retention numbers?
A: Our recruiting effectiveness has surpassed the other armed services for the third year in a row, and the quality of our candidates is the highest of all the services with an average Armed Forces Qualification Test score of 70. What we need now are more diverse applicants to help grow the organization into a better reflection of the American public.
Since I have been commandant, I have stressed that diversity is an operational necessity. By diversifying our work force in terms of race, gender, culture, professional experiences and personal backgrounds, we can bring different perspectives and skills to bear on the complex maritime challenges we will face in the 21st century. This will help us detect simmering issues before they become problems, manage risk utilizing all available resources, and implement comprehensive solutions.
Last month we released the new diversity strategic plan, which operationalizes the diversity initiatives we have been working on for the past year and places accountability on our senior leaders and commanding officers to ensure we recruit, train and sustain a highly capable work force. Our leaders are charged with five basic goals: assure a diverse work force through all-hands commitment with leadership accountability; fully utilize communication and focus groups to improve work force cultural climate; expand outreach to underrepresented populations; equitable hiring and career opportunities for all employees; and optimize training and education to emphasize the value of a diverse work force.
Our diversity strategic plan will make the Coast Guard an even stronger and more capable organization. While this is an all hands effort within the Coast Guard, I look forward to also working with our external stakeholders to help us achieve our goals. ♦
Since I have been commandant, I have stressed that diversity is an operational necessity. By diversifying our work force in terms of race, gender, culture, professional experiences and personal backgrounds, we can bring different perspectives and skills to bear on the complex maritime challenges we will face in the 21st century. This will help us detect simmering issues before they become problems, manage risk utilizing all available resources, and implement comprehensive solutions.
Last month we released the new diversity strategic plan, which operationalizes the diversity initiatives we have been working on for the past year and places accountability on our senior leaders and commanding officers to ensure we recruit, train and sustain a highly capable work force. Our leaders are charged with five basic goals: assure a diverse work force through all-hands commitment with leadership accountability; fully utilize communication and focus groups to improve work force cultural climate; expand outreach to underrepresented populations; equitable hiring and career opportunities for all employees; and optimize training and education to emphasize the value of a diverse work force.
Our diversity strategic plan will make the Coast Guard an even stronger and more capable organization. While this is an all hands effort within the Coast Guard, I look forward to also working with our external stakeholders to help us achieve our goals. ♦