Serving the Nation
Written by Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC)
CGF 2009 Volume: 1 Issue: 1 (November)
There is an old saying— you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. As someone who qualifies as an “old dog” and as a proud veteran of the United States Coast Guard, I am here to report that the service that is near and dear to my heart can learn a few new tricks. The Coast Guard has and should continue to embrace the idea of modernization, from a variety of perspectives, while holding steady to the ideals and principles that makes it an important part of America’s past, present and future.
Let me use the example of the USCG cutter Acushnet to prove my point. The Acushnet still serves as part of the Coast Guard fleet. It was commissioned in 1944 and transferred to the Coast Guard in 1946. I am 78 years old, and as hard as it may be to believe, her service predates my career in the Coast Guard. The Acushnet remains the “Queen of the Fleet” in Ketchikan, Alaska, and I am serving my 13th term as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing the Sixth Congressional District of North Carolina. I am proud to say that we are both still going strong.
I mention the Acushnet because it is a visible reminder of our history, but also underscores the need to update our assets via Deepwater. Speaking frankly, there have been successes and failures as a result of the program, but it is important to note we have learned from these experiences. Equally important, under the direction of the commandant and Congress, mechanisms have been implemented that will prevent similar missteps in the future. (I will leave it up to the voters in North Carolina to decide when it is time to “modernize” their congressman.)
On a daily basis, Coast Guardsmen and women focus on drug interdiction, environmental protection, migrant interdiction, port security, search and rescue, homeland security, and maritime safety. This multifaceted nature is important, and we should ensure that the Coast Guard has the resources and authorities necessary to meet these demands on a day-to-day basis. The safety and security of our nation, and our servicemembers, depend on it.
Looking forward, however, there is more to be done. I am encouraged by the recent delivery of new assets, such as the National Security Cutter, which provides state-of-the-art facilities and capabilities to enhance Coast Guard missions. We should build upon this success; it correlates to a better service environment for our men and women and improves their ability to perform tasks assigned. We should also look forward, recognizing that there are other areas that we may need to procure new assets, such as the ice-breaker fleet. This is particularly important when you consider the ever-expanding areas of responsibility we must patrol in the Arctic.
We should not, however, stop there. In addition to modernizing physical assets, we also need to ensure that we provide the technological assets that complement these efforts. There are myriad opportunities that we can utilize to create efficiencies, improve our capabilities, and harness the innovation and expertise of the private sector. This is particularly important to acknowledge given there are areas that the Coast Guard lacks the skills necessary to develop and implement these technologies.
Beyond physical assets, there are other areas that the Coast Guard is seeking to modernize. For example, one of the commandant’s top priorities is to reform the command structure. If implemented, it would transition the current command structure to a functionally based force structure that mirrors the Department of Defense alignment. Altering the command structure would also facilitate better processes between the Department of Homeland Security and maritime industries.
We must also provide the Coast Guard with the authorities necessary to accomplish the tasks they perform daily. Charged with enforcing our maritime borders, the Coast Guard interdicts those who use increasingly sophisticated methods to smuggle immigrants, drugs and other items into our country. In the 110th Congress, we enacted legislation that made owning or operating unidentified submersibles a crime. This law, the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act, created civil and criminal penalties for operating these submersibles in international waters. This is an important tool to protect our country, but more action is needed.
We need to augment laws relating to maritime smuggling, which continues to be a threat to national security and to the safety of the men and women of the Coast Guard. The thrust of this proposal, the Alien Smuggling and Terrorism Prevention Act (H.R. 1029), is to create a deterrent to keep smugglers from putting migrants in harm’s way. Currently, there are enormous procedural and jurisdictional hurdles that protect and actually embolden alien smugglers. Adoption of this legislation will begin to deter unsafe and inhumane sea-based smuggling by delivering enhanced consequences to those who conspire against or flee from federal law enforcement officers. Further, this would help ensure that those who seek to migrate here are protected from predators who hold no regard for the safety of others. By enacting legislation that would provide this authority, we send the message that we are committed to protecting our maritime borders. The House has passed H.R. 1029, and it awaits Senate Serving the Nation HOWARD COBLE (R-N.C.) consideration. I’m hopeful that the measure will become law in the 111th Congress on its own merit or as a portion of another bill.
I would also like to touch upon the need for parity for Coast Guardsmen and women and their colleagues in DoD uniform. Much like the need to ensure that Coast Guard assets are modernized, the men and women of the Coast Guard need to know that benefits provided by the service are equal to their peers in other military branches. Unfortunately, there are several areas where we fall short. In my opinion, housing opportunities provided to our Coast Guardsmen and women are not parallel to that of our peers. Several years ago, the DoD implemented a public-private partnership that leveraged the public dollar with the innovation of the private sector. As a result, DoD military housing has been rejuvenated, and in many areas, is comparable to private housing. Unfortunately, those serving in the Coast Guard have not been provided with this same opportunity. It may be difficult to identify and obtain dollars to achieve the ability to permit the Coast Guard to explore public-private partnerships, given ongoing competing financial obligations, but it is important that we in Congress explore this opportunity.
Another area where we need to achieve parity is child development services. Specifically, other services in the DoD have the ability to expend funding for child development services such as instruction. Further, they may provide assistance to family home day care providers should military-provided options not exist. The Coast Guard should be able to do this for their families, as well.
Finally, in 2006, compulsory retirement ages for general and flag officers in DoD uniform was raised to 64. This change was not extended to flag officers of the Coast Guard. Therefore, efforts are under way to correct this inequity by increasing the retirement age of flag officers to 64, while maintaining the age of 62 as the required retirement age for regular commissioned officers.
The United States Coast Guard Servicemember Benefits Improvements Act, introduced by Rep. Frank LoBiondo (H.R. 2901), would address disparities in these and other important areas. I am an original cosponsor of this legislation because I believe it is important that Congress act to rectify these inequities. In doing so, we would ensure that the Coast Guard can remain on equal footing with the other services, and more importantly, ensure that all of our military members and their families are treated equally.
I was a history major in college, and I enjoy looking back at the important figures and events that shaped our nation’s history. I am equally proud of the storied history of the United States Coast Guard. We should preserve and honor that history. At the same time, the Coast Guard must modernize to serve its mission for the 21st century. Even an “old dog” such as yours truly is excited to imagine what a transformed, modernized Coast Guard will be able to achieve.
Rep. Howard Coble has served the 6th District of NorthCarolina since 1985. ♦