I’m not going to regurgitate the Commandant’s speech or try to explain it all, but I thought I would give a few impressions. I’m sure there will be some truly important things I will miss, sorry.

The speech transcript is available here. And if you want an expanded explanation of what the Commandant said in his speech, I would suggest that you go here, go down to the foot of the page (now also near the top on the right side) and download the pdf, “U. S. Coast Guard Commandant’s Direction, 2011.” It’s a slick 24 page explanation that expands on the themes of the speech.

Again he talked about his four principles:

• Steady the Service,
• Honor our Profession,
• Strengthen our Partnerships,
• Respect our Shipmates.”

You’re going to hear these over and over again. Might as well–Learn it, Use it as a frame of reference, Love it, Live it.

He built the speech around his four principles and these four priorities:

• 1) Sustain Mission Excellence;
• 2) Recapitalize and Build Capacity;
• 3) Enhance Crisis Response and Management; and,
• 4) Prepare for the Future.

Sustain Mission Excellence: We’re going to do less, but what we do do, we will do extremely well. He quoted Vince Lombardi, “I am not remotely interested in just being good.”  Love that line. He also called for a training and qualification program that will incorporate more than one step. “We will resource, prepare and train to perform the most essential missions professionally, effectively and efficiently.  Accordingly, I’ve directed our Force Readiness Command to develop standards and training that differentiate between qualification and proficiency. “ I think this may be the most important guidance in speech, and that it may have the most long term effect on the service.

To help maintain that proficiency he also called for increased job stability.

There are going to be some units deleted or downsized. Some efforts will be reduced in scope or eliminated, “In order to achieve proficiency in our most needed activities and capabilities, we may have to reduce our range of activities and capabilities.  This is acceptable.  Let me repeat this…We may need to reduce the number and range of capabilities we’ve added since 9/11, until properly resourced, and this will be acceptable.”

For those that are making trade-offs on a daily basis, I hope there will be some guidance forthcoming concerning priorities.

Deplorable Operations Group is going to get a close look, will be reorganized, but it is not going away.

Sectors are going to be further consolidated.

The Merchant Marine Inspection career path will be strengthened.

Recapitalize and Build Capacity:

Emphasized the need to build all 8 NSCs.

He seemed to be saying the air fleet is in good shape and getting better–C-144s and C-130Js.

“Our acquisition team is also working to develop the replacement for our medium endurance cutter fleet – the Offshore Patrol Cutter – we plan on building 25 OPCs.  We’re currently working with our partners, and industry representatives to develop the OPC’s requirements, and an affordable acquisition strategy.  But make no mistake – acquiring a capable OPC is critical to our long-term mission effectiveness.” Who are our partners in developing the OPC requirements and acquisition strategy? I hope the Navy is helping us here, and that we get a design that is both reasonably economical to build and truly useful for a range of missions. (and here)

It was probably no accident reference to the OPCs was immediately followed by this, “Every good Coast Guardsmen keeps a weather eye to windward — and it is clear there’s been a change in the weather — our Nation is facing serious fiscal challenges.” The climate for the OPC program is not good.

“…we will seek savings in administrative services, overhead and non-operational activities. ” (emphasis applied) ““More with Less” is not an acceptable option”

Enhancing Crisis Management and Response: He didn’t say too much about this except that it had become “..one of our core competencies… We must build on the many lessons learned to further enhance
our abilities – both as a service and as individuals – we need to ensure we’re ready for
the next response… ”

Prepare for the Future:

He talked about “Diversity” largely in terms of “Respecting our shipmates.”

He talked about the Arctic but it didn’t seem like he was ready to talk specifics.

FORCECOM will stay but it will be trimmed down.

He talked about working on our partnerships.

Near the end he had a truly great quote, explaining what the Coast Guard does, “No one else can do everything that we do.  We protect citizens from the sea, we protect America from threats delivered by sea, and we protect the sea itself.  We are a military service, federal law enforcement agency, and our Nation’s lead maritime first responder with the mandate and bias to act.  We are locally based, nationally deployed, and globally connected. ”

You really ought to read the whole thing.