Ships from the U.S. Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard conducted exercises near the Ogasawara Islands of Japan, Feb. 21, 2021. The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball and Japan Coast Guard Ship Akitsushima, two of the respective services’ newest and most capable vessels, operated alongside helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to practice interdicting foreign vessels operating illegally inside Japanese waters. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball/Released)

CIMSEC brings us a podcast of particular interest to the Coast Guard.

I don’t really like podcasts myself. It seems a slow and inefficient way to pass information compared to reading. Inevitably, interviews are not as well organized as the written word. But then I don’t have a long commute anymore. That might have changed my opinion.

If you don’t have that long commute, I would recommend reading his Naval Institute Articles as a better use of time.

• “The United States Coast Guard: A Global Force for the Greater Good,” by CAPT Dave Ramassini, USNI Blog, October 19, 2021.
• “Build a Great White Fleet for the 21st Century,” by CAPT Dave Ramassini, Proceedings, May 2018.
• “To Small to Answer the Call,” by CAPT Dave Ramassini, Proceedings, May 2017.

Of course, if you are not a US Naval Institute member, you may not have access to the full articles. We have discussed a couple of these earlier.

• “Build a Great White Fleet for the 21st Century,” USNI Proceedings
• “Too Small to Answer the Call”–USNI Proceedings

Don’t know how I missed writing about the most recent post which advocates a larger and more stable Coast Guard budget.

“Recognizing the various U.S. instruments of national power—diplomatic, information, military, economic, finance, intelligence, and law enforcement—arguably, no other government entity is as well-positioned, has the reputation for fiscal stewardship, nor has broader authorities and existing bilateral relationships to collectively exercise the full range of these instruments as effectively as the Coast Guard. It is time to properly include the Coast Guard in military rebuilding efforts to properly attend to business beyond U.S. borders that is booming with no remedy in sight. Coast Guard leaders need to get all GCC commanders on board to craft a 24-star letter expressing their need for a more robust and constant Coast Guard presence for the greater good of not only U.S. international partners, but also our own national interests.”