“Commandant delivers the 2024 State of the Coast Guard Address”

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Above is a video of the Commandant’s 2024 State of the Coast Guard address. Below is the MyCG look at the address.

The video does not actually start until about time 1:40 and we don’t see the Master Chief of the Coast Guard until minute 3:00. He notes that the Coast Guard is making “great progress” on addressing workforce shortages.

As the MyCG story notes, “The State of the Coast Guard Address is mainly intended for Congress and external stakeholders” so a lot of this is introductory, but the address has a lot of meat beginning about time 16:00.

The Commandant reports that the maintenance budget will only address about 50% of planned maintenance–that is pretty serious. I have heard rumblings about deferred maintenance but this is both more definitive and worse than anything I had heard before.

Admiral Fagan has talked more about infrastructure than any previous Commandant I have heard, and she talked here about the need for more infrastructure maintenance.

Admiral Fagan has pushed lowering barriers to service. She also reports the Coast Guard is fielding more recruiters.

She addressed the need to stop harmful behaviors such as sexual harassment and measures being taken.

During the presentation, the Commandant talked about how much more the Coast Guard has been doing in the Pacific but considering that 47% of the entire US EEZ is inside the 14th District, it still looks like the Coast Guard is underrepresented in the Pacific. 

March 21, 2024

Commandant delivers the 2024 State of the Coast Guard Address

By AJ Pulkkinen, MyCG writer

The Commandant, Adm. Linda Fagan, focused on operations, the workforce, and the future as she delivered her 2nd State of the Coast Guard address to Congress last night. You can view it on YouTube or Vimeo.

Operations 

Adm. Fagan highlighted the response to Lahaina wildfires on Maui, narcotics interdictions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, and maritime migrant interdictions in the Pacific, Caribbean, and Straits of Florida. She cited the HARRIET LANE’s homeport shift from Portsmouth, Virginia, to Honolulu, Hawaii, as evidence of the importance of the Indo-Pacific region. She also pointed to the HEALY’s Artic transit as an important step to ensuring our national sovereignty in the northern high latitudes.

“Last year, the United States Coast Guard saved nearly five thousand lives, and ensured the safety of thousands more through our work to prevent maritime accidents before they happen,” said Adm. Fagan.

People 

The Talent Management Transformation Task Force “hit the ground running, challenged long-held assumptions, and are writing new personnel policies that make it easier to join and serve in the United States Coast Guard,” said Adm. Fagan.

Adm. Fagan advocated for our families to have access to affordable housing, childcare, and medical facilities. She pointed to the creation of the Talent Acquisition Specialist rating, the opening of new recruiting offices, and broadening the applicant pool as key steps to closing our current workforce shortage. The Commandant celebrated the tailored approach offered by Agile A-Schools that get trained Petty Officers to the field quicker than before. She celebrated the changes to how the Service manages talent and makes it easier to serve.

“The Coast Guard of the future will increasingly rely on data, analytics, and artificial intelligence to inform our missions,” said Adm. Fagan.

Future 

Adm. Fagan expressed her excitement in launching the ARGUS, the first offshore patrol cutter (OPC). She set her top acquisition priority as starting construction of the Polar Security Cutter – the first new heavy icebreaker built in the United States since the 1970s. She cited the Office of Data Analytics and use of unmanned systems as force multipliers. Finally, Adm. Fagan highlighted efforts to strengthen service culture.

The State of the Coast Guard Address is mainly intended for Congress and external stakeholders. The Commandant will hold a Townhall for all members of the Service on April 3. Stay tuned to find out how you can be a part of the Townhall.

-USCG-

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