Coast Guard Diversity – Real, Not Real or Just Placating Congress

If you  have ever heard it said “you can’t fix something that’s not broken,” then you may have an idea why it’s been so hard for Admiral Thad Allen to move forward on the issue of diversity.  If you can’t recognize it, accept it, and grasp it, you can’t fix it.  Allen’s official Diversity Statement doesn’t recognize a problem.

He says “The Coast Guard is diverse workforce, and I’m personally committed to ensuring our Coast Guard provides an environment that values and embraces our the contributions and potential of every member of our diverse workforce.”

The problem is the workforce is not diverse.  Coast Guards diversity comes from its civilian workforce, not from its active duty ranks.  The service has only three African American Captains, and one Flag Officer.

I am profoundly disappointed with the lack of diversity of the incoming Academy class. With all the oversight this Subcommittee has committed to diversification of the student body at the Coast Guard academy, I am shocked that you only have five African Americans entering the class of 2013 and that you only offered two African American students appointments that were coming directly from high school that did not need additional preparation from a preparatory school. The Naval Academy found 149 fully qualified African Americans to attend their Academy and the Coast Guard didn’t even track the number of fully qualified personnel.

The Honorable James L. Oberstar, Chairman

In May, the Coast Guard Academy’s Class of 2009 graduated. Out of a class of 225 students, there were, according to data provided by the Coast Guard, 24 minorities, including 10 Asians, 9 Hispanics, 4 African Americans and one Native American. Additional data provided by the Coast Guard show that the incoming Class of 2013 is expected to begin with 288 students, of whom 44 will be minorities, meaning that minorities will comprise approximately 15 percent of the incoming class. Of those students, Hispanic Americans will comprise nearly nine percent of the incoming class and African Americans will comprise two percent of the incoming class.

The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings, Chairman
Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation

Vice Admiral Jody Breckenridge – Diversity Round Table Absent African American Participation

In May 2009, just a month after Vice Admiral Jody Breckenridge testified before congress on Diversity problems inside her organization (CG-1 at the time) and the Coast Guard at large, she held a diversity round table at Headquarters.

On May 29th, 2009 Rear Admirals Ronald Hewitt and Jody Breckinridge were host to seven (7) distinguished panelists and guests for the “Championing Diversity Leadership” Round Table; the first diversity round table of its kind ever to be held at USCG Headquarters. The panelists in attendance were recognized leaders and chief executives who prioritize diversity and inclusion as a fundamental business imperative to organizational success.

Also of concern to this Committee is ensuring the level of minority acceptances at the Coast Guard Academy reflects the composition of America. To have offered only nine African-Americans acceptance for an entering class of approximately 300 this coming Fall is unacceptable. Clearly, the Coast Guard did not listen to this Committee last September when our Members challenged them on low admission rates for minorities.

In response to that hearing, the House passed a Coast Guard Authorization Act that would have established a Congressional nomination process for the Coast Guard Academy that is similar to the process used for all of other Federal military academies. If the Coast Guard will not increase the number of minorities enrolled at the Academy – the members of the House and Senate can do that through the nomination process.

Statement of  The Honorable James L. Oberstar, Chairman Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Hearing on “Civil Rights Services and Diversity Initiatives in the Coast Guard” April 1, 2009

Like many of Coast Guards attempts at placating congress since the first hearing in April, this one was a failed attempt at appearances and no substance.  Seven panelist, and not a single African American at the table.  A service with serious issues recruiting minority applicants, and again the message is clear – a round table of participants that looks like the Coast Guard today, not the Coast Guard of tomorrow.

Video Series “Allen’s Deconstruction of the U.S. Coast Guard” Picking Up Steam

The Coast Guard Report Channel @ You Tube

Coast Guard Report enjoyed its largest number of visitors on a Super Bowl Sunday in our four-year history. Our video series “Allen’s Deconstruction of the Coast Guard,” is picking up steam and has caught the attention of the Hill.  This series is still in its infancy but will shift gears to focus on Diversity in upcoming videos.

Want to Feel Good About the Direction Our Nation is Headed

Our National Debt just gets bigger and bigger.  Mid-term elections are your opportunity for change.  Yes We Can – Vote Republican – Vote Change.

Six New Positions for Coast Guard Civil Rights or just Slight of Hand

In April 2009, Coast Guards Director of Civil Rights told congress that she had been allocated six new full time positions. Congress would later learn in June 2009 that some of those positions were really not new hires, but reprogrammed positions from within the agency.

New Video from Coast Guard Report

• Check out our updated CNN iReports.

• Check us out on YouTube.

• Check out the Updates page.

Coast Guard Still has an Incomplete on the Booz Allen Hamilton Report of January 2009

Ten months after Coast Guards Director of Civil Rights promised Congress she would act on all 53 recommendations of the Booz Allen Hamilton Report – some remain incomplete. In testimony before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Transportation in April and again in June 2009, Ms. Terri A. Dickerson promised Rep. Elijah E. Cummings that all recommendations would be completed by the end of the FY-09 fiscal year.

In attempt to give Ms. Dickerson some room for error, Cummings gave her till the end of November 2009. As March 2010 approaches, some recommendations are still incomplete. The Coast Guards EO Manual remains incomplete.

The Booz Allen Hamilton Report found that the manual was outdated and not in compliance with Federal Civil Rights laws. Coast Guard employees have been given no reason for the delay.

Coast Guard Report Post Temporarily Taken Down

Our post Wall Street Journal Article Hints at Crutch of Review on Top Coast Guard Leadership has temporarily been taken down at request of counsel for the parties.  Coast Guard Report is sensitive to the review and ongoing discussions related to this very sensitive process.

New Video’s Coming to CGReport, YouTube and CNN iReport

Look for new video’s today and this weekend.  Transparency is best seen with your own eyes and heard with your own ears.

Should President Barack Obama Allow Vice Admiral Breckenridge to Retire with Three Stars

Vice Admiral Jody Breckenridge will be relieved as Coast Guards Pacific Area Commander by Rear Admiral Manson Brown this summer.  Breckenridge will be “tour incomplete” having served less than year when relieved of command.  Her early retirement will need approval from President Barack Obama in the grade Vice Admiral.  Federal law requires a flag officer serve two and half years in the grade of Vice Admiral to retire at the grade without approval of the President.

However, as Coast Guard Report has come to learn, there have long existed issues far more central to her retirement in the grade of Vice Admiral.  Her failures noted in the Booz Allen Hamilton report and by members of congress are far more central to the issue than may be submitted to the President for approval.  Lets explore …

Prior to assignment, as  PACAREA, Breckenridge served as the Director, Strategic Transformation Team where she was responsible for aligning and synchronizing the efforts to transform and modernize the Coast Guard. Simultaneously, she served as Assistant Commandant for Human Resources where she had oversight of the Coast Guard’s HR professionals.

President Obama while serving as our Nations first African-American President should be sensitive to the  failures of Breckinridge’s programs while serving as Assistant Commandant for Human Resources.  She was responsible for Coast Guards diversity initiatives and programs.

Also of concern to this Committee is ensuring the level of minority acceptances at the Coast Guard Academy reflects the composition of America. To have offered only nine African-Americans acceptance for an entering class of approximately 300 this coming Fall is unacceptable. Clearly, the Coast Guard did not listen to this Committee last September when our Members challenged them on low admission rates for minorities.

Statement of The Honorable James L. Oberstar, Chairman Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Hearing on “Civil Rights Services and Diversity Initiatives in the Coast Guard” April 1, 2009

As Assistant Commandant for Human Resources, Diversity programs were squarely her responsibility.

In April, I convened the Subcommittee to consider the Coast Guard’s provision of civil rights services to its military and civilian workforce and to applicants for employment following the release of a report on the service’s equal employment opportunity programs written by Booz Allen Hamilton.  The Booz Allen Hamilton report was simply scathing.

Statement of The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings, Chairman Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Hearing on “A Continuing Examination of Civil Rights Services and Diversity in the Coast Guard” June 19, 2009.

The  Booz Allen Hamilton report, testimony before congress in April and June of 2009, coupled with the Commandant’s diversity Policy Statement draw into question Admiral Thad Allen’s decision to nominate Breckenridge for a  third star in the first place.

We’ve posted Allen’s diversity policy below, which is in stark contrast to the results of the Booz Allen Hamilton report three years into his tour as Commandant.  The President should take note  that not only have Allen and Breckenridge failed to meet their own diversity goals, neither should be rewarded for haven done so.