Update of Coast Guards Equal Opportunity Manual In Second Year of Review

by T. Burgess

The Coast Guard Office of Civil Rights recently underwent a Functional Review at the direction of the the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard. That review was conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton and has been covered extensively in on this site in the past. According to the Office of Civil Rights, the report should be released early this year.

I contacted Tony Soliz, in the Coast Guard Office of Governmental and Public Affairs for an update the on the release of the report as well as to get an update the rewrite of the Commandant’s Equal Opportunity Manual. In January 2008 OCR detailed two GS-15s  from their primary duties to rewrite the EO Manual. In May 2008, the two GS-15s Ms. Calvert and Ms. Gonzalez were returned to they’re primary duties and later in August they delivered the final draft to Captain Bart Kolb the Deputy Director.

This month marks one year since Coast Guard started the review and rewrite of the manual.  I again contacted Soliz for comment and an update on this project. Soliz did not respond, but stated in another e-mail that Coast Guard would not verify, validate or refute the content of this blog. ALCOAST 458/08 not only authorizes Coast Guard employees to provide information and respond to Blogs, but seems to encourage it as well.

Soliz works in the very office that drafted ALCOAST 458/08.  We remain open to Soliz contacting us with an update on this important rewrite of the EO Manual, and believe such dialogue would be supportive of  ALCOAST 458/08, the Commandant’s publicly stated policy, thoughts on social media and transparency.

IAW REF A, AREAS, DISTRICTS, SECTORS, AND SUBORDINATE UNITS ARE AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND RESPOND TO INTERNET DISCUSSION ON MATTERS THAT ARE IN THEIR LANE AS OUTLINED IN REF B TO ENSURE THE VIRTUAL PUBLIC RECORD HAS ACCURATE AND PROPERLY CHARACTERIZED INFORMATION. UNITS ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO PROACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO ONLINE CONTENT TO FURTHER PUBLIC INFORMATION, DISCUSSION, AND UNDERSTANDING OF COAST GUARD ROLES, MISSIONS, AND ISSUES. AREA AND DISTRICT PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFFS WILL FACILITATE AND SUPPORT THESE EFFORTS. UNIT COLLATERAL DUTY PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERS MAY ALSO ENGAGE IN THIS REALM AS RESOURCES ALLOW. COMDT (CG-0922) WILL PROVIDE OR COORDINATE THE SAME FACILITATION AND SUPPORT FOR COAST GUARD HEADQUARTERS AND HEADQUARTERS UNITS.

Elected Officials ask Rear Admiral Gable for Investigation of Patriot incident

Rear Admiral Dale G. Gabe, Commander First Coast Guard District

Dear Rear Admiral Gable,

We are writing to seek your assistance with an urgent request regarding the recent tragic loss of the Gloucester fishing vessel Patriot. In the wake of this incident, which claimed the lives of experienced fishermen Matteo Russo and Giovanni Orlando, thorough answers to many questions are necessary.

We are award that the Coast Guard has initiated an investigation into this incident, and that the First District and Sector Boston personnel are continuing to examine available information regarding all of the factors involved in the loss of the Patriot. We urge you to maintain and intensify this effort, and to expedite it as much as possible.

Yet we firmly believe that the information surrounding the loss must be significantly expanded to include the position, condition and all other pertinent facts available from examination of the Patriot in its present position. We thus request, in the strongest possible terms, that the Coast Guard undertake an underwater investigation of the vessel as soon as possible, utilizing either professional divers and/or submersible vehicles.

We are aware that this request is extraordinary, but yet this incident is as well. Thorough answers, to the extent possible must be developed to the haunting questions that remain.

Among those questions are how a sound vessel, with an experienced crew could so suddenly be lost in the sea and weather state that existed on Jan. 1 and 2. Understanding what led to the loss of the Patriot and Matteo Russo and Giovanni Orlando is critical, and conducting a subsurface investigation will yield answers that are vital for investigators, other Coast Guard personnel, the families of those who have been lost, those who must return to sea as fishermen, and the public.

Accordingly, please initiate such an investigation as soon as it may be undertaken. Thank you for your consideration of this request, and please do not hesitate to contact us if we may be of any further assistance, or to discuss this matter further.

Sincerely

State Sen. Bruce Tarr

State Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante

Mayor Carolyn Kirk

Jason Baltz, Matt Dunnigan and Jesse Reed Graduate Coast Guard Boot Camp

Staff Report

This story comes from the Powhatan Today. A great video interview of the three friends and now Coasties is available here.

Last Friday marked a milestone for three Powhatan High School graduates, as they officially completed United States Coast Guard boot camp. The families of Seamen Jason W. Baltz , Matthew W. Dunnigan and Jesse Reed travelled to the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey to attend the graduation ceremony, which marked the end of eight weeks of intensive training in water safety and survival, military customs and courtesies, seamanship skills, first aid, fire fighting and marksmanship