Coast Guards $24 billion contract to build new boats

by Alice Lipowicz at FCW.com

In 2007, nearly halfway through a $24 billion contract to build new boats, Coast Guard officials became unhappy with the lead systems integrator’s work.

They rejected the first eight patrol boats from Integrated Coast Guard Systems, a partnership of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, because they found the boats structurally unsound.

Read the entire story at Federal Computer Week.

Quote of the Day from Secretary Napolitano

Napolitano said she was struck by Coast Guards “huge mission,” saying it would take several days just to be briefed by all the agencies. She said she visited the Coast Guard on her first official day in office because it is the largest “and one of the most important components” to the security of U.S. coasts.

Civil Rights Project: Identify the Full Scope of the Discrimination

This post from S. Mary Wills site The Black Factor is part of our ongoing series of reports on issues inside Coast Guards Office of Civil Rights.  The Coast Guard Civil Rights Project will continue to keep readers up to date on issues affecting Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights in the United States Coast Guard.

The article below Ms. Wills sounds all too familiar to the 16 senior civilians who have left Coast Guards Office of Civil Rights over the past two years.

Intersectional discrimination is the discrimination of a person or classification of people because they are a member of two or more protected classes. Equal employment opportunity statutes prohibit this type of discrimination. Intersectional discrimination can involve more than one EEO statute, e.g., discrimination based on age and disability, or based on sex and age, or discrimination based on race and sex, etc.

So, as you consider what’s going on around you at work, look at the bigger picture as to what is going on. If you are a Black woman, maybe the issues you are facing are not simply due to your race. Perhaps, you are also being targeted by a particular manager, for instance, because you are a woman. Try to determine if the person or people you are dealing with have patterns of targeting specific classifications of staff. Maybe they target Black workers or maybe they target Black and Hispanic workers or maybe they target Black and Hispanic workers AND homosexual employees.

The point is, there may be a larger problem than you realize and there could be more federal statutes being violated than you realize. I worked for an employer that targeted Black women. We began to be targeted and labeled with the same stereotypes. Amazingly, our employer argued that they managed to hire Black women that–to a person–were angry, defensive, rude, couldn’t take constructive criticism, were mean, “not nice,” and “snooty.” Within 2 months, 5 Black women–out of 10 Black female employees–resigned from the company. Every person left immediately before or immediately after our yearly performance reviews. I was the 6th Black female to leave.

Intersectional discrimination. Remember the term.

If you are targeted because of your race AND your age or your race AND your gender or your race AND your sexual orientation or your race AND a disability, you should argue the full scope of the discrimination you are being subjected to and you should hold your employer fully accountable/liable for the totality of their actions.

Photo project cleared: Coast Guard OKs underwater exam of Patriot

From the Gloucester Daily Times

The Coast Guard yesterday approved the first underwater photographic examination of the Patriot. The demise of the Gloucester fishing boat and the deaths of both its crew members remain a mystery 20 days after it was seemingly swallowed by the sea.  Read more here.

Today in Civil Rights History: The 24th Amendment

Jan. 23 1964

The 24th Amendment abolishes the poll tax, which originally had been instituted in 11 southern states after Reconstruction to make it difficult for poor blacks to vote.

Celebrating CDR Elmer Stone – Guest Post by VADM Vivien Crea

from iCommandant

Commander Elmer Stone

Today, as the Ancient Albatross, a title I wear most proudly as the longest serving Coast Guard aviator on active duty, I would like to recognize the birthday of a true Coast Guard pioneer, Commander Elmer Stone.  CDR Stone was born in 1887 and commissioned in the Revenue Cutter Service in 1913.  He graduated from Navy flight training in 1916 and was designated Coast Guard aviator number 1 in 1920.  CDR Stones list of accomplishments in the early days of aviation are truly remarkable: pilot of the NC-4 on the first ever successful trans-Atlantic flight, he was also centrally involved in the development of the shipboard catapult and arresting gear, and set a world speed record for amphibian aircraft. Truly the well-rounded, Renaissance Coastie exhibiting leadership, innovation, devotion to duty and sheer heroism, CDR Stone also served as  executive officer of Coast Guard Cutter MODOC and commanding officer of Coast Guard Destroyer MONAGHAN, both tours occurring after he began his aviation career.

While I want to dispel any notion that Elmer and I actually served together, please, I am not quite that ancient, I do know that CDR Stone more than any single person is responsible for the birth and early development of Coast Guard aviation, and in fact had a profound impact on naval aviation as a whole. As Ancient Albatross # 21, and in my collateral duties as Vice Commandant, I request Coast Guard members of all specialties and particularly those in aviation, take a moment to reflect on CDR Stones remarkable heritage, and be inspired by the enormous impact that one forward-thinking, hard-working individual can have on the entire service and consequently on the nation.

VADM Vivien S. Crea

Vice Commandant

Ancient Albatross #21

Read more about Commander Elmer Stone on our “People” page

Day One for Secretary Napolitano

“One of my top priorities is to unify this department and to create a common culture. These action directives are designed to begin a review, evaluation and dialogue between the various functions of this department and me,” said Secretary Napolitano. “I look forward to receiving the information and to working with the offices and agencies involved to make DHS a more effective and a more efficient department.”

Read more about the Secretary’s Day One Directives.

It’s going to take some really Progressive Coast Guard Leadership

by Unofficial Contributor “Different Annonymous”

Read this CNN articleon Social Networking after I posted Coast Guard tiptoed into the blogging waters – only to get smacked hard. It seems our President can use Twitter to disseminate information about ongoing conflicts between Israel and Palestine to the public. According to some sites, other DHS agencies can use Twitter as well – counter to what is being claimed by RADM Glenn in his post on iCommandant. Unfortunately CG-6’s policies run counter with trying to engage in the social media world, and now CGDN cannot connect to Twitter (among other sites). It seems the CG is taking a few steps back – behind everyone else in the government. Long road ahead… It’s going to take some really progressive leadership in making this technology work for the Coast Guard or a decade or so for new blood to filter in…