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Holiday Scuttlebutt from CGR “Don’t Hit the Send Button”

Our On-Scene-Leaders (OSL) at Coast Guards Personnel Service Center were all abuzz last week over an e-mail sent out by the Commanding Officer of Personnel Support Services Unit (PSSU), Portsmouth, following our reports on a Coastie who may have committed serious breeches of access to the Direct-Access pay and personnel system.  The employee was also alleged to have forged a supervisors name on loan documents.

Details are sketchy but apparently the CO of PSSU Portsmouth fired off an e-mail to a number of senior officers that his span of control was too large.  News of the e-mail made the rounds at PSC and became the source of lunch break scuttlebutt quickly.  Snippets coming out of the Business Operation Division (BOPS) at PSC indicate that CAPT Matt Ruckert order the e-mail recalled.

E-mail 101 grads know that once an e-mail is sent, it can never really be recalled or deleted.  Once the e-mail has been opened at the other end, recall is impossible.  We suspect that it’s probably been forwarded dozens if not hundred times by now.  With any luck, a copy will land in CGR’s in-box at editor@coastguardreport.org -  hint!

Admiral Thad W. Allen – 2006 Senate Confirmation Hearing (Part 6)

Though these questions were asked and answered by Allen in 2006; Admiral Papp will follow a near identical path.

15. Please list each book, article, column, or publication you have authored, individually or with others, and any speeches that you have given on topics relevant to the position for which you have been nominated. Do not attach copies of these publications unless otherwise instructed.

Numerous interviews with media during Hurricane Katrina response and throughout my career in conjunction with my official responsibilities.

16. Please identify each instance in which you have testified orally or in writing before Congress in a non-governmental capacity and specify the subject matter of each testimony: None.

Your Feedback will be Helpful in Shaping iCommandant’s use and value

The Commandant made 37 posts to iCommandant in November of this year.  He had only 11 Comments, six of which were in response to news on CG-1705 in November.  So far for December the Commandant has made around 33 posts to his Blog with 12 comments.

In September 2008 Admiral Thad Allen made his first Blog post in which he said:

To be honest, I am not yet sure exactly how this feature will be used. We will experiment together and try a few things to see what sort of effect they have. Your feedback will be helpful in shaping its use and value.

That very fist post had 56 comments by Coasties around the world.  Allen was jumping head first into Social Media, his staff was not.  The rest of Coast Guard leadership wasn’t happy to say the least about this “Blogging” thing.  What they didn’t like the most was that anyone could now give the Commandant feedback.  What that meant to many of Allen’s staff and senior leaders was the Commandant was going to hear things they didn’t want him to know.

What happened in the following months was nothing short of remarkable, comments started fading away.  Very few readers were willing to give “feedback,” knowing that their immediate chains of commands would be knocking on the door.  We saw people like Peter Stinson, LT Ryan Erickson, Mike McGrath and others write about the direct heat they were taking for comments they made and Blogging in their own right.

Leaving “feedback” for the Commandant has become akin to asking for an ass whooping.  Employees have been fired, reprimanded, seen decreases in performance appraisals, been lectured on “keeping it withing the lifelines,” and counseled.  iCommandant has become a tool of one way communication from the Commandant down.  Gone are the days of direct communication between the workforce and the Commandant.  The message has been sent and received that “we (senior leaders) will decide what the Commandant hears.”

That practice is dangerous  for a service without an internal Inspector General.  The Commandant needs to hear what his deck plate sailors are seeing, hearing and doing.

It appears that our feedback wasn’t helpful in shaping iCommandant’s  use and value.  To that end, many Coasties have turned to other Blogs for the safety and security they weren’t able to find at home on iCommandant.

So what is the value of iCommandant?

Hockey Club Starts Scholarship to Honor Young Goalie Killed in Coast Guard Boating Accident

Hockey Club Starts Scholarship to Honor Young Goalie

Posted using ShareThis

Admiral Thad W. Allen – 2006 Senate Confirmation Hearing (Part 5)

Though these questions were asked and answered by Allen in 2006; Admiral Papp will follow a near identical path.

12. Have you ever been a candidate for public office? If so, indicate whether any campaign has any outstanding debt, the amount, and whether you are personally liable for that debt: No.

13. Itemize all political contributions to any individual, campaign organization, political party, political action committee, or similar entity of $500 or more for the past 10 years: None.

14. List all scholarships, fellowships, honorary degrees, honorary society memberships, military medals and any other special recognition for outstanding service or achievements.

Scholarships: Coast Guard Academy, 1967-1971.
George Washington University, 1984-1986.

Fellowships:

MIT Sloan Fellow, 1988-1989.

Coast Guard Nominee to Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Study Group, 1996. (Did not attend due to promotion to Rear Admiral).

Fellow, National Academy of Public Administration.

Honorary Degrees: None.

Academic Recognition:

Distinguished Graduate, School of Business and Public Administration, George Washington University, 2001.

Distinguished Graduate, George Washington University, to be awarded May 2006.

Honorary Society Memberships:

Pi Alpha Alpha (National Public Administration Honor Society).

Society of MIT Sloan Fellows.

Personal Military Awards:

Two Distinguished Service Medals.
One Legion of Merit.
Three Meritorious Service Medals.
Three Coast Guard Commendation Medals.
Two Coast Guard Achievement Medals.

Other Military Recognition:

1981 Nominee for the CAPT David Jarvis Award (Annual U.S. Navy League Award for Leadership).

1981 Officer of the Year, New Jersey, Reserve Officers Association.

Other Governmental Recognition:

Two Drug Enforcement Administration Certificates of Appreciation for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Drug Law Enforcement (1978-1979).

Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force National Award, Operation Panama Express, 2001.

2005 President’s Award of Excellence, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.

RDML Joseph “Pepe” Castillo, Commander, Eleventh District on the San Diego Bay Incident

A terrible tragedy occurred in San Diego Bay Sunday night as a Coast Guard 33 footer and a 24 foot civilian pleasure craft collided. Six people on the recreational boat were injured and one of them, an eight year old boy, died at the hospital. I cannot find words adequate to express the level of sorrow and grief the Coast Guard community shares with the family of the child lost in this accident, and we pray for the recovery of the injured.

As an emergency response and law enforcement agency, we must continually earn and maintain the confidence and trust of the boating public and the communities we serve. A tragic incident such as Sunday’s crash can shake the public’s confidence and erode their trust. So it is important we find out, share, and act on what happened. And we will do that.

We will do that through several internal and external investigations. Together, these will identify root causes and determine responsibility, to avoid repetition of this tragedy.

Shortly after learning of the crash I requested the National Transportation Safety Board be asked to conduct an investigation to assure full transparency and public accountability. These investigators are in place and will scrutinize every aspect of this case to determine what went wrong. While Coast Guard Marine Safety professionals are assisting them with data and evidence collection, it is important to note that this is an independent body.

The San Diego Harbor Police is also conducting an investigation in accordance with State requirements. We have Coast Guard Investigative Service Special Agents working side by side with them in the process.

As the cognizant District Commander I have initiated an internal investigation in accordance with the Administrative Investigations Manual to provide me with the information I need to make appropriate decisions on safety and accountability for what occurred. This includes documenting the events that led to the accident and identifying any procedural or accountability issues. The team lead for this has extensive small boat experience in operating, training, and evaluating small boat programs.

We want to get to the facts as quickly as possible through a deliberative process. As we wait for investigators to complete their work (conduct interviews, review records and data, perform technical analyses, and prepare their reports), it is important to allow that deliberative process to take place without speculation or conjecture. In the meantime I assure our emergency response partners, the public, and the men and women under my command that we will not falter in our duties. We will redouble our commitment to safety and service to the public and continue to earn their trust and respect. Our crews remain on watch, ready to help those in distress, ever mindful of their duty to protect the public.

My personal thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this tragedy, their loved ones, and friends,

Sincerely,

RDML Joseph “Pepe” Castillo
Commander, Eleventh District

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Senate Confirmation Committee, 24th Commandant of the

United States Coast Guard

Democrats John D. Rockefeller, IV (Chairman) Daniel K. Inouye John F. Kerry Byron L. Dorgan Barbara Boxer Bill Nelson Maria Cantwell Frank R. Lautenberg Mark Pryor Claire McCaskill Amy Klobuchar Tom Udall Mark Warner Mark Begich Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison (Ranking Member) Olympia J. Snowe John Ensign Jim DeMint John Thune Roger Wicker Johnny Isakson David Vitter Sam Brownback Mike Johanns

Chairman Rockefeller Statement on President Obama’s Nomination of 24th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement today following the announcement of Vice Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr.’s nomination to become the next Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.  Vice Admiral Papp, if approved by the U.S. Senate, would become the 24^th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, replacing Admiral Thad Allen in May 2010.

“I am pleased to hear the administration’s announcement of Vice Admiral Papp’s nomination to be the next Commandant of our U.S. Coast Guard,” said Chairman Rockefeller.  “If approved, he will relieve a man who has been a great leader of the Coast Guard and for our nation.  Protecting America’s waters is crucial to our national security, and I look forward to discussing with Vice Admiral Papp his qualifications for such an important job.”

Merry Christmas

12 O’Clock Reports – ALCOAST Update

712/09	PROMULGATION OF THE NEW MANAGEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION (STINFO) MANUAL	12/23/2009
711/09	PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION OF COMMANDANT	12/22/2009
710/09	CHANGES TO FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) FEE SCHEDULES	12/22/2009
709/09	CHANGE OF SHIP SECURITY ALERT SYSTEM (SSAS) ADMINISTRATION POINT OF CONTACT	12/21/2009
706/09	COMMANDANT’S HOLIDAY MESSAGE	12/18/2009
707/09	HALF-DAY FEDERAL AGENCY CLOSURE ON 24 DECEMBER 2009	12/18/2009
708/09	COAST GUARD ENLISTED PERSON OF THE YEAR (EPOY) AND RESERVE ENLISTED PERSON OF THE YEAR (REPOY) AWARD SOLICITATION	12/18/2009
705/09	INTERIM MATCH WEAPONS POLICY CHANGE	12/18/2009
703/09	REDUCE YOUR RISK DURING THE HOLIDAYS	12/17/2009
702/09	COAST GUARDS BEST VIDEOS OF 2009 CONTEST	12/17/2009
701/09	2009 DHS CFO AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE	12/16/2009
700/09	CHANGES TO THE OPEN RATE LIST (ORL)	12/14/2009
698/09	WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY CLARIFICATION	12/11/2009
697/09	RELEASE OF THE FINAL ACTION MEMO (FAM) FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATION AND THE FINAL DECISION LETTER (FDL) FOR THE MISHAP (SAFETY) INVESTIGATION FOR THE COAST GUARD AIR STATION BARBERS POINT CLASS “A” AVIATION INCIDENT INVOLVING HH-65C CGNR 6505 ON 04 SEP 2008	12/10/2009