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Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen said Friday the service is seeking congressional approval to merge its Pacific and Atlantic Area commands into a single Coast Guard operations command. In addition, the service would establish a force readiness command to better support the fleet by ensuring standardization of doctrine development, Allen said in a speech at the National Press Club.

The operations and force readiness commands would be based in Portsmouth, Va., and Alameda, Calif., where the Atlantic and Pacific Area Commands are located.

Allen also intends to create two deputy commandant positions, one focused on operations and one dedicated to mission support, which would integrate acquisition, logistics and maintenance functions and introduce a standard logistics system for the entire service.

Additionally, he would elevate the vice commandant to the rank of admiral to achieve parity with the other armed forces. The vice commandant position currently is set for the rank of vice admiral, which is three stars.

"We must have command-and-control and mission support structures that optimize mission execution," Allen said. "To create a Coast Guard that can effectively meet the demands of the 21st century we need hardware and [personnel] that are flexible, agile and adaptable."

"Whether you call it modernization, transformation, realignment or all of the above, we're about to set on a course to change the Coast Guard," he said.

Allen's proposals follow other organizational changes he has instituted since becoming commandant in 2006. Last year, he created a centralized acquisition directorate to be responsible for major acquisition programs, including the $25 billion Deepwater recapitalization program.

The Coast Guard also established the Deployable Operations Group, which aligned specialized forces into a single, unified command structure that could provide one-stop shopping for rapid response to threats worldwide. The group includes 3,000 personnel from 12 maritime safety and security teams, one maritime security response team, two tactical law enforcement teams, eight port security teams, and the national strike force.

COMMENTS

• It seems to me USCG hqs and the commandant's staff should be able to handle force modernization, readiness, and sustainability centrally. The USCG is not going to fight the Imperial Navy. It needs to prepare for combatting cunning gangs of criminals and cunning terrorists in cunning ways, with cunning methods, and cunning ships and aircraft. This proposed organization looks too much like our overstaffed navy think tanks that can't seem to find enemies to fight. Perhaps we should transfer the DDG-51s to the USCG and put it into the missile defense business. The USCG should look at the Maritime Gendarmerie model and think of itself as a maritime border police, too. Trouble is, the armed forces have all sorts of pie-in-the-sky ideas and no enemies to use them on and no money to pay for them. I think we should transfer the entire foreign aid budget to the USCG, the Border Patrol and the CIA. Don Jones Posted February 14, 2008 6:05 PM
• I'm a retired Army combat arms officer, now proudly serving as a member of the USCG Auxiliary in Alaska. My take on ADM Allen is that he has the warrior spirit, foresight and drive that's forging the Coast Guard into a force that will be fully prepared to face and overcome the many challenges ahead in this very dangerous world. The Auxiliary is already seeing its roles broadening in response to this, and more than ever, we are becoming a full partner in Team Coast Guard thanks to ADM Allen. We see ourselves as force and capabilities multipliers, and eagerly look forward to the future missions we will receive in supporting the overall aims of our parent service. ADM Allen is the right man, in the right place, at the right time and with the right tools, in my view. To echo one of the earlier responses, SEMPER PARATUS, to which I would add, NE PLUS ULTRA (none finer). Rich Liebe Posted February 13, 2008 11:07 AM
• As usual, the Coast Guard is not resting on its laurels. It achieved many laurels during Hurricane Katrina for its quick decisive action. While others were debating what should be done, the USCG was alrady out there doing what it does best. Although Admiral Allen has received many laurels he is not resting on them and is moving forward with what is needed to meet the changing times and threats by unifying the Commands & logistics efforts. As a Mustang Lieutenant, I am proud to have been associated with the Coast Guard and the fine individuals with whom I served. I am especially proud of our Admiral Allen and way he is moving the Coast Guard into to the 21st century. SEMPER PARATUS Ken Wingo Posted February 11, 2008 3:28 PM