As with so much else with this new Presidency, the flurry of activity and the barrage of executive orders and high-level firings, creates a kind of fog for those of us on the outside trying to grasp what’s really going on. For boat owners, sailors and cruisers like us, what happens at the U.S. Coast Guard means a lot. I also think we want to be able to talk to our representatives in Congress to offer our thoughts and opinions. But so far, we only have a vague idea of what changes are in the works.
The summary firing of Commandant Linda Fagan, the first woman to hold that position, signaled that changes were coming, particularly in the culture of the guard, a culture that has been beset with a slew of sexual assault allegations at the Academy on one hand and a chronic deficit in shipbuilding and repair on the other. Plus, the service continually misses its recruitment targets. The long and short of it most likely will be a pivot back to the enforcement and war fighting cores of the service’s mission. That’s a recurrent theme in the Defense Department.
The administration has already made it clear, but not in writing as far as we can find, that the USCG will be repurposed to interdict both drugs and immigrants coming to the U.S. Given the ships and manpower required for these missions, there will have to be some downsizing of other missions. And, with the civilian workforces attached to the service being winnowed, overall capabilities will no doubt be reduced.
The question is, what once-thought-essential services of the Guard will be affected? It could be non-war fighting missions like Search & Rescue, fisheries patrols, shipping regulation, buoy and channel maintenance? Who knows? But in a time of great change, those of us who care about the Coast Guard and all the good it does for American mariners, we should, like good citizens, pay attention and stand up for the men and women in the red-white and blue uniforms.
If you have thoughts on the Coast Guard’s future and would like to share them civilly, no matter your political persuasion, email me at: george@bwsailing.com
