Department of Homeland Security 

Office of Inspector General 

Annual Review of the United States 
 

Coast Guard’s Mission Performance 
 

(FY 2010) 
 

OIG-11-111 September 2011 
11

Office of Inspector General 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, DC 20528 

SEPT�26�20

Preface 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) was 

established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296) by amendment 

to the Inspector General Act of 1978. This is one of a series of audit, inspection, and 

special reports prepared as part of our oversight responsibilities to promote economy, 

efficiency, and effectiveness within the Department. 

This report addresses the strengths and weaknesses of the United States Coast Guard’s 

mission performance, as required by the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It is based on 

interviews with employees and officials of relevant agencies and institutions and a review 

of applicable documents. 

We trust this report will result in more effective, efficient, and economical operations. 

We express our appreciation to all of those who contributed to the preparation of this 

report. 

Anne L. Richards 

Assistant Inspector General for Audits 
 
Table of Contents/Abbreviations 
 

Executive Summary.............................................................................................................1 
 

Background..........................................................................................................................2 
 

Results of Review ................................................................................................................3 
 

Resource Hours for Non-Homeland Security and Homeland Security Missions ..........3 
 

Coast Guard’s Mission Performance .............................................................................6 
 

FY 2011 Budget Information.........................................................................................8 
 

Management Comments and OIG Analysis ..................................................................9 
 

Appendices 

Appendix A: Purpose, Scope, and Methodology.......................................................10 
 

Appendix B: Management Comments to the Draft Report .......................................12 
 

Appendix C: Non-Homeland Security Missions .......................................................13 
 

Appendix D: Homeland Security Missions ...............................................................23 
 

Appendix E: FY 2010 Performance Measure Summary...........................................30 
 

Appendix F: Major Contributors to this Report ........................................................31 
 

Appendix G: Report Distribution ..............................................................................32 
 

Abbreviations 

DHS Department of Homeland Security 
 

FY fiscal year 
 

GAO Government Accountability Office 
 

OIG Office of Inspector General 
 
OIG
 


Department of Homeland Security 

Office of Inspector General 

Executive Summary 

This report presents our annual review of the United States Coast 

Guard’s mission performance, as required by the Homeland 

Security Act of 2002. To address the Act’s requirements, we 

reviewed the Coast Guard’s performance measures and results for 

each non-homeland security and homeland security mission, as 

well as resource hours used to perform the various missions from 

fiscal years 2001 through 2010. We did not verify the accuracy of 

the Coast Guard-provided data. 

Coast Guard data show that in fiscal year 2010, the Coast Guard 

dedicated about the same number of resource hours to both nonhomeland security and homeland security missions. However, this 

parity was not by design but rather due to several major events, 

including the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico 

and Haiti earthquake relief efforts. In addition, the total number of 

resource hours available for all missions has been declining since 

fiscal year 2005. This is attributable, in part, to aging cutters and 

aircraft and increased support functions, such as training. 

The Coast Guard performance measurement information indicates 

that it met more non-homeland security mission performance 

measures than homeland security mission performance measures. 

The Coast Guard’s budget information for fiscal year 2011 and 

projections for fiscal year 2012 show a slight increase in homeland 

security mission spending and a slight decrease in non-homeland 

security mission spending from fiscal year 2010. 

This report contains no recommendations. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 1 
 

Background 

Section 888 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law 

107-296, dated November 25, 2002, directs the Inspector General 

to conduct an annual review that assesses the performance of all 

the Coast Guard missions, with a particular emphasis on nonhomeland security missions. This section also defines the Coast 

Guard’s 11 statutory missions as either non-homeland security 

missions or homeland security missions, as follows: 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Marine Safety 

Search and Rescue 

Aids-to-Navigation 

Living Marine Resources 

Marine Environmental Protection 

Ice Operations 

Homeland Security Missions 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security 

Drug Interdiction 

Migrant Interdiction 

Defense Readiness 

Other Law Enforcement 

In addition, Section 888 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 

prohibits the Secretary from substantially or significantly 

reducing any of the Coast Guard’s missions or its capability to 

perform those missions, subsequent to the transfer of the Coast 

Guard to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

The Coast Guard uses resource hours—generally, the number of 

flight hours (for aircraft) and underway hours (for boats and 

cutters) used to carry out a specific mission—to determine the 

amount of time expended on each of its non-homeland security 

and homeland security missions. During our review, we obtained 

data on the total number of resource hours reported by the Coast 

Guard from a baseline of pre-September 11, 2001 data, through 

fiscal year (FY) 2010. The Coast Guard–calculated baseline is an 

annual average of resource hours based on eight FY quarters 

preceding September 11, 2001. We did not verify the resource 

hour data reported by the Coast Guard, nor did we validate 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 2 
whether the Coast Guard accurately classified resource hours used 

for each mission. We assessed total resource hours for the 11 

individual missions in order to identify the changes in each. 

Results of Review 

Although we did not verify the accuracy of the Coast Guard data, the data 

showed that FY 2010 was the first year that the Coast Guard dedicated about the 

same number of resource hours to non-homeland security missions as to 

homeland security missions. This increase in non-homeland security mission 

resource hours resulted from several major events, including the Deepwater 

Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and Haiti earthquake relief efforts. 

During the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Coast Guard deployed more than 

7,000 personnel, 46 cutters and boats, and 22 aircraft. The Coast Guard also 

deployed more than 890 personnel, 43 cutters, and 27 aircraft to Haiti earthquake 

relief efforts. These events diverted resources from various other homeland and 

non-homeland missions such as Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security; Drug 

Interdiction; Aids to Navigation; and Marine Safety. In addition, the total 

number of resource hours for all missions has been on a steady decline since FY 

2005, partially attributable to aging cutters and aircraft and additional support 

functions, such as training. 

In FY 2010, resource hours dedicated to non-homeland security and homeland 

security missions were nearly the same (352,517 and 357,320, respectively). 

The Coast Guard performance measurement information indicates that it met 

more non-homeland security mission performance measures (7 of 10) than 

homeland security measures (2 of 5). The Coast Guard’s budget information for 

FY 2011 and projections for FY 2012 show a slight increase in homeland 

security mission spending and a slight decrease in non-homeland security 

mission spending. 

Resource Hours for Non-Homeland Security and Homeland 

Security Missions 

Since 2005, the Coast Guard has dedicated the majority of resource hours to 

homeland security missions, except in FY 2010, as illustrated in the 

following chart. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 3 
The Coast Guard data also show that the gap between resource hours for 

homeland security versus non-homeland security missions has narrowed 

from a 14% difference in FY 2005 (57% of resource hours used for 

homeland security missions versus 43% for non-homeland security 

missions) to virtually no gap in FY 2010. However, the increase in nonhomeland security mission resource hours for FY 2010 is mainly 

attributable to the increased resources the Coast Guard dedicated to 

responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and earthquake relief 

efforts in Haiti. 

As illustrated in table 1, the total Coast Guard–reported resource hours, 

composed of the number of flight hours (for aircraft) and underway hours 

(for boats and cutters) used on a specific mission, dropped for the third 

straight year to 709,837 in FY 2010, declining approximately 8% 

compared to 770,716 in FY 2007. Further, the largest percentage of all 

the Coast Guard resource hours was utilized for the Ports, Waterways, 

and Coastal Security mission, accounting for 22.18% of total resource 

hours for FY 2010. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 4 
 

FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

% of % of % of % of 

Total Total Total Total Mission Hours Hours Hours Hours mission mission mission mission 

hours hours hours hours 

Non-Homeland Security 

Search and Rescue 59,999 7.78% 61,321 8.26% 58,607 8.16% 64,273 9.05% 

Marine Safety 49,379 6.41% 45,794 6.17% 52,579 7.32% 58,828 8.29% 

Aids to Navigation 102,088 13.25% 106,638 14.36% 100,904 14.05% 95,268 13.42% 

Ice Operations 10,230 1.33% 11,938 1.61% 8,033 1.12% 11,639 1.64% 

Marine Environmental Protection 2,628 0.34% 3,441 0.46% 2,949 0.41% 29,039 4.09% 

Living Marine Resources 104,293 13.53% 105,769 14.25% 94,178 13.12% 93,470 13.17% 

Subtotal 328,617 42.64% 334,901 45.11% 317,250 44.18% 352,517 49.66% 

Homeland Security 

Illegal Drug Interdiction 75,175 9.75% 75,892 10.22% 80,564 11.22% 67,307 9.48% 

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction 98,899 12.83% 74,918 10.09% 76,100 10.60% 76,848 10.83% 

Other Law Enforcement 9,213 1.20% 8,272 1.11% 6,686 0.93% 8,708 1.23% 

Ports, Waterways, Coastal Security 219,662 28.50% 205,715 27.71% 181,264 25.25% 157,427 22.18% 

Defense Readiness 39,150 5.08% 42,688 5.76% 56,128 7.82% 47,030 6.62% 

Subtotal 442,099 57.36% 407,485 54.89% 400,742 55.82% 357,320 50.34% 

Total 770,716 100.00% 742,386 100.00% 717,992 100.00% 709,837 100.00% 

Table 1. FY 2010 Coast Guard Resource Hours
 


According to Coast Guard officials, this decline in total resource hours is 

attributable, in part, to unavailability of aging cutters and aircraft 

resulting from unscheduled maintenance. There has also been increased 

use of these assets for support functions such as training. Support hours 

for the 11 statutory missions have increased 15% since FY 2007, thereby 

decreasing the total available resource hours for conducting missions. 

The percentages of total resource hours by statutory mission areas are 

illustrated in the following chart. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 5 
Non-homeland security missions are summarized in appendix C, and 

homeland security missions are summarized in appendix D. 

Coast Guard’s Mission Performance 

The Coast Guard reported that it met 9 of 15 performance measures in 

FY 2010—7 of 10 non-homeland security performance measures and 2 of 

5 homeland security performance measures. In FY 2010, the Coast 

Guard utilized 15 performance measures, compared with 24 performance 

measures in FY 2009. Appendix E summarizes the Coast Guard’s FY 

2010 performance measures for its 11 missions. 

As shown in table 2, in FY 2010, the Coast Guard retired two 

performance measures (one non-homeland security and one homeland 

security measure) and no longer publicly reports on eight homeland 

security measures that we reported on in FY 2009. In addition, the 

“Defense Readiness Assessment of all U.S. Coast Guard High Endurance 

Cutters, Patrol Boats, and Port Security Units” performance measure is 

being used in FY 2010 to simplify and consolidate the three Defense 

Readiness performance measures previously reported in FY 2009. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 6 
Retired/ Not 

Mission Measure Publicly 

Reported 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Marine Percentage of oil removed or otherwise mitigated as Environmental compared to the amount of oil released for reported 1 Protection spills of 100 gallons or more 

Homeland Security Missions 

Ports, Waterways, Number of transportation workers identification spot and Coastal 1 checks Security 

Total Non-Homeland Security and Homeland Security Performance 2 Measures Retired 

Homeland Security Missions 

Critical infrastructure required visit rate 1 

Percentage of risk reduction of maritime security 

risk resulting from Coast Guard efforts to prevent a 2 weapon of mass destruction from entering the 

Ports, Waterways, United States via maritime means 

and Coastal Percentage of reduction of maritime security risk 

Security resulting from Coast Guard efforts to prevent a 3 terrorist entering the United States via maritime 

means 

Risk reduction due to consequence management 4 

High-capacity passenger vessel required escort rate 5 

Defense readiness of patrol boats 6 

Defense Readiness 

Defense readiness of port security units 7 

Percentage of time that Coast Guard assets included 

Total Homeland Sec

in the combatant commander operational plans are 8 ready at a status of resources and training systems 

rating of 2 or better 

urity Performance Measures Not Publicly Reported 8 

 

Table 2. Retired or Not Publicly Reported FY 2009 Performance Measures 
 

Total FY 2009 Performance Measures Retired or Not Publicly Reported 10 

The Coast Guard also compared baseline data with its mission execution 

and support activities, in conjunction with DHS, as part of the recent 

DHS Bottom-Up Review.1 As part of this process, the Coast Guard 

identified six logical groupings of like activities within the 11 statutory 

missions, as reflected in table 3. The groupings formed the basis of the 

Coast Guard’s new structure within the overall construct of DHS 

1

 Department of Homeland Security Bottom-Up Review Report (July 2010). The Bottom-Up Review 

provides the results of the department-wide assessment of DHS, to align the Department’s programmatic 

activities and organizational structure with the mission sets and goals identified in the Quadrennial 

Homeland Security Review. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 7 
 

programs as outlined in DHS’ Future Year Homeland Security Program. 

These six programs, implemented through execution of the Coast Guard’s 

11 statutory missions, are critical to the Coast Guard achieving specific 

Quadrennial Homeland Security Review goals and objectives, and 

advancing national priorities that together define the six DHS missions. 

Table 3. Coast Guard Statutory Missions Grouping with DHS Programs 

DHS Programs Statutory Missions 

Maritime Security 

Operations 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal 

Security – Operational Activities 

Maritime Law 

Enforcement 

Drug Interdiction 

Migrant Interdiction 

Living Marine Resources 

Other Law Enforcement 

Maritime Prevention 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal 

Security – Prevention Activities 

Marine Safety 

Marine Environmental Protection 

– Prevention Activities 

Maritime Response 

Search and Rescue 

Marine Environmental Protection 

– Response Activities 

Defense Operations Defense Readiness 

Marine Transportation 

System Management 

Aids to Navigation 

Ice Operations 

The performance measures and results for non-homeland security 

missions and homeland security missions are included in appendices C 

and D, respectively. 

FY 2011 Budget Information 

During FY 2011, the Coast Guard expects the gap to remain narrow 

between non-homeland security missions and homeland security missions 

by expending 48.2 % of its budget on non-homeland security missions 

and 51.8% on homeland security missions. The Coast Guard reported 

that the FY 2011 continuing resolution funding level corresponds to the 

FY 2010 enacted level. The largest percentage, about 21%, of the Coast 

Guard resources will continue to be dedicated to its Ports, Waterways, 

and Coastal Security mission in FY 2011 and FY 2012. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 8 
Management Comments and OIG Analysis 

The Coast Guard agreed with the OIG’s analysis of its mission 

performance for FY 2010. We include the formal reply from the 

Assistant Commandant for Resources and Chief Financial Officer for the 

Coast Guard in appendix B. 

The Coast Guard provided technical comments on our draft report, and 

we addressed them, as appropriate, throughout the report. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 9 
 

 

Appendix A 

Purpose, Scope, and Methodology 

Section 888(f)(1) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 directs the 

Inspector General to conduct an annual assessment of the Coast 

Guard’s performance of all its missions, with a particular emphasis 

on non-homeland security missions. The objective of this review 

was to determine the extent to which the Coast Guard is 

maintaining its historical level of effort on non-homeland security 

missions. 

We reviewed the following Government Accountability Office 

(GAO) reports and testimonies: 

Coast Guard Observations on Acquisition Management 

and Efforts to Reassess the Deepwater Program 

(GAO-11-535T) April 13, 2011 

Quadrennial Homeland Security Review: 2010 Reports 

Addressed Many Required Elements, but Budget Planning 

Not Yet Completed (GAO-11-153R) December 16, 2010 

Coast Guard Observations on the Requested Fiscal Year 

2011 Budget, Past Performance, and Current Challenges 

(GAO-10-411T) February 25, 2010 

Coast Guard Observations on the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget 

and Related Performance and Management Challenges 

(GAO-09-810T) July 7, 2009 

Coast Guard Observations on the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget, 

Recent Performance, and Related Challenges 

(GAO-08-494T) March 6, 2008 

We analyzed the total number of resource hours reported by the 

Coast Guard prior to September 11, 2001, through FY 2010. We 

did not attempt to verify the resource hour data, nor did we attempt 

to validate whether the Coast Guard had accurately categorized 

such data. We assessed total resource hours for the Coast Guard’s 

11 individual missions to identify the changes in each. 

We analyzed performance measures and targets to determine 

whether the measures for each of the Coast Guard’s missions had 

been accomplished. We obtained information on performance 

from the Department of Homeland Security Annual Performance 

Report, Fiscal Years 2010–2012 and the unpublished United States 

Coast Guard Annual Performance Report for 2010. In addition, 

we reviewed our Annual Review of the United States Coast 

Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2009), dated August 2010, for 

performance measure data prior to FY 2010. We obtained target 

projections from the FY 2011 and FY 2012 President’s Budget 

Request Strategic Context Congressional Submission for the Coast 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 


Page 10 

Appendix A 

Purpose, Scope, and Methodology 

Guard. We also obtained budget information from the 

Department’s FY 2011 and FY 2012 Budget-in-Brief. We held 

discussions with Coast Guard officials to obtain information on 

why the Coast Guard did not meet its performance targets for 

certain missions. 

We conducted our review between March and July 2011 under the 

authority of the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, and 

according to the Quality Standards for Inspections, issued by the 

Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. We 

relied on data provided by the Coast Guard and did not verify that 

data against original documentation. 

We would like to extend our appreciation for the cooperation and 

courtesies extended by the Coast Guard to our staff during the 

review. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 11 
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Appendix B 

Management Comments to the Draft Report 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010)
 


Page 12
 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

The FY 2010 non-homeland security mission resource hours 

totaled 352,517 and were up 11.12% from FY 2009. The 

following graph illustrates the trend in non-homeland security 

mission resource hours since 2005 compared with the baseline 

period. 

In FY 2010, the Coast Guard met 7 of 10 performance measures 

for its six non-homeland security missions, compared with meeting 

8 of 11 performance measures in FY 2009. The resource hours 

and performance measures and results for each non-homeland 

security mission are summarized below. 

Search and Rescue 

Minimizing the loss of life, personal injury, and property damage 

or loss by rendering aid to persons in distress and property in the 

maritime environment has always been a Coast Guard priority. 

Resource Hours. Search and Rescue is a demand-driven mission. 

Requirements for search and rescue services increase or decrease 

relative to the number of people at sea and their need for Coast 

Guard assistance. Resource hours in FY 2010 increased 

approximately 9.7% over FY 2009. The following chart shows the 

number of resource hours the Coast Guard used for the Search and 

Rescue mission from the baseline period through FY 2010. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 


Page 13 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Performance Measures and Results. The one performance 

measure related to Search and Rescue was not met in FY 2010. 

This measure was used for the first time in FY 2009, but the Coast 

Guard also provided data from 2005. However, in FY 2011 the 

Coast Guard changed this performance target to saving 100% of 

people in imminent danger in the maritime environment. Coast 

Guard officials noted that this performance goal is not 

operationally attainable. 

Search and Rescue 

Performance Measure – Percent of people in imminent danger 

saved in the maritime environment 

FY FY FY FY FY FY 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A 76.0% 76.0% 76.0% 

Actual N/A N/A N/A 76.8% 77.3% 74.4% 

Result Met Met 

X 

Not 

Met 

Aids-to-Navigation 

The Aids-to-Navigation mission is a means for the Coast Guard to 

mark the waters of the United States and its territories to assist 

boaters in navigation and alert them to obstructions and hazards. 

This includes buoys, lighting, marking, and systems to monitor and 

coordinate vessel traffic. 

Resource Hours. The chart below shows that FY 2010 resource 

hours decreased about 5.6% from FY 2009. This is about a 15% 

decrease from the baseline level. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 14 
 

Aids-to-Navigation 

Performance Measure – Average number of navigational accidents 

FY FY FY FY FY FY 

 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Target ≤1,831 ≤1,748 ≤1,664 

Actual 1,877 1,816 1,823 

≤1756 ≤1,871 ≤1,858 

1,857 1,878 1,878 

X X X X X X 

Result Not Not Not Not Not Not 

Met Met Met Met Met Met 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Performance Measures and Results. In FY 2010, there were two 

performance measures related to Aids-to-Navigation. One 

measure was met and one was not met. The wording in both 

measures was simplified, but they are calculated the same as in 

prior years. Specifically, the first measure (average number of 

navigational accidents) was previously reported as the “5-year 

average number of collisions, allisions, and groundings.” 

Collisions refer to involuntary contact between vessels underway, 

whereas allisions refer to involuntary contact between a vessel 

underway and an immobile object such as a bridge. 

The Coast Guard’s Marine Transportation System Management 

program oversees this performance measure and has undertaken 

initiatives to reduce the risk of collisions, allisions, and 

groundings. The Coast Guard’s efforts include improvements in 

bridge clearances to prevent disruptions to marine and surface 

transportation; navigation safety risk assessments to identify 

factors that influence collisions, allisions, and groundings; and 

contingency planning for marine transportation during extreme 

conditions. Even though the average number of navigational 

accidents was not met, the Coast Guard’s performance was within 

1% of its FY 2010 target. 

Note: The symbol ≤ indicates less than or equal to.
 


Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 15 
 

 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

The second measure, “Availability of maritime navigational aids,” 

was previously reported as “Federal short-range aids to navigation 

availability.” According to the Coast Guard, the availability of 

maritime navigation aids increased slightly, to 98.5%. This 

exceeded the FY 2010 and FY 2011 targets of 97.5%. This was 

accomplished even though 12 buoy tenders, or 40% of the fleet, 

assisted with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 

Aids-to-Navigation 

Performance Measure – Availability of maritime navigation aids 

FY FY FY FY FY FY 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A 97.5% 97.5% 97.5% 

Actual N/A N/A N/A 98.3% 98.0% 98.5% 

Result Met Met Met 

Ice Operations 

This mission encompasses icebreaking activities in the Great 

Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and Northeast.2 These activities 

provide for the safe and efficient transportation of domestic and 

international maritime vessels. 

Resource Hours. In FY 2010, resource hours increased by 

approximately 44.9% from FY 2009, which brings it only slightly 

lower than the baseline level. Fluctuations in resource hours are 

not unusual, since this mission is dependent on ice accumulation, 

which varies on an annual basis. 

2

 In addition to domestic ice operations, the Coast Guard operates the only U.S.-controlled icebreakers 

capable of operations in the polar regions. The Coast Guard operates these cutters; however, budget 

authority for their operation and maintenance is held by the National Science Foundation and transferred to 

the Coast Guard. Resource hours for polar operations are included in the chart; however, only Coast 

Guard–directed domestic ice operations performance targets are measured. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 16 
Ice Operations 

Performance Measure – Number of days critical waterways

 are closed to commerce due to ice 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

2 avg. 2 avg. 2 avg. 2 avg. 2 avg. 2 avg. 

Target and 8 and 8 and 8 and 8 and 8 and 8 

severe severe severe severe severe severe 

Actual 0 0 0 0 0 6 

Result Met Met Met Met Met 

X 

Not Met 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Performance Measures and Results. There was one 

performance measure related to Ice Operations in FY 2010, and it 

was not met. The Coast Guard met its performance target in all 

waterways it is responsible for except for one waterway that 

connects to the Great Lakes—the St. Claire River. The St. Claire 

River was closed for 6 days due to ice conditions, as opposed to 

the 2-day target for an average winter. This measure was reworded 

for clarity, but it is calculated the same as in prior years. 

Specifically, this measure was previously reported as “Number of 

days critical waterways are closed due to ice.” 

Living Marine Resources 

This program’s mission is to provide effective and professional atsea enforcement of federal fisheries regulations and other 

regulations to advance national goals for the conservation and 

management of living marine resources and their environments. 

Resource Hours. FY 2010 resource hours remained about the 

same, decreasing only .75% from FY 2009, but were higher than 

the baseline by 2.4%. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 17 
 

 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Performance Measures and Results. There was one 

performance measure related to Living Marine Resources in 

FY 2010, and it was met. The FY 2010 fishing regulation 

compliance rate increased slightly from FY 2009, from 96.8% to 

97.2%. Also, the 2011 performance target decreased to 96% 

compliance from 97% in FY 2010. The wording of this measure 

was simplified, but it is calculated the same as in prior years. It 

was previously reported as “Percentage of the Coast Guard 

boardings at sea in which no significant violations are detected 

when domestic fisheries regulations apply.” 

Living Marine Resources 

Performance Measure – Fishing regulations compliance rate 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

Target 97% 97% 97% 97% 97% 97% 

Actual 96.4% 96.6% 96.2% 95.3% 96.8% 97.2% 

Result X X X X X 

Not Met Not Met Not Met Not Met Not Met Met

Marine Safety 

The Marine Safety Program ensures the safe operation and 

navigation of United States and foreign-flagged vessels. The Coast 

Guard is responsible for providing safe, efficient, and 

environmentally sound waterways for commercial and recreational 

users. Domestic vessel inspections and port state control (foreign 

vessel) examinations are conducted in order to safeguard maritime 

commerce and international trade. 

Resource Hours. The Coast Guard did not report hours for this 

mission prior to 2005. FY 2010 resource hours for Marine Safety 

increased by approximately 11.9% from FY 2009. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 18 
 

 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Performance Measures and Results. There were three 

performance measures related to Marine Safety in FY 2010, and all 

measures were met. 

Marine Safety 

Performance Measure – Five-year average number of commercial 

mariner deaths and injuries 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A <501 <529 <520 

Actual N/A N/A N/A 496 495 454 

Result Met Met Met 

According to the Coast Guard, the 5-year average number of 

commercial mariner deaths and injuries declined by about 8.3% 

from the revised average of 495 in FY 2009. Also, the number of 

deaths and injuries reported in FY 2010 was 311, or about 31.5% 

fewer than average. This performance is better than the FY 2011 

target of fewer than or equal to 475 deaths and injuries. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 19 
Marine Safety 

Performance Measure – Five-year average number of 

commercial passenger deaths and injuries 

 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A <225 <251 <248 

Actual N/A N/A N/A 252 238 238 

X Result Not Met Met Met 

Marine Safety 

Performance Measure – Five-year average number of 

recreational boating deaths and injuries 

FY FY FY FY FY FY 

 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A <4,252 <4,248 <4,184 

Actual N/A N/A N/A 4,147 4,150 3,959 

Result Met Met Met 

 

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

While the 5-year average number of commercial passenger deaths 

and injuries did not change from the revised average of 238 in 

FY 2009, the actual number of deaths and injuries reported in 

FY 2010 was 188, or about 21% fewer than average. 

The 5-year average number of recreational boating deaths and 

injuries declined by nearly 4.6% from the revised average of 4,150 

in FY 2009. While the 5-year average was 3,959, the actual 

number of deaths and injuries reported in FY 2010 was 3,162, or 

about 20% fewer than average. 

Marine Environmental Protection 

The Marine Environmental Protection Program falls under the 

Coast Guard’s stewardship role and is concerned with averting the 

introduction of invasive species, stopping unauthorized ocean 

dumping, and preventing the discharge of oil or hazardous 

substances into the navigable waters of the United States. 

Resource Hours. In FY 2010, resource hours increased by about 

900% from FY 2009. This increase is attributable to the 

Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf Coast area. The Coast 

Guard did not report resource hours for this mission prior to 

FY 2005. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 20 
 

X

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Performance Measures and Results. There were two 

performance measures related to Marine Environmental Protection 

in FY 2010, and both were met. The wording for both measures 

was simplified, but they are calculated the same as in prior years. 

The first measure (average number of chemical discharge incidents 

in the maritime environment) was previously reported as the “5­

year average chemical discharge incidents per 100 million short 

tons shipped.” According to the Coast Guard, the average number 

of chemical discharge incidents in the maritime environment was 

16.9 and met the target of being less than or equal to 22.8. This 

performance is better than the FY 2011 target of fewer than or 

equal to 22 chemical discharges. 

Marine Environmental Protection 

Performance Measure – Average number of chemical discharge 

incidents in the maritime environment 

FY FY FY FY FY FY 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A <26.6 <25.9 <22.8 

Actual N/A N/A N/A 20 18.2 16.9 

Result Met Met Met 

The second measure (average number of oil spills in the maritime 

environment) was previously reported as the “5-year average oil 

spills > 100 gallons per 100 million short tons shipped.” The 

FY 2010 average number of oil spills in the maritime environment 

declined by about 7.4% from the revised average of 12.1 in 

FY 2009. This performance is 3.5% better than the FY 2011 target 

of fewer than or equal to 11.6 oil spills, which, because it was built 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

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X

Appendix C 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

from a reliable baseline, is still considered an appropriate 

expectation for FY 2011. 

Marine Environmental Protection 

Performance Measure – Average number of oil spills 

in the maritime environment 

FY FY FY FY FY FY 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A <13.5 <13.5 <12.1 

Actual N/A N/A N/A 13.3 12.1 11.2 

Result Met Met Met 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 22 
 

Appendix D 

Homeland Security Missions 

Homeland Security Missions 

For FY 2005 through FY 2010, total resource hours for homeland 

security missions were the highest in FY 2005. Resource hours 

decreased 10.8% from FY 2009 to FY 2010. However, the 

FY 2010 level remains at 92% above baseline levels, as depicted in 

the following graph. 

In FY 2010, the Coast Guard met 2 of 5 performance measures for 

its 5 homeland security missions, as compared with meeting 6 of 

13 homeland security performance measures for FY 2009. 

The resource hours and performance measures and results for 

homeland security mission are summarized below. 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security 

The Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security mission is to prevent 

and protect against maritime security threats, reduce America’s 

vulnerability to those threats, and minimize the adverse 

consequences of maritime security incidents that occur. 

Resource Hours. In FY 2010, resource hours for this mission 

decreased by 13% from FY 2009, primarily because resources 

were diverted to assist with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and 

earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Resource hours for Ports, 

Waterways, and Coastal Security rapidly increased in response to 

the events of September 11, 2001. Of all the Coast Guard 

missions, this one uses the largest percentage (22%) of resource 

hours. Historically, resource hours for this mission have decreased 

by nearly 40% from their high in 2004. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 


Page 23 

 

 

Appendix D 

Homeland Security Missions 

Performance Measures and Results. There is only one 

performance measure in FY 2010 relating to Ports, Waterways, 

and Coastal Security, compared with seven performance measures 

in FY 2009. This measure, “Percentage reduction in maritime 

terrorism risk over which the Coast Guard has influence,” was met. 

According to the Coast Guard, this measure will be retired in 

FY 2011 and will be replaced with a risk-based performance model 

that will more accurately represent its performance. 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security 

Performance Measure – Percentage reduction in maritime terrorism risk 

over which the Coast Guard has influence 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

Target Est. 14% 15% 15% 21% 19% 

Actual 3.40% 17% 15% 20% 31% 28% 

Result N/A Met Met Met Met Met 

Drug Interdiction 

The Coast Guard’s Drug Interdiction mission is key to combating 

the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. The Coast Guard is 

the lead federal agency for maritime drug interdiction and shares 

responsibility for air interdiction with U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection. 

Resource Hours. As shown in the chart below, FY 2010 resource 

hours for the Drug Interdiction mission decreased by 16.5% from 

FY 2009, but are nearly 45% below baseline levels. The FY 2010 

decrease is attributable to assets used for drug interdiction (High 

and Medium Endurance Cutters, marine patrol craft, and 

interdiction helicopters) being diverted to assist with both the 

Deepwater Horizon oil spill and Haiti earthquake relief efforts. 

Additionally, maintenance challenges prevented the High and 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 24 
 

 

 

Appendix D 

Homeland Security Missions 

Medium Endurance Cutter fleet from operating at designed 

capacity, thereby limiting the resource hours dedicated to this 

mission. 

Performance Measures and Results. There was one 

performance measure related to Drug Interdiction for FY 2010, 

“Removal rate for cocaine from noncommercial vessels in a 

maritime transit zone.” The FY 2010 target for this measure was 

changed from 15.7% in FY 2009 to 18.5% in FY 2010, and it was 

not met. The Coast Guard attributes this partly to diversion of 

assets to Haiti earthquake relief efforts and to changing tactics by 

drug traffickers. The Coast Guard also noted that the load size of 

the drug seizures is significantly smaller, thereby impacting the 

results of this performance measure. 

Drug Interdiction 

Performance Measure – Removal rate for cocaine from 

noncommercial vessels in maritime transit zone 

FY FY FY FY FY FY 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A N/A 15.7% 18.5% 

Actual N/A N/A N/A N/A 15.0% 13.5% 

Result X 

Not Met 

X 

Not Met 

According to the Coast Guard, to improve its data, in 2009 it 

transitioned from the Interagency Assessment of Cocaine 

Movement to the Consolidated Counterdrug Database as the best 

source of cocaine movement estimates. The Consolidated 

Counterdrug Database uses quarterly, event-based, all confidence 

assessments, rather than annual production and consumption-based 

estimates used by the Interagency Assessment of Cocaine 

Movement. The Coast Guard has several initiatives underway to 

increase interdiction capability and capacity through its 

recapitalization efforts. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 25 
Appendix D 

Homeland Security Missions 

Additionally, the Coast Guard reports that it will increase the size 

of the Law Enforcement Detachment Program in FY 2011. This 

budget action permitted the Coast Guard to manage its base and 

improve performance. Also, the Coast Guard reports that it 

provides critical force multipliers to counter the transnational drug 

threat by growing domestic partnerships and expanding bilateral 

agreements and international engagement programs. The Coast 

Guard will continue its international engagement through 

development and sustainment of these agreements, as well as the 

deployment of mobile training teams to support partner nation 

capabilities. 

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction 

The Undocumented Migrant Interdiction mission responsibilities 

consist of enforcing immigration laws at sea. To fulfill its 

responsibilities, the Coast Guard conducts patrols and coordinates 

with other federal agencies and foreign countries to interdict 

undocumented migrants at sea, denying them entry via maritime 

routes to the United States, its territories, and its possessions. 

Resource Hours. Resource hours increased by 1% from FY 2009 

to FY 2010, and remained more than 150% above baseline levels. 

Performance Measures and Results. There was one 

performance measure related to Migrant Interdiction for FY 2010, 

and it was not met. According to the Coast Guard, this metric 

combines the efforts of the Coast Guard, other U.S. government 

agencies, and foreign partner maritime forces. The Coast Guard 

generally attributes not meeting this goal to the resource challenges 

facing its foreign partners. Although as a group, this metric was 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 26 
 

 

 

Appendix D 

Homeland Security Missions 

not met, the Coast Guard met its individual internal target of 

interdicting 43% of undocumented migrants. 

Migrant Interdiction 

Performance Measure – Percentage of undocumented migrants who attempt 

to enter the United States via maritime routes that are interdicted 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A 65% 69.9% 73.9% 

Actual N/A N/A 65.2% 62.7% 84.4% 64.5% 

Result X 

Met 

X 

Not Met Not Met

Defense Readiness 

The Defense Readiness mission provides essential capabilities to 

support national security and military strategies. Resource hours 

depict the execution of these defense missions, while the 

performance measures and results measure the Coast Guard’s 

readiness to perform the mission. 

Resource Hours. As shown in the chart below, FY 2010 resource 

hours for Defense Readiness were still above the baseline, 

although resource hours decreased by 16.2% from FY 2009 to FY 

2010. Again, assets were diverted to the Deepwater Horizon oil 

spill and Haiti earthquake rescue operation, thereby limiting the 

number of training exercises and drills that could be carried out to 

be operationally ready. 

Performance Measures and Results. The Coast Guard had one 

performance measurement for Defense Readiness for FY 2010 to 

capture the readiness of all relevant assets. This measure basically 

combines the three performance measures in FY 2009. The 

combined performance measure is the Defense Readiness of all 

U.S. Coast Guard High Endurance Cutters, Patrol Boats, and Port 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 27 
 

 

Appendix D 

Homeland Security Missions 

Security Units, and it was not met. Previously there were three 

measures—one for each asset listed above. This measure gauges 

whether these Coast Guard assets meet the minimum standards 

established in the Status of Resources and Training System, to 

assess deployment readiness for Department of Defense 

operations. 

Defense Readiness 

Performance Measure – Defense readiness assessment of all U.S. Coast 

Guard high-endurance cutters, patrol boats, and port security units 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

Target N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 35.9% 

Actual N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 24.1% 

Result X 

Not Met 

According to the Coast Guard, it did not meet its target primarily 

because of an overall decline in the readiness of its High 

Endurance Cutter fleet. This issue is being addressed by the Coast 

Guard’s acquisition of the National Security Cutter. A second 

National Security Cutter was commissioned in May and a third 

was christened in July 2010. 

Other Law Enforcement 

Other Law Enforcement is responsible for preventing illegal 

foreign fishing vessel encroachment in the United States Exclusive 

Economic Zone.3 The Coast Guard focuses on three high-threat 

areas for illegal foreign incursions: the United States–Mexican 

border in the Gulf of Mexico, the United States–Russian Maritime 

Boundary Line in the Bering Sea, and the eight noncontiguous 

Exclusive Economic Zones in the Western/Central Pacific. 

Resource Hours. As shown in the chart below, the resource hours 

for the Other Law Enforcement mission were above baseline in 

FY 2007, FY 2008, and FY 2010. Resource hours increased 

30.2% in FY 2010 from FY 2009. This increase is magnified since 

it follows FY 2009, which dropped 19.2% from FY 2008. 

FY 2010 resource hours represent 1.23% of total mission hours. 

3

 An Exclusive Economic Zone generally extends to a distance of 200 nautical miles (370 km) out from its 

coast. Within the Exclusive Economic Zone, the coastal state has sovereign rights for the purpose of 

exploring, exploiting, conserving, and managing natural resources, both living and nonliving, of the seabed, 

subsoil, and the subjacent waters; and with regard to other activities, for the economic exploitation and 

exploration of the zone. The United States has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world, 

encompassing more than 2.25 million square miles and 90,000 miles of coastline. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

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Appendix D 

Homeland Security Missions 

This level is consistent with FY 2007 and FY 2008 percentages of 

1.20% and 1.11%, respectively. 

Performance Measures and Results. There was one 

performance measure related to Other Law Enforcement for 

FY 2010, and it was met. The wording for this measure was 

simplified, but it is calculated the same as in prior years. The 

FY 2010 measure was changed to Number of Detected Incursions 

of Foreign Fishing Vessels Violating U.S. Waters. The previous 

performance measure was reported as “Number of incursions into 

U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.” 

Other Law Enforcement 

Performance Measure – Number of detected incursions 

of foreign fishing vessels violating U.S. waters 

FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 

Target <200 <199 <199 <195 <195 <180 

Actual 171 164 119 81 112 82 

Result Met Met Met Met Met Met 

Based on historical data, anticipated increased success in detecting 

United States Exclusive Economic Zone incursions along the 

United States–Mexico maritime border in the Gulf of Mexico, and 

an anticipated increase in illegal encroachments into the Exclusive 

Economic Zone, the program plans to maintain its FY 2010 target 

of fewer than 180 incursions in FY 2011 as an aggressive but 

achievable target. 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010) 

Page 29 
Appendix E 

FY 2010 Performance Measure Summary 

Summary of Coast Guard Performance Measures in FY 2010 

Not 

Mission Measure Measure Met Met 

Non-Homeland Security Missions 

Search and Rescue Percentage of People in Imminent Danger 

Saved in the Maritime Environment 1 x 

Aids-to-Navigation 

Availability of Maritime Navigation Aids 2 

Average Number of Navigational 

Accidents 3 

x 

x 

Ice Operations Number of Days Critical Waterways Are 

Closed to Commerce Due to Ice 4 x 

Living Marine 

Resources Fishing Regulation Compliance Rate 5 x 

Marine Safety 

5-Yr Average Number of Commercial 

Mariner Deaths and Injuries 6 

5-Yr Average Number of Commercial 

Passenger Deaths and Injuries 7 

5-Yr Average Number of Recreational 

Boating Deaths and Injuries 8 

x 

x 

x 

Marine 

Environmental 

Protection 

Average Number of Chemical Discharge 

Incidents in the Maritime Environment 9 

Average Number of Oil Spills in the 

Maritime Environment 10 

x 

x 

Total Non-Homeland Security Performance Measures 10 7 3 

Homeland Security Missions 

Ports, Waterways, 

and Coastal Security 

Percentage Reduction in Maritime 

Terrorism Risk Over Which Coast Guard 

Has Influence 

1 x 

Drug Interdiction 

Removal Rate for Cocaine from Noncommercial Vessels in Maritime Transit 

Zone 

2 x 

Migrant Interdiction 

Percentage of Undocumented Migrants 

Who Attempt to Enter the United States 

Via Maritime Routes That Are 

Interdicted 

3 x 

Defense Readiness 

Defense Readiness Assessment of all 

U.S. Coast Guard High-Endurance 

Cutters, Patrol Boats, and Port Security 

Units 

4 x 

Other Law 

Enforcement 

Number of Detected Incursions of 

Foreign Fishing Vessels Violating U.S. 

Waters 

5 x 

Total Homeland Security Performance Measures 5 2 3 

Total Coast Guard Performance Measures 15 9 6 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010)
 


Page 30
 
Appendix F 

Major Contributors to this Report 

Brooke Bebow, Director 

Sam Bellino, Audit Manager 

Hortencia Francis, Program Analyst 

Kevin Donahue, Auditor 

Tammy Johnson, Management Analyst 

Gwendolyn Priestman, Referencer 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010)
 


Page 31
 

 

 

Appendix G 

Report Distribution 

Department of Homeland Security 

Secretary 

Deputy Secretary 

Chief of Staff 

Deputy Chief of Staff 

General Counsel 

Executive Secretariat 

Director, GAO/OIG Liaison Office 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Policy 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Public Affairs 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Legislative Affairs 

United States Coast Guard Audit Liaison 

Office of Management and Budget 

Chief, Homeland Security Branch 

DHS OIG Budget Examiner 

Congress 

Congressional Oversight and Appropriations Committees, as 

appropriate 

Annual Review of the United States Coast Guard’s Mission Performance (FY 2010)
 


Page 32
 

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