May 2009

U.S. COAST GUARD

Posture Statement

With 2010 Budget in Brief
Safety, Security, and Stewardship.
I am pleased to present the United States Coast Guard’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Posture Statement. The Coast Guard 

has proudly served America for over 200 years, and I am committed to ensuring we are prepared to answer the call 

in the years and decades ahead. The Posture Statement provides my strategic assessment of factors influencing 

Coast Guard operations, partnerships, and performance, as well as critical priorities for FY 2010. We are entering an 

important new era in American history and it is an exciting time to serve or partner with the Coast Guard.

Our Service has continuously evolved since 1790 when Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander 

Hamilton, to build a fleet of 10 cutters. Our commitment to the Coast Guard values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion 

to Duty has remained constant throughout our dynamic history. Our Guardian Ethos—protecting and defending the 

American public—is deeply rooted in these core values and provides a contract with the people we serve. The Coast 

Guard offers a tremendous value proposition to the Department of Homeland Security and the Nation through its 

unique position as an Armed Service, a law enforcement and regulatory agency, a Federal first responder, and a member 

of the National Intelligence Community. We are a global leader as a military, multi-mission, maritime organization.

The Coast Guard employs an adaptive and responsive operating model in the ports, the heartland, and at sea. It is 

an efficient model capable of applying geographically-based resources to highest order needs. To be successful, the 

Coast Guard must be responsive to changing factors in the strategic environment including, but not limited to, trade, 

terrorism, climate, the environment, tourism, and international relations. Integrating these factors into our strategic 

planning is an important step toward meeting our mission goals. For the first time, the FY 2010 Posture Statement 

articulates major trends impacting the geostrategic environment in which the Coast Guard operates. This discussion 

includes my personal observations and assessments, as well as those of our field commanders.

The Coast Guard sources to strategy. We synchronize budget and legislative priorities with reinvestment opportunities 

and resources across the entire spectrum of our authorities, competencies, capabilities, and partnerships. This 

coordinated undertaking enables the Coast Guard to execute missions that minimize risk in the maritime domain 

with precision and efficacy. Our FY 2010 critical funding priorities include recapitalizing and sustaining our aging 

infrastructure; enhancing maritime safety and security; modernizing business practices; and optimizing workforce 

capacity. I am committed to working with Congress to modernize our organizational structure, carry out our Marine 

Safety Performance Plan, protect U.S. waters from hazardous materials and aquatic nuisance species, and fortify our 

authority to protect seafarers abandoned in the United States.

Make no mistake—the backbone of our Service is the brave men and women who answer the noble call to defend the 

economic, security, and environmental interests of the United States. As “America’s Maritime Guardians,” we constantly 

train and hone our maritime safety, security, and stewardship skills to protect and rescue people caught in precarious 

circumstances or high-risk environments. 

I invite you to visit my website, www.uscg.mil/comdt, to learn more about our unique Service, our 2008 performance 

record, and my commitment to ensure America’s Maritime Guardians have the right resources, authorities, and 

organizational structure to remain “Semper Paratus” for all threats and all hazards—nationwide and worldwide.

THAD W. ALLEN

Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard

THE COMMANDANT OF THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20593-0001

Executive Summary

With more than 218 years of service to the Nation, the Coast Guard is a military, multimission, maritime organization that promotes safety and safeguards U.S. economic and 

security interests throughout the maritime environment. As one of the five Armed Services 

of the United States, it is the only military organization within the Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS). 

The Coast Guard employs an adaptive and responsive operating model throughout the Nation 

and the world to balance maritime risk. Coast Guard field commanders continually identify 

and reassess external trends in the geostrategic environment and allocate geographicallybased resources to remain responsive to the needs of the public and its partners. 

The FY 2010 Posture Statement articulates major trends and characteristics that affect the 

Coast Guard’s geostrategic environment. This discussion, found in Section II, is informed 

directly by field commanders who make risk-based decisions every day to ensure resources 

are allocated to highest order needs. This discussion also provides insight into an array of 

issues that can be studied further to advance objectives of homeland security policy, marine 

transportation and safety, and counterterrorism. 

The Coast Guard uses its versatile military, law enforcement, and regulatory authorities to 

manage risks in the maritime environment. Coast Guard modernization will improve mission 

execution through the standardization and alignment of business processes within the Coast 

Guard and integration of these processes with DHS systems. 

In FY 2010, the Coast Guard will continue to build capacity and capability by:

• Recapitalizing Operating Assets and Sustaining Infrastructure;

• Enhancing Maritime Safety and Security;

• Modernizing Business Practices; and

• Optimizing Workforce Capacity.

The men and women of the United States Coast Guard delivered record national results in 

2008. Living the Guardian Ethos, they saved over 4,000 lives, rescued hundreds of residents 

during the Midwest floods and Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, removed a record 167 metric tons 

of cocaine headed to the United States, and interdicted nearly 5,000 undocumented migrants 

on the high seas. Coast Guard men and women perform with courage, sacrifice, and dignity 

every day. The Coast Guard is committed to ensuring they use their resources and authorities 

to remain “Semper Paratus” now and into the future. 

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 5

Contents

Letter of Promulgation ....................................................................................................... 3

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................... 5

SECTION I: ROLES AND MISSIONS .................................................................................. 9

The Value of a Military, Multi-Mission, Maritime Service .................................................................. 10

Coast Guard Missions ........................................................................................................................ 12

SECTION II: GEOSTRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT .............................................................. 17

Northeast .............................................................................................................................................. 18

Southeast ............................................................................................................................................. 18

Gulf Coast ............................................................................................................................................ 19

Western Rivers ..................................................................................................................................... 20

Great Lakes .......................................................................................................................................... 20

Northwest ............................................................................................................................................. 21

Southwest ............................................................................................................................................ 22

Pacifi c Rim and Asia ........................................................................................................................... 23

Europe, the Middle East, and Africa .................................................................................................. 24

Polar Regions ...................................................................................................................................... 25

SECTION III: COAST GUARD MODERNIZATION ........................................................... 31

Legacy Business Practices ................................................................................................................ 32

Workforce Capabilities ........................................................................................................................ 33

Recapitalizing Assets .......................................................................................................................... 34

SECTION IV: STRATEGIC PRIORITIES ........................................................................... 41

Recapitalize Operating Assets and Sustain Infrastructure ............................................................. 41

Enhance Maritime Safety and Security.............................................................................................. 41

Modernize Business Practices ........................................................................................................... 42

Optimize Workforce Capacity ............................................................................................................ 43

BUDGET IN BRIEF ............................................................................................................ 45

Fiscal Year 2010 Initiatives ................................................................................................................. 46

Fiscal Year 2010 Reinvestments ........................................................................................................ 47

Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriation Summary ........................................................................................ 47

Appropriation Details ......................................................................................................................... 49

Photo contest credits can be found on page 58.

Roles and Missions

Section I

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 9

THE VALUE OF A MILITARY, MULTI-MISSION, MARITIME SERVICE ........................................ 10

Broad, Complementary Authorities and an Expansive Network of Partnerships

A Bias for Action and Culture of Response

Flexible, Adaptable Operational Capability and Presence

Access, Expertise, and Experience in the International Community

Member of the Intelligence Community

Coast Guard Missions and Performance

COAST GUARD MISSIONS ........................................................................................................... 12

Search and Rescue

Marine Safety

Marine Environmental Protection 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security

Defense Readiness

Illegal Drug Interdiction

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction

Living Marine Resources Law Enforcement 

Protection of U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone from Foreign Encroachment

(Other Law Enforcement)

Aids to Navigation

Ice Operations
10 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Roles and Missions

THE VALUE OF A 

MILITARY, MULTIMISSION, MARITIME 

SERVICE

With more than 218 years of 

service to the Nation, the Coast 

Guard is a military, multimission, maritime organization 

that promotes safety and 

safeguards U.S. economic and 

security interests throughout 

the maritime environment. As 

one of the five Armed Services 

of the United States, it is the 

only military organization 

within DHS. Unlike its sister 

services in the Department 

of Defense (DOD), the Coast 

Guard is also a law enforcement 

and regulatory agency with 

broad domestic authorities. The 

Coast Guard brings value to the 

public by effectively executing 

11 statutory missions through an adaptive and efficient 

operating model. While each of these 11 missions 

primarily aligns to a single role of safety, security, or 

stewardship, all missions support multiple roles. For 

example, when Coast Guard personnel conduct vessel 

safety inspections, their multi-mission training allows 

them also to observe environmental protection and 

security conditions.

Broad, Complementary Authorities and an Expansive 

Network of Partnerships

The Coast Guard’s safety, security, and stewardship 

authorities are fully integrated, providing a suite of 

capabilities unrivaled in the public sector. Coast Guard 

Captains of the Port throughout the country leverage 

partnerships with Federal, state, local, tribal, and industry 

partners in forums such as Area Maritime Security 

Committees, Harbor Safety Committees, and Area 

Committees. These partnerships advance interagency 

objectives and coordination, and improve unity of 

effort. The Coast Guard also integrates with DHS and 

across the government by providing liaisons to other 

government organizations. These liaisons strengthen 

national networks, inform partners on DHS and Coast 

Guard responsibilities, and bring a diverse perspective to 

major interagency challenges.

The Coast Guard also uniquely 

bridges international gaps 

among foreign Ministries 

of Defense, Interior, and 

Transportation. This bridging 

capability helps to ensure 

the safety, security, and 

efficiency of the global Marine 

Transportation System (MTS) 

and, by extension, it supports 

the health of U.S. economic 

interests.

A Bias for Action and Culture of 

Response

The Coast Guard embraces 

a culture of response and 

action, with all of its personnel 

trained to react to “All Threats, 

All Hazards.” Front-line 

operators are encouraged to 

take action commensurate with 

the risk scenario presented, 

without needing to wait for 

detailed direction from senior leadership. This model 

enables swift and effective response to a wide variety of 

situations. Coast Guard first responders follow National 

Response Framework protocols daily to respond to oil 

spills, terrorist threats, natural disasters, disruptions 

of commerce, and civil disturbances. Active duty 

Coast Guard personnel are required to be trained in 

the National Incident Management System. Many of 

our senior executives have served as, or have been predesignated as, Principal Federal Officials for various types 

of emergencies. Further, Coast Guard response efforts are 

bolstered by strong partnerships at the port and regional 

level with other Federal, state, local, and tribal agencies 

as well as with non-governmental stakeholders. These 

partnerships are critical to the Coast Guard’s success and 

will be strengthened by the development of maritime 

interagency operation centers at select field units. 

Flexible, Adaptable Operational Capability and 

Presence

The Coast Guard provides agile, adaptable, and ready 

operational capabilities to serve the Nation’s maritime 

interests. Throughout the U.S. maritime domain, the 

Coast Guard provides a recognized maritime presence in 

carrying out its safety, security, and stewardship roles. It 

 At a Glance 

Senior Leadership:

Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant

Vice Admiral Vivien Crea, Vice Commandant

Established: 1790 (as the Revenue Cutter Service; 

named Coast Guard in 1915)

Major Missions: Search and Rescue; Marine Safety;

Aids to Navigation; Ice Operations; Marine 

Environmental Protection; Living Marine Resources; 

Drug Interdiction; Migrant Interdiction; Other Law 

Enforcement; Ports, Waterways, and Coastal 

Security; and Defense Readiness

FY 2010 Budget Request ......................$9,955,663,000

Gross Discretionary .................................$8,372,749,000

Mandatory, Fees & Trust Funds ..............$1,582,914,000

Personnel:

Civilian Employees ..................................................7,341

Military Service Members ......................................42,613

Military Selected Reserve ........................................8,100

Auxiliary .................................................................28,986
U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 11

Roles and Missions

is also the only DHS organization and Armed Service that 

can operate assets for both law enforcement and military 

purposes within and beyond U.S. territorial limits. This 

presence, supported by a military command, control, 

and communications network, gives the Coast Guard 

both prevention and response capabilities for all threats. 

The Coast Guard can augment forces from the local 

level to a national or international level of involvement, 

regardless of the contingency. In responding to domestic 

disasters and emergencies, the Coast Guard can also 

accept and integrate assistance from DOD and other 

Federal agencies. Moreover, the Coast Guard can flow its 

unique capabilities and authorities to DOD for national 

security contingencies. As both a military service and law 

enforcement agency, the Coast Guard “straddles the seam” 

separating the Federal government’s homeland security 

and homeland defense missions. 

Access, Expertise, and Experience in the International 

Community

The Coast Guard has long fostered U.S. Government 

engagement in international maritime affairs. The 

Service’s military, law enforcement, and humanitarian 

functions are closely integrated. The Coast Guard’s 

structure, capabilities, and missions are consistent 

with many of the world’s navies and coast guards. The 

Service’s broad enforcement and regulatory authorities, 

coupled with its respected record for humanitarian 

assistance, affords access to maritime nations across the 

world. In August 2008, for example, the Coast Guard 

378-foot High Endurance Cutter 

(WHEC) DALLAS distributed 

aid supplies to the Republic of 

Georgia following the South 

Ossetia conflict. The Coast Guard 

maintains international partnerships 

that support all of its statutory 

missions— from North Atlantic 

Coast Guard Forum efforts to 

address fisheries management 

and enforcement, to 27 bilateral 

agreements that support counterdrug efforts, to the Commandant’s 

role as the head of the U.S. 

delegation to the United Nations’ 

International Maritime Organization 

(IMO). These relationships 

allow the Coast Guard to forge 

international partnerships for the 

peaceful use of the maritime domain. 

These activities also buttress our 

Nation’s standing on the global stage, enable America to 

collaborate closely with international maritime partners, 

and influence cooperative maritime solutions to global 

threats and challenges.

Member of the Intelligence Community

As a member of the Intelligence Community (IC) with 

in-house intelligence and law enforcement authorities, the 

Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to provide accurate, 

timely, and fused maritime intelligence to its operational 

commanders and IC partners. The Coast Guard is 

also DHS’ primary support component of the Global 

Maritime and Air Intelligence Integration initiative, as 

outlined in the National Strategy for Maritime Security. 

The Coast Guard maintains a robust Counterintelligence 

Service and offers the only signals intelligence capability 

within DHS. This intelligence capability facilitates 

continually-improving maritime domain awareness 

(MDA) in the service of our homeland security missions. 

Coast Guard Missions and Performance

The following section describes each of the Coast Guard’s 

11 statutory missions and offers select performance 

highlights from 2008. The U.S. Coast Guard FY 2008 

Performance Report complements this Posture Statement 

by offering a summary of performance results for all 

missions. It also highlights the many extraordinary 

accomplishments Coast Guard men and women have 

achieved over the past year. This report can be viewed at 

www.uscg.mil/comdt.
12 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Roles and Missions

COAST GUARD MISSIONS 

Search and Rescue

The Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue (SAR) program is 

critical to the safety and security of U.S. waterways and 

to the maritime public. The SAR program’s goal is to 

minimize loss of life, injury, and property damage in the 

maritime environment; minimize crew risk during SAR 

missions; optimize use of resources in conducting SAR; 

and maintain a world leadership position in maritime 

SAR.

In 2008, the Coast Guard responded to 24,229 SAR cases, 

and saved 4,044 lives and nearly $158M in property. 

Marine Safety

The Coast Guard’s Marine Safety program ensures the 

safe operation and navigation of over 20,000 U.S. and 

foreign flagged vessels, inspects over 70,000 domestic 

vessels annually, and carries out over 11,000 port state 

control (foreign vessel) examinations annually. The 

Coast Guard is also the primary agency responsible 

for developing and enforcing Federal marine safety 

regulations, certifying and licensing over 200,000 

mariners, and promoting safe practices by investigating 

commercial marine casualties and sharing the findings. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard issued over $122M in state 

boating safety grants. The Coast Guard also opened the 

National Maritime Center, a 60,000 square foot facility 

that provides centralized processing and streamlined 

issuance of mariner licenses, documents, and credentials.

Marine Environmental Protection 

The Marine Environmental Protection program develops 

and enforces regulations to avert the introduction of 

invasive species into the maritime environment, stop 

unauthorized ocean dumping, and prevent oil and 

chemical spills. This program is complemented by the 

Marine Safety program’s pollution prevention activities. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard refined its planning to support 

implementation of the National Response Framework, the 

national all hazards, incident management, and emergency 

response architecture. The Coast Guard also incorporated 

lessons learned from the motor vessel (M/V) COSCO 

BUSAN Incident Specific Preparedness Report into an 

improved policy that better aligns response planning at 

local, state, and Federal levels. 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security 

The goal of the Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security 

(PWCS) program is to reduce the risk of maritime 

terrorism. Primary activities include improving MDA, 

conducting maritime security and response operations, 

and developing maritime security regimes. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard’s International Port Security 

program helped reduce the risk to U.S. ports by verifying 

antiterrorism measures were placed in foreign ports. 

Conditions of entry were in placed on foreign ports 

where certain measures were deficient. The Coast Guard 

also updated the Maritime Security Risk Assessment 

Model to include maritime critical infrastructure and key 

resource information, which improved the effectiveness of 

patrol and inspection activities to counter threats to the 

MTS. 

Defense Readiness 

DOD’s combatant commanders continue to request Coast 

Guard forces to support security cooperation and capacity 

building in their various areas of responsibility. As one 

of the Nation’s five Armed Services, the Coast Guard 

contributes WHECs, 110-foot Island-class Patrol Boats 

(WPBs), Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs), 

Port Security Units (PSUs), and other specialized units 

to support the National Security Strategy and defense 

imperatives. 

In 2008, Coast Guard PSU 309 trained and deployed 

to the Middle East with the Navy’s Maritime Security 

Squadron 4 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom point 

defense and harbor security operations in Kuwait. Six 
U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 13

Roles and Missions

Coast Guard WPBs are currently forward deployed 

in Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 

conducting maritime critical infrastructure protection and 

security operations. Additionally, the Coast Guard Cutter 

DALLAS deployed in support of Naval Forces Europe, 

conducting theater security cooperation with African, 

Mediterranean, and Black Sea nations. 

Illegal Drug Interdiction 

As the lead Federal agency for maritime drug interdiction, 

the Coast Guard is a full partner in international efforts 

to combat the flow of illegal drugs to the United States. 

The Coast Guard strives to reduce the supply of drugs 

from the source by denying smugglers the use of air 

and maritime routes in the Transit Zone, a six million 

square mile area comprised of the Caribbean, the Gulf of 

Mexico, and the Eastern Pacific Ocean. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard removed a total of 367,926 lbs. 

of cocaine and 22,173 lbs. of marijuana from the Transit 

Zone. In the fourth quarter alone, the Coast Guard 

disrupted 20 cocaine smuggling events and intercepted 

two self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessels.

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction 

As the lead Federal agency for maritime law enforcement, 

the Coast Guard is responsible for enforcing immigration 

laws at sea. The Coast Guard conducts patrols and 

coordinates with other Federal agencies and foreign 

countries to interdict undocumented migrants at sea, 

denying them illegal entry to the United States via 

maritime routes. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard interdicted nearly 5,000 

undocumented migrants attempting to illegally enter 

the United States. The Coast Guard also coordinated 

highly successful interagency operations against go-fast 

smuggling vessels in the Florida Straits, which resulted 

in 40 at-sea interdictions involving 718 migrants and 31 

migrant smugglers—all in a two-month period.

Living Marine Resources (LMR) Law Enforcement 

As the lead Federal agency for at-sea enforcement of 

U.S. fisheries, marine mammals, and protected species 

regulations, the Coast Guard safeguards the U.S. 

Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) by enforcing domestic 

fisheries laws. Coast Guard enforcement efforts advance 

national goals to conserve and manage living marine 

resources.

In 2008, the Coast Guard conducted 5,623 living marine 

resource boardings, with an observed at-sea compliance 

rate of 95.3 percent.

Protection of U.S. EEZ from Foreign Encroachment 

(Other Law Enforcement) 

Preventing illegal foreign fishing vessel encroachment in 
14 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Roles and Missions

the EEZ is a primary Coast Guard role vital to protecting 

the integrity of the Nation’s maritime borders and 

ensuring the health of U.S. fisheries. The Coast Guard 

also enforces international agreements to suppress 

damaging illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) 

fishing activity on the high seas. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard detected 81 incursions by 

foreign fishing vessels into the U.S. EEZ. The Coast 

Guard also participated in the 2008 multi-national high 

seas drift net (HSDN) enforcement campaign, Operation 

North Pacific Watch. Through this campaign, the Coast 

Guard interdicted two Chinese-flagged HSDN vessels, 

facilitating their seizure by Chinese officials. 

Aids to Navigation 

The Coast Guard’s system of 51,000 visual 

aids to navigation (ATON), Vessel Traffic 

Services, and marine information services 

facilitates the flow of commerce through the 

MTS and minimizes disruptive incidents in the 

maritime environment. The Coast Guard also 

prevents disruptions to maritime commerce 

by establishing regulated navigation areas and 

regulating bridges over navigable waters. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard achieved a 98.3 

percent Federal short-range ATON signal 

availability rate, exceeding the international 

standard of 95 percent for reliable visual 

ATON systems. The Coast Guard also played 

a critical role in responding to major flooding 

events throughout the Mississippi River 

System that disturbed over 2,200 miles of 

Federal waterways, displaced more than 3,500 

buoys, and destroyed over 330 fixed ATON 

structures.

Ice Operations 

The Coast Guard conducts icebreaking 

services to assist vessels and communities in 

emergency situations and facilitate essential 

commercial maritime activities in the Great 

Lakes and Northeast regions. In 2008, the 

Coast Guard, in concert with the Government 

of Canada and the commercial icebreaking 

industry, sustained navigable waterways for 

commercial traffic and assisted with 680 ice 

transits, representing the transport of over 

$2B (U.S.) of cargo.

Beyond domestic operations, the Coast Guard operates 

the only U.S.-flagged heavy icebreakers capable of 

providing year-round access to the Polar regions. In 2008, 

the busiest iceberg season in a decade, the International 

Ice Patrol facilitated commerce by broadcasting position 

information on 1,029 icebergs crossing south of 48 

degrees north latitude.
On the morning of March 23, 2008, the fi shing vessel ALASKA RANGER, a 

192-foot catch-processor with 47 persons on board, sank in the Bering Sea, 125 

miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Arriving on scene in a Coast Guard helicopter amidst 

blowing snow and 30-knot winds, Petty Offi cer Heller witnessed an epic scene of blinking 

strobe lights that stretched across the cresting waves. 

Knowing that the crewmembers of the ALASKA RANGER had an 

ever-decreasing chance of survival, Petty Offi cer Heller rapidly 

deployed into the 15-foot waves and recovered three survivors. 

Continuing his search for victims, he carefully picked his way 

through debris and located two additional crewmembers who were 

completely entangled in the sunken vessel’s fi shing gear. Working 

tenaciously beneath the dark and icy waters, he disentangled 

the victims from the netting and placed them into the helicopter’s 

rescue basket. Recognizing that his recovery of the fi fth survivor 

left no room in the helicopter for himself, he courageously remained 

behind in the wind-swept seas. With the helicopter perilously low on 

fuel, the cabin completely fi lled with survivors and more victims in 

sight, he requested the helicopter’s crew rescue raft for use in the water. 

As the helicopter departed into the darkness and blowing snow, Petty Offi cer Heller, alone 

and undaunted, used all of his physical strength, instinct, and experience to assist three 

severely hypothermic fi shermen into the life raft. Over the next hour, he worked doggedly 

to keep the victims conscious. As another rescue helicopter arrived, despite being severely 

hypothermic himself, he returned to the frigid waters and placed the victims, one at a time, 

into the basket for recovery.

Petty Offi cer Heller grew up in Worland, Wyoming. He joined the Coast Guard on the 

recommendation of his uncle, a retired U.S. Navy Captain. After boot camp, he served on 

the Coast Guard Cutters POLAR SEA and POLAR STAR before training as a Coast Guard 

rescue swimmer. He initially thought he would stay in the Coast Guard for just a few years, 

but enjoys his job so much that he plans to serve for 20 years. 

Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Heller’s actions demonstrate his commitment to 

the Coast Guard core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty.

A Hero’s Story AST2 Abram Heller

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 17

Geostrategic Environment

Section II

NORTHEAST .................................................................18

Energy Facility Siting

Fisheries 

SOUTHEAST .................................................................18

Military Outload Support

Migrant Interdiction

GULF COAST ................................................................19

Offshore Industry Expansion

Waterways Recovery and Reconstitution

WESTERN RIVERS .......................................................20

Aging Infrastructure

Flooding

GREAT LAKES ..............................................................20

Northern Border

Seasonal Variations

Unique Environmental Sensitivities

NORTHWEST ................................................................21

Treacherous Maritime Environment

Cross Border Crime

Migrating Fish Stocks

SOUTHWEST .................................................................22

Critical Intermodal Connections

Earthquake Preparedness

Border Security

PACIFIC RIM AND ASIA ................................................23

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

Self-propelled Semi-submersible Vessels

Asian Shipbuilding

EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND AFRICA ..............24

European Shipbuilding

Support to U.S. Central Command

International Maritime Security

POLAR REGIONS .........................................................25

National Policy

Increasing Human Presence in the Arctic

Polar Icebreaking
Geostrategic Environment

18 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

The Coast Guard employs an adaptive and responsive 

operating model throughout the Nation and the world. 

Coast Guard field commanders allocate geographicallybased resources to highest order needs, and can adjust 

strategic planning to address changing external 

factors including trade, terrorism, climate, energy, the 

environment, tourism, and international relations. Field 

commanders adjust operating assumptions, based on 

their assessments, to ensure the continued efficacy of 

integrated field efforts. 

This section articulates major regional trends and 

characteristics throughout the Coast Guard’s operating 

environment. The themes and trends outlined below 

are not an exhaustive description of the operating 

environment in each area. Rather, they are a sampling 

of factors from various regions throughout Coast Guard 

areas of operation. This section introduces an array of 

issues that can inform policy pertaining to homeland 

security, counterterrorism, and marine transportation and 

safety.

NORTHEAST

Energy Facility Siting

The safety and security of gas and petroleum transported 

through maritime means is critical to the economic 

prosperity of the United States and its partners. 

Northeastern Coast Guard units are currently evaluating 

ten proposals for on and offshore energy facilities in the 

Northeast, with several others in planning stages. The 

Coast Guard assists in the permitting of these facilities 

with respect to maritime navigational safety and security 

requirements. Each proposal offers a unique set of 

challenges involving waterway suitability, occupational 

safety and security, port reconstitution, and division of 

responsibilities among industry, Federal, state, tribal and 

local partners. Experience gained with each facility helps 

inform national policy regarding hazardous cargo security 

and non-conventional use of waterways. 

The anticipated expansion of Liquefied Natural Gas 

(LNG) shipping has raised questions about responsibility 

for security of vessels and facilities handling LNG 

and/or other Certain Dangerous Cargos (CDCs). The 

Coast Guard believes there is need for continued national 

dialogue on the role of Federal, state, local, tribal, and 

private parties in CDC security. Each CDC presents 

potential risks that can be mitigated through prevention 

and response measures, strong risk management, sound 

planning, and shared responsibility by all stakeholders. 

Maritime policies and 

practices for facility siting, 

transportation, and security 

of LNG and CDC cargos 

are not consistent from 

port to port. Uniform 

implementation of a 

cohesive risk management 

framework is essential for 

safe and secure transport of 

these commodities. 

The proposed Cape 

Wind project off the 

Massachusetts coast 

provides an example of a 

unique use of the waterway 

to meet the Nation’s energy 

demands. As a cooperating 

agency to the U.S. 

Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service, 

the lead permitting agency for the project, the Coast 

Guard analyzed the impacts of the proposed wind farm 

on navigation safety, including those on marine radar. The 

Coast Guard will continue to examine other proposed 

offshore renewable energy installations, including wind 

farms, hydrokinetic projects such as current and wave 

turbines, and geothermal projects, to ensure the safety of 

maritime navigation. 

Fisheries 

The Coast Guard works closely with the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to balance the 

sustainment of fisheries with the safety and viability of 

the industry. The marine environment in the Northeast 

is a major source of renewable wealth—annually 

contributing over $11.7B to the economy, creating nearly 

202,000 jobs, and supporting 15 million recreational 

fishing trips. To keep Atlantic sea scallops and other 

stocks ecologically and economically viable, the U.S. 

Government is enforcing new and often more complex 

regulations. These regulations require increased Coast 

Guard efforts, through training of boarding officers 

and at-sea enforcement, to prevent non-compliance from 

subsequently eroding the economic value to the region. 

SOUTHEAST

Military Outload Support

The Coast Guard provides military outload and force 

Commercial fi shermen sort 

through seaweed, scallops, and 

other marine life after bringing 

up their nets off of Nantucket, 

Massachusetts.
Geostrategic Environment

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 19

protection support to DOD all over the United States. 

The Southeast United States is home to six significant 

pre-designated commercial and militarily strategic 

seaports. To support defense mobility and operations, the 

Coast Guard protects, secures, and escorts Navy units in 

this region. The Coast Guard also leverages its regulatory 

authority to create legally enforceable Naval Vessel 

Protection Zones to support these operations. In 2008, 

Coast Guard security forces provided waterside security 

and escorts for 143 military outloads in these six ports 

alone.

Migrant Interdiction

Migrant flow in the Caribbean region is sensitive to 

seasonal variations and anticipation of changes in policy. 

The last four years has seen a significant increase in 

the use of go-fast vessels in smuggling of Cuban and 

Dominican migrants (approximately 75 percent of all 

attempts) in place of the less expensive and less reliable 

rafts, rusticas, and yolas. After three years of steady 

increases in Cuban migrant flow to near record numbers, 

the number of migrants attempting to reach the United 

States in 2008 dropped significantly. This was likely due 

to a combination of environmental conditions and broadbased multi-agency operations against go-fast vessels 

engaged in maritime smuggling in the Florida Straits. 

Haitian migrant flow experienced a significant spike in 

January 2009, which may be attributable to hearsay about 

U.S. policy changes with a new Administration. The 

Coast Guard works closely with interagency partners 

to monitor indications and warnings for mass migration 

and refine strategic plans for response. Such events may 

also become mass search and rescue efforts that require 

significant operational capacity. For example, during a 

mass migration event in June and July of 1994, the Coast 

Guard interdicted over 21,600 migrants with 3,247 being 

interdicted in one day alone. 

GULF COAST

Offshore Industry Expansion

The Gulf of Mexico is an extremely dynamic region 

that is critical to the Nation’s energy sector. The Gulf 

of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 will open new 

offshore leases in the next two to five years, which may 

increase oil and natural gas industry activity. Expansion 

of offshore drilling may require additional supporting 

vessels and infrastructure that must be inspected by 

the Coast Guard. Existing oil platforms, pipelines, and 

other equipment in this region have been declining in 

materiel condition, and will be pushed to new limits 

if faced with increased demand. Further maritime 

congestion in the Gulf of Mexico may also result in 

shifting maritime traffic patterns and other navigational 

impacts. To enhance maritime domain awareness, the 

Coast Guard has proposed expanding advance notice 

of arrival requirements to include vessels operating in 

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) areas, such as the Gulf 

of Mexico. The Coast Guard will need to adapt to the 

dynamic trends in this evolving maritime region.

Waterways Recovery and Reconstitution

The Gulf Coast is home to the Nation’s largest 

petrochemical port complex, several existing and planned 

LNG facilities, military outload ports, and the gateway 

to the inland river system. As such, disruptions caused 

by natural or man-made events in the Gulf Coast may 

have rippling economic effects nationwide. The Coast 

Guard regularly responds to safety and environmental 

threats in the region caused by natural disasters, marine 

casualties, and other events. The increasing size and 

capacity of today’s cruise, tanker, and container ships in 

the Gulf Coast and around the Nation augment the risk. 

Ultra-large crude oil carriers are approaching 1,500-foot 

lengths and 300-foot widths. The environmental impact 

of a spill from such vessels would be enormous. Today’s 

container ships frequently carry 5,000 containers, and the 

largest can carry more than 15,000 containers. The Coast 

Guard’s rapid response would not be possible without 

close cooperation with Federal, state, local, and industry 

partners. In the aftermath of these disasters, the Coast 

Guard also serves a leadership role in reconstituting 

waterways and prioritizing the movement of shipments 

vital to the safety, security, and economic health of the 

Nation. 

Coast Guard Cutter CONFIDENCE intercepts migrants near the 

Great Bahamas Bank.
Geostrategic Environment

20 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

As a critically 

important maritime 

emergency responder 

in this region, the 

Coast Guard must 

closely monitor the 

status of its own 

facilities and assets. 

The 2008 hurricane 

season, for example, 

significantly impacted 

Coast Guard facilities 

on and near the Gulf 

Coast, especially 

those in the HoustonGalveston area. The 

Coast Guard received 

2008 supplemental disaster funding to address damages 

from storms and flooding in the region. This investment 

will help minimize the impacts and associated costs of 

future hurricanes, and ensure that Coast Guard facilities 

and infrastructure are prepared to serve the Gulf region.

WESTERN RIVERS

Aging Infrastructure

The extensive Western Rivers MTS is challenged 

by aging lock and dam infrastructure that can delay 

commerce along thousands of miles of waterways. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for 

sustaining and repairing these locks and dams, and works 

closely with the Coast Guard to ensure the safety of 

navigation and the facilitation of commerce. To meet 

demand in this region, uninspected towing vessels and 

regulated barges operate continuously out of necessity. 

This high operational tempo, in conjunction with everchanging river conditions and aging infrastructure, may 

result in an increased risk of maritime accidents. In 

response to Congressional mandates and casualty data 

analysis, the Coast Guard recently initiated development 

of a comprehensive inspection program designed to 

reduce fatalities, injuries, vessel casualties, and pollution 

incidents within the towing industry. As a result of this 

program, over 7,000 vessels will be added to the Coast 

Guard’s inspected fleet. With funding provided for FY 

2009 and additional funding requested for FY 2010, the 

Coast Guard will hire and train inspectors to address the 

anticipated increase in demand for regulatory inspections. 

The success of this program also will depend on close 

coordination with stakeholders throughout the towing 

industry. 

Flooding

Flooding in the heartland is a seasonal and somewhat 

predictable natural disaster. It generally occurs along 

the Western Rivers in late spring and early summer as a 

result of heavy rains and snowmelt. Seventy-five percent 

of Presidentially-declared emergencies involve flooding. 

The Coast Guard has historically provided SAR assistance 

in the wake of flooding. The recently updated National 

Response Framework has expanded the Coast Guard’s 

role by giving the Service lead agency responsibility for 

Emergency Support Function 9 (SAR) in flooded areas. 

The Coast Guard’s flood response assets typically come 

from units located along the Western Rivers. These 

Disaster Assistance Response Teams are composed of 

Active duty, Reserve, and Auxiliary personnel that cross 

geographic boundaries to respond to flooded areas. As 

Reservists and Auxiliarists tend to remain geographically 

stable for many years, Coast Guard members assigned to 

Western River units have developed a broad experience 

base to rely upon when responding to regional flooding 

and other calamity. 

GREAT LAKES

Northern Border

The Great Lakes basin is governed by two nations, 

eight states, three Canadian provinces, several American 

and Canadian tribal nations, and hundreds of local 

communities. The Great Lakes MTS crosses the United 

States and Canada border at 22 points, which presents 

unique foreign policy and border security challenges. 

Great Lakes maritime borders are often delineated in 

bodies of water just hundreds of yards wide, which can 

be crossed by boat in minutes. The formation of “ice 

bridges” at the five major nexus areas (St. Lawrence 

Seaway, Niagara, Sault Ste. Marie, Detroit, and St. 

Clair) during the winter adds to existing challenges in 

controlling the border. 

Seasonal Variations

Seasonality on the Great Lakes drives an intense 

compressed summer operational period followed 

immediately by an equally compressed winter icebreaking 

and ice rescue season. During the winter, icebreaking in 

the Great Lakes is essential to facilitate the movement 

of 200 million tons of cargo through the region each 

year. The Coast Guard’s Great Lakes icebreaking 

operations in the United States are closely coordinated 

with the Canadian Coast Guard, especially in the 

A Coast Guard HH-65 helicopter fl ies over 

Houma, Louisiana after Hurricane Ike 

looking for signs of people in distress.
Geostrategic Environment

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 21

jointly maintained waterways along the border. A longstanding icebreaking agreement with the Government 

of Canada allows for “borderless” use of icebreakers in 

the region. During the summer months, the 4.6 million 

U.S. registered recreational boats on the Great Lakes—

approximately one-third of all U.S. registered boats—

necessitate a significant and primary boating safety and 

education mission. Before the winter freeze and after 

the spring thaw of each year, the Coast Guard conducts 

intense ATON work to ensure the safety of navigation 

through all seasons. 

Unique Environmental Sensitivities

As a closed system of fresh water, the Great Lakes basin 

is particularly vulnerable to changes in its ecosystem. 

On average, a new invasive species is introduced to 

the system every eight months. Two non-indigenous 

species of Asian Carp (Silver and Bighead) are presently 

migrating toward the Great Lakes through the 

Mississippi and Illinois River basin and are estimated to 

be within 50 miles of Lake Michigan. If these aquatic 

nuisance species reach the Great Lakes, scientists fear 

they could devastate the $4B Great Lakes commercial and 

sport fishing industries. The Coast Guard, Army Corps 

of Engineers, and other partners are working closely to 

prevent or mitigate these threats to the ecosystem. 

The Great Lakes is also a major dry bulk cargo (primarily 

inorganic, non-toxic, non-hazardous cargo) region. Dry 

cargo residue remains on deck or in cargo spaces after 

loading or unloading operations, and is then washed 

off the deck to eliminate unsafe conditions onboard the 

vessel. The Coast Guard is considering a rulemaking to 

address the environmental impact of dry cargo residue on 

the Great Lakes ecosystem. The need for this rulemaking 

will be informed by the results of a $2.3M scientific study 

on the environmental impacts of continued discharges of 

dry cargo residue into the Great Lakes. 

NORTHWEST

Treacherous Maritime Environment

The Northwestern United States, including Alaska, is 

home to some of the most hazardous maritime areas in 

the world. The harsh weather, cold water, breaking bars, 

and treacherous cliffs and beaches of the Northwest 

are the cause of a number of preventable deaths of 

fisherman, recreational boaters, hikers, and beachgoers 

each year. There are also remote areas in Alaska with 

limited local or commercial infrastructure. The Coast 

Guard continually 

reaches out to 

state and local 

governments, 

industry, and the 

public to raise 

awareness and 

take measures to 

improve safety 

on the water. For 

example, Coast 

Guard officers are 

now members of 

the Oregon Search and Rescue Commission.

According to the National Institute for Occupational 

Safety and Health, commercial crabbing is the most 

dangerous fishery in the Nation. Deaths and injuries of 

crab fishermen in this region are rising as they continue 

to undertake high-risk activities in deteriorating vessels 

in and around the Northwest’s harsh coastal and river 

environments. The Coast Guard works closely with 

officials in the Northwest to regulate this dangerous 

fishery. For example, the Coast Guard recently initiated 

Operation Safe Crab, a surge effort to voluntarily review 

vessel safety equipment and the materiel condition of the 

fleet before the annual crab season.

Cross Border Crime

The Straits of Juan de Fuca represent the longest 

continuous U.S. international maritime border. Many 

parts of this region are remote, while others have an 

extremely high density of small vessel traffic. Smuggling 

of marijuana, ecstasy, and cocaine abounds in this region, 

and guns and money flow across the border in exchange 

for drugs. Smugglers in the Northwest are highly 

resourceful and have recently taken to smuggling by 

helicopter in remote land regions and using sophisticated 

hidden compartments in land vehicles. As the United 

States works to mitigate these land-based smuggling 

routes, maritime smuggling may rise.

Initiatives such as Integrated Border Enforcement 

Teams (IBETs) have helped stem cross-border threats. 

For example, the Coast Guard established a camera in an 

isolated, strategic location and allowed Canada to access 

and operate the camera. Operation Shiprider, an IBET 

program that teamed U.S. and Canadian law enforcement 

officers to man law enforcement vessels and enforce each 

nation’s laws, has proven to be a successful method to 

address threats along the international maritime border. 

Coast Guard personnel conduct boating 

safety patrols in Chicago, Illinois.
Geostrategic Environment

22 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

As part of this 

program, the Coast 

Guard received 

a request from 

the Government 

of Canada to 

participate in 

cross-border 

cooperative 

Shiprider 

operations in 

support of the 

2010 Vancouver 

Olympics. 

Migrating Fish 

Stocks

Fish stocks in 

the Bering Sea 

are migrating 

northward and westward. As fishing fleets relocate 

with these shifts, they are moving beyond the current 

range of Coast Guard assets used for lifesaving and 

law enforcement. The 2008 sinkings of the two fishing 

vessels ALASKA RANGER and KATMAI, where a 

total of 58 people were cast into the Bering Sea and 

12 perished before Coast Guard assets could arrive, 

highlighted the challenges the Coast Guard faces when 

responding to incidents in remote Alaskan waters. As fish 

stocks in the U.S. EEZ continue this migratory trend, the 

Coast Guard will adjust its operating assumptions and 

reassess the base location and capabilities of response 

assets to address this trend. 

SOUTHWEST

Critical Intermodal Connections

The Southwestern United States is home to three of the 

Nation’s largest commercial ports and two of the five 

largest cruise ship ports in the Nation. The port complex 

of Los Angeles and Long Beach is the largest container 

port facility in America and the fifth largest in the world. 

The Port of Los Angeles encompasses 7,500 acres, 43 

miles of waterfront, and 27 cargo terminals including 

dry and liquid bulk, container, breakbulk, and automobile 

facilities. In 2008, the port moved 8.5 million twenty-foot 

equivalent units, setting the national container record. 

The neighboring Port of Long Beach moves more than 

$100B in trade annually and supports 30,000 jobs in Long 

Beach, 316,000 jobs throughout Southern California, and 

1.4 million jobs throughout the United States. These port 

complexes serve as gateways to the inland United States, 

and their intermodal connections with rail and surface 

arteries in the region are critical to cargo reaching its 

final destination. 

These port complexes contribute to a global chain of 

economic activity worth billions of dollars to the national 

economy annually. Every day, 700 ships arrive in U.S. 

ports. Each year, 8,000 distinct foreign flag ships manned 

by 200,000 foreign mariners make repeated calls on U.S. 

ports. In 2006, 27 million containers were processed 

in U.S. ports alone. American cruise ship capacity has 

increased 650 percent since 1980. Over 80 percent of 

the world’s trade by volume is transported by merchant 

vessels. The Coast Guard’s marine safety and security 

missions touch each of these activities. Under the current 

regulatory regime, if the MTS grows, demand for Coast 

Guard services will grow. 

Earthquake Preparedness

The State of California is prone to earthquakes that can 

cause significant loss of life and disruptions to commerce. 

Planning for this contingency is a very real concern for 

Coast Guard emergency responders. Response to an 

earthquake would involve a significant surge in Coast 

Guard assets along the West Coast. Coast Guard units 

in California are working closely with the California 

Maritime Security Council and the Federal Emergency 

Management Agency to develop an overarching regional 

concept of operations (CONOPS) and port specific plans 

for reconstitution and recovery following a catastrophe. 

The CONOPS and the first port plan, which address 

the possibility of an earthquake in the San Francisco 

Bay Area, are complete. Additional plans are under 

development. 

Border Security

The Coast Guard works with other nations and agencies 

to actively monitor and respond to air, land, and maritime 

threats to the U.S. Southwest border. In particular, closer 

bilateral cooperation with Mexico holds the potential 

to tell us more about air and surface threats bound for 

the United States. As the terrestrial United States and 

Mexico border becomes more fortified, the maritime 

border potentially becomes more vulnerable to illegal 

drug and migrant smuggling. 

Interagency cooperation is critical to securing the 

Southwest border. The Coast Guard partners with 

A Coast Guard HH-65A helicopter conducts 

rescue training off the Washington Coast.
Geostrategic Environment

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 23

Customs and Border Protection on a standing effort 

(Operation Baja Oleada) to stem the flow of illegal drugs 

and undocumented migrants along the Baja peninsula of 

California and into the arrival zone in Northern Baja and 

the San Diego area. This operation started in December 

2005 in response to reports of go-fast vessels moving 

up the Baja peninsula. The Coast Guard also conducted 

a two-month interagency shoreside and maritime pulse 

operation along the Southwest border in February 

and March 2009 called Operation Red Zone. This 

operation disrupted illicit activity and achieved a better 

understanding of illegal activities through and around 

the San Diego ports of entry. 

 

PACIFIC RIM AND ASIA

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

The Pacific 

Ocean presents a 

tyranny of time 

and distance. It 

is comprised of 

over 12 million 

miles of ocean, 

eight U.S. noncontiguous EEZs 

encompassing 1.5 

million square 

miles, and 43 sovereign Pacific Rim nations. The region’s 

fisheries are some of the world’s largest in both catch 

volume (e.g., approximately 50 percent of the world’s 

tuna) and value (totaling over $3B). Displaced foreign 

fishing fleets have shifted to this region as other global 

fishery stocks diminish and collapse. This adversely 

impacts the many Pacific islands relying upon fisheries 

revenue for survival. IUU fishing is also linked to 

negative impacts on maritime and economic security in 

coastal areas worldwide. In 2008, the United Nations 

Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that IUU 

fishing costs the world approximately $14B annually. 

In the past two years alone, the U.S. Government, in 

partnership with Governments of Canada, Japan, and 

the People’s Republic of China, seized eight fishing 

vessels illegally fishing on the high seas using drift nets. 

Driftnet boats typically string nets from 4 to 9 miles long, 

taking huge amounts of fish, marine mammals, and other 

creatures in their wake. During its February 2009 patrol 

of the Western and Central Pacific, Coast Guard Cutter 

RUSH sighted the Japanese fishing vessel KOEI MARU 

No. 1 operating within the EEZ of Kiribati. Under a 

Kiribati-United States maritime enforcement agreement, 

Kiribati officials embarked on RUSH conducted a 

boarding of the vessel with the assistance of RUSH 

personnel. The Kiribati officials determined the vessel had 

been fishing for approximately two months without an 

operational vessel monitoring system, in addition to other 

violations. As a result, the KOEI MARU No.1 was seized 

by the Kiribati government and assessed $700,000 in fines 

and penalties.

Self-propelled Semi-submersible Vessels

The Eastern Pacific Ocean, lacking the natural 

chokepoints found in the Caribbean region, is also home 

to significant maritime drug smuggling. SPSS vessels 

are a relatively recent innovation used to avoid U.S. and 

international counter-drug capabilities. They typically 

range between 25 - 65 feet long and travel at speeds up to 

13 knots. SPSS vessels can carry several metric tons of 

cocaine and four to five crew members, and travel up to 

2,500 nautical miles without refueling. Since the vessels 

have a low profile—the hulls only rise about a foot above 

the waterline—they are hard to see from a distance and 

produce a minimal radar signature. U.S. counter-drug 

officials estimate that SPSS vessels are responsible for 

32 percent of all cocaine movement in the Transit Zone 

between South America and the United States. The Coast 

Guard, in partnership with the U.S. Navy and the Joint 

Interagency Task Force-South, has had recent success in 

interdicting these vessels; however, improved maritime 

intelligence will be necessary to counter this threat in the 

future. 

In 2008, the Coast Guard worked closely with the 

Administration and Congress to pass legislation 

criminalizing the operation of stateless SPSS vessels in 

international waters. This legislation provides a deterrent 

effect for potential smugglers and improves the safety of 

boarding teams who, prior to its passage, had to board 

SPSS vessels to obtain evidence for prosecution. The first 

defendants were convicted by the Administration under 

this new legislation in April 2009. 

Asian Shipbuilding

The Coast Guard is responsible for monitoring all 

U.S.-owned new vessel construction, major re-flagging 

efforts, conversion projects, and construction of primary 

lifesaving equipment around the world. Ninety percent of 

new ship tonnage is built in the Republic of Korea, Japan, 

and China. Many U.S.-flagged deep draft commercial 

vessels are also dry docked and repaired in Asia. 

Coast Guard Cutter BOUTWELL crew 

watches over a Chinese fi shing vessel 

suspected of high seas drift net fi shing.
Geostrategic Environment

24 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (commonly 

referred to as the Jones Act), the Coast Guard issues a 

U.S. vessel’s certificate of documentation and coastwise 

trade endorsement. The coastwise trade endorsement 

allows a vessel to carry cargo between U.S. ports. To be 

eligible for the coastwise endorsement, a vessel must be 

built in the United States or otherwise qualify under other 

laws. A vessel loses its eligibility if it is sold to a foreign 

country, registered under a foreign flag, or rebuilt outside 

the United States. Limited foreign shipyard work can be 

conducted on the vessel without it losing its eligibility 

and much of this work 

is often completed in 

foreign countries. Since 

U.S. coastwise vessel 

owners face a devastating 

commercial penalty if 

their vessels are found 

to be rebuilt in a foreign 

shipyard, most will seek 

a preliminary Coast 

Guard determination 

on planned work before 

committing financial 

resources overseas. 

Many U.S. shipbuilding 

interests and owners 

of U.S. coastwise trade 

eligible vessels are 

currently challenging 

the Coast Guard’s 

interpretations of its 

Jones Act foreign rebuild 

regulations. 

EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, AND 

AFRICA

European Shipbuilding

The maritime industry in Europe continues to grow and 

advance technologically. As of the first quarter of 2009, 

despite the global economic downturn, all new cruise 

ships under construction in Europe are moving forward. 

The largest cruise ship ever, designed to carry 8,400 

persons, is currently being built in Finland. Cruise ship 

orders in Europe are strong through 2011. Coast Guard 

inspectors stationed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands face 

growing demands for teams to conduct Initial Control 

Verification Examinations (ICVEs) on cruise ships. 

They team with the Coast Guard Marine Safety Center 

in Washington, D.C., Coast Guard Sectors in the first 

U.S. ports of arrival, and the Coast Guard’s traveling 

inspectors to meet increasing demands. 

Coast Guard personnel also support military sealift to 

the Middle East by overseeing the re-flagging of ships to 

the United States under the Maritime Security Program 

(MSP). Under MSP, the U.S. Government contracts with 

the owners of U.S.-flag commercial ships for service when 

needed for national emergencies or war. These U.S.-flag 

merchant ships are owned by U.S. citizens and crewed 

by American seafarers. 

This approach averts 

the need to spend 

billions of dollars to 

acquire additional cargo 

ships dedicated solely 

to carrying military 

cargos, and the millions 

of additional dollars 

required to maintain 

dedicated standby 

vessels. Ongoing marine 

inspection activity 

for U.S. flag vessels 

operating in the Middle 

East (approximately 25 

deep draft cargo ships) 

is contingent on the 

status of military forces 

in the Middle East and 

their corresponding 

military sealift 

requirements. 

Support to U.S. Central Command

As a military service, the Coast Guard provides 

capabilities and resources to DOD combatant 

commanders to support high-profile missions including 

maritime interception operations, domestic and 

expeditionary port security, theater security cooperation, 

military environmental response operations, and coastal 

sea control. Coast Guard forces play a critical role 

supporting the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) 

in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. 

The Coast Guard is providing CENTCOM with 

cutters, aircraft, patrol boats, LEDETs, PSUs, and other 

specialized assets and personnel to support their many 

missions. These resources deliver the essential maritime 

surveillance, security, training, and response capabilities 

needed to accomplish regional and functional missions.
Geostrategic Environment

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 25

International Maritime Security

Coast Guard International Port Security Liaison Officers 

at Activities Europe visit 83 trading partner nations to 

review implementation of the International Ship and 

Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, share best practices, 

and establish reciprocal visits to U.S. ports. These visits 

help international trading partners implement maritime 

security regimes. The demand is particularly strong in 

African countries where weak maritime governance and 

limited enforcement resources hinder the implementation 

of maritime security measures. Addressing fisheries 

exploitation also continues to be a priority issue for 

African governments. Though the need to protect their 

resources is crucial, in most cases these nations lack 

the laws, skills, and resources for effective fisheries 

enforcement. International interest in African natural 

resources is also boosting maritime commerce and 

increasing the need for safer and more secure ports in the 

region. 

As seen in the dramatic rescue of the M/V MAERSK 

ALABAMA crew in April 2009, acts of piracy place 

mariners’ lives in jeopardy on the high seas. Although 

piracy is a universal crime under international law, with 

nations having legal authority to establish jurisdiction 

over piracy and to punish offenders, combating this 

threat will continue to require coordinated planning with 

interagency and international partners. The President’s 

Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR) Plan 

facilitates a coordinated U.S. Government response to 

threats against United States interests in the maritime 

domain such as piracy. With expertise in both law 

enforcement and military operations, the Coast Guard 

brings broad capabilities and authorities to operations 

requiring interagency coordination through the MOTR 

process. Through MOTR, the Coast Guard works closely 

with DOD to counter piracy and suppress unlawful acts 

at sea. Moreover, Coast Guard-led efforts at the United 

Coast Guard Cutter MAUI personnel conduct a boarding in the North 

Arabian Gulf as part of Maritime Security Operations in the region.

Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) and 

with the shipping industry are other important elements 

in deterring, countering, and punishing acts of piracy.

POLAR REGIONS

National Policy

The United States is an 

Arctic Nation with varied and 

compelling interests in the Polar 

regions. In 1994, President 

Clinton signed Presidential 

Decision Directive 26 (PDD26), addressing U.S. Arctic and 

Antarctic policy. President Bush 

published National Security 

Presidential Directive/Homeland 

Security Presidential Directive 25 (NSPD/HSPD 25) 

in January 2009 to update and supersede the Arctic 

aspects of PDD-26. All portions of PDD-26 relating 

to Antarctica were unaffected and remain in force. The 

Administration is assessing the overarching issues facing 

the Arctic, including those associated with impacts 

of climate change, increased human activity, new or 

additional information needs, and conservation of 

Arctic resources. This approach will necessarily include 

identifying any implementation issues associated with the 

Arctic policy signed by the previous Administration. 

Increasing Human Presence in the Arctic

The decrease of annual sea ice in the Arctic region 

has created new areas of open water where the Coast 

Guard has statutory and regulatory responsibilities. 

Human activity in the Arctic has increased over the 

past two years. The Coast Guard’s ongoing assessment 

of maritime activity trends in this region will provide 

meaningful and timely information for field commanders 

to adapt their operations to any unplanned event (such 

as a search and rescue need, border security threat, 

environmental response and impact mitigation, or 

salvage) along the northernmost border of the Nation. 

Polar Icebreaking

The Coast Guard operates and maintains icebreaking 

facilities to support multiple missions. The Coast Guard’s 

medium and heavy icebreakers operate primarily in 

support of U.S. research interests in the Arctic and to 

maintain supply routes to Antarctica’s McMurdo Station, 

which requires ship-borne supply of fuel and cargo. 
Geostrategic Environment

26 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Search & Rescue Case: Response to

F/V ALASKA RANGER in Bering Sea, 42 of 47 rescued

SAREX 2008: Search & Rescue exercise with Japan

Arctic Science Mission: USCGC HEALY

Arctic Ice Edge Patrol: USCGC HAMILTON

D17 conducts Arctic 

Presence proof of concept

N. Pacifi c CG Forum: San Fran., CA Fisheries: Concluded Bilateral Maritime Enforcement Agreements with Marshall Isl. 

(RMI), Palau, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FMS), and Kiribati

USCGC MORGENTHAU: PACOM Deployment for Cooperation 

Afl oat Readiness and Training (CARAT) & SE Asia Cooperation 

Against Terrorism (SEA-CAT) in Philippines

Fisheries Enforcement Cooperation: OP 

KURUKURU - Hosted by Solomon Islands & 

Australian Defense Cooperation Program

LMR Enf. Cooperation: Papahanaumokuakea 

Monument, largest U.S. marine protected area

Worldwide Port Security Assessments:

In 2008, Coast Guard completed a 2-year 

process of verifying ISPS compliance 

assessments of 140 countries.

Migrant Interdiction: 4,802 migrants interdicted

Fisheries Enf. Cooperation: OP North Pacifi c Watch: Coordinated Russian, 

Chinese & Japanese CG enforcement efforts - USCGC MUNRO with PRC Ship rider

Staunch Maple / Siler 2009: 

Pre-Olympic exercise with 

Canada

Snapshot of U.S. Coast Guard Global Engagement

D17 conducts Arctic SAR 

International Joint Working 

Group: 12 countries hosted 

by Australia
Geostrategic Environment

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 27

Fisheries Law Enforcement: 5,623 domestic boardings with 

267 signifi cant violations and 81 detected EEZ incursions

Drug Interdiction: 167 

tons of cocaine removed

Domestic Military 

Outload, High Value Unit, 

and SSBN escort

Frontier Sentinel 2008: Security 

Exercise with Canada & U.S. Navy

US / CA Joint Domestic Icebreaking 

Joint Ops Taconite & Coal Shovel

International Ice Patrol

Port Security Unit: 

Guantanamo, Cuba

Southern Partnership Station (SPS):

USCG team deployed onboard USNS SWIFT

U.S. / S. American Allied Exercise: 

(UNITAS) USCGC MOHAWK

Antarctic SAR Assessment: 8 countries hosted by Chile

Tropical Storm Noel: Provided 

relief to 71,500+ Dominicans

Regional Security System

Technical Assistance Field

Team (TAFT)

N. Atlantic Coast Guard Forum - Greenland

SAROPS Assessment - Malta

OIF / OEF - Patrol Forces Asia: 

6 110’ patrol boats, 2 Law Enf. Teams 

(LEDETs), PSU 309, Redeployment 

Assistance Teams (RAID) deployed 

to support DOD

New Construction Cruise Ship Inspections: 

Germany, Italy, Finland, France

AFRICOM Support: CG and 

Cape Verde Law Enforcement 

Detachments embarked USS 

LEYTE GULF to perform law 

enforcement operations in the 

vicinity of Cape Verde

USCGC DALLAS: 

EUCOM / AFRICOM 

deployment to include a 

joint op with Cape Verde

Snapshot of U.S. Coast Guard Global Engagement

On the afternoon of January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549, a fully 

loaded Airbus 320 en route to Charlotte, North Carolina, from New York’s La 

Guardia Airport, made an emergency landing in the freezing waters of the Hudson River. 

One of the fi rst vessels on scene was a New York Waterway ferry captained by 19-year old 

Brittany Catanzaro, a Coast Guard Reservist who drills at Station Barnegat Light, NJ. Less 

than two hours into her shift aboard the ferry, Petty Offi cer Catanzaro looked over her shoulder 

and saw the jet fl oating in the water as she headed toward 

Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. She immediately changed 

the vessel’s course and steered it toward the plane. 

Petty Offi cer Catanzaro pulled the ferry up close to the plane 

wings where passengers had taken refuge. With guidance 

from the crew, she expertly maneuvered the vessel to stay 

abreast of the plane, which was being pulled downriver by 

a steady current. The ferry’s crew used rescue buckets to 

help 24 passengers out of the frigid waters onto the vessel 

and out of harm’s way.

Petty Offi cer Catanzaro is the youngest ever (and fi rst female) ferry captain for New York 

Waterway, which safely transports daily commuters from Weehawken and Hoboken, NJ 

to New York City. She grew up in Cliffside Park, NJ, boating on Long Island Sound in the 

summers with her father. She has been handling her own boat since she was 12 years old. 

Petty Offi cer Catanzaro started out as a deckhand on the ferries and fl eeted up to captain 

after she earned her 100-ton license. 

When joining the Coast Guard Reserve, Petty Offi cer Catanzaro thought becoming an 

engineer would be a natural fi t, because her father had taught her how to fi x the engines 

of her family’s boats. She has only been in the Coast Guard for a little over a year but has 

already set her sights on becoming a qualifi ed small boat coxswain.

Machinery Technician Third Class Petty Offi cer Brittany Catanzaro epitomizes the Coast 

Guard Reserve motto of Preparedness, Patriotism, and Professionalism.

A Hero’s Story MK3 Brittany Catanzaro

Coast Guard Modernization

Section III

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 31

LEGACY BUSINESS PRACTICES ................................................................................................ 32

Command and Control and Mission Support Organizations 

Financial Management 

Acquisitions

Information Systems Security

WORKFORCE CAPABILITIES ....................................................................................................... 33

Competency

Workplace Safety

Diversity

RECAPITALIZING ASSETS ........................................................................................................... 34

Air and Surface Fleets

Shore Infrastructure
Coast Guard Modernization

32 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

The Coast Guard equips DHS with versatile military, law 

enforcement, and regulatory capabilities and authorities to 

manage risk in the maritime environment. The FY 2010 

President’s Budget will support continued modernization 

of the Coast Guard’s legacy business practices, 

recapitalization of aging assets, and improvements to 

workforce capabilities to meet challenges of the 21st 

century. The Modernization Effort will improve mission 

execution through the standardization and alignment of 

business processes within the Coast Guard and closer 

integration with DHS.

LEGACY BUSINESS PRACTICES

Command and Control and Mission Support 

Organizations

As the Coast Guard confronts changing demand for 

its varied services, it must organize more efficiently to 

maintain operational excellence and sustain mission 

execution. The practices of the last century are not 

adequate for this century. The Coast Guard’s command 

and control structures, support systems, and business 

practices have not kept pace with its rapid growth and 

expansion of Coast Guard responsibilities. The currently 

bifurcated operational chain of command and support 

structure create inconsistencies across the enterprise. 

Modernization will remedy the Coast Guard’s fragmented 

logistics chain by creating single-point accountability for 

centralized support services, improve the command and 

control structure, and standardize operational practices. 

The creation of the Deputy Commandant for Operations 

(DCO) in 2008 has provided much needed single-point 

accountability for the Service’s 11 missions. DCO 

eliminates stovepipes and enables full strategic alignment 

among all mission programs. 

The envisioned Deputy Commandant for Mission Support 

(DCMS) will consolidate oversight for all support 

missions and provide single-point accountability for life 

cycle management of assets and human resources. DCMS 

will enable more effective acquisition governance and 

asset management, standardize maintenance processes, 

and provide strict configuration control across the 

enterprise.

The envisioned Coast Guard Operations Command (CG 

OPCOM) will place responsibility for all Coast Guard 

operations under the direction of one field commander. 

This will eliminate the current geographically bifurcated 

command structure, and provide a more direct and 

consistent chain of command than exists today. CG 

OPCOM will also improve information flow among all 

levels of the organization, while enhancing collaboration 

with partners at every level.

The envisioned Coast Guard Force Readiness Command 

(CG FORCECOM) will transform the Service’s readiness 

management into a centralized, functional construct 

aimed at optimizing unity of effort across all business 

lines. This will alleviate the current dilution of these 

functions between Headquarters and two Area and 

Maintenance and Logistics Commands, enabling a more 

efficient, effective, and consistent readiness posture.

Financial Management

In the 1990s, the Coast Guard streamlined its financial 

management competencies. At this time, the Chief 

Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990 and other 

statutes designed to improve the government’s financial 

management were requiring implementation of new, more 

complex financial reporting and processes. As a result 

of this streamlining, the Coast Guard now lacks robust 

expertise in key financial specialties. Financial auditors 

have identified seven material weaknesses in the Coast 

Guard’s policies, processes, procedures, and information 

technology (IT) systems, which inhibit operational 

efficiency, Federal compliance, and financial reporting 

Number shown denotes the average age of the vessel / aircraft.

42 yrs 40 yrs 26 yrs 26 yrs

WMEC 210’ WHEC 378’ C-130H HU-25
Coast Guard Modernization

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 33

accuracy. The Coast Guard’s new financial management 

roadmap will harden the control environment, improve 

utilization of human capital, modernize budget 

formulation and execution, and institutionalize the 

reformed governance structure. This will be accomplished 

through improved control and accountability, more 

centralized delivery of services, and increased focus 

on the Coast Guard’s in-house financial management 

expertise.

Acquisitions

The Coast Guard 

is enhancing 

several acquisitions 

competencies 

and capabilities, 

including the ability 

to acquire complex 

systems to support 

expanding mission 

requirements. 

Historically, 

procurement policy 

and acquisitions 

management were 

split between two organizational entities within the Coast 

Guard. This resulted in a lack of standardized systems 

management doctrine, cross-directorate alignment, 

and standardized decision making tools. Additionally, 

there was no accepted doctrine for the integration of 

requirements generation, design, acquisition, sustainment, 

planned obsolescence, and planning for future 

acquisitions. In short, major systems were not managed 

from a life cycle perspective. Since 2006, the Assistant 

Commandant for Acquisitions, in concert with other 

stakeholders including in-house technical authorities, 

has developed common process, policy, structure, and 

procedures for the acquisition enterprise. The Coast 

Guard continues to build internal competencies and 

external partnerships with the Navy and American 

Bureau of Shipping, among others, to execute assetbased system acquisitions. These synergies will enhance 

the Coast Guard’s ability to acquire assets and services 

using traditional contracting, while ensuring appropriate 

oversight and direction of outside systems integrators 

when warranted. 

Information Systems Security

The Coast Guard’s reliance on network information 

systems for information flow, situational awareness, 

and command and control functions has increased 

significantly over the past decade. Despite increased 

investment in information systems security, network 

systems continue to be vulnerable. The Coast Guard will 

continue efforts to bring all information systems into 

compliance with current IT security standards. 

WORKFORCE CAPABILITIES

Competency

The Coast Guard workforce is built upon a foundation of 

close cooperation among Active duty, Reserve, Civilian, 

and Auxiliary components. However, the modern roles, 

responsibilities, and demands placed on the Coast Guard 

call for a new workforce paradigm. Coast Guard people 

demonstrate courage, devotion, and sacrifice on a daily 

basis whether rescuing victims trapped in the most 

harrowing of circumstances, inspecting commercial ships 

for safety of operation on the high seas, or preparing 

community volunteers to assist with emergency response 

efforts. Today’s demand for Coast Guard services requires 

personnel with more specialized skills to operate and 

maintain new cutters, aircraft, and small boats. Coast 

Guard recruiting and retention programs must evolve and 

remain nimble to attract and retain the best, brightest, 

and most diverse workforce to meet today and tomorrow’s 

challenges. 

22 yrs 21 yrs 20 yrs 16 yrs

WMEC 270’ MH-65C WPB 110’ MH-60J

Number shown denotes the average age of the vessel / aircraft.
Coast Guard Modernization

34 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Workplace Safety

The Coast Guard must ensure its people are able to safely 

execute operational missions. The Coast Guard trains and 

operates in an inherently 

high-risk environment that 

tests and improves skills 

and decision-making on 

a daily basis. Tragically, 

the Coast Guard lost four 

of its shipmates in 2008 

while executing higher-risk 

operational training. The 

Coast Guard’s rigorous 

investigative processes 

must be exhaustively 

thorough to identify root causes and implement tactics, 

techniques, and procedures for risk mitigation.

Diversity

It is imperative for the Coast Guard to reflect the public 

it serves. Diversity addresses not only race and gender, 

but also culture and thought. The Coast Guard workforce 

serves a diverse customer base that today operates more 

technically advanced boats, ships, and equipment than 

ever before. Whether rescuing a sail craft unstable with 

Haitian migrants, directing vessel movements in a major 

port, responding to a pre-dawn call from a distressed 

mariner, or reviewing technical ship designs, Coast Guard 

men and women must communicate effectively and clearly 

with, and gain the trust of, the public they serve. 

RECAPITALIZING ASSETS

The confluence of increasing operating tempo, aging 

assets, and fluctuating commodity prices, challenges 

the Coast Guard’s ability to efficiently recapitalize and 

sustain its air, surface, and shore assets. Outdated business 

processes further intensify these challenges. Investing in 

the sustainment and recapitalization of the most critical 

assets and modernizing Coast Guard business systems 

are vital to keep the fleet safely operating. Well planned 

investment will allow the Coast Guard to effectively 

replace those assets that have reached the end of their 

planned service lives. 

Air and Surface Fleets

The average age of the Coast Guard’s cutter and aircraft 

fleet are 30 and 22 years, respectively. Through service 

life extension programs and mission effectiveness 

maintenance programs, many ships and aircraft have 

been able to operate well beyond the end of their planned 

service lives. The cutter fleet remains one of the oldest 

among the world’s navies. For example, the Coast Guard’s 

WHEC fleet is more than 40 years old and operating well 

beyond its designed service life. Structural deterioration, 

including excessive corrosion of critical structural 

components and holes in the bulkheads, has reduced the 

watertight integrity and structural strength of the fleet. 

This deterioration has required immediate emergency 

repairs to select vessels. Although it is still operationally 

effective, the Coast Guard must continually reassess the 

readiness of the entire cutter class, and develop a plan to 

keep it operational until replacement assets come on line.

Shore Infrastructure

The Coast Guard owns or leases facilities at over 2,800 

geographic locations throughout the United States 

and its territories. Most of the shore infrastructure is 

located in the harsh coastal environment, and needs 

to be reconstructed or replaced to restore operational 

capabilities lost through years of steady deterioration. 

Many Coast Guard facilities are located at current or 

former DOD installations, some of which date from the 

World War II era. 

Even with a diligent maintenance program, shore 

facilities will degrade over time, requiring that they be 

renovated or modernized for continued service. The 

average age of the Coast Guard’s 22,000 facilities is 

43 years. Approximately 4,600, or 19 percent, of those 

facilities are more than 45 years old. The Coast Guard 

received $300M in 2008 supplemental funding and 

$88M in 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 

funding to support shore infrastructure recapitalization. 

Recapitalization of shore facilities to industry standards 

or implementation of alternative shore support solutions 

is critical for the Coast Guard to continue to achieve 

operational success.


Ellsworth Bertholf was the fi rst Coast Guard offi cer to attain fl ag rank, fi rst 

in 1911 as a Captain Commandant in the United States Revenue Cutter Service 

and later in 1915 as Commodore of the Coast Guard. He served through all grades of the 

Service, on ships stationed along various parts of the coast of the United States and Alaska, 

but is most noted for his service in connection with Alaska. 

In 1897, then First Lieutenant Ellsworth Bertholf, 

along with First Lieutenant David H. Jarvis, 

comprised the relief party that made the famous 

overland trip in mid-winter to Point Barrow, an 

epic journey that became known as the Alaska 

Overland Expedition. Congress awarded a gold 

medal to First Lieutenant Bertholf for relieving 

over two hundred American whalers in danger 

of starving when their vessels were trapped in 

the ice.

In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson merged the 

Revenue Cutter Service with the Life-Saving 

Service to form the U.S. Coast Guard, a merger 

made possible by Bertholf’s strong guidance 

and input. Captain Commandant Bertholf served 

as one of the American delegates to the International Conference on Safety at Sea held in 

London in 1912, which led to the establishment of the International Ice Patrol. In addition to 

his duties as Captain Commandant of the Coast Guard, Bertholf also served as chairman of 

the Interdepartmental Board on International Ice Observation and Patrol in the North Atlantic 

and of the Board on Anchorage and Movements of Vessels. During the First World War, 

Captain Commandant Bertholf held the temporary rank of Commodore, the fi rst offi cer of 

either the Revenue Cutter Service or Coast Guard to achieve fl ag rank.

To honor his contributions the Coast Guard named its fi rst National Security Cutter after 

Commodore Bertholf.

A Hero’s Story Ellsworth Bertholf

Strategic Priorities

Section IV

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 39

RECAPITALIZE OPERATING ASSETS AND SUSTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE .............................. 41

Recapitalize and Sustain Aging Assets

Reduce Shore Infrastructure Backlog

ENHANCE MARITIME SAFETY AND SECURITY ......................................................................... 41

Increase Marine Inspector, Investigator, and Naval Engineering Capacity

Reduce the Threat of Vessel-borne Aquatic Nuisance Species

Protect Seafarer Witnesses

Address Small Vessel Security Threats

Enhance the Biometrics at Sea Program

Enhance Armed Helicopter Capabilities

Sustain SeaHawk Charleston Interagency Operations Center

MODERNIZE BUSINESS PRACTICES .......................................................................................... 42

Continue Coast Guard Modernization

Improve Financial Management

Continue Acquisition Reform

Fortify Information Systems Security

OPTIMIZE WORKFORCE CAPACITY ........................................................................................... 43

Increase Diversity

Achieve Benefi t and Entitlement Parity with DOD

Improve Capability and Competency
Strategic Priorities

40 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

FY 2010 Strategic Priorities

Recapitalize Operating Assets and Sustain Infrastructure

Recapitalize and sustain aging assets

Reduce shore infrastructure backlog

Enhance Maritime Safety and Security

Increase marine inspector, investigator, and naval

engineering capacity 

Reduce the threat of vessel-borne aquatic nuisance 

species

Protect seafarer witnesses 

Address small vessel security threats 

Enhance the Biometrics at Sea program 

Enhance armed helicopter capabilities 

Sustain SeaHawk Charleston Interagency

Operations Center 

Modernize Business Practices

Continue Coast Guard modernization 

Improve fi nancial management

Continue acquisition reform 

Fortify information systems security

Optimize Workforce Capacity 

Increase diversity 

Achieve benefi t and entitlement parity with DOD

Improve capabilities and competency

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

The Coast Guard’s near-term resource allocation, 

legislative agenda, and strategic decisions are guided by 

a family of national strategic documents. These include 

the National Security Strategy; The National Strategy for 

Homeland Security; The National Strategy for Maritime 

Security; the DHS Strategic Plan; The U.S. Coast Guard 

Strategy for Maritime Safety, Security, and Stewardship; and

A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower. 

The Coast Guard sources to strategy. This means that 

Coast Guard resource, legislative, and strategic priorities 

stem from, and align with, guiding strategies. In FY 

2010, the Coast Guard will reach across the authorities, 

competencies, capabilities, and partnership spectrum to 

address a wide variety of risks in the maritime domain. 

This section provides an overview of the Coast Guard’s 

FY 2010 resource, legislative, and strategic priorities and 

specific actions to address each. Additional details can be 

found in the Budget in Brief beginning on page 45. 
Strategic Priorities

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 41

RECAPITALIZE OPERATING ASSETS 

AND SUSTAIN INFRASTRUCTURE

Recapitalize and Sustain Aging Assets

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks funding to 

continue critical recapitalization of its aging assets and 

acquisition of new assets. This funding will support 

acquisition of Deepwater surface assets such as the 

National Security Cutter, the Fast Response Cutter, and 

the Offshore Patrol Cutter, as well as enhancements to 

the Coast Guard’s Medium Endurance Cutters and Patrol 

Boats. This 

funding will 

also support 

acquisition of 

Deepwater air 

assets such as 

the HC-144A 

Maritime 

Patrol Aircraft, 

conversion 

of HH-65 

helicopters, sustainment of HH-60 helicopters, and 

upgrades for the Coast Guard’s HC-130J aircraft. 

Reduce Shore Infrastructure Backlog

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks funding to address 

the most pressing shore infrastructure needs. Building 

on funds provided in 2008 supplemental appropriations 

and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 

2009, the Coast Guard will prepare capital requirements 

to recapitalize shore infrastructure that supports mission 

execution. This combined funding will also support 

repairs, rebuilding, renovation, alterations, improvement, 

and other services provided by the Coast Guard’s civil 

engineering program.

ENHANCE MARITIME SAFETY AND 

SECURITY

Increase Marine Inspector, Investigator, and Naval 

Engineering Capacity

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks funding to 

improve Marine Safety mission effectiveness in support 

of the Marine Safety Performance Plan. This funding 

will support additional personnel such as investigating 

officers, marine inspectors, and engineers, staff for the 

Steam and Vintage Vessels Center of Expertise, as well 

as expanded training curricula at the Marine Safety 

School in Yorktown, VA. This will help reduce existing 

gaps between workforce size and industry growth while 

expanding inspection, investigation, planning, and 

oversight capacity. 

Reduce the Threat of Vessel-borne Aquatic Nuisance 

Species 

The Coast Guard will continue efforts to establish an 

environmentally sound, uniform national ballast water 

treatment regime that will foster the development of 

treatment technologies to meet and, ultimately, exceed 

IMO ballast water treatment standards. The Coast Guard 

will also continue efforts to reduce the risk of introducing 

aquatic nuisance species by vessel sources other than 

ballast water (e.g., vessel hulls, anchors, and equipment).

Protect Seafarer Witnesses

Seafarers who witness environmental crimes, as well as 

those seafarers who are abandoned outright for purely 

financial reasons, must be protected. The successful 

prosecution of maritime environmental crimes frequently 

depends on the availability of foreign seafarers who 

witness the offense. Vessel owners and operators often 

threaten to abandon seafarers in the United States to 

limit their availability as witnesses. Separately, adverse 

economic circumstances sometimes cause vessel owners 

and operators to abandon crews in the United States. 

Address Small Vessel Security Threats

Within existing resources, the Coast Guard will 

continue supporting DHS efforts to develop a unified 

framework for small vessel security. These efforts aim 

to balance maritime commerce and security so small 

vessel operators can continue to earn a living, travel, and 

engage in recreation as improved security measures are 

implemented.
Strategic Priorities

42 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Enhance the Biometrics at Sea Program

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks funding to 

enhance the Biometrics At Sea System (BASS) program. 

Built upon a successful proof of concept in the Mona 

Pass, Coast Guard boarding teams use this program to 

identify migrants attempting to enter the United States 

illegally. Since implementation of BASS capability, 

illegal Dominican flow across the Mona Pass is down 

nearly 75 percent from the prior two years and over 150 

smugglers have been convicted. Without biometrics, these 

individuals would have simply been repatriated to their 

respective countries with no punishment or deterrence 

from making future attempts. 

Enhance Armed Helicopter Capabilities

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks funding to provide 

upgrades to the Coast Guard’s Helicopter Interdiction 

Tactical Squadron (HITRON), located in Jacksonville, 

FL. This initiative will enhance the effectiveness of the 

maritime law enforcement mission—specifically drug 

interdiction—by providing additional support assets 

required by HITRON helicopters and aircrews to meet 

operational demands. This additional capability will 

significantly improve the Coast Guard’s ability to deter 

drug trafficking and other maritime threats, and will play 

a vital role in establishing an integrated border security 

system.

Sustain SeaHawk Charleston Interagency Operations 

Center

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks funding to 

support continued operation of Project SeaHawk in 

Charleston, SC. SeaHawk is a prototype interagency 

operations center originally 

established and administered 

by the Department of Justice 

and scheduled to transfer to 

DHS in FY 2010. SeaHawk 

provides a collaborative, 

unified command-based work 

environment to coordinate 

vessel and intermodal 

transportation screening 

and targeting in the Port 

of Charleston. SeaHawk, 

in cooperation with Sector 

Charleston, will serve as the location for prototype testing 

of WatchKeeper, a potential enterprise-wide solution for 

managing and sharing information for port security. 

MODERNIZE BUSINESS PRACTICES

Continue Coast Guard Modernization

The Coast Guard will continue modernizing its legacy 

command and control structures, support systems, 

and business practices to meet the challenges of the 

21st century. Modernization will improve sustainable 

mission execution by standardizing and aligning business 

processes within the Coast Guard and DHS. The Coast 

Guard recently established six Logistics and Service 

Centers to provide 24-hour customer service, technical 

support, and assistance for all maintenance, logistics, 

and supply matters that go beyond the expertise of the 

field unit. In FY 2010, the Coast Guard will continue 

alignment of its command and control, support, and 

business organizations. The Coast Guard will also seek 

legislative authority to complete projected realignment of 

senior leadership positions that are currently statutorily 

prescribed. 

Improve Financial Management

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks funding 

to improve its financial management structure by 

implementing the Financial Strategy for Transformation 

and Audit Readiness (FSTAR). FSTAR is a multi-year 

plan to remedy the Coast Guard’s material weaknesses 

and produce auditable financial statements. This funding 

will support critical modernization of the Coast Guard’s 

financial management structure including business 

processes, internal controls, information technology 

systems, and human resources. This effort will improve 

the Service’s financial accountability by strengthening 

the link between mission performance and budget, 
Strategic Priorities

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 43

and ensuring compliance with the DHS Financial 

Accountability Act and other statutory mandates. 

Continue Acquisition Reform

The President’s FY 2010 Budget will support Coast 

Guard efforts to implement its Blueprint for Acquisition 

Reform. In May 2006, the Coast Guard began a top-down 

review of acquisition structures and processes. Since 

that time, the Assistant Commandant for Acquisitions 

has developed common process, policy, structure, and 

procedures for the Service acquisition enterprise. As 

a result of these efforts, the Coast Guard formally 

established a newly unified Acquisition Directorate 

in July 2007. The resulting synergies have enhanced 

overall competency, capacity, and innovation of the Coast 

Guard to acquire assets and services using traditional 

contracting, while ensuring appropriate oversight and 

contract management. The Acquisition Directorate 

achieved full operating capacity in late 2008, and the 

Coast Guard has assumed the lead system integration role 

for major asset recapitalization efforts.

Fortify Information Systems Security

Within existing resources, the Coast Guard will 

continue efforts to fully comply with DHS, Director 

of National Intelligence, and Federal Information 

Security Management Act intelligence systems security 

requirements. The Coast Guard will also support DHS’ 

cyber security planning and implementation efforts. These 

efforts require an understanding of the full spectrum of 

current and future threats to Coast Guard information 

systems.

OPTIMIZE WORKFORCE CAPACITY 

Increase Diversity

The Coast 

Guard 

workforce 

must be 

representative 

of the public 

that it serves. 

The Coast 

Guard will 

reexamine 

its existing 

recruiting 

strategies and 

explore new 

ways to increase its diversity. Some emerging methods 

include using social media to connect with younger 

generations and solidifying relationships with universities 

and affinity groups. Throughout FY 2010, the Coast 

Guard will reclassify its College Pre-Commissioning 

Program policy to focus on minority serving institutions, 

and further its partnerships with urban community 

colleges and maritime high schools.

Achieve Benefi t and Entitlement Parity with DOD

As a branch of the Armed Forces, many of the Coast 

Guard’s entitlements and benefits come from DOD’s 

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). For 

example, authority for the military base pay raise, 

basic allowance for housing, leave entitlements, sea pay, 

hazardous duty pay, child care, health care benefits for 

dependents, and retired pay are all included in the NDAA. 

The President’s FY 2010 Budget provides funding for 

these initiatives and benefits which are critical to taking 

care of our military workforce and their families, and 

maintaining compensation parity with DOD. 

Improve Capability and Competency

The President’s FY 2010 Budget seeks additional 

capability to meet mission demands associated with 

growth of the MTS, threats to maritime security, disaster 

readiness and response, and regulatory and statutory 

enforcement requirements. The Coast Guard’s future 

success hinges upon its ability to develop a dynamic 

human resources system that anticipates organizational 

needs and has the agility and flexibility to react to a 

constantly changing environment. 
A vessel examination team from Sector Juneau and the Petersburg-based Coast Guard 

Cutter ANACAPA receive instructions prior to conducting a port state control exam on a 

cargo vessel in Hawk Inlet, Alaska in August 2008.
Budget in Brief

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 45

FISCAL YEAR 2010 INITIATIVES .................................................................................................. 46

Recapitalizing Operating Assets and Sustaining Infrastructure

Enhancing Maritime Safety and Security

Modernizing Business Practices

FISCAL YEAR 2010 REINVESTMENTS ........................................................................................ 47

LORAN-C Termination

FISCAL YEAR 2010 APPROPRIATION SUMMARY ..................................................................... 47

APPROPRIATION DETAILS .......................................................................................................... 49

Operating Expenses (OE)

Environmental Compliance and Restoration (EC&R)

Reserve Training

Acquisition, Construction, and Improvements (AC&I)

Alteration of Bridges

Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E)

Health Care Fund Contribution (HFC)

Retired Pay

Boating Safety

Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF)
Budget in Brief

46 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

FISCAL YEAR 2010 INITIATIVES 

The Coast Guard’s FY 2010 budget request sustains 

service delivery and continues critical recapitalization 

efforts. The initiatives focus on three key strategic areas: 

recapitalizing operating assets and sustaining infrastructure, 

enhancing maritime safety and security, and modernizing 

business practices.

Recapitalizing Operating Assets and Sustaining 

Infrastructure

Deepwater - Surface Assets

$591.4M (50 Full-Time Equivalents (FTE)) 

The President’s Budget requests $591.4M for the 

following surface asset recapitalization or enhancement 

initiatives: completion of National Security Cutter #4; 

continued analysis and design for the Offshore Patrol 

Cutter (OPC); production of Fast Response Cutters 

#5-#8; production of Deepwater Cutter Small Boats; 

and crucial operational enhancement of five Medium 

Endurance Cutters and three 110-foot Patrol Boats at 

the Coast Guard Yard through the Mission Effectiveness 

Program. 

Deepwater - Air Assets

$305.5M (0 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $305.5M for the 

following air asset recapitalization or enhancement 

initiatives: delivery of HC-144A Maritime Patrol Aircraft 

#13-#14; HH-60 engine sustainment and avionics, 

wiring, and sensor upgrades for eight aircraft; HH-65 

conversion to modernized components, cockpit, and 

enhanced interoperability for 22 aircraft; and HC-130H 

avionics and sensor upgrades for eight aircraft, as well as 

four center wing box replacements.

Deepwater - Other

$154.6M (0 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $154.6M for the 

following equipment and services: Government Program 

Management funds for critical oversight and contract 

management; Systems Engineering and Integration 

funds for continued integration of complex and diverse 

technical configurations for all projects; continued 

development of logistics capability and facility upgrades 

at shore sites where new assets will be homeported; 

upgrades to command, control, communications, 

computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance 

(C4ISR) items; and prevention of asset obsolescence by 

replacing aging technology.

Response Boat Medium (RB-M)

$103M (0 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $103M to order 30 boats 

to replace the aging 41-foot utility boat and other nonstandard boats with an asset more capable of meeting the 

Coast Guard’s multi-mission requirements. 

Rescue 21

$117M (0 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $117M for California 

and New England Sectors to receive Rescue 21 capability, 

and continued development of Great Lakes, Hawaii, 

Guam, and Puerto Rico Sectors. 

Shore Facilities and ATON Recap Projects

$10M (0 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $10M to support 

shore facility and ATON recapitalization. The Coast 

Guard received $88M from Recovery Act funding for 

shore projects. The Coast Guard occupies more than 

22,000 shore facilities with a replacement value of 

approximately $7.4B. FY 2010 funding supports $6M 

for Survey and Design (planning and engineering of 

outyear shore projects) and $4M for ATON infrastructure 

(improvements to short-range aids and infrastructure). 

Enhancing Maritime Safety and Security

Marine Safety Program

$7.5M (37 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $7.5M to support 74 

additional personnel including marine inspectors and 

investigating officers at field units, marine inspector 

training officers at feeder ports, staffing for the Steam 

and Vintage Vessels Center of Expertise, engineers for 

standards development and review, and expanded training 

curricula at the Marine Safety School in Yorktown, VA.

Armed Helicopters Enhancement

$0.845M (7 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $845K for 14 gunners 

to support an additional 450 armed deployed days away 

from home station (DDAS), increasing the total DDAS to 

1,450. This additional capability will significantly improve 

the Coast Guard’s ability to deter drug trafficking and 

maritime threats, and will play a vital role in establishing 

an integrated, interoperable border security system. 
Budget in Brief

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 47

Biometrics at Sea System

$1.183M (1 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $1.183M to purchase 

equipment and provide maintenance on 18 cutters 

currently operating the Biometrics at Sea system (BASS), 

as well as engineering development and program 

management. BASS enables Coast Guard personnel to 

identify dangerous individuals documented in the U.S. 

Visitor and Immigration Status Indicator Technology 

(US-VISIT) database including known felons, those under 

deportation orders, and those on a terrorist watchlist. 

With a nearly 75 percent reduction in undocumented 

migrant flow from the Dominican Republic, the BASS 

pilot program demonstrated its effectiveness in deterring 

attempts by undocumented migrants to enter the United 

States illegally.

SeaHawk Charleston IOC Sustainment

$1.088M (1 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $1.088M to fund 

SeaHawk Charleston. SeaHawk is a multi-agency 

collaborative, unified command-based work environment 

with the cooperative and complementary capabilities of 

an intelligence cell. Members include the Federal Bureau 

of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, Coast 

Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and 

Customs Enforcement, and other Federal, state, and local 

agencies. 

Modernizing Business Practices

Financial Management Oversight

$20M (44 FTE) 

The President’s Budget requests $20M to support 

critical modernization of the Coast Guard’s financial 

management structure, which includes processes, internal 

controls, IT systems, and human resources. The goals 

of this transformation are to improve the Service’s 

ability to link mission performance to budget and ensure 

compliance with the DHS Financial Accountability Act. 

Financial management modernization will create an 

environment for a sustainable clean audit opinion on 

annual financial statements.

FISCAL YEAR 2010 REINVESTMENTS

The Coast Guard’s FY 2010 budget request creates 

efficiencies which shift resources to support new assets 

scheduled for delivery in FY 2010, and to offset required 

annualizations for FY 2009 program initiatives. 

Reinvestments

(88.4M) (399 Full-Time Positions (FTP))

FY 2010 savings include:

Termination of FY 2009 one-time costs ................($32.7M)

Decommissioning of four aging aircraft ................($11.2M)

Annualization of FY 2009 management of

technology efficiencies ............................................. ($4.9M)

LORAN-C termination ..................................................($36M)

OSC Martinsburg earmark reduction ....................... ($3.6M)

LORAN-C Termination

As a result of technological advancements over the 

last 20 years and the emergence of the U.S. Global 

Positioning System (GPS), LORAN-C is no longer 

required by the Armed Forces, the transportation sector, 

or the Nation’s security interests. The LORAN-C 

system was not established as or intended to be a viable 

backup for GPS. Consistent with the Administration’s 

pledge to eliminate unnecessary Federal programs and 

systems, Federal broadcast of the LORAN-C signal will 

be terminated in FY 2010 after satisfying domestic and 

international notification obligations. The Coast Guard 

will systematically close, harden, and de-staff its 24 

LORAN-C stations and associated support units. 

Termination of LORAN-C will result in a savings of 

$36M in FY 2010 and $190M over five years. In total, 

293 FTP associated with LORAN-C will be eliminated 

during the fiscal year and military personnel will be 

reassigned to other missions. 

FISCAL YEAR 2010 APPROPRIATION 

SUMMARY

Table 1, on page 48, is a summary by appropriation of 

the President’s FY 2010 budget request for the Coast 

Guard. Additional details are listed for each appropriation. 

Because of the Coast Guard’s multi-mission character, 

funding is not appropriated by its 11 missions. Instead, 

the substantial portion of discretionary funding is 

appropriated for Coast Guard “Operating Expenses,” 

which supports all Coast Guard missions. Table 2, on 

page 48, provides an estimation of the FY 2008 – FY 

2010 budgets by mission. 
Budget in Brief

48 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Table 1: Appropriation Summary

Table 2: FY 2010 Budget Authority—Breakout by Mission1

1

The Coast Guard budgets by Congressionally established Appropriations (see Table 1) rather than Mission Programs. In 

order to display budget allocated by Mission program, we use an activity-based cost model that averages past expenditures 

to forecast future spending. The FY 2008 and FY 2009 funding amounts are revised from the estimates previously reported. 

Actual FY 2010 expenditures may vary.
Budget in Brief

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 49

APPROPRIATION DETAILS

Operating Expenses (OE)

Actual, FY 2008 .........................................................$6,109,655

Appropriation, FY 2009 ...........................................$6,194,925

Budget estimate, FY 2010 .......................................$6,556,188

Change from FY 2009 .......................................$361,263

Appropriation Description

The OE appropriation provides funding for the operation 

and maintenance of multipurpose vessels, aircraft, and 

shore units strategically located along the coasts and 

inland waterways of the United States and in selected 

areas overseas. This is the primary appropriation 

financing operational activities of the Coast Guard. Table 

3, on page 51, provides a detailed breakdown of FY 2009 

to FY 2010 budget changes for the OE appropriation. 

Environmental Compliance and Restoration (EC&R)

Actual, FY 2008 .............................................................. $12,420

Appropriation, FY 2009 ................................................ $13,000

Budget estimate, FY 2010 ............................................ $13,198

Change from FY 2009 ...............................................$198

Appropriation Description

The Environmental Compliance and Restoration 

appropriation assists in bringing Coast Guard facilities 

into compliance with applicable Federal and state 

environmental regulations; conducting facilities response 

plans; developing pollution and hazardous waste 

minimization strategies; and conducting environmental 

assessments. These funds permit the continuation 

of a service-wide program to correct environmental 

problems, such as major improvements to storage tanks 

containing petroleum and regulated substances. The 

program addresses Coast Guard facilities and third-party 

sites where Coast Guard activities have contributed to 

environmental concerns. 

Reserve Training

Actual, FY 2008 ............................................................$126,294

Appropriation, FY 2009 ..............................................$130,501

Budget estimate, FY 2010 ..........................................$133,632

Change from FY 2009 ............................................$3,131

Appropriation Description

The Reserve Training appropriation provides for the 

training of qualified individuals who are available for 

active duty in time of war or national emergency or to 

augment regular Coast Guard forces in the performance 

of peacetime missions. Program activities fall into the 

following categories:

Pay, Benefits, and Allowances – Funds the costs associated 

with salaries, benefits, and other compensation for 

full-time staff that support members of the Selected 

Reserve.

Operations, Maintenance, and Administration – Funds the 

costs related to training Reservists, administering the 

Reserve program, and the portion of organizational 

costs shared by the Reserve Training appropriation for 

the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the Coast 

Guard Reserve program.

Acquisition, Construction, and Improvements (AC&I)

Actual, FY 2008 .........................................................$1,111,210

Appropriation, FY 2009 ...........................................$1,474,576

Budget estimate, FY 2010 .......................................$1,383,980

Change from FY 2009 ........................................($90,596)

Appropriation Description

The Acquisition, Construction, and Improvements 

appropriation finances the acquisition of new capital 

assets, construction of new facilities, and physical 

improvements to existing facilities and assets. The 

appropriation covers Coast Guard-owned and operated 

vessels, aircraft, shore facilities, and other equipment such 

as computer systems and personnel needed to manage 

acquisition activities.

Table 4, on page 52, provides a detailed breakout of the 

Coast Guard’s five-year Capital Investment Plan.

Alteration of Bridges

Actual, FY 2008 .............................................................. $17,326

Appropriation, FY 2009 ................................................ $16,000

Budget estimate, FY 2010 ...................................................... $0

Change from FY 2009 ........................................($16,000)

Appropriation Description

The alteration of unreasonably obstructive bridges 

ensures navigational safety and freedom of mobility 

to facilitate commerce, emergency response, and U.S. 

Government operations, by providing sufficient clearances 

for the type of vessels that transit through the bridge. 

These alterations reduce the risk of fatalities and 

collisions, prevent longer transit times, facilitate response 

capabilities for emergency vessels and U.S. Government 
Budget in Brief

50 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

vessels, and deter increased waterway, highway, and 

railway closures due to accidents. 

Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E)

Actual, FY 2008 ............................................................$190,989

Appropriation, FY 2009 ................................................ $18,000

Budget estimate, FY 2010 ............................................ $19,745

Change from FY 2009 ............................................$1,745

Appropriation Description

Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation funding 

allows the Coast Guard to sustain and enhance 

mission performance through applied research and 

development conducted at the Coast Guard’s Research 

and Development Center in Groton, CT, as well as 

through partnerships with DHS and DOD. RDT&E 

funding supports all 11 statutorily-mandated Coast Guard 

missions. These missions in turn directly support the 

Coast Guard’s role as the principal Federal agency for 

ensuring maritime safety, security, and stewardship.

Health Care Fund Contribution (HFC)

Actual, FY 2008 ............................................................$272,111

Appropriation, FY 2009 ..............................................$257,305

Budget estimate, FY 2010 ..........................................$266,006

Change from FY 2009 ............................................$8,701

Appropriation Description

The Medicare-Eligible Retiree Healthcare Fund 

Contribution provides funding to maintain the cost of 

accruing the military Medicare-eligible health benefit 

contributions to the DOD Medicare-Eligible Retiree 

Health Care Fund. Contributions are for future Medicareeligible retirees currently serving on active duty in the 

Coast Guard, retiree dependents, and their potential 

survivors. The authority for the Coast Guard to make 

this payment on an annual basis was provided in the 2005 

Defense Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-375). While this 

expenditure requires no annual action by Congress, it is 

considered discretionary spending.

Retired Pay

Actual, FY 2008 .........................................................$1,164,480

Appropriation, FY 2009 ...........................................$1,236,745

Budget estimate, FY 2010 .......................................$1,361,245

Change from FY 2009 .......................................$124,500

Appropriation Description

The Retired Pay appropriation provides payments 

as identified under the Retired Serviceman’s Family 

Protection and Survivor Benefits Plans, as well as other 

retired personnel entitlements identified under the 

National Defense Authorization Act. It also provides 

payments for medical care of retired personnel and their 

dependents.

Boating Safety

Actual, FY 2008 ............................................................$109,899

Appropriation, FY 2009 ..............................................$133,552

Budget estimate, FY 2010 ..........................................$130,589

Change from FY 2009 ..........................................($2,963)

Appropriation Description

The Boating Safety appropriation funds the Coast Guard’s 

Boating Safety program. This program minimizes loss of 

life, personal injury, property damage, and environmental 

impact associated with the use of recreational boats. In 

its role as the designated National Recreational Boating 

Safety Program Coordinator, the Coast Guard manages 

dedicated user fee funding to support the National 

Recreational Boating Safety Program provided from the 

Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. Under 

the provisions of the Sportfishing and Recreational 

Boating Safety Act of 2005 (Subtitle A, Title X, P.L. 109-

59), the Coast Guard receives a percentage distribution 

of total trust fund receipts from the preceding fiscal year, 

and a portion of the funds drawn out of the Boating 

Safety Account of the trust fund. 

Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund (OSLTF)

Actual, FY 2008 .............................................................. $91,069

Appropriation, FY 2009 ..............................................$149,095

Budget estimate, FY 2010 ............................................ $91,000

Change from FY 2009 ........................................($58,095)

Appropriation Description

The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund provides a source of 

funds for removal costs and damages resulting from oil 

spills, or the substantial threat of a spill, into navigable 

waters of the U.S. In accordance with the provisions of 

the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), the President 

may make available up to $50 million annually from the 

fund for oil spill removal activities. The fund supports the 

Coast Guard’s stewardship role by providing payment for 

all valid claims for removal costs and damages including 

claims for natural resource damages resulting from oil 

spills.
Budget in Brief

U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement • 51

Table 3: Operating Expenses (OE) FY 2010 (“OE Waterfall”)

* 168 FTE/FTP Public Health Service (PHS) offi cers were removed from the FY 2009 enacted presentation 

to properly document the arrangement per OMB A-11 Section 85.7; Department of Health and Human 

Services (HHS) is the servicing account in the reimbursable FTE arrangement with the Coast Guard.
Budget in Brief

52 • U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement

Table 4: Acquisition, Construction, and Improvements (AC&I) Five Year Capital Investment Plan (CIP)

* Polar icebreaker sustainment is not a Deepwater program but is displayed to align with the FY 

2009 Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, P.L. 110-329.
Personnel from the First Coast Guard District and Sector Southeastern New England 

demonstrate how an oil-skimming, fast sweep boom is infl ated during an oil spill 

exercise aboard the Coast Guard Cutter JUNIPER in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island 

in August, 2008.
Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) Defender class response boats escort a 

U.S. Navy submarine into Apra Harbor, Guam.


A Coast Guard rescue swimmer from Air Station Traverse City radios to a helicopter 

during a search and rescue case after fl ooding of the Red River in Fargo, North 

Dakota in March 2009.
4 .................................................. AETC William Greer

9 .................................................. AMT1 Chris Caskey

9 .................................................. PA3 David Martin

9 .................................................. Auxiliarist Charles Stevens

12 .................................................. MSSE2 Scott Gradel

16 .................................................. AETC William Greer

17 .................................................. Auxiliarist Charles Stevens

17 .................................................. OSC Matthew Greiner

17 .................................................. LT Dave Hall

25 .................................................. BMCS Timothy Sullivan

28 .................................................. AETC William Greer

30 .................................................. BM1 Thomas D’Amore

31 .................................................. MKC Alaun Buckley

31 .................................................. GM1 Don Fitzpatrick

31 .................................................. Auxiliarist Ken Stroebel

36 .................................................. SN Adam Costa

39 .................................................. Auxiliarist David A. Smith

39 .................................................. LT David McCown

45 .................................................. LT Matthew Udkow

45 .................................................. PA2 Thomas Blue

54-55 .................................................. OSC Joel Ware

58-59 .................................................. AET2 Adam Morehouse

Photo Contest Credits

Page Number Photographer
“The Guardian Ethos”

I am America’s Maritime Guardian.

I serve the citizens of the United States.

I will protect them.

I will defend them.

I will save them.

I am their Shield.

For them I am Semper Paratus.

I live the Coast Guard Core Values.

I am a Guardian.

We are the United States Coast Guard.
For information about joining the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve

call 1-877-NOW-USCG or visit www.gocoastguard.com

The FY 2010 Posture Statement and FY 2008 Performance Report

can be viewed at www.uscg.mil/comdt.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this publication,

please contact the Coast Guard Offi ce of Budget and Programs (CG-82)

at 202-372-3500 or via e-mail at CG82@uscg.mil.

Photo courtesy of Ted Carlson.