Bob Papp News

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. has appointed Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., U. S. Coast Guard (Retired), as President of Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc., Washington Operations. Admiral Papp served as an Officer in the Coast Guard for nearly 40 years, completing his career as the 24th Commandant of the U. S. Coast Guard from 2010 to 2014. The Coast Guard is the largest component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He was a career cutterman, serving in six cutters, commanding four of them, including the Coast Guard’s square rigged sailing ship, USCG Barque EAGLE. As a flag officer, Admiral Papp served as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area…

The National Coast Guard Museum Association, Inc. presented the 2016 Alexander Hamilton Award to Coast Guard veteran and founder of J.D. Power and Associates, Inc., J. David Power III, who served as an officer aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker EASTWIND during the mid-1950s. Power was honored in recognition of his years of outstanding service in support of the National Coast Guard Museum. Powers has spent almost 50 years as a pioneer in studying consumer opinions, with 40 years as founder of what has become one of the most prestigious marketing information companies in the world, J.D.

Rail transport activists, analysts and environmentalists get a real taste of what the waterfront has endured for decades. They’ll just have to get in line with the rest of us. This week finds the collective domestic oil industry wringing its hands about the latest in a series of serious oil transport train casualties. This time, on Monday, the news involved a crude-carrying train that derailed in West Virginia, complete with more than one dozen tank cars afire and necessitating the evacuation of nearby towns. Just before that, another train in Canada consisting of about 100 tank cars carrying crude oil derailed in remote Ontario and suffered a similar fate. Both events naturally caught the attention of environmental and safety activists and oil industry analysts.

Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton, the first national security cutter homeported on the East Coast, entered into active service today at Union Pier Terminal in downtown Charleston. The commissioning ceremony for the Coast Guard’s largest and newest 418-foot cutter was presided by Vice Adm. William “Dean” Lee, Coast Guard Atlantic Area commander. Commandant of the Coast Guard, Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, delivered the keynote address. “Together with my shipmates, we’re beginning the most important milestones in the life of a cutter,” said Capt. Doug Fears, Hamilton’s commanding officer and the most senior member of the crew. While being “new” to the Coast Guard is the highlight of the ceremony, Cutter Hamilton’s most enthusiastic crewmembers are just as new to the Coast Guard.

Adm. Paul F. Zukunft assumed command as the 25th commandant of the Coast Guard today, relieving Adm. Bob Papp during a military ceremony at the Douglas A. Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building. “Adm. Papp’s leadership and resolve have left an indelible mark on the service,” said Zukunft. “To the men and women of the Coast Guard, I'm humbled to stand before you as your 25th Commandant," said Zukunft. Adm. Zukunft reports to Coast Guard Headquarters from Alameda, Calif., where he served as the Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander since 2012.

U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger relieved Vice Adm. John Currier as Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard during a change of watch ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C., Tuesday. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp presided over the ceremony and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson attended. “It has been my honor to serve our nation as the vice commandant,” said Currier. The change-of-watch ceremony is a time-honored event preserved by rich heritage of naval tradition.

With Coast Guard Cutter Eagle dressed overall as a backdrop, notables including Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp, broke the ground for construction of the future National Coast Guard Museum. Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy, City of New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio, Vice President of Cross Sound Ferry Adam Wronowski, Connecticut Gov. Daniel Malloy and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp dip their shovels into the soil, signifying the beginning of what will be a tremendous physical transformation to the New London waterfront area, where the future National Coast Guard Museum will be built (See photograph).

The Ancient Mariner title established in 1978 recognizes the officer and enlisted person with the earliest designation as a permanent cutterman and requires a minimum of ten years of sea time. A change-of-watch ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard Gold and Silver Ancient Mariners is scheduled to take place aboard Barque'Eagle at 10 a.m. Friday, May 2, 2014. The Gold (Officer) Ancient Mariner designation will pass from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp to Rear Adm. Fred Midgette, and the Silver (Enlisted) Ancient Mariner designation held by Master Chief Petty Officer Lloyd Pierce will pass to Master Chief Petty Officer Steven Cantrell. Adm. Papp became the Gold Ancient Mariner April 27, 2007, and Master Chief Petty Officer Pierce received his designation on August 19, 2011.

The numerous cutters and craft of the U.S. Coast Guard —from the sail training ship Eagle to the large oceangoing patrol ships; from polar icebrakers to small utility boats — form a formidable fleet to meet the many challenging assignments undertaken by the service. In 2014 the Coast Guard continues its recapitalization program with its National Security Cutter (NSC), Fast Response Cutter (FPC) and Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC). The service plans to procure 91 cutters (8 NSCs, 25 OPCs and 58 FRCs) to replace are 90 aging cutters and patrol boats. According to a Feb.

Ebeneezer Scrooge would be proud. This is our annual United States Coast Guard edition, and it could best be dubbed the “Christmas Carol” edition as we examine USCG Past, USCG Present and USCG Future. First looking back (but not too far back), and in step with our continued celebration of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News’ 75th Anniversary, Patricia Keefe takes an insightful look at the times, tribulations, leadership and legacy of Thad Allen, past Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Jeh Charles Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security, announced on February 28th that Paul F. Zukunft has been nominated by President Obama to be the 25th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. His nomination requires Senate confirmation. Johnson said last Friday, "I am proud to announce President Obama's intent to nominate Vice Admiral Paul F. Zukunft as the 25th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Since I became Secretary, I have had the opportunity to get to know Vice Admiral Zukunft, and if confirmed he will be a great leader for the future of the Coast Guard. As a 37 year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, he has demonstrated this leadership while serving in a number of different capacities, including coordinating federal response to the Deepwater Horizon Spill.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp delivered his final State of the Coast Guard address at Coast Guard Headquarters, St. Elizabeths Campus, Washington, D.C., Wednesday. Papp provided an overview of programs and issues of the last four years and also looked ahead to what the Coast Guard may face in the future. Papp mentioned progress in the Coast guard’s improvement of its sexual assault prevention and response program, citing the commitment of $5 million and 32 military and civilian billets to the effort and the creation of the Special Victims Counsel…

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Commandant Adm. Bob Papp will deliver the 2014 State of the Coast Guard Address Feb. 26, 2014, in the Cdr. Raymond J. "Ray" Evans Conference Center at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, beginning at 10:30 a.m. In what will be his final State of the Coast Guard Address, Adm. Papp will provide a current overview of the service and outline priorities for the years ahead. uscgnews.com

Acquisition Update: U.S. Coast Guard Awards Three Contracts for Offshore Patrol Cutter Preliminary and Contract Design. In a process that has come a long way since the early days of the Coast Guard's so-called "Deepwater" recapitalization efforts, the U.S. Coast Guard yesterday awarded three firm fixed-price contracts for preliminary and contract design (P&CD) for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) acquisition project. The contracts were awarded to Bollinger Shipyards Lockport LLC (Lockport, La.), Eastern Shipbuilding Group Inc. (Panama City, Fla.) and General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works (Bath, Maine). The total value of the award is approximately $65 million.

The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Bob Papp, Jr. spoke of the Arctic as an emerging frontier during the 2013 State of the Coast Guard Address in February 2013. He said, “… one example of what our future holds can be seen in the emerging frontier of the Arctic, where there is a new ocean appearing. In September 2012, we observed the lowest sea ice extent in recorded history, and there are vast areas of open water where there used to be ice…As the receding ice increasingly gives way to commercial ventures…

At the United States Coast Guard Academy, hundreds of cadets funneled from the bitter January cold into Leamy Hall to hear a personal address from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp, and this year to hear a different sort of speech. “This year, I don’t have a formal speech prepared for you,” said Adm. Papp. “I thought tonight, rather than talking about lofty ideas and theoretical leadership, I’d talk about some practical matters to consider. Adm. Papp proceeded to take the cadets on a virtual journey through his career…

The U.S Coast Guard christened its fourth National Security Cutter Saturday, during a ceremony at Ingalls Shipyards in Pascagoula, Miss. The cutter's sponsor, Linda Kapral Papp, led the time-honored tradition of breaking a champagne bottle on the cutter's bow, officially giving the cutter the name Hamilton. She was accompanied by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp, who was the keynote speaker for the event. "A ship's sponsor is considered a permanent part of the ship's crew and an advocate for its continued service and well-being," said Linda Kapral Papp. The Hamilton was named after Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury and the driving force behind the establishment of the Revenue Cutter Service, a precursor to the modern U.S. Coast Guard.

The U.S. Coast Guard continues to expand U.S. ties to Vietnam with a visit by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp, who became the first Commandant to visit as part of an official international outreach initiative. Over the past three years, the Coast Guard, in close coordination with the Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, has been helping Vietnam to build their maritime governance capacity by providing training assistance to the Vietnam Marine Police. The VMP is a “Coast Guard-like” maritime law enforcement component within their Ministry of Defense…

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp announced Monday that the service has reactivated High Year Tenure to address delayed opportunities for enlisted advancement. The decision to reactivate High Year Tenure was motivated by personnel retention rates of more than 94%, waiting periods of more than three years for “A” Schools for most enlisted ratings, a slowdown in enlisted advancement, and a reduction in enlisted billets during past fiscal year due to budget constraints. "This…

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp testifies before two U.S. House of Representatives sub-committees on the USCG Fiscal Year 2014 budget request. At both hearings the Commandant led his opening statement with a message of condolence to the victims of the terrorism attack in Boston, and described the Coast Guard’s active role in the response. In his written testimony the Commandant stated: “Every day the Coast Guard acts to prevent and respond to an array of threats that, if left unchecked…

Uncharted Ice: The U.S. Coast Guard's New Arctic Strategy. U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Bob Papp today revealed the nation's and the Coast Guard's blueprint for Arctic strategy. Long awaited, today's speech at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, D.C., given in conjunction with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, lays out the way forward for maritime stakeholders in the Arctic. The 10-year strategy outlines the service’s pursuit of three main objectives: improving awareness…

The Coast Guard World War Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery was dedicated May 23, 1928, as a tribute to the Coast Guardsmen who lost their lives in World War I. During the past year, the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Chief Petty Officer Association led a collaborative effort of 37 chapters nationwide in raising nearly $144,000 to restore the monument. In addition to a full restoration, the CPOA will be able to establish a trust in association with the Coast Guard Foundation to ensure the memorial's future professional maintenance. Who: Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Where: Coast Guard World War Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. Enter Arlington national Cemetery through the South Gate. Parking is available onsite.

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp has spent a week in Alaska, underscoring the importance of establishing and maintaining a range of Arctic partnerships. Despite snowfall in the North Slope of Alaska last week and cooler than average temperatures all summer, Arctic sea ice extent tracked well below average again this year. This ongoing transformation of the Arctic Ocean from a solid expanse of inaccessible ice fields into an emerging maritime frontier is attracting increased human activity in U.S. Arctic waters which demands an effective, capable U.S. Coast Guard presence.