Gordon I Peterson News

By Capt. Gordon I. This June's two-year anniversary of the Coast Guard's award of contract for the Integrated Deepwater System reflects steady progress in efforts to modernize the nation's maritime guardians, but heightened concerns over falling readiness have led some congressional lawmakers to renew calls to accelerate the comprehensive 20-plus-year recapitalization program. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thomas H. Collins described his concern over current readiness trends in early March during congressional testimony on the Bush administration's proposed fiscal year 2005 budget. "Our greatest threat to mission performance continues to be that our aircraft…

“Amid extraordinary challenges, our determination, our courage, and our common purpose remain steadfast.” The new appropriations bill provides $6.3 billion for the Coast Guard for FY 2005, an 8.6 percent ($500 million) increase over 2004, and a 66 percent ($2.5 billion) increase over 2001 levels. As part of funding for Coast Guard programs, the appropriations bill includes $724 million for the Deepwater multi year acquisition to modernize and recapitalize the Coast Guard’s inventory of cutters, aircraft, and supporting systems. The $724 million congressional appropriation for the Deepwater Program comes to $46 million more than the president’s request of $678 million. President Bush signed the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005 into law on Oct.

By Gordon I. Throughout the Cold War, the need to maintain strong military forces to deter war with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact was a mainstay of U.S. national security policy. During today's global war on terrorism, similar linkages exist between a more capable U.S. Coast Guard, improved homeland security, and the deterrence or defeat of a terrorist attack in the maritime domain. The 9/11 Commission Report clearly describes this nexus. "Our report shows that the terrorists analyze defenses," the Commission wrote. "They plan accordingly. Defenses cannot achieve perfect safety. They make targets harder to attack successfully, and they deter attacks by making capture more likely.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen and Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Thomas H. Collins jointly approved a new National Fleet policy statement in early March aimed at strengthening Navy-Coast Guard cooperation and tailored operational integration of each service’s multimission platforms, infrastructure and personnel. Building on more than two centuries of close collaboration and joint operations in peace and war, this firm commitment to shared purpose directly supports the new National Strategy for Maritime Security approved by President Bush this past September. “Security of the maritime domain can be accomplished only by seamlessly employing all instruments of national power in a fully coordinated manner,” the strategy states.