New Appointment for Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program

Rear Adm. Gary Blore took over as head of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Deepwater program April 17, becoming the second officer to lead the service’s ambitious recapitalization program. Blore relieved Rear Adm. Patrick Stillman, who ran the program since its inception in 2001. Blore, an aviator, piloted helicopters and jets after graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1975. At service headquarters in Washington, he was chief of the Coast Guard’s aviation forces from 2000 to 2002, when he became responsible for the service’s budget office. He was promoted to flag rank in 2004 and, as a special assistant to the president, was senior director for border and transportation security under the Department of Homeland Security. Stillman, who at one time commanded the Coast Guard sail training ship Eagle, was given the difficult task of getting the Deepwater program off the ground. The program is a wide-ranging $24b, 25-year effort to acquire new ships, aircraft and communications, computer and sensor systems to modernize the service. Stillman will retire from active duty at a May 26 ceremony. (Source: DefenseNews.com)