Robert Papp News

The Trump administration appointed a coordinator for policy in the Arctic on Wednesday, as Washington prepares to compete with Russia and China on resource extraction in a region quickly melting due to climate change.The State Department said Jim DeHart, a 28-year diplomat who most recently served as a senior adviser in South Korea, is now U.S. coordinator for the Arctic region.Washington has not had a top policy maker for the Arctic since Robert Papp, a retired Coast Guard admiral, served as the first U.S. special representative from 2014 until early 2017.U.S.

Day after day, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to conduct its 11 statutory missions with its limited resources. It is challenged to Invest in long-term operational capacity while continuing to carry out its daily missions. “We’re a small service, but as always, we do punch above our weight class,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft during the 2015 Surface Navy Association symposium in Arlington, Virginia. While the Coast Guard may have drifted off course with its ambitious and holistic Deepwater recapitalization effort…

The answer to this question is a resounding “no.” The U.S. is not prepared to protect its interests in the Arctic over the next decade. The primary legal regime that is being relied upon by all members of the Arctic fraternity, the Law of the Sea Convention, has not been adopted by the U.S. The operational resources needed to pursue our interests have not been funded and there is currently little prospect that they will be funded in the near future. U.S. interests in the Arctic are vast.

U.S. Sens. In a letter to U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.V.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) called on the Coast Guard to detail how it plans to use inspection information to hold cruise ships with safety problems accountable. The senators also requested that such information be made available to the public over the Internet.

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.

Now clear of the holidays and into an already exciting 2014 on the waterfront, we find ourselves plowing ahead with the proverbial bone in our teeth. That’s because, beyond my questionable nautical metaphor, there are big things happening for the domestic workboat industry in the coming months. As you dig deeper into this issue of MarineNews, you will soon see that much of that revolves around the United States Coast Guard. As you do, look also look for the pace of regulatory rulemaking, boatbuilding and mariner credentialing to increase exponentially. While some industry stakeholders tend to view the Coast Guard as the bane of their compliance battles on so many fronts, the outreach of the nation’s first line of defense for homeland security are much more diverse than that.

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Dan Tangherlini has officially opened the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Consolidated Headquarters campus with a ceremonial ribbon cutting at the newly built U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters building. The opening of the new facility marks the completion of the first phase of the consolidation project on St. Elizabeths west campus. “Today, we take a major step forward in making our ‘One DHS’ vision a reality,” said Secretary Napolitano. “We are proud to provide the U.S. Coast Guard with a facility that will support the important work they do for the American people,” said GSA Administrator Dan Tangherlini.

Patrol And Combat Builders Fret About Budget Cuts But See Bright Spots. So far; so good. U.S. companies building patrol and combat craft aren’t happy about federal, state and city budget cuts but say they do see positive, demand-side factors. Much of their overseas business depends on the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The FMS, which transfers defense equipment and services to other nations, is retrenching now, however. Here at home, states and municipalities have fewer funds, grants and matching grants to pay for patrol vessels, builders say.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation said in a news release that Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va) sent letters to the three largest cruise liners about their passenger safety, security, and health practices. Chairman Rockefeller’s letters to Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian follow a series of oversight letters that he sent in February 2012. “The cruise industry enjoys many advantages operating out of the United States but the advantages to American consumers and taxpayers are less clear,” said Rockefeller.

NAMEPA's upcoming 5th Anniversary Conference and Awards Dinner to move aboard the 'Hornblower Infinity'. Hurricane Sandy created a lot of havoc in New York, but it hasn’t dampened the  North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA)’s plans for its 5th Anniversary Conference and Awards Dinner being held on November 14th which will now be held aboard the Hornblower Infinity, docked at Pier 40 (33 West Street). A dynamic conference, featuring Philip Shapiro of Liberty Maritime…

Clay Maitland, Chairman of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), announces two major events. NAMEPA’s Environmental Intelligence in Maritime Conference, will feature “Greening the Marine Transportation System”, “The Arctic”, “Safety at Sea” and “Corporate Risk Management”. This conference, with NAMEPA's fifth anniversary in mind, will be held on 14, November 2012, and is to be followed by NAMEPA’s 2012 Marine Environment Protection Awards honoring Maersk, NOAA, SUNY Maritime College, and the American Salvage Association (ASA).

St. Petersburg Event To Honor New Coast Guard Cutter And The Memory of William Flores. The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today its 19th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard’s Seventh District will take place on Friday, November 2, 2012. At this year’s event, the Foundation has partnered with the Commissioning Committee for the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter William Flores.

Non-Profit Organization’s Dinner and Tribute to Take Place on August Eighth. The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its Alaska Awards Dinner in tribute to the United States Coast Guard will take place on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska. Honoring the courageous efforts of the guardians who enforce maritime law, protect our homeland and preserve the environment in Alaska, awards will be presented for outstanding heroism demonstrated this year. The event’s keynote speaker is US Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp. In addition, Lt.

Holland America Line receives second Benkert Award for its marine environmental initiatives as U.S. At a recent ceremony, Holland America Line was presented a gold 2012 Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Environmental Protection Award from the U.S. Coast Guard in recognition of the line's environmental leadership and for successfully achieving several environmental objectives established by the company that exceed standard regulation. U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp presented the award to Michael Inman, director, system management and program development, Safety and Environmental Management Systems for Holland America Line. The company first received the biennial award in 2010. The U.S.

Global container carrier APL received the United States’ Coast Guard’s highest award for excellence in marine environmental protection here today. The world’s seventh largest container carrier took home the Osprey award - the highest level of recognition within the Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Award, considered the premier environmental award in the U.S. maritime industry, conferred biennially. “We are very proud to earn this top accolade, which is reserved for the most significant environmental achievements,” said Kevin Krick, Director for Environmental Affairs in APL, who received the award from U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp at the American Petroleum Institute Tanker Conference.

Stonington, Conn. – The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its 10th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) Fourteenth District will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, in Honolulu, Hawaii. This event supports Coast Guard members of the Fourteenth District who protect the shores of Hawaii to the distant reaches of Guam and American Samoa. The gala will honor U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka and Mildred Akaka for their years of service to the men and women of the Coast Guard, and showcase Hawaii’s unique history and culture.

The Obama administration’s failure to budget $1.6 billion for two of the Coast Guard’s flagship vessels is drawing criticism from U.S. lawmakers, who contend that the service’s missions will be threatened. The Department of Homeland Security’s proposal for the fiscal year, beginning October1, requests $683 million to fund only the sixth of eight planned National Security Cutters, made by Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. The agency, which oversees the Coast Guard, didn’t seek funding for the remaining two cutters for fiscal years 2014 to 2017. The 418-foot-long cutters are needed to replace an aging fleet of vessels, many of which are more than 40 years old and expensive to maintain, according to the service.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp delivered the 2012 State of the Coast Guard Address on Thursday on Coast Guard Island in Alameda, CA.   ADM Robert Papp's address was webcast and remarks posted were posted following the event. The State of the Coast Guard Address is an annual speech delivered by the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard to provide a current overview of the service and outline his priorities for the years ahead. According to Papp, this was the first time the State of the Coast Guard address was held outside of Washington, D.C. You can read Papp's remarks by clicking HERE.

Sixteen Crowley-managed vessels were recently honored with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) awards in recognition of their voluntary rescue services to people aboard vessels in distress in 2010. Crowley received the recognition from Congressman Frank LoBiondo, chairman of the House Subcommittee on the USCG and Maritime Transportation, and Admiral Robert Papp, commandant of the USCG, during a dinner in Washington, D.C. The 16 Crowley-managed vessels that received the awards include the Endurance, Guardian, Sea Prince, Sinuk, Stalwart, Charleston Express, Philadelphia Express, St. Louis Express, Washington Express, Yorktown Express, Blue Ridge, Coast Range, Courage, Pelican State, Resolve and the Sunshine State.

Non-Profit’s Annual Gala Celebrates the United States Coast Guard Service Across the Nation. The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced today that its 31st Annual Salute to the United States Coast Guard will take place on Thursday, October 13, 2011 in New York City. The event will honor the bravery and courage of the guardians who enforce maritime law, protect our homeland and preserve the environment.

Uncertainty over budget talks leaves Coast Guard leadership to hedge their bets on future fleet mix, total numbers of hulls and operational capabilities. On Wednesday, members of the media were invited to join Coast Guard senior leadership for a discussion about recent acquisition efforts and the status of recapitalizing the service’s aging fleet. The briefing, which took place at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, revealed little in terms of new developments but at the same time, underscored the increasing concerns amongst Coast Guard senior leaders that budget woes may soon force a scaling back of one or more aspects of their ambitious, multi-billion dollar recapitalization plans. The briefing coincided conspicuously with ongoing U.S.

The Polar Sea heavy icebreaker that the U.S. Coast Guard plans to mothball is in excellent condition and could be returned to active service in two years, giving the government a decade or more to search for longer-term solutions, a  representative of America’s shipyards told Congress last week. The United States currently has no active heavy icebreakers and only one medium vessel to protect rapidly intensifying national security and economic interests in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The M/V Aiviq icebreaker, contracted by Shell Oil to support drilling in Alaska’s Chukchi Sea, is scheduled to be completed by Louisiana-based Edison Chouest Offshore in early 2012. The vessel, ordered in July 2009, is on track for April 1, 2012, delivery in Galliano, La., and will then head north, according to Shell Oil spokesman Curtis Smith. The $200m Aiviq is the largest vessel ever built by Chouest, and will be among the most advanced and powerful, non-military icebreakers on the waters.