WASHINGTON — U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen, is scheduled to speak at the National Press Club in Washington, as part of the press club’s distinguished speakers series, to outline the service’s goals and priorities for 2010 in his fourth and final State of the Coast Guard address on Feb. 12 at 12:30 p.m.
In this annual address, Allen will address the Coast Guard’s fiscal year 2011 anticipated budget impacts. He will also advocate for the need to recapitalize the service’s aging ships, aircraft and shore facilities to continue delivering superior services to the Nation and adapt to the maritime challenges of the 21st century.
Allen will discuss the Coast Guard’s recent response efforts in Haiti and highlight the ability of Coast Guard personnel to leverage interagency partnerships, quickly flow forces to vulnerable areas and take action without having to wait for external orders. A question and answer session will follow his remarks. Advance questions can be submitted to the iCommandant blog. He will then be available to meet with media in attendance for a question and answer session.
The luncheon is open to the public, reservations can be made by calling (202) 662-7501 or by e-mailing reservations@press.org.
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Admiral Thad Allen, USCG
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. This is part two of this interview series with Admiral Allen. You can find part one via the following link: Thad Allen, Commandant USCG – A Conversation On The Digital Age Of Shipping, Part 1
gCaptain: I’d like to discuss the state of the U.S. Flag. I believe the U.S. Flag is currently facing some significant challenges; foreign involvement in the offshore industry, the Maersk Alabama attack and hijacking and the Paris MOU recently demoted the U.S. flag to their gray list.
Let’s go through each individually.
The Paris MOU uses data such as vessel detentions to rate the reputation of the flag state and they just recently demoted the U.S. flag from the white list down to the gray list. Do U.S. coast guard inspectors do inspections with Paris MOU in mind and if not, why are deficiencies not being found by U.S. Coast Guard inspectors?
Admiral Allen: I’m going to give you two answers to this. First the larger answer then put you in touch with some of our marine safety people that deal with this on a day-in-day-out basis.
First of all, at its very highest level, I think the best way to manage this problem globally is to agree upon international standards. Once we can rationalize domestic and international standards, then everybody can be using the same measure whether it’s for safety, security or something else. In this country we have a port state control matrix which takes into account performance of the flag, performance of the company, performance of the vessel itself and even the performance of the classification society involved. We weigh all that and assign a score to each arriving vessel. If the vessel fits a certain threshold we have the opportunity to dispatch a control and possibly holding the vessel offshore before bringing it into port.
I think the best way to move forward is with standardized systems that are the same all over the world but the only way to do that is for the IMO to have everybody comply with one set of standards. In fact, these are the types of initiatives that we do with the IMO.
In regards to the U.S. flag fleet, I don’t think we’ve seen any significant trends so I would have to get back to you with our inspection data compared to that of the French. One thing you need to understand, because everyone is not enforcing the same standards a ship might be on the white, gray or black list of three different countries. It can actually be the same ship operating the same way but just be classified differently under that country. This situation is not uncommon.
One of the real issues we are presently dealing with is the different view inside this country about what the standards should be for ballast water vs the international standard that has been implemented by IMO.
(Note: An update on the Ballast Water Regulations can be found on the Commandant’s blog HERE)
gCaptain: That’s a real problem indeed and the issue concerns our readers as we haven’t seen the standards decrease on U.S flagged vessels. But it is an important question for finding areas that can improved.
I wanted to ask what is the Coast Guard’s responsibility for representing and promoting the flag to the international community? [Continue Reading →]
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Tags: · interview, State Of The Coast Guard, USCG, uscg_commandant
The following is a messge from Admiral T.W. Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, on Coast Guard Day 2009. Check out the links at the bottom for more Coast Guard Day messages from around the web
Coast Guard Day provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the parallels between historical events and our current activities. The concept of a “Coast Guard” is a unique product of the American Revolution – a blend of previous naval and customs functions that ha never been assigned to a single entity. Two-hundred and nineteen years ago, Alexander Hamilton created a modest service to collect revenue to sustain our fledging nation. Envisioning the need for a more robust federal maritime presence, he directed the first revenue cutter captains to ensure the safety of life at sea, preserve our maritime sovereignty, and facilitate maritime commerce while treating their countrymen with respect. He also foresaw the need for risk management and flexibility to meet emerging demands.
A brilliant visionary, Hamilton knew change was coming. Today, the nations of this world are coming to understand the relevance, value, and indispensability of a maritime presence capable of exerting and insuring national sovereignty. While larger nations have a requirement to project naval sea power, most nations are (or should be) concerned with the depletion of living marine resources, the safe and secure development of offshore oil and gas industries, illegal migration, drug and other contraband trafficking, and the use of the global commons for piracy or to further extremist ideologies through sea-based terrorist and criminal activities. We exist today because this was understood for the first time two centuries ago by the first Guardian. [Continue Reading →]
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News Release
Date: April 20, 2009
WASHINGTON — Piracy has been rightfully called an insult to civilization. The recent pirate attacks on the motor vessels Maersk Alabama and Liberty Sun focused the attention of the American public on what has been an increasingly significant international issue. It is important that the American public and the international community know that the U.S. Government is working hard to find an enduring international solution to this international problem.
Maritime piracy is a symptom of instability in Somalia. The only long-term solution must address piracy’s root causes in Somalia itself: political instability and lack of economic opportunity. The U.S. supports a reconstituted Somalia with lawful control over its entire territory. The new unity Transitional Federal Government offers the hope that Somalia can return to the rule of law and legitimate economic activity. Until this happens, the U.S. and the international community must treat the symptoms and secure the maritime domain and protect its seafarers by improving response options, reducing vulnerabilities, and establishing effective legal mechanisms to deliver consequences against pirates.
In December 2008, the National Security Council published the “Strategy for Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Partnership and Action Plan.” The plan is founded on the principles of the National Strategy for Maritime Security and “recognizes that nations have common interest in achieving two complementary objectives: to facilitate the vibrant maritime commerce that underpins economic security, and to protect against ocean-related terrorist, hostile, criminal and dangerous acts, including piracy.” This requires a whole-of-government approach, integrating military, law enforcement, judicial, diplomatic, and commercial interests. [Continue Reading →]
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Today the USCG Commandant, Admiral Thad Allen gave the 2009 State Of The Coast Guard Address at the National Press Club in Washington. Here is the text of his speech: [Continue Reading →]
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In preparation for his third State of the Coast Guard speech that he will be delivering to Congress on Tuesday, March 3rd, Admiral Thad Allen wants remind his web 2.0 followers of a new feature for this years address: a question and answer section. In his web journal, iCommandant, Admiral Thad Allen encourages readers to submit questions that they would like to see addressed in, well, his address. He states:
A new feature at this year’s address is a Question and Answer session. Those in attendance will be able to ask questions directly but I’d also like to hear from the field and our external stakeholders. Just post your question as a comment to this blog entry. I’m encouraging you to use this opportunity to ask about Coast Guard-wide issues.
The theme of this year’s speech is “The U.S. Coast Guard: America’s Maritime Guardian.” I want to highlight the Coast Guard’s broad impact across the entire maritime domain…in the heartland, the ports, at sea, and around the globe. The Coast Guard provides a tremendous value to the Nation and this is another opportunity to tell our story to the American public. I’ll also discuss some of our budgetary and legislative challenges in the coming year.
Here at gCaptain, we have enjoyed watching the Coast Guard’s push to Web 2.0 platforms, so we would like to encourage our readers to submit questions to the Commandant on his blog HERE, or you can just leave your questions as comments on this post and we will forward them over.
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Fairplay brings us the most ridiculous item of the day;
Vessels transiting US harbours could come under tight navigational controls in the wake of the Cosco Busan bridge strike and resulting spill in San Francisco Bay. Sources close to the investigation tell Fairplay that federal officials may suggest that vessels transiting US channels may be compelled to follow navigational instructions issued by the US Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service. In the case of the Cosco Busan accident, it has been alleged that VTS duty officers tried to warn the vessel off its impact course with the Bay Bridge, but their advice is just that and not mandatory for vessel operators. Fairplay asked USCG Commandant Thad Allen about the suggestion and he said that, if required to, the Coast Guard is up to the challenge of positively controlling commercial vessel traffic. But he noted that most major US harbors presently don’t have VTS systems and that such a change would require a major financial commitment “and a departure from the current culture regarding vessel navigation responsibility”. The suggested system would be along the lines of air traffic control procedures which Allen says were developed centuries after the traditional rules for vessel captains and pilots.
The problem with maritime incidents is the fix rarely address the true cause and often creates problems that contribute to future incidents. As an example here’s an email from a gCaptain reader who wishes to remain anonymous;
“The new ISPS reporting requirements are sinking us in paperwork. Just yesterday I was on bridge watch in moderate traffic, typing a report out on my laptop. For 15 minutes our captain observed my action from the chart room then came out and said:
5 Years ago if I saw you typing a report on that F$@@’n laptop I would have fired you on the spot. Today, with all these ISM/ISPS requirements, if I come up here and find your not on your laptop typing out reports, I’ll fire you on the spot!
I was paying attention to the traffic but we both knew it didn’t have my full attention… and these reports were suppose to be making us safer!! I don’t feel safer and I don’t feel the paperwork will keep terrorists away from my ship”
Unsafe indeed.
Vessel Traffic in US ports is exceptionally well run and experienced in vessel safety and operations. They do not make the proposal ridiculous, Admiral Allen does. Why? Current technology is simply not capable of delivering real time tracking. Also, final say remains the responsibility of a ship’s captain because he is the one who knows the ship’s capabilities, it’s crew and he is stationed on the bridge. He is also the last one to abandon if the ship finds danger… and he knows it.
If the Coast Guard wants final say then they need to be aboard the vessel and if that happens they will be hard pressed to fill the position with anyone more qualified than the competent and experienced San Francisco Pilots.
UPDATE:
Bob Couttie of Maritime Accident Casebook comments on this post;
VTS-assisted accidents, by action or inaction, aren’t rare, or at least not rare enough. John Clandillon-Baker, editor of The Pilot, journal of the UK Maritime Pilots Association sent us an email reminder about the Sea Express/Alaska Rainbow collision in February, 2007. VTS issues also featured in the grounding of the P&O Nedlloyd Magellan in 2001, and the source or worst oil spill so far in Singapore waters, the collision between the Evoikos and Orapin Global in October 1997. One can arguably include the Exxon Valdez.
USCG Commandant Thad Allen’s assurance to Fairplay that his command is up to the challenge has a Rice-Davies sort of quality to it, he would say that, wouldn’t he.
MAC’s own informal think-tank of veteran master mariners, who aren’t tanked up when they think, finds the proposal less objectionable, the authority of the master will remain in force much as it does now, in their view.
This is only a clip of Bob’s article so be sure to read his full post: “Cosco Busan – Who Needs Pilots?“
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John Konrad is a USCG licensed Master Mariner of Unlimited Tonnage. Since graduating from SUNY Maritime College he has sailed 4 of the world’s oceans and reports from his ship via satellite.
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