- Joined
- Jul 25, 2009
- Messages
- 1,027
See now, we're agreeing on plenty.
I think it's probably important to remember that Coast Guardsmen aren't generally shouting from the mountaintops "give me more missions." It's dictated by Congress, rightly or wrongly, whether the monies there or not.
I think some missions do suffer. I also have had plenty of sector community, specifically MSO folks, who aren't happy with the way the Coast Guard moves it's folks around. How can someone inspect for 3 years, rotate into something totally unrelated for 4 years and then MAYBE get back into the more-regulatory heavy stuff? Not sure. I don't have the answer, and even if I did, I'm just a lowly Coast Guard veteran, and as I distinctly remember thinking as a AD officer, sometimes veterans can insert themselves a little too much, especially as they become less connected with the changes. ...
LITS: Exactly most Merchant Mariner's basis for questioning now leaving the MSO mission to USCG - with the Congressionally mandated additional mission and all the "glamor" etc of Drug Intediction and "newer" "sexier" Homeland Security and Enfocment missions, we've seen and see this as hacking away at the talent levels, etc. of the MSO community in general. BTW, I bet if some current USCG MSOs, especially those who are Maritime Academy & USMMA grads, joined the discussion (they shouldn'tand likely won't for obvious reasons to you) they's agree.
Personally, I'll add I think SAR has also uffered though it's still a "sexy" USCG career path, it's funding and focus suffers from all these added USCG missions without additional adequet funding. Especially when procurement of new USCG Vessels has increased costs for lots of easons including all these added missions.
I share your views re: TWIC and will send you a PM with a few tidbits from personal experience on that one that I'd rather not pst here publically for a cuple of reasons including it's really not even beginning to answer the leady wide ranging topc(s) of this thread
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