The August issue of US Naval Institute Proceedings is appropriately enough, the “Coast Guard Issue,” although less than a third of the content is Coast Guard related. I was disappointed but not surprised to see that there was no article about the OPC. It includes four articles that are written by Coasties, active or retired, and includes a “rouges gallery” of CG flag officers and senior enlisted as well an orgainizational chart.
There is one particular article I’d like to recommend that actually dares to be a bit controversial, and it is available on line, “Reinvent the Fifth Armed Service, Quickly”. I think it is definitely worth a read.
They talk about
- reorganization within the Coast Guard
- exploitation of UAS technology
- integration of DHS maritime aviation and vessel fleets.
- coordination of procurement with the Navy
- integration of the NOAA fleet into the Coast Guard
As I say it is controversial, it is going to ruffle some feathers, and hopefully it will start some thinking and some discussion.