Comments on: WH ‘Hammered’ Allen on CG Woes

By: Joseph1010

Joseph1010 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:34:55 +0000

Navy does not do drug inerdiction that I can tell. And if all these other foreign navies/coast guard did there jobs the CG would have to be spending time and money going to intercept the drug runners and the ilegal migrants.

By: Joseph1010

Joseph1010 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:16:23 +0000

The White House,
needs to open there ears and stop stomping on admiral Allen. So what he get’s slapped on the wrist for stating what is already obvious, that the CG is the service that has been told to always to more with less. I’m sick and tired of these beuracrats undermining the CG. To the gentlemen sitting up in the oval office I say this, instead of stomping Thad Allen for being a straight shooter and having a spine why don’t you commend him for the things he’s done for the CG and for our country. CG is and always will be at the forefront on the war on drugs, Ilegal alien inerdiction, search and rescue and protecting our national resources. Wars come and go Mr. president. But the mission the CG performs are and will always have an effect on the future of our great nation. We need to get the CG into gear and quick it is the least we can do after over 200 years of faithfull service.

By: Joseph1010

Joseph1010 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:46:53 +0000

Can somebody up in the hill tell the taxpayers what’s wrong with powering are US Coast Guard with some good old american muscle. Hey you just might surprise yourself and leave are dollars here and create some jobs along the way instead of making some yahoo across the drink rich.

By: Joseph1010

Joseph1010 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:45:29 +0000

They,
Can’t pick a side, that is why the Coast Guard is called a multimission service. It’s been doing it for over 200 years. I agree that they need to take a good look on what the navy can do to help them out. The problem here is that they were so busy doing the kings work and never paid attention to the issues the people out in the field were having with the agging equipment. I’ll give you a perfect example, the CG 110 ft island class patrol boat. It’s expected life in service was supposed to be ten years, here we are 20+ years down the road of these cutters going thru several MEP,s (Mid life extension Programs) also these vessels were equipped with machinery in the following order: The Main diesel engines, the steering system and the fin stabilizers were fabricated in England and the Reduction Gear was fabricated in Germany. Again these vessels are 20+ years old. I wonder how easy it must be to get parts for them, I can tell you right now it problaby ain’t cheap.

By: Becca

Becca — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:36:15 +0000

Enter text right hereYou’re an idiot…what exactly does, “Pick a side of the fence” mean?? The Coast Guard doesn’t choose their role, Congress does! And further more, Congress is the entity that decides it’s budget!!! Get a clue!!

By: Old Coastie

Old Coastie — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:53:21 +0000

For all you Navy critics of the CG, I’m just laughingly thinking of what your response time would be to a disaster. Ask some hurricane victims or fishing boats survivors what they think of scraping the CG. Just remember “when its too rough for you, its just right for us”.
…Brown, Blue or Green water. Add to that the most reliable helos as warranted, we don’t take them for routine rides on warm sunny days.
God forbid the CG SAR under Navy paperwork.

By: Carry n

Carry n — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 14:04:24 +0000

“Or lastly, scrap the coastguard altogether and rely on the Navy to fill that role, as per the likes of Australia”

Now there’s a bright lad…and maybe we can scrap the local Police and have the Army take over…

By: Carry n

Carry n — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:58:02 +0000

As for the Aviation side: When the Dolphin was adopted it could do things that no other airframe could do specific to it’s mission (four axis autopilot etc). and the C-130? Your kidding right? It IS the standard. The Dessault Falcon is cheaper to operate– off the shelf design .

Boutique? Look to our partners in the DoD for that –we can’t afford it.

By: Carry n

Carry n — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:56:46 +0000

Boutique gear? As I look down at the pier I see a 40 year old boat (our units primary SAR asset) that makes 24 knots (topped out).
–I look to our fleet and see the USCGC Acushnet ( Keel laid in 1942– vintage WWII.) The Medium endurance Cutter’s (the majority of which are Reliance class210’s) commisioned between 1964 and 1968.
The High Endurance Cutters? 1960’s vintage as well…
The NEWEST inland bouy tender was commissioned in 1963, the oldest? before the bombs stopped falling in the Pacific theater…

By: Carry n

Carry n — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:55:44 +0000

The Coast Guard in WWII operated Navy equipment IN ADDITION to Coast Guard equipment. The younger sister service (Navy) didn’t have enough people to operate its mission

By: Carry n

Carry n — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:54:48 +0000

Either you are kidding or you are spectacularly uninformed. “The Murky Area” was defined and has been reaffirmed by the the Congress. The Coast Guard is specifically exempted from Posse Comitatus-(and, what would that have anything to do with the services financial footing?)

By: zach geurtsen

zach geurtsen — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:47:22 +0000

they are not looking to buy a nuclear powered ice breaker, that was a typo and he even said that. they just need to replace the old ones the coast guard currently has

By: Steven

Steven — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:47:26 +0000

‘Time for the Coast Guard to pick a side of the fence.’ Hey slick, the government dictates what the CG does, not the other way around.

By: Jim Drozdowski

Jim Drozdowski — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:52:38 +0000

The best “Ice Breakers” are built in Finland now. They have the equipment, skill and experience to build them efficiently. Building them in the USA is not efficient and we will end up with junk.

By: John King

John King — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:30:01 +0000

What ever happened to speaking truth to power?

While those guys with stars serve at the pleasure of the president and die on whatever mountain directed, someone has to tell the president what’s really happening (like I have no ships to deploy, Mr. President, because you never bought me any repalcements) or what he often doesn’t want to hear (if you want to do that, Mr. President, it’s going to cost a hell of a lot of money). How else do things get fixed?

But then again, that’s one of those three great lies. “The check is in the mail.”

By: John King

John King — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:01:52 +0000

Brown water means 200 mile limit to me. I don't care where in the world it's at. I don't feel the Coast Guard should be building 400 foot "mini-destroyers" with 90-day mission endurance to go do someone else's job (whether the Navy's or other local coast guards).

By: Jeff Holcomb

Jeff Holcomb — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:49:35 +0000

Not to be combative, but I never stated anything about the USCG being the Navy. The Coast Guard needs new ships and small craft, I would not want to see them buy anything new and untried like the Navy has done. I am being supportive of the CG, not trying to be derisive. You have a right to be defensive about the CG, they are some of the finest, but I’m only trying to help.

By: Tommy T

Tommy T — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:19:49 +0000

I’m sure the WH knows what it is doing. Obviously, the CG Czar has not been appointed yet. It is GW’s fault for signing up to support the NW passage. We’ll be using inflatables for the next humanitarian mission and we’ll wave at the cartel cigarettes from our docks. But, by God, we’ll be within budget because that will be the only thing we’ll be able to defend.

By: R.A.Schwehr ret

R.A.Schwehr ret — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:09:23 +0000

These issues are as old as "Father Time",if a service Chief has his remarks tempered for financial or valid political reasons e.g.Air Force F-22,or Army Future Combat Systems,or like US Central Command in even potential speculation on optimum troop strength requests,it is a career decision on what you want to "say publicly"you want to "go to the mat with",in the.Beltway Arena.Remember General MacArthur and his" challenge".It was wrong to buck President Truman but the Old Soldier may have felt(however properly or improperly)that he owed it to the President,the country,and the Army to take a stand",career be dam_ned".The Marines have a saying "Which hill do you want to die on?".In WARTIME it is now apparent that every officer and Program Manager must answer the same question.This Commandant is well prepared for that.

By: CG taxpayer

CG taxpayer — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:47:23 +0000

The Coast Guard does NOT get to choose brown water or blue — it is both because it must be everywhere: AK, HI, MI, LA, FL as well as Puerto Rico and US Territories (some of you may need to look at a map to refresh yourself).