Adm. Thad Allen’s Reforms at the USCG

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The August 2008 issue of the US Naval Institute’s Proceedings Magazine includes “Admiral Allen’s Blue Tsunami,” by Art Pine. The $25 billion Deepwater meta-program has undergone significant changes during Allen’s tenure, and is not out of the woods yet. The Proceedings article deals with the flip side of an acquisition effort that will define the Coast Guard’s future for a generation, placing it within the context of a larger set of structural and operational changes.

The on-line version of this article includes Commandant Allen’s recommended music playlist, but does not include the listing and current status of his 10 Commandant’s Intent Action Orders (CIAOs) issued in May 2006. The PDF version does include the CIAOs and status; Allen’s CIAOs were:

1. Set Up Deployable Operations Group for rapid reaction
2. Develop USCG Maritime Strategy
3. Revamp Logistics System with centralized Coast-Guard-wide structure.
4. Adapt Numbered Staff System For HQ, to bring them into line with the systems used by other services.
5. Revamp Acquisition Systemwith new directorate, retake control of Deepwater
6. Revamp Financial and Accounting Systems, replacing them with a centralized arrangement to improve transparency
7. Revamp Command And Control framework
8. Set Up New Human Resource Strategy
9. Strengthen Reserve Component
10. E-CG Version 2.0 to improve the use of information technology for C4 (command, control, communications, and computers)