Photo Credits - USCG
Adm. Karl Schultz, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, will deliver his annual State of the Coast Guard Address at 1 p.m. to reflect on the organization’s successes over the past year, detail the Fiscal Year 2021 President’s Budget Request, and outline the shared vision for the future of the Service. The address will include several announcements about global maritime safety and security, as well as workforce policies and advances.
During the address, Adm. Schultz will highlight the importance of South Carolina’s ports and waterways to our Nation and the vital role the Coast Guard plays in Charleston to ensure continued global security and economic prosperity.
Adm. Schultz will also reflect on the organization’s successes over the past year, including the Coast Guard response to Hurricane Dorian, detail the Fiscal Year 2021 President’s Budget Request, and outline the shared vision for the future of the Service.
“From the Polar Regions to the Indo-Pacific to right here at home, America’s Coast Guard continues to stand the watch,” said Adm. Schultz.
“Evolving global complexities and increasing demand for Coast Guard services worldwide necessitates the best people, tools, and performance. For over two centuries, we have protected, saved, and shielded the American people. That’s our promise to the public; a promise made and a promise delivered.”
The address will discuss topics such as positioning the Coast Guard’s workforce for the future, investments in shore infrastructure, vital acquisition projects, and how Coast Guard people are leading and executing in today’s complex global environment.
The Commandant will also announce the future investment in Charleston to support the arrival of the service’s newest military surface assets. Over the next five years, the Coast Guard will home port multiple new cutters and consolidate its operations along one waterfront, growing Charleston into one of the nation’s largest concentrations of Coast Guard assets and people.
The event will be live-streamed on the Commandant’s Facebook page and here too! Just click pic below:
The Service Chief will highlight Coast Guard operations throughout U.S. ports and waterways, all part of the Marine Transportation System, which facilitate $5.4 trillion in annual economic activity and 30.8 million jobs.
In the Address, he is expected to highlight stories of Coast Guard men and women who excelled in crisis and conducted globally strategic missions. These stories will be accompanied with initiatives that prioritize talent management in the Coast Guard, including a number of key personnel and productivity policy announcements.
Numerous Coast Guard members will also be honored during the Address, including Ensign Roberto DiRado, a Charleston-based service member who helped interdict more than 13,000 pounds of illegal drugs. Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Newberg, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who saved the captain and pilot from the Merchant Vessel Golden Ray, which ran aground in Brunswick, Georgia, will also be honored at the event. Nearly a dozen Coast Guard members from across the country will be recognized for their stellar performance during the Address.
Ahead of the address, members have been sharing their stories on social using #WhyIServeCG and #CoastGuard2020: