04 JUN 2018

FM:  CHDIRAUX

TO:  ALAUX

ALAUX 011/18

SUBJ:  COMMANDANT CHANGE OF COMMAND / ACCELERATING TOWARD OUR FUTURE

1. Last Friday, June 1, 2018, Admiral Karl L. Schultz relieved Admiral Paul F. Zukunft as the 26th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. Please read ALCOAST 214/18 below, "Accelerating Toward Our Future," which describes the Coast Guard senior leadership team's initiatives and priorities that will help ensure we are a Ready, Relevant, and Responsive Coast Guard.  Admiral Schultz has also issued his Auxiliary Policy Statement which can be found at www.uscg.mil/Leaders/Senior-Leadership/policy.

R 011425 JUN 18 
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//VCG// 
TO ALCOAST 
UNCLAS //N01321// 
ALCOAST 214/18
COMDTNOTE 1321
SUBJ:  ACCELERATING TOWARD OUR FUTURE
1. Today Admiral Schultz released his Guiding Principles. In concert with these principles, your
senior leadership team is initiating the following actions. Designed to emphasize the Commandant’s
priorities, these actions will contribute to ensuring we are a Ready, Relevant, and Responsive
Coast Guard.
2. Ready - we will be prepared to serve and protect the American people and our national interests.
Initial actions will streamline process, support members and their families, enhance training, and
empower leaders in support of a mission ready total workforce:
   a. Align follow-on enlistment and extension contract dates with assignment year.
   b. Shift E6 Evaluations to an Annual Cycle.
   c. Implement a single page O2 OER.
   d. Provide advancement authority for OinCs (Advance E1-E3 and sign E4-E6 certificates).
   e. Align co-location tour completion dates for O1-O4 and E1-E6.
   f. Defer TAD assignments for post-partum active duty for 12 months (align with DoD).
   g. Prioritize Civilian Marine Inspector hiring.
   h. Create a Civilian Career Management (CMA) and Development Team at FORCECOM.
   i. Expand the number of Certified Medical Assistants and Health Benefit Advisors (HBA).
   j. Create a Credentialing, Certification, and Licensure Program (comply with 2015 NDAA).
   k. Establish a selection board process for advancement to E9.
   l. Establish a Personnel Readiness Task Force.
   m. Promulgate the 2018-2022 Strategic Priorities.
3. Relevant - we will be a professional and agile armed force, law enforcer, regulator, and
maritime first responder on which our partners confidently rely to address the Nation’s
increasingly complex maritime challenges. Initial actions include:
   a. Promulgate a Coast Guard Vision for Maritime Commerce. 
   b. Updated the Arctic Strategy to reflect the Coast Guard’s critical military and national
security role in the Polar Regions.
4. Responsive - we will employ our bias for action to excel in mission execution as we protect
and defend the homeland. Initial actions will accelerate service delivery to frontline operations
and prototype a rapid acquisition process for C4IT infrastructure:
   a. Establish a base in Puerto Rico.
   b. Address FRC sustainability.
   c. Revamp Reserve Component Organizational Structure, including PSU Locations.
   d. Upgrade the AUXDATA System.
   e. Upgrade Remote Access IT capability.
   f. Focus on Marine Inspectors (MI) by modernizing the MI Training and Performance support plan,
expanding the Enlisted Marine Inspector Training Program, and increasing accessions of Maritime
Academy Graduates.
5. I have charged our senior leaders with executing these important initiatives. As we make
progress, we will update you at: www.uscg.mil/alwaysready.
6. Admiral Charles Ray, Vice Commandant, sends.
7. Internet release authorized.