It is hard to believe
almost two years have passed since I took command of US Coast Guard District
Thirteen in the Pacific Northwest. While my Change of Command and Retirement
after 34 years of service is upon me, I wanted to share with you my observations
about the state of “our” maritime community. First and foremost, I could not be
more proud of the dedicated and heroic work the men and women of the Coast
Guard do each and every day in our very challenging environment. From the outer
Pacific Coast, up the Columbia and Snake River systems, through the Straits of
Juan de Fuca, into the Puget Sound, and across the rivers and lakes of
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana - they stand the watch and do it
incredibly well. Second, this region is all about the maritime. All of the work you perform on the water and along the waterfront, in
distant waters, and in support of those that put to sea is phenomenal and has
an incredible economic impact on our Nation. You are, much like your Coast
Guard, part of the fabric of the Pacific Northwest. However, it is clear more
needs to be done to tell the maritime story in this region, as too few people
truly understand its importance. For the last two years I have been amazed at
how quickly the understanding and appreciation for the impact maritime activity
has on this region fades as you move away from the waterfront.
Thanks again for the
warm welcome you extended me when I arrived, and how you always embrace the
Pacific Northwest Coast Guard team. I have worked closely with many of you in
our local communities, industry, government and the private sector over the
last two years, and I am proud to call you my friends. We have been brought
together by business and we have been bonded by a special passion for the sea.
In the opinion piece I wrote in this magazine at the beginning of my tour I
covered several topics, such as the tremendous value that maritime activity in
the Pacific Northwest brings to not only our region, but to the country and the
world. I described the important role the Coast Guard plays, and how essential
it is to collaborate with industry, elected officials, state, local, federal,
international and tribal partners. I also talked about Safety. It is the key to
everything the Coast Guard does, and it must be part of your operating culture
as well. Our waters are unforgiving and we must all be rigorous in our
attention to detail and our unwillingness to compromise - we have all lost too
many shipmates, friends and family to the sea.
The Pacific Northwest is
home to the third largest container port (Seattle/Tacoma), the second largest
grain export complex (Portland/Vancouver/Seattle/Tacoma), the largest vehicle
import operation on the West Coast (Portland), the largest ferry system
(Washington), a large portion of our Navy’s fleet (Bangor/Bremerton/Everett),
and a large, complex international maritime border. This region is also home to
one of the largest and most advanced commercial fishing fleets in the world.
These ships harvest locally off the coast of Washington and Oregon, as well as
in the distant waters of Alaska and in the Bering Sea. The wonder, beauty and
bounty of this region is tremendous and is equaled only by extremely tough
weather, harsh coastal conditions and treacherous breaking bars along the coast.
Collectively we must work to ensure the safety, security and viability of the
waterways in the Pacific Northwest. For the Coast Guard there is no shortage of
work as we serve the public, and all of you, each and every day. Last year we
conducted 1,631 search and rescue cases, saved 184 lives, assisted another
2,390 people in distress, and saved property valued at over $8 million.
While some Coast Guard
members are heralded for their heroic rescues, or critical response and
prevention actions; others are hard at work behind the scenes, in concert with
all of you, to ensure that maritime activity is conducted safely and securely.
In 2012, we conducted more than 2,000 vessel examinations and 530 facility
inspections, all with an eye towards safety, security and environmental
compliance. These efforts are critical to maritime business and commerce. In
meeting many maritime professionals at Harbor Safety Committee meetings,
professional seminars, industry meetings, and in discussions with elected
leaders, there are a wide range of plans and ideas that may significantly
increase commercial traffic in our ports, on our rivers and along our coast. It
is also apparent there is concern about what these potential changes may mean.
As many of you know, the Coast Guard stands the watch daily overseeing our
region’s precious waterways. Whether it is in our regional Command Centers, at
our Stations along the coast or from our Cooperative Vessel Traffic Service
(VTS) here in Seattle; we are on watch and ready. VTS Puget Sound celebrated
its 40th birthday in the fall of 2012, and the men and women who stand the
watch monitor the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound, an area of more than
3,500 square miles. VTS Puget Sound is the nations’ only Vessel Traffic Service
working cooperatively with the Canadian Coast Guard to protect our waters and
allow traffic to travel seamlessly in our shared and challenging waterways.
The Coast Guard’s
partnership with Canada is extensive and covers the full spectrum of our
various mission demands - Aids to Navigation, Search and Rescue, Pollution
Prevention and Response, and National Defense to name a few. We work together
daily and we recently regularized “Shiprider” operations under a regional
agreement I signed with my counterpart from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP). Prototyped several times since 2005, and signed into law last year, the
goal of “Shiprider” is to make the border transparent for law enforcement
purposes. RCMP Officers and USCG Officers will work together on the same boats
to enforce the laws of both Nations and deter, disrupt and apprehend criminals
who look to exploit our maritime boundary.
Keeping the waterways in
our region safe and open for navigation is also one of the Coast Guard’s prime
responsibilities. Two years ago the derelict vessel Davy Crocket began to spill
oil into the Columbia River and required a very large, complex response led by
the Coast Guard. It was difficult, it took a long time, and it was very costly.
The take away from that experience is nothing new, but something we must all
remember – these waters belong to all of us and we have a shared responsibility
to protect them. In the Davy Crocket response the Coast Guard teamed with
Federal, state, local and tribal partners to direct the effort that resulted in
the recovery of approximately 33,491 gallons of oil, 4.5 million pounds of
steel, and 841,796 pounds of debris. To do this type of work, to do it well,
and to do it safely requires incredible professionalism. Everyone approached
this work with skill, precision and passion, and I ask each of you to bring
that same level of professionalism to everything you do in the maritime. We
must always grow our collective expertise as professional mariners, maritime
management experts, policy makers and law enforcement officers – together we
can make the maritime safe and ensure these waters remain productive for
generations to come.
That said, I cannot
divorce myself from the fiscal challenges and uncertainty the Coast Guard faces
today, as I can only imagine many of you face. We push ourselves every day to
be creative, shepherd the resources we have and meet our full array of mission
demands. My job is to make sure we remain ready to meet the most urgent of
mission needs, that we continue to train our people, and that we always strive
for excellence. Given our limited resources, I must manage risk and allocate
our ship days, patrol boat hours and flight hours to those activities that
address the highest risk we face on and around the water. As I look out of my
window here in Seattle, I see our aging fleet of large ships at Pier 36 - they
are indispensable to our Nation’s maritime safety, security and environmental
stewardship, and we must recapitalize the Coast Guard to ensure our ability to
serve the Nation in the future, while at the same time meeting the many mission
demands we have today. This is a very tough balance, and it must be done with
great planning, a clear eye to the future and strong support for the Coast
Guard.
As I said last time, strong
relationships, collaboration on the toughest of issues and honest dialogue have
long been the trademark here. This has been my personal experience, and has
helped move several key initiatives forward over the last two years. But, like
most things, much more can, and should be done. The Pacific Northwest maritime
story needs to be told, and it is imperative that we protect the waters of the
“Great” Pacific Northwest - they are our highways of commerce, the fertile
grounds that feed us, the source of much enjoyment, part of our cultural DNA
and absolutely critical to the economic vitality of our region and country.
Thank you and Semper Paratus –Always Ready!
Rear Admiral Keith A. Taylor, Commander
of the Thirteenth Coast Guard District headquartered in Seattle, Washington, is
responsible for US Coast Guard operations covering 4 states, more than 4,400
miles of coastline, 600 miles of inland waterways, and a 125-mile international
border with Canada. Rear Admiral Taylor is a career aviator with over 4,700
flight hours. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the US
Coast Guard Academy, a Master of Science in Industrial Administration degree
from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was a Sloan Fellow.
