Commandant: Coast Guard Faces ‘Unparalleled Demand’

Citing record oil and natural-gas transit traffic on the nation’s rivers, the opening of Arctic waters, and the continuing challenges posed by organized crime and terrorism, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft called upon his charges to maintain an “offensive strategy” to combat such threats. “This unparalleled demand for the Coast Guard requires a 21st century workforce that is specialized, adaptive, and diverse,” Zukunft said, in his first State of the Coast Guard address since he became commandant. He also called upon Coast Guard members to remain cognizant of the tight budget constraints, including a possible lapse in appropriation for the service if Congress cannot reach an agreement with the White House on how the Department of Homeland Security should be funded. Zukunft urged all members to eliminate sexual assault from the ranks, along with enabling behaviors, “such as hazing, harassment, and predatory conduct.”