Introduction
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces. It is a maritime, multi-mission service that is unique among the military branches because of its maritime law enforcement mission and the federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission statement ( Kronstadt et al., 2012) . USCG operates under the U.S Department of homeland security during peacetime, but it can also be transferred to the department of the navy by the president at any time. Having been created in 1790 by the request of Alexander Hamilton as the revenue marine, it is one of the oldest seagoing service in the United States that is still in existence. The USCG carries out three basic roles covered in its mission statement which include maritime safety, maritime security, and maritime stewardship.
US Coast Guard generic Strategies
The Coast Guard strategic intent 2015-2019 outlines the coast guard’s highest strategic priorities that have been set address the risks that face the organization in the 21st century. The priorities for meeting the strategies are aligned with the national strategies and policies as well as guidance from the Department of Homeland Security.
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Cyber Strategy
For several years, the US Coast Guard has performed a large number of complex missions with the adaptation of new technologies and leveraging new capabilities to ensure safety, security, and stewardship of the nation’s waters. Cyber technology is applied in all aspects of the Coast Guard mission, and it has managed to utilize the new advancement in technologies to increases efficiency and effectiveness. The cyber strategy helps guide the efforts of the organization in the cyber domain. Under the cyber strategy, three major different strategic priorities are effected to enhance the overall mission success. These include defending cyberspace, enabling operations and protecting infrastructure. To continue with the proud history of responding to the new evolving maritime issues, the organization has adopted to remaining updated on technology developments that will ensure long-term success.
Human Capital Strategy
The USCG has a strategy that ensures that its workforce is well trained and up to date to help in achieving the strategic goals of the organization. Excellence in the execution of the mission relies on the strength of the workforce. The operations of the organization require a resilient and capable workforce that with a wide range of skills, talents, and experience. New strategic priorities have been introduced to deal with the challenge of human capital management. The organization develops and deploys new and innovative human capital management approaches that help it in accessing, developing, sustaining and retaining the workforce needed to meet the missions. The human capital strategy sets a 10-year training course to ensure the processes and the functions including allocation of resources, training, and human resource system work together to ensure an effective workforce is well prepared for the utilization of tomorrow. Human resource capital strategy ensures that the processes and services are delivered by the well-talented workforce, with mandatory skills and training to ensure the safety of people. The core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty are instilled in all workforce. As the human resource capital strategy gets implemented, it ensures that the organization have workforce committed to serving the nation, offer duty to people and commitment to excellence.
In creating and sustaining strategic intent, the organization has goals and is aware of its missions and what it wants to achieve. The organization recognizes the global trend, and the dramatic changes that are expected and by this, the organization can define its path and align itself to where it wants to go. The tremendous operational leadership and individual heroism have always been significant in putting the USCG on the global map ( Till, 2014 ). The evergreen process at the organization is as a result of the better scenarios that have been based on strategy development and stewardship movement towards the missions and visions of the organization.
Diversification Strategies
Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower
This is a strategy that was formed by coming together of the Marine Corps, navy and coast guards. The strategy emphasizes the approach to integrate the seapower with other elements of national power. It explains how seapower will be applied to protect the way of life, as the U.S joins with other like-minded nations to protect and sustain the global ( Shieh et al., 2012). This aims at fostering global peace to facilitate interdependence of trade networks, finance, law and good governance. Today, united states find itself in a competition for global influence at a time when they are unlikely to be at war. The strategy is to apply the seapower to protect U.S. interests while at the same time promoting security and stability. When defending the homeland and defeating adversaries in wars, a broader application is required if it is to serve the interest of the nation. The organization believes that preventing wars is as important as winning wars. The organization has therefore diversified its operations to cover areas of the Arctic.
Workforce diversification
The US Coast Guards have also shifted their strategy to have a diversified workforce. Diversity adds value by enabling diversified thoughts which increases workforce capability and innovation. The workforce has been made diversified by recruiting people across culture, race and ethnic groups. The U.S Coast Guard Academy class of 2018 was reported to have 33% minority group and 38% women. This was recorded as the highest degree of gender and racial diversity over the organization’s 100 years ( Austin et al., 2015) . By recruiting people from different ethnic backgrounds, they come with different ideas and thoughts which is useful in enhancing innovation that is required in the organization. Building diversity at the organization is initiated at the top leadership level where leaders form a lasting relationship with both the minority and local affinity serving institutions. The organization has leaders that can actively engage and mentor the next generation as well as communities.
International Operations by U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guards constantly operate internationally by going to international waters on patrol to conduct law and order, counter migrants and narcotics ( Knapik et al., 2015) . However, they rarely go to waters off to another continent that is outside North and South America. The majority of the Coast Guards duties and missions are home-based, and therefore most of its resources are located and used within the U.S borders. But when needs arise, they partner with U.S navy to operate in the international waters. The U.S Coast Guard is the only federal entity that is permitted to board a vessel with a flag in the international waters. The USCG has law enforcement powers inside U.S waters which goes past 20 miles from the offshores. It also has powers to go into international waters to carry out its missions of protecting the nation and interests of U.S.
In efforts to control smuggling of drugs like cocaine into the U.S, Coast Guards have been deployed further away from the Pacific Ocean shores away from the United States Borders. Here, the USCG captures any vessel carrying drugs and the smugglers handled to the U.S for trial. They are also used to protect the country and from external waters by staying and maintaining vigilance on the international waters. While most of the missions of U.S Coast Guards are domestic, they often operate in the international waters when needs arise.
Ethical Policies and Practices
The U.S Coast Guard ensures have principles and policies to ensure personnel conducts themselves ethically so that the integrity of the organization is maintained. There are ethical policies and principles that guide every personnel. The first policy states that public service is based on trust and one must, therefore, place loyalty to the constitution and the laws. Any person who fails to operate within the pledged loyalty to the constitution faces charges. The second ethical policy prohibits an individual from holding a financial interest that is conflicting with the conscientious performance of one’s responsibilities. Also, the personnel is barred from engaging in any financial transactions using nonpublic government information or even permit any improper use of such information to gain private interests. This ensures that government information that is private is not misused by the personnel for personal gain. Also, one shall not accept or solicit any gift or other monetary items from another person entity seeking official attendance, conducting business or activities regulated by USCG except for subpart B of 5 CFR.
Honesty and transparency in delivering mandates remain the key effort of any USCG personnel. The use of public office for private gains is an offense under the USCG code of ethical conduct. A member of USCG shall act impartially and shall not give any preferential treatment to any person or entity as this will amount to a violation of the ethical code of conduct of the organization. An employee of USCG shall not engage in employment activities or seek negotiation for employment that contradicts or conflicts with the official duties of the government. An employee of USCG shall adhere to the rules that offer equal opportunities for all Americans despite one’s race, gender, color or religion as this will amount to a violation of the ethical code of conduct of the institution. Any form of corruption or fraud witnessed by a personnel must be reported to the right authority failure to which it amounts to the violation of the code of conduct. All these policies and ethical code of conduct are meant to ensure that the organization remains ethical while it aims at serving to the best interest of the nation. It also helps improve the integrity of the organization by making it be seen as the most ethical organization.
Social Responsibilities
Other than the military protection and attacks, U.S Coast Guards also engage in activities meant to improve the social responsibilities of the citizens. The first social responsibility of the U.S Coast Guard is drug interdiction. They are charged with guarding the waters to prevent any drugs from being smuggled into the country. This is considered a social responsibility because by preventing illegal smuggling of drugs, the citizens are protected from the negative social impacts of drug abuse. Drugs have both social and health impacts on the user and by preventing such drugs from getting into the country, citizens are protected. The organization also help in maritime safety by seeking to eliminate injuries and deaths as well as the destruction of property that is associated with maritime transportation, recreational boating as well as fishing activities. This ensures the protection and safety of citizens who use water for such activities.
Environmental Sustainability
The U.S Coast Guard provides services while at the same time observing and protecting the environment. The organization is committed to the highest standards of environmental compliance, sustainability, and conservation of energy (An et al., 2012). All decisions made involve the issue of environmental sustainability as an objective. To enable the organization achieves environmental sustainability, all the personnel have been trained to promote environmental and energy awareness while at the same time reducing liabilities in the day to day operations. The personnel has also been trained to optimize environmental management solutions and energy by being creative in a way that maximizes the future flexibility and cost reduction. All the environmental laws and pollution prevention have been made known to all personnel making it easy for them to understand and promote sustainability. A culture of conservation has been instilled in all personnel through environmental accountability and environmental stewardship. Sound and sustainable business practices have been implemented and included in the mission statement so that every personnel can see the value of conserving the environment.
The organization introduced environmental sustainability awards program whose aim is to promote awareness and facilitate actions that comply with environmental requirements. The U.S Coast Guard buildings and structures such as aircraft, vessels, sites and other constructions are all subject to environmental requirements ( Cheon, Maltz & Dooley, 2017 ). The awards program is useful in recognizing the innovative and effective leadership that promotes environmental sustainability. When a leader has shown great efforts of creativity and environmental sustainability, such a leader is rewarded to encourage the trend. Creating leadership that is environmental sustainability active and who can innovate and envision any preferred future environmental strategy is preferred.
More than 35 buildings on the base have been re-roofed with white materials as a way to help reflect sunlight and minimize the heat load thus promoting good air conditioning ( Lundqvist, 2017 ). The barracks and other facilities have been installed in bamboo wall coverings which is a sustainable and environmentally friendly product. Besides conserving the environment, U.S Coast Guard has also put up mechanisms to conserve energy and ensure sustainability. The organization has training centers to promote the knowledge on reducing water wastage, minimizing costs of electricity while at the same time ensuring proper wastes disposal. The organization prefers using environmentally friendly materials that will minimize pollution.
Conclusion
United States Coast Guard has been on the frontline in the United States for years following its core values which aims at better service delivery to the public. Its efficiency and effectiveness have been enhanced by a variety of strategies that has been put in place throughout its system. The firm has workforce diversification strategies, cyber strategies and human capital strategies all aimed at enhancing service delivery to the public. In addition, the firm have environmental sustainability practices that ensures that it always remain ethical with regards to environmental maintenance. Engagement in social responsibilities have also boosted its area of diversification and given the firm a good reputation. USCG have continued to be one of the best firms in protecting the interest of the public and it is expected to continue with its good reputation into the unforeseeable future.
References
An, B., Shieh, E., Tambe, M., Yang, R., Baldwin, C., DiRenzo, J. & Meyer, G. (2012). PROTECT--A Deployed Game Theoretic System for Strategic Security Allocation for the United States Coast Guard. Ai Magazine , 33 (4), 96.
Austin, K. G., Price, L. L., McGraw, S. M., & Lieberman, H. R. (2015). Predictors of dietary supplement use by US Coast Guard personnel. PloS one , 10 (7), e0133006.
Cheon, S., Maltz, A., & Dooley, K. (2017). The link between economic and environmental performance of the top 10 US ports. Maritime Policy & Management , 44 (2), 227-247.
Knapik, J. J., Cosio-Lima, L. M., Reynolds, K. L., & Shumway, R. S. (2015). Efficacy of functional movement screening for predicting injuries in coast guard cadets. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research , 29 (5), 1157-1162.
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Shieh, E., An, B., Yang, R., Tambe, M., Baldwin, C., DiRenzo, J., & Meyer, G. (2012, June). Protect: A deployed game theoretic system to protect the ports of the United States. In Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems-Volume 1 (pp. 13-20). International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems.
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