Guest Post by VADM Cliff Pearson, Chief of Staff.
Shipmates,
Today, I was joined by ADM Allen and Congressman Jim Moran at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Coast Guard Command, Control Communications, Computers and Information Technology Service Center (C4IT SC) held at the Coast Guard Telecommunication and Information Systems Center (TISCOM) in Alexandria, VA. Today's event represents the third in a series of five new mission support entities to stand-up this spring that will provide centralized, bi-level support to power Coast Guard mission execution. This marks another significant step towards the functional realignment of the mission support organization.
We were joined by Mr. Mark Powell, who I assigned as the first Director of the C4IT SC. I have every confidence in his ability to lead the organization through its transition to full establishment by June 1st, 2009, and integrate our Service's enterprise applications, decision, communications, navigations systems, and IT Infrastructure into the Coast Guard Business model for Logistics transformation.
Upon full establishment, more than 3,000 people in the C4IT SC will execute an annual budget of over $300M to provide C4IT services in support of Coast Guard missions. Managing a diverse portfolio of services and systems ranging from enterprise computers and applications, maritime and intelligence sensors, and integrated knowledge and information systems, the C4IT SC has the lead to ensure interoperability with other DHS agencies, the Department of Defense, and numerous State and Local agencies and Port Partners. They will provide "one stop shopping" for all Coast Guard technology requirements.
The C4IT SC, Surface Forces Logistics Center, Asset Project Office, Aviation Logistics Center, with the two remaining planned logistics and service centers (Shore Infrastructure Logistics Center and Personnel Service Center) will unify logistics support enterprise-wide, forming the backbone of our improved mission support organization for sustainable mission execution excellence. In the future these logistics and services centers will embody the following four guiding principles of the proven Coast Guard business model: Bi-level maintenance, Configuration Management, Single point of accountability through Product Line Managers, and Total Asset Visibility. By modernizing our business processes and organizational design, we will help to ensure the Coast Guard meets our call to be "Always Ready."
Visit our modernization website for more details.
