Shipmates,
I am glad to announce that we have finalized our Diversity Strategic Plan and it is available to read here.
Since I have been Commandant, I have stressed that diversity is an operational necessity. By diversifying our workforce in terms of race, gender, culture, professional experiences and personal backgrounds, we can bring different perspectives and skills to bear on the complex maritime challenges we will face in the 21st century. This will help us detect simmering issues before they become problems, manage risk utilizing all available resources, and implement comprehensive solutions.
The Strategic Plan operationalizes the diversity initiatives we have been working on for the past year and places accountability on our Senior Leaders and Commanding Officers to ensure we recruit, train, and sustain a highly capable workforce. Our leaders are charged with five basic goals:
- Assure a diverse workforce through all-hands commitment with leadership accountability.
- Fully utilize communication and focus groups to improve workforce cultural climate.
- Expand outreach to underrepresented populations.
- Equitable hiring and career opportunities for all employees.
- Optimize training and education to emphasize the value of a diverse workforce.
Our Diversity Strategic Plan will make the Coast Guard an even stronger and more capable organization. While this is an all hands effort within the Coast Guard, I look forward to also working with our external stakeholders to help us achieve our goals.
