Guardians,
On Friday, the Coast Guard hosted the first-ever U.S. Air Force/Coast Guard Staff Talks at Coast Guard Headquarters. My good personal friend and fellow service chief, General Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force brought over an exceptional team of senior leaders who engaged my staff on numerous topics of mutual interest.
The Air Force and Coast Guard possess commonality in mission and capability that present cooperative opportunities in the future. Collectively, the Air Force and Coast Guard form a key Search and Rescue partnership that serves the global community. Much of our discussion today highlighted that shared role and will pave the path for more in-depth interaction to improve service to those in distress.
Additionally, we talked about our Services' efforts regarding Remotely Piloted Aircraft. The Air Force's experience within the Department of Defense, and our relationships with DHS and Customs and Border Protection, should be leveraged to address future requirements and implement operational capability. This rapidly expanding sector of aviation is vital to the security of the Nation.
Today's successful inaugural talks reinforced the many points where Coast Guard and Air Force tactics, techniques, procedures and missions intersect, and established a solid foundation for further Service-level collaboration.
For me it has also been a pleasure to have General Norty Schwartz as a friend and colleague. We began to collaborate closely when he commanded the U.S. Transportation Command where we held the first ever three-way talks between TRANSCOM, the Coast Guard, and the Maritime Administration. I have worked with our Air Force colleagues since I was a search and rescue controller in Puerto Rico in the early 1970's. Their air deployable forces have saved countless lives offshore where there have been no vessels nearby to assist. We salute them and their leader.
ADM A
