Innovation Builds the Coast Guard of the Future
Story by PA2 Judy Silverstein, Rescue 21 Public Affairs
Photo by Telfair H. Brown Sr., Coast Guard Visual Imagery
TAMPA, Fla. - For six years, the Coast Guard's Innovation Council has showcased emerging technologies and whiz-bang gadgetry for the operational environment. This year was no different.
Home to an array of military and law enforcement organizations - including Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg and the U.S Air Force Central Command, the Tampa event offered a glimpse into the future, with a backdrop of watery vistas and a vertical insertion demo, hosted by Air Station Clearwater.
Science and technology, graphics and digital displays merged into a blend of creativity, ingenuity and research as one strolled past nearly 250 booths, watching demos, attending seminars and pausing to ask questions. Talks on preparedness highlighted this year's conference theme. As representatives from the Coast Guard's Leadership and Development Center, Homeport and Deepwater Project, stood side-by-side with counterparts from agencies such as Customs and Border Patrol and also industry, to showcase their wares and demonstrate an array of technology for Coast Guard missions. 
Graphic courtesy of Chris Rose, Coast Guard Headquarters.
From "deck plate" Coasties to engineering officers, contractors, and foreign military officers from far-flung places such as France and Japan, the Tampa Convention Center was a frenzy of idea sharing from June 26-28.
"What we saw was a convergence of ideas and future technology," said Vice Adm. D. Brian Peterman, the newly-minted Atlantic Area Commander. "It offered the chance to open dialogue about ways to share technology and information amongst some of the world's maritime forces," he said.
The event also offered networking possibilities, as contractors from as far away as Scotland and Australia converged with an array of active duty, reserve, and auxiliary Coasties and civilian employees, as well.
For Senior Chief James Bach, Operations Center Supervisor at Sector St. Petersburg, the technology upgrades were striking. Now an Operations Specialist, he began his career in 1989 as a Radarman, using pencils and parallel rulers to measure course speed. Today, the tools of his trade have morphed into digital displays and computer plotting techniques.
"To avoid an accident at sea or to intercept a vessel for a boarding, it took two to three people to continuously mark (the contact's) course and speed and make adjustments and bridge recommendations...all while we were navigating the ship to keep our recommendations from running the ship aground, " he said. "Now, (in) 2006 one person moves the joystick over the electronic chart of the ship's position, acquires the radar video that is overlaid on the chart, and begins making recommendations immediately to the bridge for intercept and avoidance."
Bach, whose crew only recently began using the Rescue 21 system to get lines of bearing from boater-in-distress transmissions, said he's impressed by the changes offered by techno wizardry.
In a booth hosted by the Coast Guard's Acquisition Directorate, visitors were transfixed by quickly changing data gathered from Automated Information Sensor technology. Voiceless data transmitted live from the Port of Miami served as an example of improved maritime technology in an era of heightened homeland security concerns.
Across the Exhibit Hall, visitors tried on a very cool thermal sensing camera approved for use by Damage Control teams, and miniaturized, chemical sensing bracelets for Marine Safety Technicians and Coast Guard biologists. From weaponry and safety gear to the Great Lakes Icebreaker to micro chips for aircraft, the Expo showcased an array of jaw-dropping technology, offering a glimpse into the tools for a future forceOn the final day of the event, the Coast Guard's 23rd Commandant, Admiral Thad W. Allen, was accompanied by Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Jackson. The duo visited booths, listened to presentations, absorbing an almost overwhelming amount of data. Their entourage included Secret Servicemen and Coast Guard Investigative Service officers, reporters and photographers, even as they scrambled aboard a SAFE boat to experience recent firsthand improvements such as shock-absorbing seats and ammunition-resistant foam. Allen pointed out how critical those changes can be for crews working around the clock in a variety of missions.
Later, when asked how safe Tampa Bay is in a post-9/11 world, Allen referred to the
technology developments in the Exhibit Hall.
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TAMPA, Fla. - LCDR Karrie Trebbe gives a demonstration of the new Homeport portal to Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Jackson and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen at this year's Coast Guard Innovation Exposition held in Tampa. Coast Guard photograph by Telfair H. Brown, Sr. |
transponders on board vessels to communicate potential risks, and our new response boats are faster," he said. "We apply resources and decrease threats but hurricanes on the Gulf Coast show the region is vulnerable. The key to meeting these threats is preparedness," said Allen, who was also quick to say the service is ready because of, "extraordinarily gifted and talented young people."
For innovation award winner Seaman Adam Reed from Seattle, the whirlwind week whizzed by. First, there was breakfast with the Coast Guard Master Chiefs. Then there all sorts of chances to try new equipment - all while meeting Coasties from around
the country. The three-day event was capped off by an award ceremony.
"It really has been exciting," said Reed, beaming. The one-year Coast Guard veteran said seeing the new Commandant in person, was like winning the lottery. Just several days prior to his transfer to Petaluma, Calif., for Information Technology "A" school, the 23-year-old, married father of three was honored for his invention to test the lights on boat trailers - even when stacked close together. That is exactly the kind of achievement the Innovation Council celebrates - Coast Guard men, women and units who match needs to solutions. From designing metrics to improve accountability and reduce redundancy and waste, to equipment designed with field input, the nominations tell the story of unbridled creativity. The closing ceremony celebrated that approach.
"When you talk about the Coast Guard's inherent cultural ability to innovate, you get to the heart of the Coast Guard," said Jackson. "The culture of the Coast Guard is the most powerful tool the DHS has," he said. His sentiments were echoed by Allen.
"We have a courageous, organizational DNA," he said. "I can not be more proud to be your Commandant."
Would-be inventors and tinkerers will have a little more time to map out innovations, say organizers who tentatively have the next Innovation Expo slated for October 2007. Some say Tampa may make the short list, and the event is likely to follow the Admiral's conference.
"Innovation is the art of the possible," said Admiral Robert Papp, Master of Ceremonies as he steered the 2006 event to its conclusion.
With a tentative 18-month stretch until the next conference, the Coast Guard's Innovation Council is poised to receive an array of innovations and even more exhibits showcasing the Coast Guard of the future.
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