[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





                                  

 
     ALWAYS READY: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A U.S. COAST GUARD SENTINEL

=======================================================================

                                (118-72)

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

                                 OF THE

                              COMMITTEE ON
                   TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                           SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

                               __________

                       Printed for the use of the                      
     
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
             
             
             GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
             
             
             
             


     Available online at: https://www.govinfo.gov/committee/house-
     transportation?path=/browsecommittee/chamber/house/committee/
                             transportation
                             
                             
                      _______

             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
 58-132 PDF          WASHINGTON : 2025                         
                             
                             
                             
             COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

  Sam Graves, Missouri, Chairman
 Rick Larsen, Washington, Ranking 
              Member
Eleanor Holmes Norton,               Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford, 
  District of Columbia               Arkansas
Grace F. Napolitano, California      Daniel Webster, Florida
Steve Cohen, Tennessee               Thomas Massie, Kentucky
John Garamendi, California           Scott Perry, Pennsylvania
Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., Georgiaian Babin, Texas
Andre Carson, Indiana                Garret Graves, Louisiana
Dina Titus, Nevada                   David Rouzer, North Carolina
Jared Huffman, California            Mike Bost, Illinois
Julia Brownley, California           Doug LaMalfa, California
Frederica S. Wilson, Florida         Bruce Westerman, Arkansas
Mark DeSaulnier, California          Brian J. Mast, Florida
Salud O. Carbajal, California        Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon,
Greg Stanton, Arizona,                 Puerto Rico
  Vice Ranking Member                Pete Stauber, Minnesota
Colin Z. Allred, Texas               Tim Burchett, Tennessee
Sharice Davids, Kansas               Dusty Johnson, South Dakota
Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, Illinois   Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey,
Chris Pappas, New Hampshire            Vice Chairman
Seth Moulton, Massachusetts          Troy E. Nehls, Texas
Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts      Tracey Mann, Kansas
Marilyn Strickland, Washington       Burgess Owens, Utah
Troy A. Carter, Louisiana            Rudy Yakym III, Indiana
Patrick Ryan, New York               Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon
Mary Sattler Peltola, Alaska         Thomas H. Kean, Jr., New Jersey
Robert Menendez, New Jersey          Anthony D'Esposito, New York
Val T. Hoyle, Oregon                 Eric Burlison, Missouri
Emilia Strong Sykes, Ohio            Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin
Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan        Brandon Williams, New York
Valerie P. Foushee, North Carolina   Marcus J. Molinaro, New York
Christopher R. Deluzio, Pennsylvania Mike Collins, Georgia
                                     Mike Ezell, Mississippi
                                     John S. Duarte, California
                                     Aaron Bean, Florida
                                     Celeste Maloy, Utah
                                     Kevin Kiley, California
                                     Vince Fong, California
                                ------                                

        Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation

                   Daniel Webster, Florida, Chairman
             Salud O. Carbajal, California, Ranking Member
Brian Babin, Texas                   John Garamendi, California
Brian J. Mast, Florida               Chris Pappas, New Hampshire
Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon,            Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts
  Puerto Rico                        Mary Sattler Peltola, Alaska
Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey       Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan,
Mike Ezell, Mississippi, Vice          Vice Ranking Member
    Chairman                         Rick Larsen, Washington (Ex 
Aaron Bean, Florida                      Officio)
Sam Graves, Missouri (Ex Officio)



                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page

Summary of Subject Matter........................................     v

                 STATEMENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Hon. Daniel Webster, a Representative in Congress from the State 
  of Florida, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and 
  Maritime Transportation, opening statement.....................     1
    Prepared statement...........................................     3
Hon. Rick Larsen, a Representative in Congress from the State of 
  Washington, and Ranking Member, Committee on Transportation and 
  Infrastructure, opening statement..............................     4
    Prepared statement...........................................     5
Hon. Salud O. Carbajal, a Representative in Congress from the 
  State of California, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Coast 
  Guard and Maritime Transportation, opening statement...........     7
    Prepared statement...........................................     8

                               WITNESSES

Vice Admiral Thomas G. Allan, Jr., Deputy Commandant for Mission 
  Support, U.S. Coast Guard, oral statement......................     9
    Prepared statement...........................................    11
Master Chief Heath B. Jones, Master Chief Petty Officer of the 
  Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, oral statement \\.......    14



----------
\\ Master Chief Heath B. Jones did not submit a prepared 
statement for the record.




                           September 20, 2024

    SUMMARY OF SUBJECT MATTER

    TO:      LMembers, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime 
Transportation
    FROM:  LStaff, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime 
Transportation
    RE:      LSubcommittee Hearing on ``Always Ready: A Day in 
the Life of a U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel''
_______________________________________________________________________


                               I. PURPOSE

    The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation 
of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will meet 
on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. ET in 2167 
Rayburn House Office Building to receive testimony at a hearing 
entitled, ``Always Ready: A Day in the Life of a U.S. Coast 
Guard Sentinel.'' The Subcommittee will hear testimony from 
Vice Admiral Thomas Allan Jr., Deputy Commandant for Mission 
Support, United States Coast Guard, and Master Chief Heath B. 
Jones, Master Chief Petty Officer of the United States Coast 
Guard. Additionally, at a Members lunch held at 1:00 p.m. ET in 
2253 Rayburn House Building, the Subcommittee will hear from 
four United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard or Service) 
enlisted members who will talk about their experiences within 
the Service. These enlisted members will be available for 
questions and conversation during the lunch, but not during the 
hearing.

                             II. BACKGROUND

    The Coast Guard has primary responsibility to ``enforce or 
assist in the enforcement of all applicable Federal laws on, 
under, and over the high seas and waters subject to the 
jurisdiction of the United States; ensure the safety of life 
and property at sea; carry out domestic and international 
icebreaking activities; and maintain defense readiness to 
operate as a specialized service in the Navy upon the 
declaration of war or when the President directs.'' \1\ Coast 
Guard personnel are responsible for assisting mariners in 
distress, protecting and defending more than 100,000 miles of 
United States coastline and inland waterways, and safeguarding 
an economic region covering 4.5 million square miles.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ 14 U.S.C. Sec.  102.
    \2\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-23-106750, Coast Guard 
Recruitment and Retention Challenges Persist (May 2023), available at 
https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-106750.pdf [hereinafter Recruitment 
and Retention Report].
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Coast Guard offers 21 unique career opportunities for 
its enlisted recruits, including careers in aviation, cyber, 
afloat, intelligence, and Information Technology (IT).\3\ Coast 
Guard Officers can enter numerous career paths, comprised of 
afloat, aviation, engineering, healthcare, prevention, 
response, and support.\4\ At every rank, Coast Guard 
servicemembers perform extraordinary tasks every day in their 
service to the Nation. Some examples include search and rescue 
operations in life threatening conditions, perilous high-speed 
drug interceptions, and supporting the United States scientific 
community through ice breaking operations in the most remote 
regions on Earth.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ United States Coast Guard, Careers, available at https://
www.gocoastguard.com/careers.
    \4\ Id.
    \5\ United States Coast Guard, About USCG, available at https://
www.uscg.mil/About/Missions/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    However, historic funding shortfalls and recruitment 
challenges, particularly among enlisted personnel, continue to 
hinder the Service and limit its ability to carry out its 11 
assigned statutory missions. In 2023, the Government 
Accountability Office (GAO) found that the 55,000 member Coast 
Guard was 4,800 members short (approximately eight percent 
shortfall) and that it had missed its recruiting targets for 
four fiscal years in a row.\6\ While the Service is currently 
on track to meet its recruitment goals for 2024, significant 
manpower shortages still exist within the Service, leaving 
hundreds of critical billets and ratings unfilled.\7\ However 
increased recruitment will only stop the bleeding, it will not 
help with addressing the existing shortfall.\8\ In the 
meantime, the Service is reducing its capabilities by closing 
stations and laying up cutters to align the Coast Guard's force 
structure with its manpower realities.\9\ In order to overcome 
such challenges, the Service must have the resources to make 
appropriate investments into both its personnel and the 
infrastructure that supports them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ Recruitment and Retention Report, supra note 2.
    \7\ Briefing provided by Capt. Jason Aleksak, United States Coast 
Guard, to H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure staff (Aug. 7, 2024).
    \8\ Id.
    \9\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                       III. COAST GUARD PERSONNEL

ENLISTED PERSONNEL

    Enlisted personnel in the Coast Guard range in rank from 
Seaman Recruit to Master Chief Petty Officer. Enlisted Service 
members make up the majority of Coast Guard personnel 
comprising approximately 82 percent of the Service and are the 
Coast Guard's main workforce.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\ United States Coast Guard, Manpower Requirements Plan, (Mar. 
9, 2023) (on file with Comm.).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The sole accession point for all enlisted Coast Guard 
recruits is the United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape 
May (TRACEN Cape May), located in Cape May, New Jersey. TRACEN 
Cape May's facilities are nearing the point of total failure. 
Dilapidated infrastructure, crumbling foundations, and other 
serious structural issues have infiltrated many buildings.\11\ 
Recurrent budget requests and appropriation shortfalls in 
shoreside infrastructure continue to exacerbate the decline. 
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024 authorizes $225 
million for Fiscal Year 2025 and $125 million for Fiscal Year 
2026 to improve and modernize the facilities at TRACEN Cape 
May, and authorizes $12 million to strengthen the Service's 
recruiting efforts.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \11\ Briefing provided by Capt. Dorthy Hernandez, United States 
Coast Guard, to H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure staff (Mar. 22, 
2023). [hereinafter Coast Guard Briefing]
    \12\ The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024, H.R. 7659, 118th 
Cong. (2024). [hereinafter H.R. 7659)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

COMMISSIONED PERSONNEL

    Commissioned officers in the Coast Guard can enter the 
Service through three programs: the Coast Guard Academy, 
Officer Candidate School, or as a Direct Commission Officer. 
All these programs are housed at the Coast Guard Academy in New 
London, Connecticut, creating a similar sole accession point 
for all Officers.
    Like TRACEN Cape May, the Coast Guard Academy has suffered 
from the Service's historic shoreside funding shortfalls. 
Crumbling infrastructure, mold, asbestos, and generally 
antiquated facilities hinder the Service's ability to acquire, 
recruit, and retain talent in its officer corps.\13\ This is 
particularly true when competing with other Service Academies 
which possess updated and well-funded facilities, like West 
Point, the United States Naval Academy, or the United States 
Airforce Academy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \13\ Coast Guard Briefing, supra note 11.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024 authorizes $10 
million in Fiscal Year 2025 to fund the creation of an 
infrastructure development plan for the Coast Guard Academy, 
and authorizes an additional $100 million in Fiscal Year 2026 
to execute this plan.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \14\ H.R. 7659, supra note 12.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

            IV. MAJOR ISSUES FACED BY COAST GUARD PERSONNEL

    In May, during the Coast Guard Congressional breakfast, the 
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard highlighted that 
members prioritize the housing, access to health and support 
services, childcare, and schools. These four issues play a 
pivotal role in recruiting and retention, but are also areas 
where the Coast Guard has historically struggled to perform 
well.

AVAILABLY OF HOUSING

    Approximately 41 percent of Coast Guard units can be found 
in some of the most remote and most expensive locations within 
the United States.\15\ This includes summer vacation 
communities where housing is only seasonal or prohibitively 
expensive. While there are some locations where the Coast Guard 
provides and maintains housing, the maintenance and upkeep of 
this housing is often underfunded, creating issues related to 
lead, mold, or other health concerns.\16\ For many in the Coast 
Guard, affordable housing is nearly impossible to find. 
Compounding the issue, the Coast Guard has not conducted a 
Service-wide survey of members on their housing experiences and 
challenges since 2012, resulting in inaccurate and out of date 
data, hindering the Service's ability to make impactful and 
informed investments into personnel housing.\17\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \15\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-24-106388, Better Feedback 
Collection and Information Could Enhance Housing Program (Feb. 2024).
    \16\ Id.
    \17\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024 requires that the 
Commandant produce to the Committee an implementation plan to 
incorporate the recommendations made in GAO's 2024 report on 
improving Coast Guard housing.\18\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \18\ H.R. 7659, supra note 12.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE

    The Coast Guard offers outpatient medical services for its 
personnel at shore-based outpatient clinics and sickbays, as 
well as limited services at sickbays that are on Coast Guard 
vessels. Coast Guard personnel may also obtain medical care 
through the Department of Defense's (DOD) regional health plan, 
TRICARE, which is administered by the Defense Health Agency 
(DHA). Through TRICARE, Coast Guard personnel can obtain 
medical care from military hospitals and clinics or through 
civilian health care providers.\19\ Importantly, Coast Guard 
active duty personnel and their dependents are more than twice 
as likely than the personnel and dependents from the other 
military services to be enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote, which 
means they are located more than 50 miles away from a military 
hospital or clinic.\20\ This further highlights the challenges 
that the Service's remote postings have on its personnel.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \19\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-24-106784, Coast Guard 
Health Care: Information on Telehealth Usage, (Apr. 2024). [hereinafter 
Telehealth Report].
    \20\ Recruitment and Retention Report, supra note 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Challenges, such as clinic staffing shortages, have 
previously limited the Coast Guard's ability to provide health 
care to its personnel. Furthermore, as is the case with 
housing, the remote nature of many Coast Guard bases limits the 
availability of health care to many members within the 
service.\21\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \21\ Telehealth Report, supra note 19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In 2021, the Coast Guard began experimenting with 
telehealth options during the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding to a 
pilot video telehealth platform in 2022 and full deployment in 
September 2023. As of December 2023, the Coast Guard is in the 
process of formalizing its telehealth program, which includes 
establishing standardized scheduling practices for telehealth 
appointments and monitoring related metrics by the end of 
Fiscal Year 2024.\22\ However, IT issues, most notably issues 
pertaining to inconsistent internet connectivity at sea and in 
remote locations, have plagued the performance of the 
telehealth program.\23\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \22\ Id.
    \23\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACCESS TO SCHOOL

    Access to quality education and childcare is often 
prohibitively expensive or unavailable in more remote 
communities where Coast Guard personnel are stationed. Military 
families frequently cited education issues for their children 
as a drawback to military service, because children may have to 
transfer schools up to nine times, on average, before high 
school graduation.\24\ Additionally, military families often 
rely on public schools, based on where they live, and fewer 
choices are available to families in rural areas.\25\ GAO found 
that in rural areas fewer public schools and fewer types of 
school options, including charter and magnet schools, were 
available compared to units in more highly populated urban 
areas.\26\ For example, in one study rural Coast Guard units 
had a median of 32 schools located nearby, while urban units 
had a median of 186 schools nearby.\27\ Limitations in 
educational opportunities hinders the Service's ability to 
retain personnel.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \24\ Recruitment and Retention Report, supra note 2.
    \25\ Id.
    \26\ Id.
    \27\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACCESS TO CHILDCARE

    In 2020, the rising cost of child care nationwide was among 
the most formidable challenges facing Coast Guard families.\28\ 
The Coast Guard operates proportionally fewer on-base child 
development centers compared to other military services, so 
most eligible Coast Guard personnel receive fee assistance to 
help them obtain childcare through community-based 
providers.\29\ The Coast Guard's nine existing facilities can 
only provide on-base care to approximately 700 children.\30\ In 
2022, 300 children were on the waitlist for Coast Guard 
facilities.\31\ The Coast Guard serves the other 82 percent of 
enrolled children through community-based providers who 
participate in the Service's Fee Assistance program.\32\ 
Comparatively, the Department of Defense is able to serve 77 
percent of enrolled children in its own on-base child 
development centers, limiting their reliance on outside 
providers.\33\ The Coast Guard has attempted to address this 
shortfall by building four new child development centers.\34\ 
It has also centralized and updated online information to help 
families find child care in their communities.\35\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \28\ Id.
    \29\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-22-105262, Military 
Childcare: Coast Guard Is Taking Steps To Increase Access for Families 
(June 2022), available at https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-105262 
[hereinafter Childcare Report].
    \30\ Recruitment and Retention Report, supra note 2.
    \31\ Id.
    \32\ Childcare Report, supra note 29.
    \33\ Id.
    \34\ Id.
    \35\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The reliance on community-based providers has consequences 
for Coast Guard Personnel. In remote areas, there may not be 
sufficient community providers available, or the wait list is 
exceedingly long, and since members are often only informed of 
a new duty station months before transfer, there may not be 
sufficient time to apply and be accepted.
    Even on-base child development centers face difficulties in 
recruiting and certifying childcare providers. For example, in 
late June, Coast Guard Base Kodiak informed 16 families that 
due to staffing shortages, their dependents would be 
disenrolled from the on base Child Development Center.\36\ 
Additionally, it could not accommodate enrollment for inbound 
members.\37\ This notification was made at the height of 
summer, when families were moving to or from the Coast Guard 
base at Kodiak, Alaska, and needed reliable childcare. Despite 
its large size, even Base Kodiak could not provide adequate 
childcare for its members. This difficulty is further 
heightened because Kodiak is a remote island, with limited 
childcare options.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \36\ Email from CDR Justin Nadolny to H. Comm. on Transp. and 
Infrastructure Staff, (June 19, 2024), (on file with Comm.).
    \37\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY

    While all branches of the military face recruiting and 
retention challenges, due to its small size the Coast Guard 
feels any shortfalls more acutely. Moreover, it can be 
particularly challenging for the Coast Guard to recruit because 
it is smaller, less well known, and less well funded than the 
other military services.\38\ As highlighted by the stories of 
the enlisted members during the Members lunch, the Coast Guard 
workforce is vital to accomplishing the 11 statutory missions 
and safeguard the National security of the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \38\ Recruitment and Retention Report, supra note 2.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                              V. WITNESSES

     LVice Admiral Thomas Allan Jr., Deputy Commandant 
for Mission Support, United States Coast Guard
     LMaster Chief Heath B. Jones, Master Chief Petty 
Officer, United States Coast Guard


     ALWAYS READY: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A U.S. COAST GUARD SENTINEL

                              ----------                              


                     WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2024

                  House of Representatives,
                    Subcommittee on Coast Guard and
                           Maritime Transportation,
            Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 2:09 p.m., in 
room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Daniel Webster 
(Chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. The Subcommittee on Coast Guard and 
Maritime Transportation will come to order.
    I ask unanimous consent that the chairman be authorized to 
declare a recess at any time during today's hearing.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    I ask unanimous consent that the Members not on the 
subcommittee be permitted to sit with the subcommittee at 
today's hearing and ask questions.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    As a reminder, if Members insert a document into the 
record, please also email that document to 
DocumentsTI@mail.house.gov.
    OK. So, I now recognize myself for the purpose of an 
opening statement for 5 minutes.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL WEBSTER OF FLORIDA, CHAIRMAN, 
    SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

    Mr. Webster of Florida. Today, our subcommittee meets to 
highlight the extraordinary successes of the men and women of 
the Coast Guard. At the same time, we are here to examine what 
investments could be made or must be made in order to keep the 
Coast Guard's most valuable resource: its people.
    So, I would like to welcome today our witnesses, Vice 
Admiral Thomas Allan, Jr. Thank you for coming. And also we 
have our Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Chief 
Heath Jones. Thanks for coming--Master Chief--I am sorry.
    First, I would like to thank the four junior enlisted men 
and women, the members of the Coast Guard, we just finished a 
lunch with them, and they gave us some awesome information, and 
I really appreciated it. I thought it was very helpful, maybe 
even in the future.
    So, we had Chief Petty Officer Casper and Petty Officers 
Sizer, Ford, and Willis, all great examples of the many Coast 
Guard enlisted members who make the Service work every day. I 
applaud them for their service.
    At every rank, Coast Guard members perform extraordinary 
tasks in service to our Nation. Nearly every week, there is a 
news article highlighting the heroics, I guess, their work 
conducting search and rescue operations in life-threatening 
conditions, executing perilous high-speed drug interceptions, 
supporting the United States scientific communities through 
icebreaking operations in the most remote regions on the Earth. 
So, you are just an awesome group.
    One of the greatest strengths of the Coast Guard is its 
people. Coast Guard members are resilient, capable, skilled, 
motivated. But as the Commandant has said, the readiness of the 
Coast Guard depends on its ability to support its people. This 
support should include well-maintained physical assets, like 
capable ships, aircraft, and infrastructure; must be also 
extended to personnel factors like housing, medical care, 
schooling, and childcare that influence the decision of members 
and their families to join or to remain in the Coast Guard.
    Regrettably, in many of these areas, the Coast Guard has 
room for improvement. Chronic underfunding by Presidents and 
Congresses has left shoreside facilities like housing in 
disrepair; childcare options are scarce, and aging assets are 
the norm.
    Short nearly 10 percent of its workforce, and facing 
ongoing recruiting and retention struggles, prioritization of 
the well-being of sentinels is more important now than ever. I 
am encouraged to hear that you are on track to reach this 
year's goal. That is awesome. Can't stop. Keep going. It is 
time to put the foot on the gas and keep the pedal to the metal 
as workforce shortages still remain.
    So, today, I look forward to hearing how the Coast Guard is 
taking care of its members and their families so that they can 
be a better employer and be the employer of choice.
    On that note, while it is not the purpose of this hearing, 
the Coast Guard recently informed this committee that not only 
has it failed to produce statutorily required acquisition 
planning documents for the last 9 years, it also has no 
intention of submitting a major acquisition program report at 
any point in the future. Similarly, we are still awaiting the 
fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2025 capital investment plans.
    As a law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard cannot just 
pick and choose what laws they are going to follow because they 
have to set an example. A long-term acquisition plan is 
essential to providing Coast Guard members with the assets and 
support that they need to do their missions, as both the lunch 
earlier today and this hearing will probably highlight. If the 
Coast Guard maintains its stance and is unable to produce any 
of this information, we have no choice but to consider its 
inability to conduct meaningful acquisition planning in its 
future authorizations.
    This is my warning to the Coast Guard: Please start saving 
yourselves from your own sinking ship. It would really be 
helpful.
    To our witnesses, thank you for being here. Thank you for 
your preparation for today. This committee truly believes that 
you represent the world's best Coast Guard. Today, we hope to 
hear how Congress can help keep that tradition alive.
    [Mr. Webster of Florida's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
    Prepared Statement of Hon. Daniel Webster of Florida, Chairman, 
        Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
    Today our subcommittee meets to highlight the extraordinary 
successes of the men and women of the Coast Guard. At the same time, we 
are here to examine what investments must be made into the Coast 
Guard's most valuable resource: its people.
    I'd like to welcome our witnesses--Vice Admiral Thomas Allan Jr., 
Deputy Commandant for Mission Support, and Master Chief Heath Jones, 
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard.
    First, I would like to thank the four junior enlisted members we 
just finished having lunch with. Chief Petty Officer Casper and Petty 
Officers Sizer, Ford, and Willis are great examples of the many Coast 
Guard enlisted members who make the Service work every day. I applaud 
them for their service.
    At every rank, Coast Guard members perform extraordinary tasks in 
service to our nation. Nearly every week there's a news article 
highlighting their work--conducting search and rescue operations in 
life threatening conditions, executing perilous high-speed drug 
interceptions, and supporting the United States' scientific community 
through ice breaking operations in the most remote regions on Earth.
    One of the greatest strengths of the Coast Guard is its people. 
Coast Guard members are resilient, capable, skilled, and motivated. But 
as the Commandant has said, the readiness of the Coast Guard depends on 
its ability to support its people.
    This support should include well maintained physical assets, like 
capable ships, aircraft, and infrastructure. It must also extend to 
personal factors like housing, medical care, schooling, and childcare 
that influence the decision of members and their families to join or 
remain in the Coast Guard.
    Regrettably, in many of these areas the Coast Guard has room for 
improvement. Chronic underfunding by presidents and Congress has left 
shoreside facilities, including housing, in disrepair; childcare 
options are scarce; and aging assets are the norm.
    Short nearly ten percent of its workforce, and facing ongoing 
recruiting and retention struggles, prioritizing the wellbeing of 
Sentinels is more important than ever. I am encouraged to hear that you 
are on track to reach your recruiting goal for 2024, but this is no 
time to take your foot off the gas, as a workforce shortage still 
remains. So today, I look forward to hearing how the Coast Guard is 
taking care of its members and their families so it can be the employer 
of choice.
    On that note, while it is not the purpose of this hearing, the 
Coast Guard recently informed this committee that not only has it 
failed to produce statutorily required acquisition planning documents 
for the last nine years, it has no intention of submitting a major 
acquisition program report at any point in the future. Similarly, we 
are still awaiting the Fiscal Year 2024 and Fiscal Year 2025 Capital 
Investment Plans.
    As a law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard cannot just pick and 
choose what laws it follows. A long-term acquisition plan is essential 
to providing Coast Guard members with the assets and support they need 
to do their missions, as both the lunch earlier and this hearing will 
highlight. If the Coast Guard maintains its stance that it is unable to 
produce this information, we will have no choice but to consider its 
inability to conduct meaningful acquisition planning in its future 
authorizations.
    This is my warning to the Coast Guard--please start saving yourself 
from your own sinking ship.
    To our witnesses--thank you for participating today. This committee 
truly believes that you represent the world's best Coast Guard. Today, 
we hope to hear how Congress can help keep that tradition alive.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. And now--are you going to talk?
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will yield. Of 
course, I want to talk, but I will yield to our Ranking Member 
Larsen.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Larsen.

 OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RICK LARSEN OF WASHINGTON, RANKING 
     MEMBER, COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank 
you, Ranking Member, for calling today's hearing.
    So, earlier this afternoon, we had an opportunity to sit 
down with enlisted members of the Coast Guard to hear their 
thoughts, their concerns, their adventures, their violation of 
Coast Guard policy in getting things done. I say it with some 
jest, because what we heard is that sometimes to do their job, 
they have got to go outside policy to save lives, and saving 
lives is what the Coast Guard does.
    Hearing directly from enlisted personnel is incredibly 
helpful as this committee conducts oversight and it crafts 
policy affecting the Service. I want to thank the Coast Guard 
for making these Coasties available to us and take a moment to 
recognize and celebrate their incredible work with us over 
lunch, of all of our Coast Guard enlisted personnel.
    So, over the course of this Congress, I have taken the 
opportunity as well to visit Coasties across the country, in 
New London and Pensacola, Maui, Baltimore, Grand Haven, 
Chicago, and various places in Alaska as well. It has been an 
invaluable experience. I encourage my colleagues to see as much 
of the Coast Guard as possible.
    These women and men are really unsung heroes responsible 
for safeguarding our coasts and our people. They risk their 
lives conducting search and rescue operations, intercepting 
drug traffickers, and ensuring the safety of our coastal 
communities. Their dedication and bravery exemplify the highest 
ideals of the Service.
    So, I want to say thank you to all the servicemembers that 
joined us today and to all the Coasties for your service.
    In my own State of Washington, there are about 2,300 
enlisted Coast Guard personnel. These dedicated individuals 
play a crucial role in responding to emergencies, enforcing 
laws, and protecting the natural resources in the region. From 
the very busy ports in Seattle and Portland and--sorry--Salem, 
Tacoma, and Everett, and probably Portland, too, to the rugged 
shores of the San Juan Islands, their presence ensures that our 
maritime environment remains safe and secure.
    As Coast Guard members serve our country with distinction, 
it is our responsibility, therefore, to ensure they have the 
resources they need, including affordable housing, essential 
health services, childcare, and up-to-date cutters, aircraft, 
and technology.
    Due to the unique mission of the Service, the Coast Guard 
stations are often in remote or high-cost coastal areas. So, 
the stress of expensive housing takes a toll on servicemember 
well-being and overall readiness. Limited Coast Guard-owned 
housing and the Department of Defense's Basic Allowance for 
Housing, or BAH, which does not appropriately considered Coast 
Guard locations, forces personnel to find more affordable 
housing with longer commutes.
    On healthcare, the Coast Guard does offer healthcare 
benefits, but the accessibility and quality of care is 
inconsistent. Too many personnel face long wait times for 
appointments and limited access to specialized care. So, our 
Coasties deserve not only a robust healthcare system, but also 
the access to other services, like behavioral health services, 
that meet their needs promptly and effectively.
    According to the Coast Guard Foundation, in 2022, Coast 
Guard members died from suicide twice as often as their peers 
in other military services. So, investing in behavioral health, 
mental health is just not a moral obligation, it is critical to 
save the lives of our Coasties.
    Many enlisted personnel are also parents who juggle 
demanding work schedules with family responsibilities. The 
servicemembers often have difficulty finding affordable and 
reliable childcare, which has a direct impact on their ability 
to do their jobs.
    So, while funding was provided in the Bipartisan 
Infrastructure Law to build four new child development centers 
in areas like Kodiak, the Coast Guard has struggled with 
staffing. This limits the number of dependents who can enroll 
and forces members to look elsewhere for childcare, something 
that can be very difficult in more remote areas.
    And, finally, while we take pride in the remarkable 
contributions of our people, we have to provide them with the 
tools and resources they need for the job. The Coast Guard has 
been too slow to adopt new technology, in fact. In the wake of 
a personnel shortage of nearly 10 percent, the Service must 
take advantage of all available technology to effectively 
conduct missions and prevent burnout. Increased adoption of 
remote sensors, autonomous systems, and AI tools could help to 
relieve pressure on a strained workforce. Unfortunately, these 
technologies require funding, which we have not provided in 
recent years.
    So, it is clear we have a responsibility to ensure that 
those who are dedicating their lives to protecting us receive 
the resources and support they need to thrive, both on duty and 
off duty.
    So, I take the opportunity, when I can, to see Coast Guard 
stations across the country. I have seen firsthand the 
challenges our Coasties are facing. Meeting with enlisted 
members like this afternoon was extremely helpful, much more 
exciting than having a hearing, honestly. And I encourage all 
my colleagues to visit the Coast Guard, get out on the water, 
get up in the air with them, as I did in Pensacola, to truly 
see the value that they provide to our country.
    With that, I yield back.
    [Mr. Larsen of Washington's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Hon. Rick Larsen of Washington, Ranking Member, 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
    Thank you, Chairman Webster, for calling today's hearing.
    Earlier this afternoon, we had an opportunity to sit down with 
enlisted members of the Coast Guard to hear their thoughts, their 
concerns, their adventures, their violations of Coast Guard policy to 
get things done. I say that with some jest because what we heard is 
that sometimes to do their job, they have to go outside policy to save 
lives and saving lives is what the Coast Guard does.
    Hearing directly from enlisted personnel is incredibly helpful as 
this Committee conducts oversight and crafts policy affecting the 
Service. I would like to thank the Coast Guard for making those 
Coasties available and take a moment to recognize and celebrate the 
incredible work of our Coast Guard enlisted personnel.
    Over the course of this Congress, I've also taken the opportunity 
to visit Coasties across the country in places like New London, 
Pensacola, Maui, Baltimore, Bellingham, Grand Haven and Chicago. It has 
been an invaluable experience, and I encourage my colleagues to see as 
much of the Coast Guard as possible.
    These women and men are unsung heroes responsible for safeguarding 
our coasts and our people.
    They risk their lives conducting search and rescue operations, 
intercepting drug traffickers and ensuring the safety of our coastal 
communities. Their dedication and bravery exemplify the highest ideals 
of service.
    Thank you to all the servicemembers that joined us today and to all 
Coasties for your service.
    In Washington State alone, there are over 2,300 enlisted Coast 
Guard personnel. These dedicated individuals play a crucial role in 
responding to emergencies, enforcing laws and protecting natural 
resources in the region.
    From the very busy ports in Seattle and Tacoma and Everett, and 
probably Portland, too, to the rugged shores of the San Juan Islands, 
their presence ensures that our maritime environment remains safe and 
secure.
    As Coast Guard members serve our country with distinction, it is 
our responsibility to ensure they have the resources they need, 
including affordable housing, essential health services, childcare and 
up-to-date cutters, aircraft and technology.
    Due to the unique mission of the Service, Coast Guard stations are 
often in remote or high-cost coastal areas.
    The stress of expensive housing takes a toll on servicemember well-
being and overall readiness. Limited Coast Guard-owned housing and the 
Department of Defense's Basic Allowance for Housing, which does not 
appropriately consider Coast Guard locations, forces personnel to find 
more affordable housing with longer commutes.
    While the Coast Guard does offer healthcare benefits, the 
accessibility and quality of care is inconsistent. Too many personnel 
face long wait times for appointments and limited access to specialized 
care.
    Coast Guard members deserve, not only a robust healthcare system, 
but also access to mental health services that meet their needs 
promptly and effectively.
    According to the Coast Guard Foundation, in 2022, Coast Guard 
members died from suicide twice as often as their peers in other 
military services. Investing in mental health is not just a moral 
obligation, it is critical for saving the lives of our Coasties.
    Many enlisted personnel are also parents who juggle demanding work 
schedules with family responsibilities.
    Servicemembers often have difficulty finding affordable and 
reliable childcare which has a direct impact on their ability to do 
their jobs.
    While funding was provided in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to 
build four new Child Development Centers in remote areas like Kodiak, 
Alaska, the Coast Guard has struggled with staffing.
    This limits the number of dependents who can enroll and forces 
members to look elsewhere for childcare--something very difficult to 
find in more remote areas.
    While we take pride in the remarkable contributions of our Coast 
Guard enlisted personnel, we must also provide them with the tools and 
resources required to do their job.
    The Coast Guard is too slow to adopt new technology. In the wake of 
a personnel shortage of nearly 10 percent, the service must take 
advantage of all available technology to effectively conduct missions 
and prevent burnout.
    Increased adoption of remote sensors, autonomous systems and 
artificial intelligence tools could help to relieve pressure on a 
strained workforce. Unfortunately, those technologies require funding 
which has not been provided in recent years.
    We have a responsibility to ensure that those who dedicate their 
lives to protecting us receive the resources and support they need to 
thrive both on duty and off duty.
    I take every opportunity I get to see Coast Guard stations around 
the country, and I have seen firsthand the challenges our Coasties are 
facing.
    Meeting with enlisted members this afternoon was extremely helpful, 
much more exciting than having a hearing, honestly, and I encourage all 
of my colleagues to visit the Coast Guard and get out on the water, get 
up in the air with them, as I did in Pensacola, to truly see the value 
that they provide to our country.
    Thank you, and I yield back.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. Ranking Member Larsen of the full 
committee yields back.
    So, the ranking member from the subcommittee, Mr. Carbajal, 
you are recognized for 5 minutes.

  OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SALUD O. CARBAJAL OF CALIFORNIA, 
   RANKING MEMBER, SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARITIME 
                         TRANSPORTATION

    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you, Chairman Webster, for having this 
hearing, and to all our witnesses that are here, Master Chief 
Jones and Vice Admiral Allan.
    I must say, before we move on, that Ranking Member Larsen 
has brought the fanny pack back into fashion all by himself. I 
don't know if anybody knows that. I just thought I would codify 
that on the record.
    Over the past 3 years, I have had the opportunity to visit 
Coast Guard stations across the country. I have been on 
icebreakers, National Security Cutters, Fast Response Cutters, 
various aircraft, and small vessels. Each visit has left me 
with a sense of deep appreciation for what the Coasties do for 
our country every single day. I am sure that anyone who has a 
chance to interact with members of the Coast Guard feels the 
same way.
    As ranking member of this subcommittee, I take my role of 
the Coast Guard promoter very seriously. I recognize the Coast 
Guard is the premier agency tasked with protecting the American 
people and safeguarding our national security interests along 
our shores and beyond. I understand the tremendous value that 
the Service provides to the community when Coasties fulfill the 
diverse missions across the United States and the globe.
    The Service is only successful, though, because of its 
servicemembers. They are there when a boater or a swimmer gets 
into trouble. They prevent drugs being smuggled across the sea 
from harming our communities. They intercept migrants who are 
trafficked across our maritime border when their lives are 
placed at risk by transnational criminal organizations.
    They protect our precious ecosystem from harm by preventing 
oil from spilling into our waters and jeopardizing coastal 
economies. They demand excellence in maintaining sustainable 
fisheries when those fisheries are threatened by illegal, 
unreported, and unregulated fishing operations. And they uphold 
the flow of American goods and commerce.
    The Coast Guard is always ready and always there. Coasties 
are semper paratus. But as the Service is always there and 
always ready to serve the American people, so too must Congress 
be there for the Coast Guard. I am working to ensure the Coast 
Guard receives the funding and support it needs to execute each 
of its vital missions. This means not only providing the 
resources for new classes of cutters, assets, and facilities, 
but also investing in people, the very fabric of the Service.
    As a veteran myself, I have always been proud to represent 
our servicemembers in Congress. As a longtime resident and 
Representative of the Central Coast of California, I know 
firsthand the challenges that our Coasties and their families 
face.
    Many Coasties are forced to live hours from their duty 
stations because there is insufficient housing. They often 
travel unacceptable distances to visit doctors. Coasties have 
limited access to childcare, which often results in couples 
alternating parenting duties based on their work schedules or 
being forced to quit altogether.
    These challenges weigh on the mental and physical welfare 
of Coasties. We must do better. Despite these challenges, the 
Coast Guard is always ready and always there. For that, I, and 
the American people, are forever grateful.
    However, I recognize that gratitude alone does not pay the 
bills. I have major concerns about the funding needed to keep 
up with the backlog in infrastructure, the investment in the 
new assets such as cutters and helicopters, and everyday 
support services to the fleet. Recruitment, retention, and the 
success of every mission depend on it. This subcommittee is 
hard at work to make sure that your needs are recognized.
    To the Coasties who joined us today and across the world, 
thank you for all of your unconditional service to our Nation. 
I am proud to advocate for America's great Coast Guard and look 
forward to the testimony today to hear about how Congress can 
do better to support the Service.
    With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    [Mr. Carbajal's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
  Prepared Statement of Hon. Salud O. Carbajal of California, Ranking 
    Member, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
    Good afternoon, and thank you, Chair Webster, for calling today's 
hearing. The testimonies we are receiving today are paramount to the 
success of the Coast Guard and the future of the enlisted workforce.
    Over the past three years, I've had the opportunity to visit Coast 
Guard stations across the country. I've been on icebreakers, National 
Security Cutters, Fast Response Cutters, various aircraft and small 
vessels.
    Each visit has left me with a sense of deep appreciation for what 
Coasties do for our country every single day. I am sure that anyone who 
has a chance to interact with members of the Coast Guard feels the 
same.
    As Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, I take my role of Coast 
Guard promoter very seriously. I recognize the Coast Guard is the 
premier agency tasked with protecting the American people and 
safeguarding our national security interests along our shores and 
beyond.
    I understand the tremendous value that the service provides to the 
community when Coasties fulfill the diverse missions across the United 
States and the globe.
    The service is only successful, though, because of its 
servicemembers. They are there when a boater or swimmer gets into 
trouble. They prevent drugs being smuggled across the sea from harming 
our communities. They intercept migrants who are trafficked across our 
maritime border when their lives are placed at risk by transnational 
criminal organizations.
    They protect our precious ecosystem from harm by preventing oil 
from spilling into our waters and jeopardizing coastal economies. They 
demand excellence in maintaining sustainable fisheries when those 
fisheries are threatened by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing 
operations. And they uphold the flow of American goods and commerce.
    The Coast Guard is always ready and always there--Coasties are 
Semper Paratus.
    But as the service is always there and always ready to serve the 
American people, so too must Congress be there for the Coast Guard. I 
am working to ensure the Coast Guard receives the funding and support 
it needs to execute each of its vital missions. This means not only 
providing the resources for new classes of cutters, assets and 
facilities, but also investing in people, the very fabric of the 
service.
    As a veteran myself, I have always been proud to represent our 
servicemembers in Congress. As a long-time resident and representative 
of the Central Coast of California, I know first-hand the challenges 
that our Coasties and their families face.
    Many Coasties are forced to live hours from their duty stations 
because there is insufficient housing. They often travel unacceptable 
distances to visit doctors. Coasties have limited access to childcare, 
which often results in couples alternating parenting duties based on 
their work schedules or being forced to quit work altogether.
    These challenges weigh on the mental and physical welfare of 
Coasties. We must do better.
    Despite these challenges, the Coast Guard is always ready and 
always there. For that, I, and the American people, are forever 
grateful. However, I recognize that gratitude alone does not pay the 
bills.
    I have major concerns about the funding needed to keep up with the 
backlog in infrastructure, the investments in new assets such as 
cutters and helicopters and everyday support services to the fleet. 
Recruitment, retention, and the success of every mission depend on it. 
This Subcommittee is hard at work to make sure that your needs are 
recognized.
    To the Coasties who joined us here today and across the world, 
thank you all for your unconditional service to our nation. I am proud 
to advocate for America's great Coast Guard and look forward to the 
testimony today to hear about how Congress can better support the 
service.
    I yield back.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. OK. Well, I would like to welcome 
again our witnesses and thank them for being here today. I 
really appreciate it.
    Briefly, I would like to take this moment to explain our 
lighting system. Green means go, yellow means slow down, red 
means stop. Pretty simple. And we are going to kind of stick to 
that.
    I ask unanimous consent that the witnesses' full statements 
be included in the record.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    I ask for unanimous consent that the record of today's 
hearing be open until such time as the witnesses have provided 
answers to any questions that may have been submitted to them.
    Without objection, show that ordered.
    I also ask for unanimous consent the record remain open for 
15 days for any additional comments and information submitted 
by Members or witnesses to be included in today's hearing 
record.
    Without objection, show that done.
    So, as your written testimony has been made a part of the 
record, the committee asks you to limit your speaking time to 5 
minutes.
    And with that, Vice Admiral Allan, you are recognized for 5 
minutes.

    TESTIMONY OF VICE ADMIRAL THOMAS G. ALLAN, JR., DEPUTY 
 COMMANDANT FOR MISSION SUPPORT, U.S. COAST GUARD; AND MASTER 
 CHIEF HEATH B. JONES, MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF THE COAST 
                    GUARD, U.S. COAST GUARD

    TESTIMONY OF VICE ADMIRAL THOMAS G. ALLAN, JR., DEPUTY 
        COMMANDANT FOR MISSION SUPPORT, U.S. COAST GUARD

    Admiral Allan. Good afternoon, Chairman Webster, Ranking 
Member Larsen, Ranking Member Carbajal, and distinguished 
members of the subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to 
testify today on this important topic.
    The U.S. Coast Guard is one of the world's premier 
multimission maritime services responsible for the safety, 
security, and stewardship of our Nation's waters. Our 58,000 
members conduct dynamic homeland security defense missions 
around the globe, 24/7, 365 days a year. As a Deputy Commandant 
for mission support, it is my duty to make certain these 
members have the needs to remain always ready.
    Our workforce is the heart of the Coast Guard. Every day, 
our people put their lives on the line to protect, defend, and 
save. They are operating under the strain of one of the largest 
workforce shortages of our 234-year history. Even though the 
Coast Guard achieved its Active Duty recruiting goals for the 
first time since 2017, and met all the goals for officers, 
enlisted, and reserve sessions for the first time since 2007, 
we must continue to work to find new ways to make the Coast 
Guard a place people want to come to work, to excel, to have a 
career, and to deliver the mission our Nation expects.
    To remain the world's greatest Coast Guard, we must retain 
our most precious resource: our workforce. We must clarify and 
fortify our core values for our crews, and we must invest in a 
talent management system that cultivates the individual and 
collective skills the Service needs.
    Our efforts to upgrade our human resource IT system will 
enable a more robust system to effectively capture unique 
aspects of our personnel and better match their talents to 
Service needs. Our modernized training system must deliver 
personalized on-demand training and ensure the continuous 
professional development of our workforce.
    The Coast Guard training centers are the foundations of our 
workforce. We greatly appreciate Congress' recent investments 
in recruit barracks at Training Center Cape May where all Coast 
Guard enlisted members start their service and receive their 
basic training.
    The Coast Guard Academy is operating without data 
facilities, plagued by mold and asbestos. We need your support 
to facilitate critical improvements at both Cape May and the 
Academy, investments vital to developing our world-class 
workforce.
    The Coast Guard is unique among the military services. Our 
members are widely dispersed and embedded in small communities 
throughout the Nation, often far removed from large military 
installations and those amenities. It is important our 
geographically dispersed workforce is critical.
    Access to quality healthcare, both mental and physical, is 
one of the most significant issues currently facing Coast Guard 
families. With the help of Congress, we expanded behavioral 
health resources and now have enlisted behavioral health 
technicians and mental behavioral health providers serving at 
units across the Nation.
    Housing remains a concern as well. Many of our members are 
assigned to remote vacation destinations with scarce and 
expensive rental options. We are incredibly thankful for your 
support for our housing projects. We have much work ahead, but 
with Congress' essential support, we can ensure Coast Guard 
members are focused on critical missions, reassured their 
health and family needs are well supported.
    We must properly recruit, train, and equip our workforce to 
maintain mission excellence. With your support and the 
Commandant's focus on leadership and culture at all levels of 
the organization, we can strengthen recruitment, modernize top 
talent management, expand support services, and guarantee that 
our members are physically, mentally, and spiritually well 
prepared to execute their duties.
    Together, we can build a Coast Guard that remains always 
ready to meet the challenges our Nation will face in the years 
ahead.
    Thank you for the opportunity and for your steadfast 
support of the Coast Guard. I am humbled to serve and represent 
this incredible workforce, and I look forward to your 
questions.
    Thank you, sir.
    [Admiral Allan's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
    Prepared Statement of Vice Admiral Thomas G. Allan, Jr., Deputy 
            Commandant for Mission Support, U.S. Coast Guard
                              Introduction
    Good afternoon, Chairman Webster, Ranking Member Carbajal, and 
distinguished members of the subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity 
to testify before you today and thank you for your continued support of 
the United States Coast Guard and our workforce.
    The U.S. Coast Guard is the world's premier, multi-mission maritime 
service responsible for the safety, security, and stewardship of the 
maritime domain. The Service's 57,000 active duty, reserve, and 
civilian personnel, supported by 21,000 Auxiliary volunteers, conduct 
dynamic homeland security and defense missions around the globe on a 
24/7 basis 365 days-a-year. The Coast Guard's homeland security and 
defense operations enable the Nation's economic prosperity, enforce our 
laws at sea, protect the marine environment, and perform vital 
lifesaving missions to ensure the safety, security, and resiliency of 
America's far-reaching maritime interests.
    Our people are our most valuable resource. The Coast Guard 
workforce is the heart and soul of our organization, and their 
dedication and sacrifice keep our Nation safe and secure. Every day, 
Coast Guard members put their lives on the line to protect, defend, and 
save. Though we have made considerable progress, the Coast Guard 
continues to face one of the largest workforce shortages in the 
Service's 233-year history, operating 10 percent below authorized 
strength within our enlisted ranks. This workforce shortage threatens 
our daily operations and challenges our ability to adapt to future 
mission demands.
    I am incredibly proud of our Coast Guard Active Duty, Reserve, 
Civilian, and Auxiliary workforce and remain optimistic about our 
future. We must continually scan the horizon and intentionally plot a 
course to move forward in the face of growing demand and evolving 
threats. Our status as the world's best Coast Guard rests on our 
ability to recruit, train, equip, and employ our Nation's best and most 
motivated people to stand the watch and answer the call.
                        Recruiting Our Workforce
    In the past year, the Coast Guard made significant strides in 
recruitment, launching several impactful initiatives aimed at building 
a robust and diverse workforce ready to meet future mission demands.
    One notable advancement was introducing a ``Talent Acquisition'' 
(TA) rating earlier this year. This new rating creates a specialized 
corps of recruiters whose sole focus is honing their skills and growing 
the Coast Guard's talent pool. The first wave of positions converted to 
TA billets included leadership roles such as recruiter-in-charge and 
regional supervisors, marking a shift toward professionalizing 
recruiting as a dedicated career path. This initiative lays the 
foundation for a more future-ready Service by ensuring skilled and 
motivated individuals are at the helm of recruiting efforts.
    The Coast Guard greatly appreciates the support of Congress in its 
efforts to resource recruitment initiatives, facilitating innovative 
approaches to attract talent and expand lateral entry opportunities to 
access applicants with advanced skills. Additionally, with Congress's 
support, the Service is establishing new recruiting offices and 
offering targeted incentives to recruit and retain members in high-
demand fields like cyberspace and maritime law enforcement. These 
initiatives are key to drawing new talent, particularly in specialized 
areas where private sector competition is fierce.
    Looking forward, the Coast Guard will continue to leverage improved 
analytics to build our workforce and refine our recruitment processes, 
including modernizing accession standards, removing ineffective and 
obsolete barriers to entry, and creating pathways to service. For 
example, the Coast Guard instituted the Future Sentinel Preparatory 
Course to assist previously ineligible individuals to meet Coast Guard 
body composition standards. This program is designed to unlock 
potential and improve quality of life by teaching healthy habits while 
preparing new recruits for service.
    Our enhanced recruiting efforts are making an impact. This year, 
the Coast Guard achieved its active duty recruiting goals for the first 
time since 2017 and all three of our goals for officers, enlisted, and 
reserve for the first time since 2007. We will not take one year of 
success for granted and we will continue to support the total workforce 
by investing in every effort to attract the people our units need to 
deliver the mission our Nation expects.
                         Training Our Workforce
    To remain the world's greatest Coast Guard, we must cultivate, 
value, and retain the talent the Service needs to meet tomorrow's 
challenges.
    We continue to make significant progress modernizing training 
systems to deliver tailored, on-demand training at the point of need 
and ensure continuous growth of a mission-ready workforce. By 
implementing agile training courses, personalized to the unique needs 
of each member, we reduced overall training time and improved 
efficiency in several courses. Additionally, our new augmented reality 
and simulation technology tools significantly improved both safety and 
training effectiveness at our training centers. Furthermore, the Coast 
Guard is investing in a modernized online learning management system to 
deliver flexible, accessible, and personalized learning opportunities 
to our entire workforce. To support these essential efforts, the Coast 
Guard established the Talent Management Transformation-Program 
Integration Office to guide the Service towards sustained workforce 
modernization.
    Cultivating our future workforce requires we provide our members 
with the workplace climate they expect and deserve. In Fiscal Year (FY) 
2025, the Coast Guard will establish the Sentinel Transformation and 
Readiness Training (START) program, an enlisted service preparatory 
course to immediately follow recruit training. This course will 
strengthen Service culture by building upon Recruit Training to 
strengthen our newest members with a foundational understanding of our 
Core Values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty, as well as further 
equipping them with tools and knowledge to prevent sexual assault and 
harassment and increase individual resilience.
    Coast Guard training centers remain a foundation for our workforce 
development programs, instilling leadership, professionalism, and 
excellence across our future officer and enlisted ranks. The Coast 
Guard greatly appreciates the support of Congress for recent 
investments in recruit barracks at Training Center Cape May and 
continued improvements to the Coast Guard Academy's Chase Hall. While 
we made significant progress, much work remains to provide recruits and 
cadets the facilities necessary to sustain training performance and 
prepare our workforce for Coast Guard service. The FY 2025 Unfunded 
Priorities List includes critical improvements at the Coast Guard 
Academy and Training Center Cape May--investments necessary to provide 
appropriate infrastructure to bring new members into the Coast Guard 
workforce.
                        Supporting Our Workforce
    People joining our Service today have different needs, desires, and 
expectations than those who served in previous generations. Improving 
quality of life results in higher professional motivation, retention, 
performance, and resilience. However, the Coast Guard is unique among 
the military services, as our members are generally dispersed and 
embedded in small communities throughout the Nation, often far removed 
from large military installations and amenities. For the Coast Guard, 
this creates a distinct readiness challenge to resource and address. We 
must work with Congress and the communities that our members reside in 
to meet the unique and multifaceted needs of our service members and 
their families to ensure they remain Always Ready.
Childcare
    As we forge ahead with our mission to support and uplift our 
workforce, our investments in childcare help ensure our personnel 
remain resilient and mission-ready each day. We recognize the 
significant challenges of balancing demanding roles and family 
responsibilities. When our members have access to reliable and 
affordable childcare, along with other essential support services, they 
can focus on mission and are better equipped to excel in their duties 
and contribute effectively to our operational responsibilities.
    We are strengthening our partnership with the Navy to streamline 
and expand access to childcare fee assistance programs. This 
collaboration will introduce direct payment options to members and 
extend eligibility to include civilians, enhancing our support for 
those with special needs children or non-standard work hours. By 
investing in these support services, we are not just addressing 
immediate needs but also laying the groundwork for long-term success.
    However, high childcare costs continue to impact our workforce 
across the country, but particularly those without access to Department 
of Defense (DoD) or Coast Guard Child Development Centers. Serving on 
our coasts often means living in high cost-of-living coastal 
communities but without affordable, quality childcare options like 
those available to DoD.
    While we are thankful to Congress for its support of our Child 
Development Centers and childcare subsidies, we must continue to find 
ways to enhance these vital services and ensure our workforce and their 
families are supported and able to meet mission requirements.
Access to Healthcare
    Access to quality healthcare--both mental and physical--is one of 
the most critical issues currently affecting Coast Guard families. 
Families stationed in small or remote communities often experience very 
limited access to primary and specialty care. Recognizing this need, 
the Coast Guard made significant strides through the Don Young Coast 
Guard Authorization Act of 2022, which mandated an expansion in 
behavioral health resources. The Service trained over a dozen enlisted 
behavioral health technicians and 13 Medical Behavioral Health 
Providers currently serving at units across the Nation.
    Furthermore, the Coast Guard made investments to increase mental 
health capabilities throughout the Service, representing a long-term 
commitment to monitor, detect, and coordinate timely and appropriate 
care for all aspects of mental and behavioral health needs. In 
addition, the Service continues to bolster clinical resources to 
provide staffing positions to meet deployment demands.
    These advancements align with the Coast Guard's broader initiative 
to enhance healthcare access and support systems for our workforce. 
Investments in mental health capabilities demonstrate a long-term 
commitment to addressing mental and behavioral health needs. 
Additionally, the Coast Guard leverages innovative solutions such as 
telemedicine and electronic health records to improve service delivery. 
Much work remains and Congressional support is essential to ensuring 
Coast Guard service members can focus on their critical missions while 
their health and family needs are well-supported.
Housing
    Housing remains a pressing concern. All service members and their 
dependents deserve adequate housing within a reasonable commute. 
However, many small coastal communities in which our members reside are 
vacation destinations with extremely high cost of living and scarcity 
in long-term rental housing. Due to the proliferation of short-term 
vacation rentals and rapid price appreciation in coastal communities 
post-COVID, I am aware of Coast Guard members and their families who 
were forced out of their homes and left with commutes to their duty 
stations of upwards of 90 minutes each way. Our workforce is resilient 
and dedicated to the mission; however, we must do more to ensure 
affordable, quality housing is available to each Coast Guard family.
    Our ongoing efforts focus on enhancing housing options and 
increasing resources. For example, in remote locations such as Neah 
Bay, Washington, Jonesport, Maine, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the 
Coast Guard is providing government-owned family housing, a step 
essential in addressing the severe shortage of rental properties in 
these isolated communities.
    The Coast Guard is extremely grateful for the support of Congress 
for housing projects in places like Kodiak and Seward, Alaska, Portage 
Bay, Michigan, Novato, California, Rio Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and Fort 
Wadsworth, New York. The FY 2025 Unfunded Priorities List includes an 
additional request for $10 million for the continued recapitalization 
of housing units at Fort Wadsworth to support Coast Guard members in 
the New York City area.
Assets and Facilities
    We must continue to equip our workforce--investing in the places 
they work and the assets they use to accomplish the mission. Coast 
Guard facilities are in areas prone to hurricanes, flooding, sea level 
rise, erosion, earthquakes, deadly wildfires, and other natural 
disasters. Those facilities must be safe and resilient to meet mission 
demands and allow our workforce to do the work they joined the Service 
to do. The Nation's reliance upon the Coast Guard to serve as a first 
responder after disasters, underscores the importance of resilient 
facilities. Investments in modern facilities will enhance mission 
capabilities, empower our workforce, and secure our Nation.
    Similarly, the Coast Guard appreciates Congressional support to 
continue the largest fleet recapitalization effort since World War II. 
Equipping our exceptional workforce with the modern cutters, aircraft, 
boats, and facilities they require to complete their vital missions 
remains one of our Commandant's highest strategic priorities. The FY 
2025 President's Budget and Unfunded Priorities List contain essential 
investments in current and future readiness to ensure the Coast Guard 
remains responsive to evolving threats and growing global demand.
                               Conclusion
    Our exceptional Coast Guard members join the Service to conduct 
Coast Guard operations and execute Coast Guard missions. Drawn to our 
unique value proposition to the Nation, our workforce is motivated and 
eager to rescue mariners, patrol the seas, and protect our shores. As 
the Coast Guard recruits, trains, and equips our workforce, mission 
excellence thrives. We must continue to enhance recruitment efforts, 
pursue a modernized talent management system, and expand support 
services for our members and their families to ensure they are prepared 
to execute difficult and demanding missions. Such investments will 
ensure that our personnel are well-prepared and fully supported, 
enabling the Coast Guard to confidently employ and deploy our crews to 
successfully execute their critical missions.
    Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you and for all your 
support for the Coast Guard. I am humbled by the privilege to serve 
with and represent our workforce. I look forward to answering your 
questions.

    Mr. Webster of Florida. Thank you very much.
    I do want to acknowledge the fact that Carol Jones, the 
wife of Master Chief Jones, is the ambassador for the U.S. 
Coast Guard for families, and she is here today with us. So, 
thank you for being here, Carol. That is an awesome position.
    Now, Master Chief Jones, you are recognized for 5 minutes.

 TESTIMONY OF MASTER CHIEF HEATH B. JONES, MASTER CHIEF PETTY 
          OFFICER OF THE COAST GUARD, U.S. COAST GUARD

    Master Chief Jones. Thank you.
    And good afternoon, Chairman Webster, Ranking Member 
Larsen, Ranking Member Carbajal, and distinguished members of 
the subcommittee. Thank you for your continued support and the 
opportunity to appear before you today as the Master Chief 
Petty Officer of the world's greatest Coast Guard.
    It is my honor to represent the total workforce who 
tirelessly serve our Nation. The support and resources provided 
by Congress are vital, and your continued investment in our 
personnel ensures the Coast Guard remains agile, capable, and 
prepared to meet the demands of all of our critical missions.
    As an essential part of the Department of Homeland 
Security, we focus on safeguarding our maritime interests, 
protecting natural resources, and ensuring security of vital 
U.S. ports and waterways. Through integration with our sister 
DoD services and the Joint Force as a whole, we are prepared to 
address global threats from foreign adversaries. Our dual focus 
on homeland security and global readiness is vital for our own 
national security and economic prosperity.
    The demand for Coast Guard services to expand while the 
needs of our sentinels have grown in complexity and scope, 
whether executing search and rescue missions, defending our 
national security, enforcing maritime laws, or responding to 
natural disasters, our personnel remain always ready to 
protect, to defend, and to save.
    Our ability to safeguard U.S. interests in both the 
maritime domain and the broader defense framework depends on 
continued investment in our personnel, infrastructure, and our 
fleet. With the support and resources provided by Congress, the 
Coast Guard is positioned to remain not only a capable maritime 
service, but a crucial asset and maintain the Nation's 
strategic posture.
    Without doubt, the strength and success of our Coast Guard 
lies with our workforce, the talented people who serve with 
dedication and professionalism every single day. You've heard 
firsthand today the inspiring stories of bravery from our folks 
that have joined us. To meet the evolving demands of our 
mission, we need your support to focus on the development of 
our sentinels from recruitment through retirement. By fostering 
an environment where continuous learning and improvement are 
valued, we empower members to adapt and excel.
    Experiences at Training Center Cape May and the Coast Guard 
Academy provide a vital foundation for service, and starting in 
fiscal year 2025, we will reinforce that foundation with the 
Sentinel Transformation and Readiness Training course, which 
will prepare our newest enlisted members of the organization 
with practical skills and knowledge they need to contribute 
effectively from day one. The START program, a post-basic 
training program, focuses on our core values of honor, respect, 
and devotion to duty, while providing classes on financial 
literacy, emotional and social intelligence, accountability, 
and other traits essential for success in today's Coast Guard.
    Additionally, we are working to ensure that our core values 
are emphasized during leadership training at all levels and 
personnel evaluations of every pay grade, from the newest 
recruit to the most senior officer. This approach provides 
members clear guidance and purpose and ensures they understand 
how their actions and contributions to the organization impact 
the overall success of our Coast Guard. When members at every 
level recognize their role in shaping Service culture, it 
fosters an environment of accountability and positivity. An 
empowered and supported workforce is better prepared to meet 
our mission demands.
    Furthermore, the Coast Guard's ability to recruit and 
retain talent is directly tied to how well we support both our 
members and their families. A future capable workforce is one 
that feels valued, not just in their professional roles, but 
also in their personal lives, which is why our recruitment and 
retention strategy is increasingly focused on creating a 
supportive environment that meets the needs of every Coast 
Guard family. By investing in the quality of total compensation 
and parity with Department of Defense, we can increase support 
for housing, childcare, and spousal support initiatives, 
ensuring that our members and our families are fully supported, 
allowing them to focus on their mission with confidence.
    We ask for Congress' continued support in making these 
investments to secure the future of the Coast Guard and our 
workforce.
    I thank you for this opportunity. I look forward to 
answering your questions today.
    [Master Chief Jones did not submit a prepared statement.]
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Thank you both for being here 
today. I really appreciate it.
    And we will look for either one of you to answer--I get the 
first 5 minutes of questions, and the question could be to one 
or both of you, and answer away.
    August 4th marked the 234th birthday of the Coast Guard, 
and the Service is celebrating that birthday tonight here at 
the Capitol. I look forward to celebrating the more than two 
centuries of dedicated service the Coast Guard has spent 
protecting our Nation's maritime interests and being with you 
this evening.
    The committee knows you represent the world's finest, best 
Coast Guard in the world. However, this committee is well aware 
also of the aging infrastructure and workforce shortages and 
insufficient budget that has operationally constrained the 
Coast Guard for--more than just this year--many years.
    What is the Coast Guard doing to address shortcomings in 
housing, healthcare, childcare, recruitment, and education that 
affect retention and the daily lives of Coast Guard enlisted 
members and their families? So, that is my first question.
    Admiral Allan. Thank you for the question.
    The Coast Guard, as you got to hear over lunch, has some 
great people that are doing some great missions. And I think as 
you heard from the Commandant earlier this year, she talked 
about where does the Coast Guard need to be. The Nation is 
demanding a Coast Guard that provides all kinds of services. We 
need to be a $20 billion Coast Guard. We need to have $3 
billion, at least, in our capital acquisition.
    And I think as we start to talk about those amounts of 
money and what we can do with them, we will stop making 
tradeoffs between operations and support to our people and get 
to the things that you just talked about. How can we better do 
housing? With your help, we are building housing. We are 
building some great housing up in Kodiak. We are redeveloping 
housing in Puerto Rico, and we are looking for those areas 
where it is scarce to find housing on the regular market.
    Through your help, we are adding individuals to just about 
every one of our programs, especially those with mental health, 
to be able to respond to our sentinels that are on the coast 
and in areas that are deprived of regular resources.
    So, we thank you for that. But I think if we are going to 
do more, we are going to continue to work with you, we are 
going to continue to identify those areas where we have needs, 
and we will look for your support.
    Thank you.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Thank you very much.
    The Coast Guard has previously briefed the committee on its 
steps taken to recruit, and you have made many of the goals you 
had set for this year, retention challenges, all those things, 
bringing additional recruiters in and the criteria necessary to 
select recruits, and providing remedial support and helping 
recruits through Cape May, where the enlisted members of the 
Coast Guard receive their basic training.
    How are these programs working? And are recruiting and 
retention numbers coming up?
    Master Chief Jones. Thanks for the question, Congressman.
    As you heard, we met our recruiting goal for the first time 
since 2017. For the first time in 8 years, the lines crossed 
this year, and we have brought in more people than we are 
losing this year. Our retention numbers are good and 
encouraging.
    In addition to the good news on the recruiting, not only 
did we meet our goal, we are going to bring in this fiscal year 
just short of 4,500 members, which is our best number since 
2003, and the buses are full going into Cape May through 
December of this year, as well. So, we are off to a great start 
into next year, as well.
    We have opened more recruiting offices with the help from 
Congress. Thank you for that.
    We also this year--we were the only branch in the military 
that did not have professional recruiters. Our folks--it could 
be any one of these four amazing human beings you had lunch 
with--could do their jobs, then step out, go be a recruiter, 
then come back into their jobs. This year, we stood up a Talent 
Acquisition specialist rating so that if someone goes in and 
they start becoming a recruiter, they find out that they love 
it and they are great at it, then we can keep them to be 
recruiters for the rest of their career.
    And as you said in your opening statement, sir, just 
because we had a great year, the foot is on the gas pedal. We 
are not letting up. We need another 3 to 5 years like this to 
get rid of the workforce shortage, and so, we are continuing to 
pour everything we can into it.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. All right. My time has expired. So, 
let me call on Mr. Van Drew--or wait. We got these two guys 
first. Go ahead.
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will yield to our 
ranking member for questions.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Thanks. Thank you.
    Master Chief Jones, with the Coast Guard operating at 10 
percent below authorized levels as a result of closure or 
downgrade of dozens of stations and early decommissioning of 
cutters, how has the workforce been impacted itself by the 
implementation of the alignment, the force alignment 
initiative?
    Master Chief Jones. Thank you, Rep. Larsen.
    I think in the very beginning, we had to communicate to the 
workforce on why we were doing that. What we could not continue 
to do was serve the Nation at a 40,000-person level with 35,000 
people. So, in some of these areas where we were able to 
consolidate some stations, go on a scheduled mission only, what 
we have done--I will use our opportunity when we were in Grand 
Haven together. Grand Haven was one of those stations where we 
consolidated, and what the officer in charge, the Master Chief 
there shared with us is that, number one, they have not missed 
a mission. They have met everything, but they have the people 
they need. He said they're busier than ever, but he also 
expressed that his crew is happier than they have been in a 
long time, because as you can see, every time you get around a 
busy sentinel, it is a happy sentinel. They come to work, and 
they want to do great things every day. So, it does not mean 
that we need to normalize being 5,000 people short. We are 
getting after that piece.
    But to date right now, as far as the executing of the 
mission, our sentinels are in a really good place around the 
country. In some areas, we need to do a better job of giving 
them the tools that they need so that they can do their jobs, 
especially when it comes to the maintenance of our assets.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. Yes. On the recruitment and 
retention number for this past year, I think 4,800 or so, do 
you have an assessment yet about whether you sort of did the 
easy stuff, now it is hard, or do you have a sense this is the 
foundation and it is carrying over into year 2 and then year 3 
and so on?
    Master Chief Jones. And this is just an anecdotal 
assessment, sir. We feel like a solid foundation has been laid. 
We feel like some of the--I guess, the hangover effects from 
trying to recruit in a COVID environment. We are back into the 
schools. We are back out there getting our word.
    One challenge that I gave the entire workforce when I came 
into this job and I often shared with them, my favorite thing 
about our sentinels is that they are humble servants of 
America, and you heard that at lunch. And the thing that 
frustrates me the most is they are humble servants of America. 
So, I challenge them to get out and to tell their story. Tell 
the story of what they do. Tell those great stories that you 
just heard at lunch, because what we are proving is when people 
learn about the United States Coast Guard, people want to serve 
and become a United States Coast Guard.
    We just did a big recruiting event in Illinois this weekend 
and talking to a lot of our recruiters, I asked them, hey, how 
is it going? What is working? Why is it working? And they all 
just looked at me without skipping a beat and they said, 
because we have the best product in the world. They said, we 
have the product. We just have to get the word out.
    So, we are very optimistic that solid foundation has been 
laid, and it has been proven because the numbers are already 
stacking up for next year, sir.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. I am sure it is kind of hard 
because you are combining the mission with recruitment, but in 
Chicago, I went out on the Chicago River and then out towards 
the lake with the Coast Guard. You all did the same thing in 
Milwaukee as well. It seemed like a good recruiting 
opportunity, but you can't put non-Coasties in places 
physically where they shouldn't be during a high security time.
    But how do you take advantage of those kinds of big 
opportunities in order to attract attention to the work that 
you do and then recruit?
    Master Chief Jones. So, I give all the credit in the world 
to just the amazing innovation of our recruiting command and 
how they have--to be very honest, it took us a long time. We 
never thought we would have a recruiting problem in the Coast 
Guard. And so, it took us a long time to kind of reset the 
mindset. And they are extremely active in finding those things 
that all just naturally happen throughout a country. An inland 
rivers job fair in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that brings in 3,000 people 
from high schools, colleges, and trade schools, we send 
recruiters to events like that. And those are the things that 
happen all over the country.
    Where we are really pouring a lot of focus is--and not to 
take focus away from the coastal communities where people know 
us, but now we are trying to get our brand kind of into the 
heartland where we do live and serve every single day.
    As an example, my wife and I, our first unit in the Coast 
Guard was in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Did not know that when I 
joined the Coast Guard, but--so, we lived and worked there, and 
now we are trying to get our brand to be as visible in the 
heartland as it is on the coast where people know us.
    Mr. Larsen of Washington. OK. Thank you.
    Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. OK. Mr. Van Drew, you are 
recognized for 5 minutes.
    Dr. Van Drew. Thank you, Chairman.
    As you know, Training Center Cape May is in my backyard, 
so, I am acutely aware of the issues that most impact the 
Coasties' daily lives. We deal with it. Access to medical, 
schooling, and childcare for the children are in desperate need 
of being addressed. But perhaps the most impactful is the 
availability of affordable housing.
    Housing costs in general are at an all-time high everywhere 
in the United States of America. But given that the Service is 
coastal in nature, the enlisted workforce is resigned to find 
housing in some of the most expensive, competitive markets in 
the country. I have constituents now who have had to find more 
reasonable housing options sometimes over an hour away from 
where they are located.
    The continental United States Cost-of-Living Allowance is a 
taxable supplemental allowance for U.S. military members 
designed to help offset the price of living expenses in the 
highest cost locations in the continental United States. Given 
the higher costs along the coast, it is evident, to me at 
least, that an increased CONUS COLA is something that would 
greatly benefit Coasties and servicemembers stationed in these 
areas.
    Master Chief Jones, thank you for being here today.
    I am aware the Coast Guard is concerned with being viewed 
as receiving preferential treatment. You don't, but I know that 
we are all concerned always about everything, but this is an 
avenue for the Coast Guard--is this an avenue--let me say it 
this way, I believe that we have, but is this an avenue the 
Coast Guard has explored to help the high costs that are 
located by these bases?
    Master Chief Jones. Thank you, Congressman.
    And, yes, sir, we--when it comes to our Basic Allowance for 
Housing and our Cost-of-Living Allowance, we work hand-in-hand 
with the Department of Defense on those avenues. We are 
absolutely--I do believe COLA is an avenue in the continental 
United States where typically we did not receive COLA in a lot 
of the CONUS places. That is absolutely an avenue, in addition 
to working towards it. And thank you to Congress for working to 
bringing us back to a Basic Allowance for Housing covering 100 
percent of the rental market in an area. We are working to 
strive towards that.
    I will say, in an area like Cape May, as you know well, 
thanks to your support, that is one of our really good news 
housing stories, the Coast Guard housing there in Cape May. Our 
folks absolutely love living there. We have--in Cape May, we 
have what we call a lot of repeat offenders. They go to Cape 
May, then they leave kicking and screaming, and they can't wait 
to come back to Cape May and be assigned there.
    But, absolutely, we work hand-in-hand. I spent Monday this 
week with my DoD counterparts, working with folks from the 
Office of the Secretary of Defense, on these exact things, 
housing allowance and COLA.
    Dr. Van Drew. I appreciate it. And hopefully we can work it 
out. Count me in any way that we can help.
    You are right, Cape May is a spectacularly beautiful area. 
Sometimes people have this vision of New Jersey, and I have the 
southern one-third of the State geographically, and it is an 
amazing area, and Cape May is particularly beautiful, but it is 
particularly expensive as well, as you know.
    Training Center Cape May has prepared a draft strategic 
development plan which identifies potential projects over a 25-
year horizon. In a Coast Guard Subcommittee hearing in June, as 
you probably know, I directly asked Vice Admiral Thomas whether 
he could commit to sharing this 25-year plan. And his answer 
was, quote, ``If we have it, I don't know why we wouldn't share 
it,'' end quote.
    So, I requested this, I hope, as you know--if not, I am 
requesting it again--many times, and I will continue to pursue 
this. I will continue to inquire about it, want to know about 
it, about this plan. And the subcommittee, I think, would like 
to know about it, as well. It is not just for the edification 
of the subcommittee or for me. Having advanced awareness of the 
Coast Guard's goals would greatly improve your daily lives, I 
believe, and the Service.
    We as a Congress should be able to see what such a critical 
asset like Training Center Cape May is going to be doing over 
the next quarter of a century, and it is unclear to me why the 
Coast Guard has been unable to share this plan with Members of 
Congress who work so hard to provide you with what you need.
    So, I am going to ask again, I am going to ask again, and I 
appreciate follow through: Vice Admiral Allan, will you commit 
to me and this committee that you and your team can provide a 
copy of the strategic development plan for Training Center Cape 
May as soon as possible? Or, in all honesty, notify me--and 
that wouldn't be terrible; we should know, though--if there is 
not such a plan or if that plan is not operative, it is not 
functional, if it is something that would just lead us astray, 
and if it would, then where do we go from there?
    Admiral Allan. Sir, thank you for that question, and thank 
you more for the support you are providing to help us change 
the facilities there.
    I would tell you that that is a plan that I am looking 
into, and it is under development. I think we have some key 
pieces there as we start talking about the barracks, but we 
need additional money just to do some of the planning as we 
look at the facilities we need for our members there to train 
and be able to do that year-round.
    So, yes, sir, I commit to come over. I will sit with you. I 
will show you what we have right now, and I will talk to you 
about where we are going to develop a more comprehensive plan 
that looks at that whole plan and----
    Dr. Van Drew [interrupting]. And I would appreciate that. 
So, if you would contact my office----
    Admiral Allan [interposing]. Yes, sir.
    Dr. Van Drew [continuing]. I would love to look at that and 
what we could share with the chairman, and the rest of the 
committee would appreciate that, as well.
    As you know, I am supportive. And, quite frankly, for those 
who haven't been to the barracks--and I will end with this, 
Chairman. For those that haven't been to the barracks, it does 
need some help. It does need some work. It could be better, 
especially for training year-round. Cape May beautiful, but 
kind of rough in the wintertime.
    I appreciate you being here. And I yield back to the 
chairman.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Now, Mr. Carbajal, you are 
recognized.
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
    Master Chief Jones, I have had the opportunity to meet with 
Coasties across the country and the world. I found that the 
best way to understand the challenges and problems that our 
Coasties face is to ask the spouses directly.
    Since that is a big part of your job, I am going to put you 
on the spot. What would you say are the top three things the 
spouses of Coasties would say need to be addressed, changed, 
augmented? What are the top three things that you hear time and 
time again?
    Master Chief Jones. Thank you, sir.
    And, obviously, I am very careful because I know who is 
sitting right behind me.
    And what I normally tell people is, I explain the role of 
the ombudsman-at-large. When we travel, she doesn't travel as 
my wife. She travels as the Commandant's ombudsman-at-large. 
She is the number one advisor to the Commandant of the Coast 
Guard on all things family. So, I always say, so, I listen to 
that person very carefully. Happens to be my wife, so, I double 
listen to that person very carefully.
    And what Carol and some of the ombudsmen in the field 
created for us is the acronym CASH. Very, very simply. So, it 
is four things, if you will allow me, sir. The CASH, the C is 
childcare and schools; the A is access to quality mental and 
physical healthcare; the S is spousal employment; and the H is 
housing. And without fail, wherever we go, we hear about the 
CASH. Depending on where you are, where our sentinels live and 
work, the order will change. But, inevitably, those are the 
four things that come up, sir.
    Mr. Carbajal. And very smart, a good way to remember them 
all when you are being asked about them.
    Vice Admiral Allan, suicide is still one of the highest 
causes of death within the military, whether it is during 
service or post-separation. So far this year alone in 2024, the 
Coast Guard has lost eight shipmates.
    What is the Coast Guard doing to combat the rise of 
suicide? And what does the Coast Guard do to care for members 
who need mental health assistance? I know you briefly touched 
on this earlier, but if you could expand, I would appreciate 
it.
    Admiral Allan. Thank you for that question.
    And it is a terrible plague to even have one person in the 
Service, let alone the eight that we have seen this year.
    I think with the help of this committee, we have been able 
to increase some of those personnel that are going out and 
providing mental health services to our families. And I think 
that is important to say just families, because it is not only 
the Active Duty members that are getting hurt by this issue.
    While we concentrate on providing some caregivers there, we 
also have a tremendous network that we are doing. We have an 
EAP program that provides six sessions for anyone that is 
having mental health issues. We provide chaplains out in the 
field that are walking around, looking at our members, trying 
to help them. And then I think the most important thing we are 
doing is we are developing training that we are giving to, not 
only senior leaders, but those people at the deckplate level, 
the people you see behind me. Because I think the biggest thing 
that we can do is provide support and care across our networks 
of personnel so that they can see when someone is starting to 
go into crisis and help get them a number of resources that 
they have.
    So, thank you for your support on that.
    Master Chief Jones. And if I may, sir, one of the continual 
barriers that we are just--that keeps me awake at night is 
removing stigmas associated with saying, I need help. As you 
see these amazing Americans, they want to be there for everyone 
else. We have to remember to be there for themselves, and 
removing some of the misperceptions that if you ask for help, 
you are--if you are Petty Officer Sizer, that you are not going 
to be able to fly, or if you go seek help that you are going to 
lose your security clearance. These are all fallacies. It is 
not true.
    So, it is constant communication into those areas just to 
tell our workforce it is OK. If you break your ankle, you are 
going to be laid up for 6 to 8 weeks in a cast, and that is OK. 
If you are struggling with mental health, that is OK as well.
    And then one other addition is, starting in, we are hoping 
about February, we are going to be moving from our Coast Guard 
support program to the Military OneSource program that DoD 
uses, we are getting on the contract there, which is a much 
better tool for our members and their families especially when 
it comes in to the mental health.
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you.
    Vice Admiral Allan, your testimony recognized the current 
struggles the Coasties face when it comes to finding affordable 
housing and housing that is within a reasonable commuting 
distance.
    How much Coast Guard housing exists on base right now, more 
or less, in some kind of--if you can give us some kind of 
sense? And how much of that--what approximate amount of that 
percentage serves the Coast Guard?
    Admiral Allan. Thank you for that question.
    So, I would say the percentage of Coast Guard-owned housing 
is very small. I can get you that exact percentage. But 
overall, we mainly rely on BAH. However, we have got to be very 
deliberate about how we do that. In areas like Kodiak, in areas 
along the coast, we have to have that kind of housing to be 
able to provide it. I was the district commander in Boston. 
Those housing units that we have up in Maine are just essential 
to what we are doing.
    That housing is almost always dedicated to Coast Guard 
people. We are always trying to keep it up to speed. We are 
trying to make sure that we are making improvements to people 
like you that push us to do that in the right places, like 
Santa Barbara. Thank you very much. That has provided a needed 
resource for our people.
    And I will get you that percentage, sir.
    Mr. Carbajal. Thank you very much.
    Mr. Chair, I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Mr. Babin, you are recognized for 5 
minutes.
    Dr. Babin. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
    I want to thank you, Admiral and Master Chief, for being 
here. And what a treat it was at lunchtime to meet these four 
brave individuals, and very proud of them, very proud of the 
Coast Guard.
    Southeast Texas, where I represent the 36th Congressional 
District, I share some very close ties with the Coast Guard 
from the storm response to keeping a watchful eye on the 
Houston Ship Channel and beyond. On behalf of my district, I 
want to thank all of you for keeping our region safe.
    I would also like to briefly thank and give a special 
shout-out to my scheduler, Ms. Avrie Hodges, who is going to be 
joining your ranks this year as a Coastie. And while we are 
going to miss her at our office, I have no doubt she is going 
to do a tremendous job and do great things in the Coast Guard. 
I am very proud of her, and I am looking forward to seeing her 
succeed in the next chapter of her life.
    So, with that said, my first question is open to whoever 
would like to answer. Our country is facing new threats, both 
close at home and around the world. The Coast Guard is uniquely 
positioned to ensure the safety of America. But, unfortunately, 
we have heard a lot about challenges in both the recruitment 
and retainment of servicemembers.
    And while I am told things are getting back to normal--and 
I think I heard that in one of your opening statements or 
answering a question--would you speak a little bit to the 
current--I think, if this is still true, we are still 10 
percent short. Is there still a 10-percent shortfall?
    Please briefly touch on both challenges to recruiting new 
members as well as challenges to getting Coasties to stick 
around and stay in the Service. And, in addition, please tell 
us some of the specific things that Congress can be doing to 
help alleviate these issues.
    Master Chief Jones. Thank you, sir.
    And, absolutely, we have made a tremendous dent in the 
workforce shortage. We were at one point--at the worst, we were 
close to 5,000 people short. We are now maybe in the 2,500 
range. So, we are making tremendous progress. We are still 
short, but I want to reassure we are not taking our foot off 
the gas pedal on this.
    Our retention, we have always enjoyed an extremely high 
retention rate in the Coast Guard. Our mission sells. Our folks 
love what they do. We did see a slight drop in retention 2021, 
2022, 2023 timeframe--or 2021, 2022. In the last 2 years, we 
have seen it go back to what our normal average retention rates 
are.
    A lot of philosophies on why that is, sir. One that may be 
is that was kind of the 20-year mark for those that joined 
after 9/11. Great Americans signed up, served their country for 
20 years, and retired.
    One of the things that I am really keeping a keen eye on, 
and we spent a lot of time talking with my DoD counterparts on 
Monday about is, now we are on the--kind of on the first round 
of people being eligible to get out of the military that have 
the blended retirement system. We don't know if that is going 
to impact or not impact.
    So, what we believe at the end of the day and what we are 
keenly focused on is the culture of our Service, the mission of 
our Service. Our people love what they do. And as long as our 
people serve at a unit where they feel like that they are 
trusted, valued, empowered, and included for themselves 
personally and themselves professionally, their families, and 
we can provide them the things that they need to make it easier 
for them to Coast Guard, then we are pretty proud of the 
product we have, sir.
    Dr. Babin. Thank you very, very much.
    My next question--and this is a little off topic for 
today--but it is a technical question, and it has to do with my 
district.
    In either case--in case either of you are up to speed on 
the situation with the Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter issues, the 
Coast Guard has recently made it known that the MH-60 Jayhawk's 
maximum flight-hours have been reduced from 20,000 to 19,000 
hours. And now, eight helicopters have been taken out of 
service, and more will be removed as they reach 19,000 hours.
    What sort of operational impact is the reduced helicopter 
fleet having on your operations? How will the reduction in 
maximum flight-hours impact the Service's plan to transition to 
an all MH-60 fleet?
    If we have a little more time, I want to finish up too with 
something else.
    Admiral Allan. Yes, sir. Thank you for that question.
    Providing the right assets and safe assets to our personnel 
is the Coast Guard's number one priority. We have got to make 
sure that they are safe so that they come back.
    When we start looking at the 60s and what we are doing, we 
have run them very long. Most of the other services are not 
running them past 10,000 hours or past 12,000 hours. We now 
have a large majority of our fleet approaching 19,000 hours.
    In recent discussions with the OEM Sikorsky, they alerted 
us to some information to start talking about what is the safe 
upper limit for those aircraft that they are operating. So, out 
of an abundance of caution, we took a pause. We are holding 
those aircraft that are above 19,000 hours on the ground until 
we can do a full assessment, and that is what we are currently 
in the process of doing, to understand where that is and how 
that will affect, not only our near-term goals for operational 
readiness, but our long strategic plans.
    Dr. Babin. My time is expired, so, I will yield back.
    Thank you very much, Admiral and Master Chief.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. Thank you.
    Mrs. Peltola, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mrs. Peltola. Thank you, Chairman Webster.
    Most of my questions have already been asked, but I wanted 
to ask you about childcare. I consider childcare a workforce 
issue, and I wonder if you could talk a little bit about 
improvements made to your childcare situation.
    Master Chief Jones. Yes, thank you so much.
    Obviously, childcare--anything we talk about in the CASH 
world that I spoke from the ombudsman-at-large, it is a direct 
tie to readiness. Because when our members are worried about 
things at home not being taken care of, they are not focused on 
doing the dangerous missions that we ask them to do.
    In the childcare world, it is not a one size fits all. In 
some places, the answer is, Congress supports and we build and 
fund a brick-and-mortar child development center that the Coast 
Guard runs. In some places, it is working to get equal or 
better access to DoD facilities. And in quite a few places, it 
is the childcare subsidies that you all have worked so hard to 
give us. And we thank you so much for that.
    The next key step in the childcare subsidies piece is we 
are currently working an MOA with the Navy. Congress gave us 
the ability to not necessarily have to pay those childcare 
subsidies to a certain provider but to be able to pay them 
directly to the member. So, we are working an MOA with the 
Navy. And as soon as we get that done, then the subsidies could 
be paid straight to the member, then the member can decide to 
bring someone in their home or whatever. So, it is those 
flexible options in there are the best approach to childcare.
    Mrs. Peltola. Thank you.
    In the last few years, I have had the opportunity to get to 
know a couple of your enlisted members, and one of the things 
that has impressed me are the myriad training opportunities 
that you have. And I wonder--I heard about one training that 
was to be a victim's advocate. Another training was 
deescalation of volatile situations. And I don't know what 
exactly kind of program you have, but could you talk about some 
of the training opportunities that you give your enlisted 
folks?
    Master Chief Jones. Absolutely. One of the amazing--as you 
heard from all of the members today at lunch, what enabled them 
to do those amazing specific cases they talked about with their 
work every day is the training, I think. And what I heard from 
them was they relied on their training, they trusted their 
training, they trusted the training of their shipmates, and 
they went out and they did great things.
    Like you mentioned victim advocates, Jess is a victim 
advocate at her unit. So, a lot of what we have are trainings 
that are inherent to the Coast Guard. We have formal school 
training. Obviously, Cape May is the basic training, then the A 
school, which is where people go for their formal rating 
training, and then we have C schools, just a myriad of C 
schools both on the officer and enlisted side, that train 
members to the daily jobs.
    But I will tell you where I am the proudest of our 
workforce is a lot of what we do is daily on-the-job training. 
And they have formalized PQ, or personnel qualification, 
standards that they follow as they are doing this training. But 
a lot of what they do is that on-the-job training. The boat 
crews that you hear, the rescue swimmer, the Fast Response 
Cutter out doing its missions is executed in that format of the 
on-the-job training.
    Mrs. Peltola. Thank you.
    And you also really help young people figure out their 
finances, do long-term planning for retirement. There aren't 
many organizations that provide this kind of support for young 
people, and I just really want to commend you on that.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. The gentlelady yields back.
    Mr. Ezell, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Ezell. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And I thank you all again for being here today. And we so 
enjoyed spending our time with you at lunch, and appreciate 
your shared stories with us.
    It is always good to be around you folks because you just 
make the room and the world a better place. But every time I 
come away from being around you, I am more impressed. You 
defend more than 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline, and a lot of 
that is in my district. And I just can't thank you for all that 
you do enough.
    I hope that some of these discussions that we are having 
today will bring a little light on how much the Coast Guard 
does with little resources. It is admirable. And I want to make 
sure, as much as I can, to make sure you have everything you 
can to be successful in your jobs.
    Vice Admiral, you testified, ``Our people are our most 
valuable resource.'' I agree with you wholeheartedly. These men 
and women answer the daily call to protect us.
    Can you elaborate a little more on the strength of your 
people and the workforce, especially as we face recruitment and 
retainment issues across all the services?
    Admiral Allan. Yes, sir. Thank you for that question.
    I think as we talk a lot in the Coast Guard and we get 
asked about things, we talk about the great ships that we are 
building, where they are being delivered from, and how they are 
doing it. But I have got to tell you, it is a piece of steel 
until we put a Coast Guard crew on there that brings them to 
life that then executes the missions that we need.
    That said, I think we are providing what the Nation needs. 
Sometimes I worry about the resources we are providing to give 
the crews the Coast Guard has and what they need to be able to 
do that mission every day.
    So, with the help of Congress, especially with this 
committee, we just appreciate all things that you are doing to 
help with those intangibles--that training, childcare, 
housing--that is so important to keep their mind on the mission 
and not worried about how their family is doing, how they are 
going to get medical. We within the Coast Guard have a lot of 
work to do to make that better for them, but we appreciate your 
partnership in doing it.
    Mr. Ezell. Thank you.
    The Coast Guard recently introduced a Talent Acquisition 
rating. What were some of the positives from that program, and 
how can we help you get it improved?
    Master Chief Jones. Thank you for that question, sir.
    And I think I mentioned this earlier, we were the only 
branch of the military that did not have people dedicated to 
recruiting as a profession. You would take any one of these 
four amazing members sitting behind me, they would go do their 
tour at their unit, then they can go to what we call the 
special assignment, go be a recruiter for 3 or 4 years or 4 
years, and then have to go back into their rating because they 
need to do what they need to do there to advance.
    And what we found, in one case 2 years ago, a boatswain's 
mate first class was the top recruiter in the Coast Guard, and 
she loved it and she wanted to keep doing it, but she needed to 
go back afloat and get some boatswain's mate qual so she could 
advance to chief petty officer. So, we finally realized, hey, 
let's give these folks the opportunity. Because when they do 
that 4-year tour, it is year 3 when they really get kicking and 
they really get good at what they are doing. So, establishing 
the Talent Acquisition rating is the best way to get about it.
    We are starting--that is not something that you can come in 
from boot camp and then go to an A school. We are going to 
require that--right now, we are requiring the E-6 level, I 
mean, you kind of need to know the product you are selling, get 
out and live it a little bit. But we are looking to maybe 
expand that to the second-class level to equal our diver 
rating. But it is something that every recruiter I talk to is 
really considering, lateraling over into that rating, they love 
their job.
    Mr. Ezell. Very good. I would like to hear a little more 
about your personal story and how we can use those stories like 
yours and Vice Admiral Allan's to help address some of the 
challenges that you have today. And why did you join the Coast 
Guard?
    Master Chief Jones. The greatest decision I ever made in my 
life was to ask this lady behind me to marry me. The greatest 
decision we ever made was joining the Coast Guard.
    Mr. Ezell. Very good.
    Master Chief Jones. And quite frankly, I turned 23 in boot 
camp. So, I had bounced around. I won't list how many freshman 
years of college I did before joining the Coast Guard. But I 
remember vividly one day my father came to me and he goes, hey, 
you really like this girl, Carol. I said, Dad, I love her. And 
he goes, you better figure it out because she is too good for 
you, you are going nowhere. So, I needed something. And I have 
a great relationship with my dad. But it was that kick-start.
    And I joined the Coast Guard thinking I was going to do 4 
years and get out, and probably a lot of us have that story. 
And here I am almost three decades later and, unfortunately, in 
2 years, they are going to have to send me home, kicking and 
screaming. We have loved every minute of every day. And when I 
told you all before I have the greatest job in the world, you 
got to see at lunch, I am not making that up. I have the 
greatest job in the world.
    Mr. Ezell. I certainly believe that just watching the 
testimonies and the stories that were told. I felt the same way 
in the police force when I joined. I was going to do my 20 
years, and 42 years later I retired and got elected to 
Congress. So, anyway. Thank you all. It has been a wonderful 
day to be around you and to hear your testimonies.
    And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. The gentleman yields back.
    Ms. Scholten, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Scholten. Thank you, sir.
    And thank you so much to our witnesses, Vice Admiral Allan 
and Master Chief Jones. So good to see you again. And I am just 
so grateful to you both for your service to our country. I 
would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Carol and her service 
as well and commitment. We should have her here up on the 
witness stand for many of these. Nobody knows more about the 
life of a Coastie than our supportive spouses.
    I am incredibly fortunate, as you know, to represent Coast 
Guard stations in Grand Haven and Muskegon. And as we 
discussed, it is clear how the Coast Guard can provide 
fulfilling service-oriented work. I know from meeting with them 
firsthand that our hard-working Coasties are dedicated to 
safeguarding hundreds of thousands of miles of U.S. coastline, 
both inland, as well as helping mariners in need. However, the 
Coast Guard continues to struggle. Even though numbers are up 
in recruiting, we are not near the level that we need to. And 
we know that a huge part of this is understanding the stability 
of the job.
    As we are slated to narrowly avoid a Government shutdown 
this week, it is top of mind as I think about the fact that, in 
2019, the lapse in appropriations hit our Coasties so hard, and 
their families, who didn't receive a paycheck in those critical 
30-plus days. This is precisely why I introduced the Pay Our 
Coast Guard Parity Act, to ensure that the Coast Guard is 
appropriately compensated for their work during Government 
shutdowns, just as other military service branches are and have 
been.
    For both of you, how could commonsense bills like the Pay 
Our Coast Guard Parity Act level the playing field among 
different military branches and bolster potential recruitment 
prospects?
    As well as, Master Chief Jones, you talked about the mental 
health aspects of this. I think about just the dignity and 
respect that we owe it to our Coasties to make sure that they 
are paid in the event of a shutdown. So, those two aspects, 
sir.
    Master Chief Jones. I will go first, if it is OK, ma'am. 
Thank you so much. Great to see you again, as well.
    What I learned in 2019 with the lapse in appropriation was 
that our workforce--I didn't learn--I knew they were the 
greatest in the world. But what I learned is they will run 
through a brick wall for us and for the Nation. All they want 
to know is what is on the other side. And what I learned very 
clearly is the one thing that will bring our workforce to their 
knees is the unknown.
    And they knew we would eventually be paid. I mean, everyone 
knew that, but the fear in the eyes when we are going and 
talking to our members. And I think the sense of 
disappointment, the sense of feeling let down. And the biggest 
concern that we have as an organization is they still came to 
work and did their job every day, but were they as effective as 
they could have been, because their minds were worried on, I 
can't pay this bill, can I get groceries, those things.
    And as I said earlier, resilience in our workforce, 
readiness in our workforce is all about having them, when they 
come to work, being fully focused on a mission, because in 
every story you heard at lunchtime, what any one of them will 
tell you is, I happened to be the one on duty that day, they 
kind of aw-shucks it away how amazing they are. I get the 
privilege of bragging on them all the time. But that could be 
this afternoon, that could be tomorrow, that could be at any 
time for any of them. So, we need them to know that the things 
at home are taken care of. So, we thank you very much for that 
support.
    Ms. Scholten. Yes, absolutely.
    Admiral Allan. Thank you for that question.
    I would say, when you talk to Coast Guard people, they 
joined for the mission, they joined for the service of Nation, 
they joined for the adventure. They do not join because we are 
paying them so much, right. And so, even while we push forward 
to have better programs to make sure they are financially 
responsible, understand, too many of our people live paycheck 
to paycheck.
    At the beginning of this hearing, we talked a little bit 
about how dispersed our workforce is compared to DoD. In DoD, 
if you are in housing, it doesn't matter if you don't have your 
BAH. In many cases, our people, they didn't get BAH and they 
were being threatened to be moved out of their houses.
    We are geographically operating across the globe every day, 
many times along our DoD partners. And it was, I have got to 
tell you, very tough for some of our young petty officers to 
not be getting paid while standing shoulder to shoulder to 
someone over in Bahrain that was getting paid, and their wife, 
their spouse, their family member didn't need to have.
    So, thank you for your focus on that. Thank you for helping 
it but very important issue for the Coast Guard.
    Ms. Scholten. Thank you so much.
    Over two centuries of service standing strong for us, you 
deserve the same from your Government to make sure that you 
guys are ready and able to serve. Look forward to celebrating 
your birthday with you later today. Thank you.
    I yield back.
    Mr. Webster of Florida. OK. Well, I want to thank both of 
our witnesses for coming, and the others in the Coast Guard for 
coming, watching your Government work, and it is really good to 
have you here today.
    The subcommittee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 3:20 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]