USCG is the protoSysAdmin

ARTICLE: U.S. collaborates on Pacific maritime network, By Richard Halloran, Washington Times, August 17, 2007

Good article on cool program.

To those who always said, "Your SysAdmin blend can never come about!" I've always replied, "It already does and it's called the Coast Guard!"

Part mil, part civilian.
Part cop, part warrior.
Bureaucratically multi-lingual.
Maximally coalitional.

One of my two articles in the Oct. Esquire describes a USN connectivity program that accomplishes similar goals in a revolutionary use of an existing technology.

Thanks to CitizenSAR for sending this.

Comments

[Matt R.]

Interesting point on the CG being the first draft model. The part that I find most intriguing is that the CG has the most flexible mission and structure of all of the armed services. In a not to distant past, the CG used to swap between the DoT and the DoN, showing its flexibility then. That flexibility and police mentality was somewhat viewed as a hinderance, relegating the CG to a lower position. Now, the CG has a new home, with a multifaceted mission, and is gaining some prestige.I find irony in that the model of different departments with specific missions is showing its weakness. Much like in an assembly line, with each section doing its respective job VERY well, but unable to change jobs and pick up slack or change mission easily. The CG with its multifaceted role is more like an information age system, able to do many things due to its components being diverse and mandates being flexible and broad.I like this direction that things are going. I think it represents a great challenge. I also know that many of the younger generation have an inherent knack for these types of problems. After supervising some 19 and 20 year old Airmen, I was amazed at their ability to multitask and grasp the larger picture. Lack of experience in looking for the larger picture was their main roadblock, but once the leadership was able to show the broader picture, their eyes lit up, and they were able to achieve many great things. Maybe a National College of Everything Else could achieve the goal of opening the eyes of the younger generation.

[CitSAR]

I am struck with the similarities to CAP - Civil Air Patrol/USAF Aux.

Although its basically a home front organization and its unpaid, the idea of expanding the call (and it is a calling) to something more ACTIVE is very interesting. I can think of more than one pilot, disaster relief officer, cadet instructor, etc... that would go the distance, feel the reward concept out and do something foreign if they could honestly control the degree of time involved... sort of another career for those retiring from a career or looking to do just a little bit more to be part of things...