Seapower - August 2009

facturer of the engine, they’re still in business and they’re still able to sell you parts and supplies. And that, of course, applies across the board to ships, boats, aircraft and our C4ISR [command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and recon-naissance] systems that we have in the field.

They deserve new equipment, new systems, and that’s what we’re working really hard to give them because they’re going to be able to do their mission better. There are new technologies, but more importantly, they are easier to maintain and [personnel are] spending less time to take care of things and more time doing the mission.

Do you think the Coast Guard will receive more money from Congress after its major acquisition programs start churning out finished products? RÁBAGO: One of the things Congress has told us is that you’ve got to have an acquisition organization that represents good stewardship of the taxpayers’ dollars. I know

we have built an organization that is able to be a good steward of the taxpayers’ dollar, deliver capability to the Coast Guard, and do it in a repeatable and accountable fashion, so we’re accountable to those who appropriate the money to us and, certainly, we’re mostly accountable to our operational Coast Guard. We’re in the process of earning the trust of Congress, earning the trust of our overseers that we, in fact, have an organization able to do things in a way that it is responsive to the needs of the nation and the needs of Congress and our overseers.

How are you and your predecessor, Rear Adm. Gary Blore, now commander of District 13 based in Seattle, alike and how are you different?

RÁBAGO: We share mainly the same priorities. Our acquisition work force and the people who work in the acquisition directorate; the need to be integrated and work with the rest of the directorates; and then look out past this headquarters building to our men and women out there who are serving on the front line. We share those priorities, certainly. I share his priority for professional credentialing of our work force. That’s incredibly important. It’s paying dividends every day in terms of how we operate.

Ways we’re different? Well, he’s a pilot, I’m a ship driver. That’s one difference. I’m an engineer. I know he’s had a great deal of experience interacting with Congress in the past, or congressional staff, and also in the budget office, so he has some of those backgrounds. Most of my assignments have been out in the field, both in operational units as well as in support communities, providing support to operational units.

What will be your biggest short- and long-term challenges?

RÁBAGO: Short term, we have a lot of competing priorities. We need to recapitalize the old Coast Guard. We have a bow wave of old ships and old planes that need to be replaced and we’ve got to make progress on that. I’m comfortable where we are with our acquisition organization. I’m not saying we’re perfect yet. I could see our organizational team improve and continue to connect to all of the stakeholders within the Coast Guard and, certainly, externally to the Coast Guard.

Our biggest long-term challenge would probably be receiving enough funds to recapitalize the Coast Guard at a rate that doesn’t have to make our men and women be heroic out there to take care of these very old, old ships and planes.