{"id":26798,"date":"2019-05-06T19:19:42","date_gmt":"2019-05-06T19:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/05\/06\/coast-guard-commandant-talks-domestic-challenges-and-threats-in-the-arctic\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:30:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:30:58","slug":"coast-guard-commandant-talks-domestic-challenges-and-threats-in-the-arctic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2019\/05\/06\/coast-guard-commandant-talks-domestic-challenges-and-threats-in-the-arctic\/","title":{"rendered":"Coast Guard commandant talks domestic challenges and threats in the Arctic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From home port inspections to transiting the Taiwan Strait, down to Antarctica and through riverine waterways, the Coast Guard has arguably the most diverse mission set of the armed services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But despite these responsibilities, the Coast Guard remains a red-headed stepchild of sorts, a military branch that falls under the Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That designation resulted in a lack of payment for Coasties during the 35-day government shutdown of December 2018 and January 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in a chat during the 2019 Sea-Air-Space conference, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz<\/a> said his service is back on track, even as it grapples with the same readiness challenges faced by other services. He also opined on why the Arctic matters more than ever, as well as the difference between the current heavy icebreaker and the coming polar security cutter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coast Guard was hit hard during the government shutdown. What is the service doing to recover?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shutdown was a shutdown. Obviously going 35 days without pay was tough on our members. Not having appropriations challenged us from a readiness standpoint. I think we have recovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the things like boat maintenance periods, dry dock availabilities, we lost some calendar days on that. That\u2019s tough. But going forward, the Coast Guard\u2019s ready to do the nation\u2019s business.<\/p>\n\n\n\t