Secretary Napolitano: Good afternoon. This is the second daily briefing, and we will do these on a regular basis as we work our way through these—the swine flu issue, what is happening at the governmental level, and what is happening around the world.

First, I would like to inform you that today both the CDC [Centers for Disease Control] and the State Department will be issuing travel alerts related to swine flu and related to travel to Mexico. What those alerts mean is that they encourage individuals to avoid any non-essential travel to Mexico for the time being.

You may ask, how long will the alerts be operative? And the answer is, we don’t know, because obviously it’s related to how much swine flu is being detected. Those alerts are in the process—I think CDC has already posted theirs, and State Department is in the process of posting those travel alerts.

Secondly, as President Obama said this morning, swine flu is a cause for concern but not a cause for alarm. We are simply in preparation mode. We do not yet know how widespread this flu will be within the United States, so we continue to move aggressively to prepare.

I spoke this afternoon with Mexico’s Ambassador to the United States, so that our governments are moving in tandem, and I will be speaking later on with my counterpart in Canada. We really have a tri-national approach to the flu issues.

As I said yesterday, I issued a public health emergency declaration. That permitted today the—an emergency authorization that allows the FDA [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to proceed to permit things like Tamiflu to be used for populations that they otherwise wouldn’t be used for—in this case, for example, very, very young children.

The Department of Homeland Security is conducting conference calls with state public health and homeland security officials on a daily basis to discuss developments related to swine flu, and I’ve reached out to the governors of each of the states where a confirmed case has arisen.

As I said yesterday, we are in the process of activating our national stockpile of antiviral drugs. The priority is placed on states that have been affected, as well as states along the border. And antivirals already are on the way to some of these states. All states will have access to the national stockpile and full deployment is expected by the third of May.

The Department of Homeland Security continues to direct people entering the United States from Mexico who appear to be sick to the CDC or to local health officials to be evaluated. In addition, the Travelers Health Alert notices are being posted at ticket counters and gates within the airports, and at the land ports there’s a tear sheet that is being handed out to travelers.

We are reaching out to the private sector to make sure that they are preparing, and to inform them of the latest actions we are taking. It’s important that they be thinking ahead about what they would do should this erupt into a full-fledged pandemic, which it has not yet, by the way.

And finally, we are taking precautionary measures with respect to the health of our own workforce. We have pre-positioned antivirals for all the nine Border Patrol sectors and for our Coast Guard sectors to ensure they remain at full strength. We’ve provided guidance to all employees on how to use antivirals.

We continue to stress, the CDC continues to stress, the Department of Health and Human Services continues to stress that common sense will go a long way here to mitigate the impact of any flu. Common sense means washing hands, staying home from work or school if you feel sick, covering your mouth if you cough or sneeze. These are straightforward and simple measures, but they can materially improve our chances of avoiding a full-fledged pandemic.

Everybody has a role to play here. It’s our function to make sure that what the government is doing is coordinated, that we are thinking in advance of the problem. But again, government cannot do this alone; we all have an important part to play.

So with that, alerts are posted—information is available, by the way, for people who are interested—the CDC website is a very, very good Web site: cdc.gov/swineflu is the exact address. In addition, www.state.gov, and www.travel.state.gov, the two State Department Web sites, also have information. And of course, the Department of Homeland Security’s Webs ite has information and will click you over into other department websites as well.

With that, John, Pat, I’ll be happy to take some questions.

Question: [Indaudible]

Secretary Napolitano: Don’t know yet. We’re just in the beginning process of trying to collect that kind of information. But again, what I’ve been saying is, we’ll provide you with information on a daily basis as we work our way through this.

Question: How does that work? Someone comes to the border inspection person and is coughing or displays some sort of symptom, is there a health professional right there to see them, and who are those folks?

Secretary Napolitano: It depends on which port you’re entering at, you know, because there are different sizes, different locales, and all the rest. Generally speaking, they’re referred to or put in another room. I don’t want to use the word “quarantine,” because technically it’s not a quarantine, but they’re put in a separate room, and they’re either questioned by a Customs Border Protection officer who has some training in this, or in the bigger ports either a public health official who is onsite, or they call the local public health authority to have some people brought over, and they’ll question them.

And then if it’s ascertained that they may indeed have the flu, they’ll make a decision about whether they can go ahead and enter the country and go to a place to get taken care of or whether they need to go back home.

Question: But it doesn’t appear to be that the—that just large numbers of people are being diverted into this secondary inspection?

Secretary Napolitano: Not that I’ve heard of today. Again, this is a changing scene, and so that that may change, but as of today I’ve not heard of that.

Question: How has Mexico done in responding to this?

Secretary Napolitano: Well, Mexico has had a much more acute problem to solve. You know the steps that have been taken in Mexico City, for example, with respect to closing down the schools, shutting off places where people would gather, issuing masks and the like.

So they are taking every public health precaution one can identify with respect to this kind of an outbreak. We have people down there now, teams from the CDC. One of the things that we are assisting on is laboratory capacity for running diagnostic samples, but also collecting good data, because it will help us for our planning if we can see how widespread this really is in Mexico.

Question: Can you tell us, Madam Secretary, and perhaps Mr. Brennan [Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan], as well, a little bit about when the United States government first became sort of fully aware of these events in Mexico and how you began to come up with your response, one. And then what about today brought on the travel alert? What changed today to bring on the travel alert?

Mr. Brennan: The first instances of the influenza down in Mexico were at the end of last week. In terms of confirmation, it was like Thursday or Friday of last week. So the Mexican health authorities knew they had a health issue, and therefore they sent the samples to both the Canadian labs as well as to the CDC. And so the confirmation that it was swine flu was last week.

But to date, at least from my perspective, the Mexican authorities have been exceptionally cooperative and forthcoming. Both Secretary Napolitano and I have spoken to the Mexican ambassador, and I think that there’s been a very strong cooperation.

Secretary Napolitano: Yes, and Ginger, by Friday we were beginning to assemble the information, inform the inter-agency team that would need to work this issue over the weekend. And under HSPD-5 [Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5], I was designated as the principal federal official, and we began—that whole process was well underway as we worked throughout the weekend.

Question: [Inaudible] …Friday, and it was Mexican authorities who first notified the United States?

Mr. Brennan: Through the health—

Secretary Napolitano: There were health issues.

Mr. Brennan: Through the health professionals that were cooperating, both U.S. and Mexican health officials.

Question: —State Department question, about why today and the travel alert?

Secretary Napolitano: I think that, in part, is just because the data—as the data becomes more robust, then better decisions can be made about what actually needs to happen.

Question: What kind of guidance are you giving state and local governments in terms of what they should do if they have cases of the flu now? For instance, are you suggesting if it’s in a school they close down the schools?

Secretary Napolitano: The CDC has issued community mitigation guidance to communities, and we can give you an actual copy of that.

Question: Madam Secretary, have you issued any notes or information to local law enforcement related to this?

Secretary Napolitano: We are in touch with local law enforcement and we’re in touch with the fusion centers in the various states. They have access to all the material, for example, that’s posted on the CDC website, our website and the like for whatever use they care to make.

Question: Would the administration be making any kind of additional budget request to Congress to cover actions taken, actions that may be taken, or do the current budgets cover this kind of situation?

Secretary Napolitano: I don’t think any decision has been made on that yet.

Question: Can you talk about the lack of personnel across both HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] and DHS—I think the figures for DHS are two confirmed in place, six announced or nominated, 13 unnamed including the Assistant Secretary for Health, the TSA [U.S. Transportation Security Administration] and CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] directors, FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] not being confirmed, and principal federal officers and chief coordinating officers within FEMA for pandemic? Would it be helpful to have more bodies on board? Is that a concern?

And on the pandemic plan, has it been triggered, how closely are you following it, how useful a playbook is it?

Secretary Napolitano: With respect to presidential appointees, confirmees, those roles are all being filled by career civil servants who have a great deal of experience. And as far as I’m concerned, the process, the work has been moving very smoothly and with great efficiencies. So I think we’re moving right along in that sense.

With respect to the pandemic playbook, the World Health Organization has us at level three, which is basically preparatory to pandemic. Today they are meeting with respect to whether that level should be raised. Level six is actual pandemic. And so we’re keying off of that.

And even if they raise the level today, our preparations now are as if it had already been raised. So we are proceeding as if we are preparatory to a full pandemic. We don’t know that a pandemic actually will occur, but because we want to make sure that we have equipment where it needs to be, people where they need to be, and most important, information shared at all levels, we’ve already organized as if this were.

Question: I think if at the next level, at level four, that there are possible—in the plan, in the pandemic plan it’s possible that the border could be—parts of the border could be closed down or increased border surveillance of people coming across. Is that something that’s been discussed at this time?

Secretary Napolitano: Well, as I said yesterday, we’re already doing passive surveillance at the border. And with respect to closing the border, again, you would close the border if you thought you could contain disease, the spread of disease. But the disease already is in a number of states within the United States, so the containment issue doesn’t really play out. This particular flu, you can actually have it for a couple of days before you show any symptoms, and so even if—people could be coming through now, even under passive surveillance, who actually have the flu. So that’s a very difficult judgment to make.

Question: Other than notices being posted at gates at the airport, specifically, what else is TSA doing? Are passengers being questioned—incoming flights into this country?

Secretary Napolitano: Well, again, if they’re coming from international travel, they have to go through CBP, and CBP is doing the passive surveillance if passengers appear sick, and they are also asking—able to ask questions, particularly on flights that originate in Mexico.

And as I said before, they’re giving out what’s called a “tear sheet,” which is—we can give you a copy of that. It actually tells you what to look for and what to do if you think you’re getting ill. And that information is being posted in the airports and at the gates.

Question: Are there any quarantine centers at airports if it does become a pandemic?

Secretary Napolitano: My understanding is that we have 19 airports that have quarantine available. That would cover about 85 percent of air travelers. But we haven’t activated that need yet, and we may not need to. We don’t know. We have identified where they are, what we would need to do in case the facts warrant it later on.

Question: You say that it takes about three to four days for the symptoms to show up, so people could come in by air and not know that they have it, because the symptoms haven’t shown up, and they’ll be able to walk right in, right? I mean, is there any contingency plans for dealing with that? How would you deal with something like that?

Secretary Napolitano: Well, if people are sick, and if you have the flu, you believe you have the flu, you have a fever, you have a heavy cough, we’re asking people—

Question: —might not know for three or four days—

Secretary Napolitano: —we’re asking people, don’t go to school, don’t go to work, don’t go to a place where you can infect other people. I mean, the normal tendency is—you know, we have a lot of type-A personalities, and people want to go—keep working, and we’re saying, don’t do that if you believe realistically that you have the flu. If you don’t know, but you show some of the symptoms, contact your doctor.

And going to your question, what you’re saying is, people could still be coming in the country because they’re asymptomatic, may have the flu, and that is true. But again, given the number of cases and what’s actually appearing and the like, we believe at this level the appropriate precautions have been taken.

Thank you all.

From D9 PAO

CLEVELAND - The extensive international cooperative icebreaking efforts involving U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian icebreakers on the Great Lakes are fast coming to a close for the 2008/2009 icebreaking season.

There are two major operations conducted during the icebreaking season, Operations Coal Shovel and Taconite. The Coast Guard concluded efforts in Operation Coal Shovel, which encompasses southern Lake Huron, St. Clair/Detroit River systems, and Lakes Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway, Thursday.

Icebreaking for Operation Taconite, encompassing Lake Superior, the St. Mary’s River and the Straits of Mackinac, Lake Michigan and northern Lake Huron, is anticipated to conclude the week of April 13.

“This season was one of the safest and most successful icebreaking seasons in many years,” said Cmdr. Kevin Dunn, Chief of Waterways Management for the Ninth U.S. Coast Guard District. “The unprecedented level of communication between industry, both governments and commercial icebreaking providers, as well as the improved reliability of our icebreaking resources, ensured we were able to meet all agreed upon Coast Guard and industry icebreaking performance standards.”

In addition to providing services for industry, U.S. Coast Guard helped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provide flood control relief for many communities in Ohio and Michigan. Coast Guard icebreakers cleared ice from the Grand Rivers in Ohio and Michigan, mitigating storm and flood damage there.

The U.S. Coast Guard also recently completed engineering upgrades to four of its five 140-foot icebreaking cutters, improving reliability and reducing the number of days lost due to mechanical problems by more than 50 percent, from a high of 118 days lost last season to just 63 days this season. Also, The Coast Guard deployed an additional 140-foot icebreaker, the Thunder Bay from Rockland, Maine, to help break ice on the Great Lakes. Thunder Bay arrived on the Great Lakes March 31 after breaking ice in the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

The deployment of the additional cutter from the Coast Guard’s First District in New England enabled the Coast Guard’s Ninth District to shift more icebreakers to the northern parts of the Great Lakes where greater concentrations of ice where found, while still providing resources in Lake Erie.

“It was an exceptionally safe year and the commercial ship operators should be commended for only sending out ships that were adequately powered and constructed for the difficult ice conditions often found on the Great Lakes in winter,” said Capt. Lorne Thomas, Chief of Prevention for the Ninth Coast Guard District.

“Icebreaking on the Lakes takes a real team effort. Though we saw a reduced amount of commercial traffic probably due to the economy, we along with our international partners and commercial icebreaking resources were prepared for the worst and operationally ready for a heavy ice season that thankfully never fully materialized,” said Thomas.

Video of Spring Breakout is available at the following links:

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=510025

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=513142

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=507910

Imagery is also available at:

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=500134

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=500131

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=467021

http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=454977

FBI Press Release

On April 17, 2009, the FBI’s New York Office will be honored with a ceremonial plaque to be displayed in the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum memorializing the importance of the intrepid to the FBI post- 9/11/2001.  Immediately after the tragic events at the World Trade Center, the Intrepid offered itself as the FBI’s New York Office Command Post for the Counterterrorism Division and the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).  Over the next four months, the FBI and JTTF worked from the Intrepid.

The ceremony will be held at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum at 11:00 am.  Intrepid Museum President Bill White and FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Joseph M. Demarest, Jr., will provide brief remarks.

In honor of the service and dedication provided to New York City by the FBI and the Federal, State and Local law enforcement agencies that constitute the JTTF, the museum has designated Saturday, April 18 – Sunday, April 19, 2009, Law Enforcement Appreciation Weekend.

One of the world’s largest maritime museums, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is housed aboard the 900-foot-long ESSEX class aircraft carrier Intrepid, which saw service during World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War.  It also served as a prime recovery vessel for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini space programs before it was retired in 1974.  Listed in the National Park Service’s National Historic Landmark register, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum was opened as a symbol of peace and education in August 1982.  The Intrepid underwent extensive renovations beginning in 2006 and returned to its home at Pier 86 in October 2008.  For more information, visit www.intrepidmuseum.org.

From the Blog Defense Industrial Base

Highlights of GAO-09-462T, a testimony before the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives

GAO has a large body of work examining government agencies’ approaches to managing their large acquisition projects. GAO has noted that without sufficient knowledge about system requirements, technology, and design maturity, programs are subject to cost overruns, schedule delays, and performance that does not meet expectations.

The Deepwater Program, intended to replace or modernize 15 major classes of Coast Guard assets, accounts for almost 60 percent of the Coast Guard’s fiscal year 2009 appropriation for acquisition, construction and improvements. GAO has reported over the years on this program, which has experienced serious performance and management problems such as cost breaches, schedule slips, and assets designed and delivered with significant defects.

To carry out the Deepwater acquisition, the Coast Guard contracted with Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS) as a systems integrator. In April 2007, the Commandant acknowledged that the Coast Guard had relied too heavily on contractors to do the work of government and announced that the Coast Guard was taking over the lead role in systems integration from ICGS.

This testimony reflects our most recent issued work on Deepwater, specifically our June 2008 report, Coast Guard: Change in Course Improves Deepwater Management and Oversight, but Outcome Still Uncertain, GAO-08-745.

President Barack Obama announced today his intent to nominate Rand Beers as U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), the Department’s primary risk-reducing division. Beers will oversee five major offices in this role, including Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C), Infrastructure Protection (IP), Intergovernmental Programs (IGP), Risk Management and Analysis (RMA) and US-VISIT.

“More than anyone I know, Rand Beers can be trusted with protecting the security of the United States,” said DHS Secretary Napolitano. “He will be an invaluable asset to NPPD. I thank Rand for his service as Acting Deputy Secretary, and I am grateful that his leadership and vast depth of experience will continue to benefit the Department of Homeland Security.”

As Acting Deputy Secretary, Beers helped guide the Department’s continuity of operations during a major leadership shift. He assumed the role beginning Feb. 11, replacing former Deputy Secretary Paul Schneider, and relinquished it April 3, when new Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute received Senate confirmation. Previously, Beers led President Obama’s DHS agency review team during the transition, where his team helped set the stage for Secretary Napolitano’s confirmation and prepare the incoming Obama Administration on all homeland security issues.

Beers’ responsibilities at NPPD will include continued operations leadership, as well as oversight on intelligence, cybersecurity, technology and coordination with state, local and tribal partners. IP leads a complex national mission to protect the country’s critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) from threats by analyzing intelligence and executing public and private coordination in order to mitigate risks and effects. CS&C works to prevent or minimize disruptions to our critical cyber and communications infrastructure to protect the overall security of the United States.

Beers brings a long career in national security and law enforcement policy to NPPD. He has served in leadership roles under four Presidents, including as White House/National Security Council Director for Counterterrorism and Counternarcotics; Director for Peacekeeping; Senior Director for Intelligence Programs; Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Combating Terrorism; and Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. In 2006, Beers founded the National Security Network, a foreign policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. He holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.A. from the University of Michigan.

Lance Cpl. Brady Gustafson, a machine gunner with Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, stands in from of the battalion at perfect parade rest, despite the amputation of his right leg below the knee. Gustafson received the Navy Cross and a meritorious promotion to corporal during a ceremony March 27 at Lance Cpl. Torrey Grey Field.

By Pfc. Michael T. Gams , Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command 29 Palms

By Program Executive Office Carriers

WASHINGTON (NNS) — USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) successfully completed acceptance sea trials April 7-9 off the Virginia Capes and is in final preparation for delivery. Acceptance sea trials are the final test of the ship’s readiness to begin fleet service.

Navy representatives from the U.S. Navy Board of Inspection and Survey tested and evaluated the ship’s systems and performance. Acceptance trials will formally conclude April 10.

George H.W. Bush is the nation’s 10th, and final, Nimitz-class carrier. The ship is designed to carry all current and future aircraft in its embarked air wing until the completion of her service life in approximately 2,059.

George H. W. Bush incorporates numerous design improvements to reduce operating cost, enhance operational effectiveness and protect the environment. These include newly designed propellers, a new underwater hull-coating system, advanced waste disposal systems, a new JP-5 (jet propellant) distribution system, and modernized aircraft launch and recovery equipment. Improved medical and dental facilities have been included in the ship to enhance quality of life. George H.W. Bush also has a new composite mast that reduces topside weight and maintenance.

George H.W. Bush incorporates a modernized island, bulbous bow design and three-wire arresting gear configuration, first introduced on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

The ship’s keel was laid Sept. 6, 2003, at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News. Ms. Dorothy Bush Koch, daughter of former President George H.W. Bush, served as the ship’s sponsor during its christening on Oct. 7, 2006. The ship was commissioned Jan. 10, 2009, at Norfolk Naval Base. USS George H.W. Bush is commanded by Capt. DeWolfe H. Miller III, USN. Upon delivery to the Navy, the ship will conduct post delivery maintenance before commencing training for operational deployment in 2010.

By Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Rebekah Blowers, Chief of Naval Operations Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) — Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead and Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) April 1 for the Safe Harbor program.

The Safe Harbor program is the Navy’s lead organization for coordinating the non-medical care of wounded, ill and injured Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and their family members.

In the fall of 2008, the Coast Guard approached Safe Harbor to gain an understanding of the non-medical care management support provided to seriously wounded, ill, and injured Sailors and their families. Coast Guard units are often located proximal to Navy, and Coast Guard members receive medical care at Navy military treatment facilities, where Safe Harbor non-medical care managers are currently located.

The signing of the MOA between the CNO and commandant reflects their commitment to providing the best care possible for Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and their families.

“I think that this really gets to the essence of our services and how we as services care for our Sailors. Through the great work of our people at Safe Harbor, we have developed ways to address those who are seriously wounded, ill and injured in order to better provide for them and their families,” Roughead said. “We are just really privileged and honored that we can bring this dimension of the Navy and the Coast Guard together in a way that benefits our Sailors and their families.”

Through proactive leadership, the Safe Harbor program provides seriously wounded, ill and injured service members a lifetime of individually tailored assistance designed to optimize the success of their recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration activities and to give their families the support they need to get through that sometimes life-long process.

from DHS

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano unveiled today the DHS Efficiency Review initiative, a major program to improve efficiency and streamline decision-making through a series of agency-wide initiatives ranging from eliminating non-mission critical travel to acquiring enterprise licenses for commonly used software, which are collectively expected to lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in cost avoidance.

Secretary Napolitano outlined the plan at the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) state-of-the-art Systems Integration Facility at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where TSA tests new explosives screening systems – to be funded with $1 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – before being deployed to airports around the country.

“This very facility is a great example of efficiency at work,” said Secretary Napolitano. “I am committed to creating a new culture of efficiency at the Department of Homeland Security, and the Efficiency Review will allow us to cut costs while streamlining operations and decision-making. Over time, this will make DHS a leaner, smarter agency better equipped to protect our nation.”

Secretary Napolitano announced six main categories of initiatives: acquisition management, asset management, real property management, employee vetting/credentialing, hiring/on-boarding and information technology.

The Efficiency Review plan encompasses simple, common-sense reforms, as well as longer-term, systemic changes. Initiatives are broken down into 30-, 60-, 90- and 120-day groupings indicating when implementation will begin. Within the first 30 days, DHS will eliminate the printing of all documents that can be sent electronically or posted online and consolidate subscriptions of professional publications to lower costs and avoid duplication. Longer term, the plan calls for energy efficiencies at the workplace, the consolidation of employee trainings and orientations, and an assessment of all full-time/ part-time employees and contractors to better manage our workforce and fulfill our core mission.

On Feb. 17, Secretary Napolitano issued a DHS-wide action directive to identify current and past efforts to improve efficiency, resulting in an inventory of more than 700 initiatives implemented over the past five years. She then established an Efficiency Review Steering Committee with representatives from across DHS components, along with a full-time Efficiency Review Team composed of department veterans that shaped the initiative. The initiative includes a plan to encourage and collect employee-generated efficiency ideas from across the department’s workforce.

As Governor of Arizona, Secretary Napolitano oversaw a similar program, comprised of initiatives in procurement, energy conservation, travel, fleet management, training and electronic communications, that resulted in more than $1 billion in savings and cost avoidances for the state government.

If Congressman Elijah Cummings proposed legislation under the  Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 becomes law, what will the effects will it have on the current Acquisition leadership.  H.R. 1665 proposes that the Chief Acquisition Officer (Currently Rear Admiral Gary Blore) be a Level III Acquisition Professional with at least 10 years acquisition experience.  If this legislation were law today, would either of Coast Guards active duty Admirals in the Acquisition Directorate be eligible for their current positions.

TITLE III–COAST GUARD PERSONNEL

SEC. 301. CHIEF ACQUISITION OFFICER.

(a) In General- Chapter 3 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

‘Sec. 55. Chief Acquisition Officer

‘(a) Establishment of Chief Acquisition Officer- There shall be in the Coast Guard a Chief Acquisition Officer selected by the Commandant who shall be a Rear Admiral or civilian from the Senior Executive Service (career reserved) and who meets the qualifications set forth under subsection (b). The Chief Acquisition Officer shall serve at the Assistant Commandant level and have acquisition management as that individual’s primary duty.

‘(b) Qualifications-

‘(1) The Chief Acquisition Officer and any Flag Officer serving in the Acquisitions Directorate shall be an acquisition professional with a program manager level III certification and must have at least 10 years experience in an acquisition position, of which at least 4 years were spent in one of the following qualifying positions:

‘(A) Program executive officer.

‘(B) Program manager of a Level 1 or Level 2 acquisition.

‘(C) Deputy program manager of a Level 1 or Level 2 acquisition.

‘(D) Project manager for a Level 1 or Level 2 acquisition.

‘(E) Any other acquisition position of significant responsibility in which the primary duties are supervisory or management duties