Coast Guard Cutter OIC relieved after crash investigation (What is your opinion?)

PO1 John Miller — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 06:07:26 -0400

http://www.navytimes.com/story/military/coast-guard/2015/06/02/coast-guard-cutter-moray-officer-in-charge-relieved/28366441/

Not just a Navy problem, with persons in charge of a vessel being relieved.

Question to my Coast Guard cousins: I didn't know that an enlisted person could command a Cutter? Can you point me towards instructions that govern who can command a Cutter?

Coast Guard cutter OIC relieved after crash investigation

The officer in charge of a Maine-based Coast Guard cutter was permanently relieved of his duties Tuesday, according to a Coast Guard release.

Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jun 4 at 2015 6:09 AM

SCPO David Lockwood — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 06:09:17 -0400

You never hear anything about the Coast Guard in regards to these types of scenarios. Welcome to the big kids playground! LOL!

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jun 4 at 2015 6:37 AM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 06:37:13 -0400

Oops. Definitely not career enhancing.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Jun 4 at 2015 8:22 AM

LTC Stephen C. — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 08:22:30 -0400

PO1 John Miller, I had an encounter with a Coast Guard cutter near the Pensacola Beach, FL area, c. 1974. The commander of that vessel was also a senior chief petty officer.

Response by CDR Michael Goldschmidt made Jun 4 at 2015 8:37 AM

CDR Michael Goldschmidt — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 08:37:39 -0400

The term "Cutter" seems to refer to any Coast Guard vessel 65' or greater in length. There also seems to be a distinction between a Commanding Officer (who is commissioned) and an OIC, who is not. The smaller ships apparently have Chief Petty Officers as their masters (OICs), but I wasn't able to find specific USCG Regulations on the subject.

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2015 10:45 AM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:45:44 -0400

Senior NCOs in the Coast Guard have been OICs for smaller cutters for decades. Generally, you will not see an OIC lower than CPO (E-7). Below that, on even smaller vessels, the person in charge of the vessel, say a 41' Surfboat, wears the Cutterman's Badge, indicating his or her position as Helmsman of the craft, meaning the Boss, and that person can be a PO3 (pretty rare), PO2, or PO1.

Response by ENS Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2015 11:37 AM

ENS Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 11:37:00 -0400

Rank does not equate to qualification, though they are often related. Senior Enlisted can be OICs of smaller cutters because they still have the leadership and technical experience to do it. There's no real reason not to give a chief command over a smaller vessel. They lead larger groups of men and women on larger cutters anyways. Why not just give them the equipment that comes with it?

Response by LCDR Bruce Cooley made Jun 4 at 2015 12:46 PM

LCDR Bruce Cooley — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 12:46:55 -0400

The Coast Guard pushes responsibility down as low as they can, and empower enlisted members to work to their full potential. IF they screw up....they're gone, but when you compare this to the Navy, it is similar in what the Navy does with Inshore Boat Units, Special Boat Teams, etc.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 4 at 2015 3:16 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 15:16:18 -0400

I believe that it's an internal policy to allow Chiefs to work as OICs. There are specific billets set aside for them and the max length is 87ft. I know all of the 110ft and above are officers.

Response by CPO Jon Campbell made Jun 6 at 2015 12:20 AM

CPO Jon Campbell — Sat, 06 Jun 2015 00:20:44 -0400

It can take a lifetime to learn to navigate the coast of Maine, but we transfer people in and out of locations so fast that they barely have time to get their AFAM checked off before they are transferred somewhere else. It'sa miracle that these sort of things don't happen more often.

Response by MCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 3 at 2018 4:45 PM

MCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 16:45:43 -0400

“The officer in charge of a unit shall be the noncommissioned warrant officer, petty officer, or civilian employee assigned to command the unit by the Commandant, area, district, sector or MLC commander.” - CG Regulations Manual (CIM 5000.3) "The Commanding Officer of a Ship" is also addressed in the same manual.