Karl Schultz

02/18/2024

02/18/2024

02/18/2024

Today the U.S. Coast Guard published the Accountability and Transparency Review (ATR) report on the Service’s workforce culture and organizational climate, as well as my directed actions in response to the ATR findings. These documents can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/alwaysready/.

The report is the result of a 90-day review that analyzed current law, policy, processes, practices, resources and Service culture relevant to preventing and responding to sexual assault, harassment and other harmful behaviors in the Coast Guard. The ATR team visited Coast Guard units around the country to listen to members of the workforce about their experiences and engaged with the other Services and organizations with shared values and goals. The team also examined previous studies dating from 1990 to the present.

The report makes clear that Service change is necessary. We must drive meaningful change, consistent with our core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty, to create an environment where every Coast Guard member feels safe and valued. Acknowledging broken trust within the Service is an important first step in reestablishing it. Now we turn to the important work of reaffirming our Core Values and our commitment to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and assault.

I have directed 33 initial actions with specific timelines to ensure that every member of the workforce has an experience aligned with the Coast Guard’s Core Values, and free from harassment, assault, hazing, bullying, hate and retaliation. These actions span the following lines of effort:

• Improvements to workforce training, culture, and professional development
• Creation of an Integrated Primary Prevention Program
• Incorporating our core values more thoroughly into enterprise communication, training, and evaluations
• Development of policies to improve accountability related to sexual assault and sexual harassment
• Increased accountability and oversight at the Coast Guard Academy
• Improved transparency and access to workforce climate data and resources

02/18/2024

The Coast Guard continues efforts to strengthen service culture. We recently appointed retired Captain Laura Collins as the Service’s first Enterprise Victim Advocate and issued a new Safe to Report policy.

Strengthening Coast Guard Culture: https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/3667756/strengthening-coast-guard-culture/

Capt. Laura Collins returns to the Coast Guard to serve as the first Enterprise Victim Advocate to help drive efforts to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment in the Coast Guard. Capt. Collins will also provide strong support for victims of harmful behaviors.

As part of its continuing efforts to remove barriers to reporting sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other harmful behaviors, the Coast Guard issued the new Safe to Report policy that ensures victims won’t be punished for minor collateral misconduct.

You can read the Safe to Report Policy here: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/38828d2

Other recent efforts to ensure a safer and more respectful workplace culture can be found here: https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/3379841/new-sexual-assault-victims-can-disclose-an-incident-to-a-confidant/