NORFOLK, VA, Sept. 6, 2024 —
Have you ever been out in the field and gotten frustrated with a Coast Guard process? Ever wondered why there wasn’t another easier option? We’ve all been there. But we can feel powerless to make a substantive change in the moment.
A small group of Coast Guard Gunner’s Mates (GM) and Chief Warrant Officers in Force Readiness Command’s (FORCECOM) Weapons Systems Branch (FC-Aws) and the Office of Specialized Capabilities Weapons and Ordinance Division (CG-7211) found themselves asking those same questions and decided to take action.
This organization-spanning group is finding process efficiencies, changing aged policies, and using the Microsoft Power Platform to automate processes with the goal of reducing administrative burden and increasing process efficiency for end users.
“The phrase ‘we’ve always done it that way,’ doesn’t fly here,” said GMCM Jeremy Whanger of FC-Aws. Instead, the team is asking the hard questions – the “whys” -- and putting their heads together to solve complex issues that have plagued the ordnance community for decades. The results have been tremendous.
One of the best examples of their success is the new, fully automated Ordnance Safety Program. The brain trust of GMs within FC-Aws taught themselves how to use new Microsoft (MS) programs such as MS Forms, MS Power Automate, and MS Power BI and built a fully automated process that has reduced the field time to complete administrative tasks by at least 75%. From Inspectors using tablets on scene during assessment, to using a MS Forms in lieu of the traditional Excel spreadsheets, to using Power Automate to automatically generate a report that was traditionally completed by hand, they have saved significant time and effort.
Ordnance Safety Inspections (OSI) used to take weeks to process, now they take days or even hours. Final reports are getting processed so quickly they are ready the same day for Command out briefs. Ordnance Safety Self-Assessments had a 33 percent completion rate, but with these new changes, the rate has jumped to more than 90 percent. Most importantly, the new process saves time and allows Gunners Mates to focus on hands-on, rating specific tasks – aka: the stuff they signed up to do when they joined the Coast Guard.
Recently, FC-Aws in coordination with CG-7211 made the first Explosive Safety Policy changes in years. These changes established a new policy allowing units to load, unload, and handle up to 30 pounds Net Explosive Weight (NEW) of certain types of munitions without it being considered an “Explosive Event.” That change provides more than enough room to cover any range day or small replenishment done pier side. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for an Explosive Event Waiver (EEW). Another a policy waiver was also approved that allows any Coast Guard-owned piers to handle up to 300 pounds NEW (soon to be 3,000 pounds) of 1.3 and 1.4 munitions without the need for an EEW as long as they meet all other requirements set forth in the Coast Guard’s Ordnance Manual. Together, these changes have eliminated 75 percent of traditional waivers and made it much easier for field units to conduct their day-to-day tasks.
These changes show that any Coast Guard member can make a significant positive difference. You can help find efficiencies, improve processes, and just plain make your job and those of your shipmates that much better. Ask those hard questions and don’t just ride the “status quo.” You may just change the Coast Guard’s future for all those who come after you.