Friday, February 15, 2008
Disappointed, but not surprised
Posted by Peter A. Stinson
Over at Equal Civil Rights, Thomas Jackson wrote yesterday,
Mr. Robin Ouellette, Freedom of Information Officer at Coast Guard Headquarters appears to be the latest employee to slam the door on Admiral Thad Allen's "axiom of transparency."The short story is that Mr. Jackson made a FOIA request for an electronic copy of the Coast Guard's Annual FOIA Report, and Mr. Ouellette denied the request.
Yes, you read that right: Someone asked for a copy of the FOIA report and was refused.
It's like a Kafkaesque nightmare.
Read the full story by Thomas Jackson here.
The Coast Guard's request is, frankly, bull-you-know-what... but, sadly, not unexpected. In my dealings with the Coast Guard for FOIA requests, the Service treats FOIA requests in a similar manner that most insurance companies address medical claims: Refuse multiple, random requests; most of the time, the claimant will not pursue the request (or claim) further.
At the National Press Club last week, one of the post-speech questions had to do with transparency and leadership:
QUESTION:The problem is that, at times, Admiral Allen is a lone voice crying out in the wilderness. There's a huge swath of Coasties -- military and civilian alike -- who do not believe in transparency, and they will work against transparency at every turn.
This is a question near and dear to some of our hearts. You have a reputation for being open and responsive to the media, and that's not an attitude that's universally shared in this town. How did you develop your approach?
ALLEN:
Well, first, I believe, if you don't feed the bear, he eats you.
(LAUGHTER)
Enlightened. I think, over the course of my career, I've been involved in a lot of search-and-rescue cases. Some of them went good; some of them went bad. Some of them involved traumatic impacts on communities and individuals' loss of life and so forth. And I think the only way you become comfortable with the media, whether it's just talking to them or becoming transparent, is to just keep doing it. And I don't believe there's any substitute when there's a problem of being totally transparent and open with information.
I guess the most transforming event in my professional life occurred when I'd been the regional commander in Miami for about a week and a half in June of 1999. And we had a boatcrew that used pepper spray on migrants in the water off Miami Beach. Some of you may remember that.
Against the advice of some lawyers and some other folks on my staff, I brought somebody from outside the chain of command who I could not impact as far as their evaluation went, had them do an independent investigation, redacted the personal information in that, and then released it to the public at a press conference for them to make their own judgment on whether or not we had done the right thing.
I think that is universally the right way to go. We've had several problems since I've become commandant. No organization is ever going to go for any length of time without having problems, but I know of no other way to handle a tough situation than transparency.
The Coast Guard culture has been, for as long as I've lived and studied in the organization, one of opaqueness.
I look forward to continued efforts by Admiral Allen and other foresighted leaders in the Coast Guard to make transparency every bit as a part of the culture as the life-saving ethic. One man, even the chief executive of the organization, cannot single-handedly change the culture of the organization. Others throughout the organization must embrace this new cultural notion and work to embed it in the very processes of work. And, those on the outside of the organization, those stakeholders who believe in the work of the Coast Guard, must demand transparency so that the organization cannot move backward into the shadows.
Posted on Friday, February 15, 2008
Labels: by Peter Stinson
1 comments:
- At Saturday, February 16, 2008 6:55:00 AM EST Thomas Jackson said...
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I have worked for some of the most powerful men in the military, in total over two dozen senior Flag Officers and three SECNAVs. None of these men would have tolerated what Adm. Allen appears to put up with each day of the week on twice on Saturday. I saw more Navy Flag Officers get “the call,[1]” than Adm. Allen has Flag Officers in the Coast Guard. Both Peter and Mike point to their shared view that Adm. Allen is “trying.” I have not seen sign of that.
What would a sign be? If the President and DHS think Adm. Allen is the man to stick it out and bring about change in the Coast Guard, then he needs to start by announcing the retirements this summer of many of his key staff, advisors and Flag Officers. Sometimes the only way to bring about change is to clean house and send a clear message that your staff is either working for your goals or working somewhere else.
If and I have to say “if” Adm. Allen believes in his axiom of transparency, then he should be personally and professionally embarrassed at his services record of blocking transparency at every turn. Without such swift and exacting change Adm. Allen will leave a legacy more liken to an “axiom of caliginosity.”
Footnote: [1] “The Call” in the Navy refers to the call Flag Officers receive from either the Chief of Naval Personnel (a Three Star Admiral) or the Flag Detailer notifying them that there will not be a follow-on assignment, and that their replacement has been named. In essence being told to retire, because you no longer have a job.
