US Coast Guard missed recruiting targets for four straight years (The Federal Times)

US Coast Guard missed recruiting targets for four straight years – By Molly Weisner (The Federal Times) / May 15, 2023

The U.S. Coast Guard, the military arm of the Department of Homeland Security tasked with guarding 100,000 miles of coastline, said it has fallen short of its recruiting targets in the last four years.

The armed maritime force that secures ports, aids in defense readiness and conducts critical search-and-rescue missions is about 4,800 members short across the service, according to its budget justification for fiscal 2024. The most critical skills gaps are for cyberspace professionals, interdiction forces and marine inspectors, according to findings by the Government Accountability Office.

“Competition with higher paying jobs in the private sector, limited opportunities for promotion, and long work hours have made it challenging to recruit and retain these personnel,” according to GAO.

The Coast Guard has about 46,000 enlistees and employs some civilians. Both groups are struggling to staff up. For one, the Coast Guard’s cyber workforce is smaller on the civilian side than its military side, and though it has authorized more cyber jobs, it hasn’t been able to fill them all. Other factors, such as limited promotability and low pay compared to the private sector, hinder the service’s ability to recruit for positions such as drug and immigration law enforcement and marine inspectors on docks and vessels.

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