UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
SOCIAL MEDIA
Coast Guard: All Threats, All Hazards,
All Communication Environments
Rear Admiral Mary Landry
Commander Ron LaBrec
Feb. 17, 2009
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Main web page is Web 1.5.
Awaiting new platform with
social media functionality, have
incorporated some Web 2.0 like
features:
406 countdown widget.
More visuals, links to CG /
third party content
CG Journal: A first person,
informal venue
Announcements: More
transparency by putting
internal Coast Guard info
online
Why Social Media?
Our brand and our people were out there, but
we as an organization were not
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Received support of
Getting Started Leadership
IDed limited Coast
Guard blogosphere
Initial monitoring and
response
Listening shaped
strategy & focused on
what we needed first:
- voice in the
environment,
- regular interaction
to learn from it, and
-an expanded
blogosphere
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Breaking Through
iCommandant as
Introduction / learning tool
Cultivated supportive
bloggers
Issued guidance
decentralizing official blog
participation & responses
Issued guidance on
personal blog activity
addressing Coast Guard
issues
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Blogs are part of a system to inform and engage the public, our
employees and stakeholders.
Thousands of CG
pictures taken by
members of the public
with little context or
education
Our photostream:
Educates via imagery
and accompanying
text
Links to main web
site
Shares viewers
Mobile features
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Ability to Inform the public during emergencies
Hurricane Ike/Gustav
•1st Images of
Galveston
•Top 100 channel
that after storms
US Airways ditching
•750K viewers in
days
•No. 2 video
•YouTube channel
visits remain
double
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

COAST GUARD BLOG LINKS
www.uscg.mil
Coast Guard Home Page
http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/
iCommandant
http://coastguardallhands.blogspot.com/
All Hands
http://uscgd9.blogspot.com/
Coast Guard District 9
http://iforcecom.blogspot.com/
iForcecom
www.uscgbootcamp.com
Training Center Cape May
http://uscgd13.blogspot.com/
Pacific Northwest
http://uscgppc.blogspot.com/
Coast Guard Pay / Personnel Center (internal focus)
Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System
http://amveruscg.blogspot.com/
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Moving Forward
Established Senior
Management Guidance
Group and Working
Group
Preparing policy on
establishment and
maintenance of Coast
Guard blogs / wikis
Converting to new
more robust monitoring
and response system
Tweeted search
updates during US
Airways ditching and Ice
Floe Rescues
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Agency within the Department of Homeland Security
One of Nation’s sea services Performs 11 statutory missions Port Safety
Vessel and facility
permitting, inspection,
accident investigation,
mariner licensing
Search and Rescue,
Boating Safety Education
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Maritime Border Protection
Undocumented immigrant
interdiction
Illegal drug interdiction
Homeland security, counter-
terrorism
United States Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Oil / chemical spill prevention / response
Fisheries enforcement / marine mammal
protection
United States Coast Guard
Domestic and polar icebreaking for
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
commerce and scientific research

47K full time military and civilian
employees, 8K military reserves, 28K
volunteers
Thousands of boats and hundreds of
aircraft and major ships.
Operating in the heartland, in the ports,
United States Coast Guard along the coast, on the high seas and
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
overseas.

Federal Government’s only first responder for
all threats and all hazards
United States Coast Guard
900 locations throughout the country
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Engaged around the World
Served in everyCoast Guard since
United States major conflict
the Revolutionary WarSecurity
U.S. Department of Homeland