Coast Guard Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan

1. The Coast Guard is losing our female workforce at a disproportionally higher date than our male counterparts. The gender specific attrition rates are affecting diversity and opposing the goals outlined in the Coast Guard Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan. We must establish a mentoring program specifically tailored to the professional development of women.
2. Reference (b) contains data that shows the pivotal turning point in attrition is between 5 and 12 years of service; women are leaving our service at a 15% to 20% higher rate than men are at that period of their careers. Surveys indicate that the top three reasons women separate are to care for family, peruse other education or skills, and for promotion/advancement opportunities.

The framework for a women’s mentoring program should be promulgated early; in boot camp, at the Academy, or any other appropriate accession point, and designed to enable the newest of service women to outline their career goals, personal ambitions, and expectations of a mentor/mentee relationship. It’s imperative that the program parallels current trends in communication and is as easily accessible and comfortable to use as common social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The program must position publicity and advertisement as a top priority; ensuring the accessibility and promoting the worth of the program will all but guarantee participation by women at all levels of service experience and seniority, further ensuring the greatest pool of mentors and mentees. Furthermore, the use of performance standards and proven training techniques to govern participation is sure to continue alliance with the Commandant’s vision to develop and retain a workforce that “reflects the richness of American society.” An argument can be made that budgeting and time constraints do not allow for such a program to be considered. The following data proves that the Coast Guard can’t afford not to begin putting a plan in action to support a women’s mentoring initiative: Over a 10 year period it costs the Coast Guard approximately $1.5 million to pay, train, move, and equip a typical O3/LT, and $450 thousand over a 6 year period to do the same for an E5/YN2. From a time perspective, 36 weeks are invested to train a typical response officer and 20 weeks for the YN2. If these two females leave the service, as many do, the Coast Guard will have to pay again to replace them. These costs vary for each individual service member, and an argument can be made that male members cost just as much to replace. But the fact remains, women are leaving at higher rates. For example, in FY15, the Coast Guard lost a total of 142 officers, 41 females and 101 males (8.1%