Hampton Roads braces for effects of Coast Guard’s temporary deactivation of units amid staffing shortages
By CAITLYN BURCHETT | caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com | Staff writer
PUBLISHED: January 11, 2024 at 8:47 a.m. | UPDATED: January 11, 2024 at 5:22 p.m.
Coast Guard units will be temporarily deactivated in a consolidation this year as the service grapples with one of the largest workforce shortages in its history.
What this means for Hampton Roads — home to the Coast Guard City of Portsmouth and a hub for the service’s Atlantic operations — is unknown, an official said.
“While there is new stress with change, the Coast Guard cannot maintain the same level of operations with a workforce shortfall of this magnitude,” said Lt. Luke Pinneo, public affairs officer for Portsmouth-based District 5. “We cannot do the same with less people.”
The deactivation is part of a servicewide “force alignment initiative” that will begin taking effect this summer. Across the Coast Guard, units with redundant capabilities nearby will be consolidated for the foreseeable future. Members assigned to the affected units will be “strategically relocated” in the coming months.
https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/01/11/hampton-roads-braces-for-effects-of-coast-guards-temporary-deactivation-of-units-amid-staffing-shortages/
