The Coast Guard Electronic Charts Team receives the Award for Excellence from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen at the DHS annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., Nov. 7, 2018. (From the left) Secretary Nielsen, Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Walter, Mike Sollosi, Courtney Mallon, Stephen Jones, Douglas Scheffler and Acting Deputy Department of Homeland Security Secretary Claire M. Grady display the DHS Award for Excellence. Department of Homeland Security photo by Tim Godbee.

Honor, Respect, Devotion to Duty: Electronic Charts Team

Congratulations to the U.S. Coast Guard’s Electronic Charts Team for your accomplishments and earning the DHS Award for Excellence! The team is part of the service’s efforts to make American waterways safer, more efficient and more resilient by helping the Coast Guard make a decision that allows mariners to meet legal obligations without paper charts. This decision is estimated to save the maritime industry more than 450,000 hours and $30.5 million a year over 10 years.


Lt. j.g. Ryan Thomas, a marine Inspector at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, walks below the Kaimana Hila, an 850-foot container ship being constructed in Philadelphia Shipyards, Oct. 4, 2018. The Kaimana Hila and the Daniel K. Inouye are the two largest container ship ever built in the United States. During ship construction the Coast Guard works with the ship builder, shipping company and registrar in a unified effort to make the ship as safe as possible for operation. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Seth Johnson.

How the Coast Guard supports maritime commerce and the ship-building industry

The U.S. Coast Guard works with the ship-building industry to evaluate safety and security of ships as well as ensure safety of life at sea for workers and those of the port and waterways of the U.S. With the increasing demand on maritime trade, the Coast Guard has published the Maritime Commerce Strategic Outlook that establishes three lines of effort. Check out the blog to learn more.