LCDR Scott R. Calhoun

LCDR Scott R. Calhoun

Lieutenant Scott Calhoun graduated with Honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1995 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. After serving two years as an Engineering Officer aboard USCG DAUNTLESS (WMEC-624), he attended the University of Michigan. In 1999, he was awarded a Master’s Degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering upon completing a Thesis on Shipboard Operator Fatigue. LT Calhoun completed a follow-on tour at U. S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C. as the CG’s Crew Endurance Management Program Manager and assisted with the CG’s implementation of Risk-based Decision-making. While serving at Headquarters in the Human Factors and Ship Design Division of the Office of Engineering Standards, he co-authored the Human Factors chapter of the Ship Design and Construction book. After completing his Headquarters staff tour, LT Calhoun was transferred to MSO New Orleans where he became a qualified marine inspector and headed up the implementation of the Marine Transportation Security Act and the International Ship and Port Facility Code for U. S. commercial vessels. He is currently serving as the Chief of Maritime Security Planning and Preparedness.

U.S. Coast Guard Response During Hurricane Katrina

The U.S. Coast Guard played a leading role in the response and recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The storm created numerous operational risks and challenges that involved many of the Coast Guard's traditional missions, such as Search and Rescue, Maritime Safety and Security, and Law Enforcement. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina was so great that the U.S. Coast Guard assumed additional responsibilities that involved removing wrecks and debris from navigable waterways. Thousands of vessels and miles of debris clogged navigable waterways and threatened life, property, and commerce. Using Risk-based Decision Making, the U.S. Coast Guard prioritized their approach in dealing with these obstructions and successfully engineered a plan for their removal and disposal.