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My Coast Guard
Commentary | Nov. 15, 2020

Happy anniversary DOL—supporting Coast Guard operations for 10 Years

By Lt. Lili Simon, DOL & Keisha Reynolds, MyCG Writer

Ten years ago today, the Director of Operational Logistics (DOL) was established to provide the delivery of mission support logistics for Coast Guard operations during steady-state, contingency response, and for planned events of national significance. 

In 2010, DOL started with just a flag officer, Rear Adm. Richard Gromlich, and DOL-3, the Office of Base Operations. By 2012, DOL had stood-up 13 Bases and one Base Detachment, DOL-4, and the DCMS Watch to support the growing enterprise.  

From 2014-2015, Base Cape Cod, Base Charleston, and DOL-1, the Office of Personnel and Reserve Management, were established. In 2019, Base San Juan and Base Detachment Borinquen were established, helping to create a more direct line to mission support for units and personnel in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. And most recently, DOL-8, DOL-9, the offices of Resource Management, and Procurement and Contracting, as well as, Base Galveston were established in 2020.

The importance of these bases, detachments, and the DOL offices cannot be understated. As a result of their efforts, they have helped to free the operational commanders of excessive mission support duties, so they can fully focus on safe, efficient, and effective operations. Through their support of 76 business lines, our bases and DOL, as a whole, integrate and enhance mission support services and resources available Coast Guard wide.

For the last decade, DOL has been at the forefront of contingency operations, providing mission-critical surge staffing through our reserve work force and supplying essential personal protective equipment to those on the front lines. From the inception of DOL to the present, they have provided mission support services for 26 hurricanes, the 2013 Ebola outbreak, Southwest Border operations, wildfires, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic, among others. DOL has been actively engaged in contingency operations for the last 278 days. 

"Establishing the DOL allowed the Coast Guard to standardize service delivery in support of our operational partners," said Rear Adm. Mel Bouboulis, Director of Operational Logistics. "Today is an opportunity to acknowledge the good work being done by Coast Guard women and men, throughout the field and our enterprise, who provide assets and services at the 'speed of need ' to continuously meet emerging demands. I am proud to work shoulder-to-shoulder with those so critical to our organization and our nation."