Thank you, Chair.
When the men and women of the coast guard look at this report and read the transcripts of this committee meeting, I think they'll be quite disappointed. So I thought I'd just take a quick moment off the top and express what I think are the views of most committee members, who are all tremendously appreciative of those men and women on the front lines of the coast guard. They do very difficult work, and they try their best, at times in very hostile or difficult environments.
What we don't expect is that the internal structures would create a difficult, hostile environment in which they're expected to do their work.
The coast guard is facing three major challenges: rust-out of its ships; inability to provide timely and accurate information on fish stocks, and that has huge repercussions; and a new challenge, a very serious challenge. Our biggest coast is in the Arctic, and with the melting ice cap, there is going to be a huge coast and a large territory to patrol. From my reading of this report, it's difficult to envision how your agency will be able to meet those particular challenges.
Perhaps what was most interesting in your opening address was that you noted that a cultural change within the agency was necessary. That's perhaps getting at the real substance of things. And you anticipate that it will take you three to four years for this cultural change. Do you have an action plan on this particular aspect of the challenges you face? And if you do, could you please table it with this committee?