Coast Guard: Enhanced Data and Planning Could Help Address Service Member Retention Issues
Fast Facts
The Coast Guard's missions include ensuring maritime safety and security. It's hard to retain personnel because they face frequent relocations, their work environments are demanding, and pay and benefits may be better in the private sector. As a result, the Coast Guard has fewer personnel than it needs to meet its operational demands.
The Coast Guard identified some retention issues through surveys. But it needs more data and planning to better target its retention efforts on personnel with the skills and training needed to achieve its mission.
We made recommendations to address these and other issues.
Highlights
What GAO Found
Coast Guard data shows that the service lost more enlisted service members than it recruited from fiscal years 2019 through 2023. For example, in fiscal year 2023, the Coast Guard lost more than 3,800 enlisted service members and recruited 3,126. This trend changed in fiscal year 2024, when the Coast Guard recruited over 1,000 more enlisted service members than it lost. However, even with this gain, it remained approximately 2,600 enlisted service members short of its enlisted workforce target.
Coast Guard enlisted and officer service members identified retention issues that GAO grouped into four categories: (1) rotations and support services, (2) work environment and culture, (3) compensation and career advancement, and (4) incentives and benefits (see figure). These results were based on GAO discussions with service members and the Coast Guard's Career Intention Survey (2021-2023).
Retention Issues Cited in GAO Discussion Groups with Coast Guard Service Members and Coast Guard Career Intention Survey Responses (2021-2023)
The Coast Guard has taken steps to address retention challenges by offering monetary and nonmonetary incentives. As of 2022, it also began to require service members to complete its Career Intention Survey to help identify key issues affecting retention. However, despite this requirement, response rates remained consistently low—at 39 percent in 2023—and the Coast Guard has not taken steps to analyze and improve response rates. By implementing additional mechanisms to increase survey response rates and completing a nonresponse bias analysis, the Coast Guard could better assess retention issues and enhance its ability to develop relevant initiatives.
In 2024, the Coast Guard established its Talent Management Transformation Program Integration Office to enable, accelerate, and track human capital initiatives, including those focused on retention. However, this office has not developed a clear plan that aligns initiatives with strategic objectives and includes time frames and key milestones. With a clear plan, the office can more effectively support its initiatives and gauge program performance, which can help improve retention and enhance the Coast Guard's ability to carry out its missions.
Why GAO Did This Study
The Coast Guard is a multi-mission maritime military service within the Department of Homeland Security. In fiscal year 2024, it employed about 55,500 personnel across the service, about 30,600 of which were active duty enlisted service members. However, in recent years, the Coast Guard has reported operating below the workforce level it deems necessary to meet operational demands.
GAO was asked to review how the Coast Guard addresses service member retention issues. This report examines (1) trends in retention data for enlisted service members, (2) issues that may influence service member retention, and (3) how the Coast Guard addresses retention challenges.
GAO analyzed Coast Guard data on enlisted service member losses and reviewed documentation of Coast Guard efforts to address retention issues. This included its survey analyses, strategic plans, and implementation guidance on retention incentives and related initiatives. GAO also conducted discussion groups with service members in three Coast Guard districts about retention.
Recommendations
GAO is making three recommendations, including that the Coast Guard implement additional mechanisms to increase response rates and analyze the potential for nonresponse bias in its Career Intention Survey, and develop a clear plan to support its retention initiatives. The Department of Homeland Security concurred with these recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| United States Coast Guard | The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Office of Workforce Requirements, Systems, and Analytics implements additional mechanisms to increase response rates for its Career Intention Survey. (Recommendation 1) |
The Coast Guard concurred with this recommendation. In April 2025, the Coast Guard said it is working to improve response rates by embedding the survey within the existing Career Intentions Worksheet completed by members at key career milestones such as reenlistments, permanent change of station, advancements, and separations. According to the Coast Guard, survey deployment will continue through the 2025 transfer season, primarily May through August 2025. The Coast Guard plans to further evaluate this strategy and assess survey timing and delivery methods. Estimated completion of these efforts is November 28, 2025. We continue to monitor these efforts.
|
| United States Coast Guard | The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Office of Workforce Requirements, Systems, and Analytics analyzes the potential for nonresponse bias in its Career Intention Survey results. (Recommendation 2) |
The Coast Guard concurred with this recommendation. In April 2025, the Coast Guard said it recognizes the importance of analyzing potential nonresponse bias to ensure data reliability and plans to actively monitor employee engagement, satisfaction, and feedback results from the CIS on an ongoing basis, to include observing participation trends across assignment types, operational communities, paygrades, and career fields. For example, the Coast Guard plans to compare the results between 2025 and 2026 (approximately spanning from May-August each year, respectively) and future cycles as appropriate to assess trends and monitor for potential bias or shifts in member responses over time. Estimated completion of these efforts is December 31, 2026. We continue to monitor these efforts.
|
| United States Coast Guard | The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Talent Management Transformation Program Integration Office develops a clear plan, including how retention initiatives align with strategic objectives and time frames and milestones for implementation, to track progress and gauge program performance. (Recommendation 3) |
The Coast Guard concurred with this recommendation. In April 2025, the Coast Guard said that it previously worked with personnel readiness stakeholders to develop over 300 distinct tasks in support of 38 strategic initiatives. However, the Coast Guard noted that most of these initiatives are contingent on future resourcing and the Office was actively engaged in other emergent matters, including facilitating actions related to presidential directives. The Office planned to resume traditional integration efforts by June 30, 2025 and begin developing a plan to address how recruitment and retention initiatives align with strategic objectives, to include associated time frames, milestones, and tracking metrics. Estimated completion of these efforts is December 31, 2025. We continue to monitor these efforts.
|