By Mary Kerr (202) 225-6260
Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (
Md. ), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, presented a public service award from the Society on Social Implications of Technology to Michael DeKort. At the award presentation, he gave the following statement:
“As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I am honored to present the IEEE Carl Barus Award to Mr. Michael DeKort. IEEE’s core purpose is to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. The Carl Barus Award is presented by IEEE’s Society on Social Implications of Technology to recipients who ‘demonstrate high ethical standards in protecting or promoting the interests and safety of the public.’
When he saw faulty equipment being installed on the 123-foot patrol boats by Lockheed Martin, his employer, he took his concerns up the entire chain of the company’s ethics department, and he eventually took his concerns to the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and even to the Internet. His persistence helped get critical information on the 123s into the hands of our Committee and this information formed a central part of our 10-hour hearing on the Deepwater program.
Through his actions, Mr. DeKort embodied dedication to excellence. A former member of the United States Navy, he also exhibited a commitment to ensuring that the products paid for with U.S. taxpayer’s money and supplied to the U.S. Coast Guard could be relied upon by the 41,000 men and women of that service as they performed their critical missions in defense of our nation.
In addition to bringing to light information on faults within the 123s, I am certain that another result of Mr. DeKort’s action and of the Congressional oversight that it helped spur has been to improve the management of the Deepwater program, and to lead to the imposition of more rigorous standards for the equipment purchased under the program. For example, one of the issues raised by Mr. DeKort and considered at length in our Committee’s hearing concerned the Coast Guard’s TEMPEST program, which is responsible for ensuring that information technology equipment does not leak compromising emanations.
The Coast Guard and the ICGS team are now taking great pains to ensure that the new National Security Cutter – the most expensive asset to be procured under Deepwater – is rigorously tested before the government takes delivery of this asset. The Coast Guard has also announced that it will take the lead systems integration function back in house rather than leaving it with private sector contractors.
Like previous winners of the Barus award, Mr. DeKort’s commitment to excellence came at a cost to him personally, and yet it was a cost that he was willing to bear to do what he believed was right. Had everyone involved in the Deepwater program approached the program with the same commitment Mr. DeKort brought, we would not have had the failures in the program that we have experienced.
In closing, I also applaud IEEE for giving this award today, and for their work to recognize integrity in public service. It pains me deeply that our country has come now to tolerate mediocrity, for mediocrity threatens our greatness as a nation.
This is the – and we can do anything. However, when we fall short of our own standards, when we fail to live up to the expectations of our nation, and when we fail to require accountability of those who work in the government’s service, we put ourselves at unacceptable and needless risk.
The central lesson of Mr. DeKort’s example is that one person committed to excellence and to demanding that commitment of those around him can make a difference. I applaud the selection of Mr. DeKort to receive the IEEE Carl Barus Award and express my deepest thanks to him for his dedication and service to our nation.”
###
