COMDTINST 5711.2
09 OCT 1990
2.
d.
Each agency of the Federal Government shall establish guidelines to carry out the national
metric-transition policy and, as part of the agency's annual budget submission, report to
the Congress on the actions taken and planned to fully implement the metric system of
measurement.
3.
DEFINITIONS.
a.
Metrication. Any act that increases the use of the metric system, including metric training
and initiation or conversion of measurement-sensitive process and systems to the metric
system.
b.
Metric System. The International System of Units, commonly abbreviated as SI (from the
French "Le Systeme International d'Unites), as established by the General Conference on
Weights and Measures in 1960 and as interpreted or modified for the United States by the
Secretary of Commerce. Metric units used within the Coast Guard shall be those
prescribed in references (a) and (b). In event of conflicting guidance, reference (b) shall
govern. In this instruction, the terms metric, metric system, metric units, and SI are used
interchangeably unless otherwise stated.
4.
PROCEDURES.
a.
The Coast Guard will support the Department of Transportation Metric Coordinating
Committee and the Naval Materiel Metrication Group as appropriate and will follow their