Coast Guard strategy for Homeland Security - Homeland Security

Since the tragic events of 11 September 2001, the Coast Guard has increased its emphasis on its port security mission, under the broad legal and regulatory authorities of our captains of the port (COTP). In the popular press, this activity is typically described as being carried out by "Coast Guard Sea Marshals." This is because the first visible response to the terrorist attacks was to place small teams of armed Coast Guard personnel aboard vessels entering or departing ports to secure access to the bridge of the vessel, protecting it from terrorists or hijackers, especially in the Pacific area. Since then, a more complete set of capabilities has been developed. Operation Sea Marshal now refers to one of several compatible law enforcement capabilities and is not simply a job title.

The National Strategy for Homeland Security aligns and focuses homeland security functions into six critical mission areas: intelligence and warning, border and transportation security, domestic counter-terrorism, protecting critical infrastructure, defending against catastrophic terrorism, and emergency preparedness and response. The Coast Guard has responsibilities in all of these areas.

The Coast Guard's maritime homeland security (MILLS) mission is to prevent a terrorist event from occurring in or via the maritime domain of the United States. To achieve this mission, the Coast Guard will:

* Achieve and maintain maritime domain awareness;

* Detect, deter and defend against any attack;

* Monitor and control the movement of high-interest vessels;

* Defend maritime borders, ports, waterways and coastal approaches;

* Safeguard the U.S. maritime transportation system and protect critical infrastructure;

* Reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism. MHLS starts with Risk-Based Resource Management. A risk analysis conducted shortly after 11 September 2001 concluded that the 55 largest ports in America handle more than 90 percent of all traffic and cargo. Of these, the top 18 are considered to be militarily or economically strategic "tier one" ports. To fight the war against terrorism, the Coast Guard will initially concentrate its efforts on these ports and other heavily trafficked or critical sea lanes and waterways while expending a reasonable effort to survey all other maritime areas. To accomplish these duties without significant negative impact on traditional missions such as fisheries enforcement and migrant and drug interdiction, we are adding a number of assets and personnel to Team Coast Guard:

Small Boat Allowances: These resources, and the necessary support personnel, are being added to "plus-up" selected Marine Safety Offices (MSO) and groups with additional patrol and escort capability. This will provide an enhanced capability to conduct shoreside and waterside harbor patrols, to enforce security zones established by the COTP, to conduct security hoardings and escorts of high interest vessels and to provide increased presence within and surveillance of U.S. ports and waterways.

Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSSTs): The Coast Guard is also in the process of deploying these mobile, multimission law enforcement/force protection assets, primarily focused toward improving port security and harbor defense capabilities in our nation's strategic seaports. MSSTs are equipped with armed fast boats, specialized detection systems and personnel trained in the tactics and techniques for enforcing Department of Defense Restricted Areas, Naval Vessel Protective Zones, security zones established by the COTP to protect naval vessels, Military Sealift Command, Ready Reserve Force, or commercial vessels carrying critical military cargoes, other high-value assets (e.g., cruise ships and LNG tankships), and other critical port infrastructure. MSSTs will enhance the Coast Guard's MARSEC 1 security posture and will be able to deploy nationwide. MSSTs will be staffed with qualified Coast Guard boarding officers and boarding team members possessing specialized skills for performing antiterrorism/force protection missions.

Operation Sea Marshal: We are adding law enforcement personnel in military or economically strategic ports for vessel security team (i.e., Sea Marshaling) duty. These teams are designed to provide positive control of high-interest vessels (HIV) by protecting them from internal threats (terrorist hijacking) to ensure that the vessel remains under the control of the master and the direction of the pilot, and to provide valuable on-scene situational awareness. High-interest vessels are defined as:

* All vessels carrying flammable or toxic liquefied gases, explosives, ammonium nitrate or oxidizing agents;

* All vessels arriving in the United States for the first time;

* Any vessel that has a positive hit as a result of the Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center check of the crew and passenger list.

A security boarding of an HIV is a risk management tactic that provides the operational commander with valuable information to optimize the evaluation and mitigation of risks. Because the Coast Guard will employ its organic law enforcement authority to board, search and inspect as necessary, and specific COTP authorities to control the movement of vessels in the U.S. territorial sea, vessel security teams will be led by a qualified boarding officer as defined in the Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Manual.

To safely operate in a fluid threat environment, vessel security teams (boarding officers) will perform initial safety inspections, ensure space accountability (when appropriate), and be able to locate stowaways, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and other contraband. To accomplish these tasks, teams must possess some limited marine safety expertise. Because law enforcement personnel may encounter terrorist activity, the program must include the necessary interagency relationships to ensure the prompt and appropriate response of federal, state or local law enforcement.

We are also capitalizing on enhanced counterterrorism intelligence and vessel movement information to assess and respond to MHLS risks. This will be done by assigning additional personnel to intelligence teams under the COTPs in tier one ports; improving secure communications capabilities at tier-one groups, MSOs, and stations; and adding personnel for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) operations center watches.

Finally, a universal Automatic Identification System (AIS) will be installed. AIS can provide information such as identification, position, heading, ship length, beam type, draft and hazardous cargo information from any MS-equipped vessel. This information will be captured and displayed at the groups and MSOs.

The combination of improved information, enhanced intelligence, secure communications, and additional vessels and personnel dedicated to MHLS in the most critical militarily or economically strategic ports will facilitate the groups' and stations' ability to support the COTP/MSO in successfully carrying out their port security mandate and achieve the objectives of the Coast Guard's maritime homeland security mission. Reprinted with permission from Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety Council, April-June 2003. Commander Carter is the chief Coast Guard Migrant interdiction Division.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Reserve Officers Association of the United States
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