WASHINGTON, DC (NS/AFPS) – As it has for more than 200 years, the U. S. Coast Guard is carrying on its wartime service in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Coast Guardsmen served in the War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Mayaguez Incident in Cambodia in 1975, Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada, Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation Desert Shield/Storm, and Kosovo. "During the last two centuries, (Coast Guard) cutters have been used extensively in 'brown water' combat," U. S. Coast Guard Capt. Daniel McClellan, the commander of patrol forces in Southwest Asia, said. "A cutter made the first capture of the War of 1812," he said from his office in Southwest Asia. Brown water areas of operation include coastal areas and up to perhaps 100 miles out from the coast. In general, the Coast Guard conducts maritime security operations when deployed overseas, McClellan said. "On any given day, (the Coast Guard) routinely conducts maritime operations overseas -- from the Bering Sea to the Caribbean, Eastern Pacific to the North Atlantic and points in between -- in support of a variety of statutory requirements, for example, enforcement of laws and treaties . .. .. marine environmental protection, maritime safety and security, and polar icebreaking. " In 1915 the modern-day Coast Guard came into existence with the merger of the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service and the U. S. Lifesaving Service. The perception of a coastal mission, McClellan said, is often linked to the service's search-and-rescue operations that date back to the Lifesaving Service. But the Coast Guard has long conducted operations beyond the shoreline. Dating to its inception in 1790 and throughout its history, the Coast Guard's law enforcement responsibilities beyond the shoreline have primarily been threefold, McClellan said. First, it ensures that tariffs are not avoided. Second, it protects shipping from pirates and other unlawful interdiction. Third, it intercepts material and human contraband. During wartime, the mission expands. "The Coast Guard has traditionally performed two roles in wartime," McClellan said. "The first has been to augment the Navy with men and cutters. The second has been to undertake special missions, for which peacetime experiences have prepared the service with unique skills," he said. For example, Coast Guardsmen have maritime law enforcement, small boat, small craft handling, port security, and marine environmental protection expertise, McClellan said. In the Middle East, Coast Guard personnel are applying this peacetime expertise to their wartime missions. At the height of combat operations after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, 1,250 Coast Guard personnel were deployed overseas, including about 500 reservists, Coast Guard officials said. This included two large cutters, a buoy tender, eight patrol boats, four port security units, law enforcement detachments, and support staff to the U. S. Central and European commands. Immediately following the Sept. 11 attacks, more than 2,600 Coast Guard reservists were mobilized to provide support in the largest homeland defense mobilization since WWII, Coast Guard officials said. Coast Guardsmen provided manpower to clean-up operations in New York City and heightened port security in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and Boston. The Coast Guard is transforming like the military services in the Defense Department in some ways. It is now a part of the Department of Homeland Security, after moving from the Transportation Department in a post-Sept. 11 reorganization. And while homeland defense is not a new mission for the service, Coast Guard officials said, the usefulness of the Coast Guard has certainly been noticed since Sept. 11. Crewmembers from Coast Guard Cutter Adak captured the first maritime prisoners of war in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Coast Guard officials said. Coast Guard patrol boats and law enforcement detachments helped intercept and seize Iraqi mine-laying vessels, ensuring waterways weren't threatened and relief ships could safely deliver their cargo to the port of Umm Qasr. In addition, the Coast Guard provided security in logistics ports in Kuwait and Iraq and at Iraqi oil terminals in the northern Arabian Gulf. During a security mission in the Persian Gulf Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan B. Bruckenthal was assigned to Tactical Law Enforcement Team South Detachment 403 and was serving aboard the USS Firebolt when he was killed in action April 24, 2004. Bruckenthal died as a result of a waterborne attack by suicide bombers on an Iraqi oil platform. He is the first Coast Guardsman to die in battle since the Vietnam War. However, the attack that cost Bruckenthal his life was thwarted, McClellan said, and there have been no further attempts to date. The Coast Guard continues to work with Iraqi and coalition forces to protect the oil platforms in the northern Arabian Gulf, where the Coast Guard provides six of 10 patrol craft, McClellan said. Approximately 220 Coast Guard personnel are currently deployed for one year to Southwest Asia, McClellan said. All personnel are volunteers, he added. The Coast Guard has six 110-foot patrol boats deployed to the region with a shoreside maintenance and support facility in Bahrain, a forward operating base in Kuwait, and two eight-person tactical law enforcement detachments. "Currently, in addition to performing maritime security operations . .. .. because of our 'visit, board, search, seize' expertise, Coast Guard forces are training the Iraqi marines in maritime law enforcement . .. .. skills," McClellan said. Despite its deployment of personnel to support the war on terror, the Coast Guard was integral in rescue operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The service deployed 62 aircraft, 30 cutters and 111 small boats to assist in rescue and recovery operations along the U. S. Gulf Coast, officials said. Approximately one-third of the Coast Guard's entire air fleet was deployed to the region to support rescue operations in the aftermath of the storm, and more than 5,290 Coast Guardsmen conducted search-and-rescue operations, waterway reconstitution and environmental assessment operations. As part of Operation Noble Eagle, the Coast Guard protects more than 361 ports and 95,000 miles of coastline, Coast Guard officials said. The Coast Guard maintains the operations of U. S. ports and waterways by providing a secure environment for mariners, officials said. It achieves its missions with 39,000 active duty Coast Guard personnel, 8,100 Coast Guard Reservists, and 7,000 civilian Coast Guard personnel, according to Coast Guard personnel reports from 2005. Today, Coast Guard officials said, the service's homeland security role includes: Protecting ports, the flow of commerce, and the marine transportation system from terrorism; Maintaining maritime border security against illegal drugs, illegal aliens, firearms, and weapons of mass destruction; Ensuring rapid deployment and resupply to military assets, both by keeping Coast Guard units at a high state of readiness and by keeping marine transportation open for the transit of assets and personnel from other branches of the armed forces; Protecting against illegal fishing and indiscriminate destruction of living marine resources, prevention and response to oil and hazardous material spills -- both accidental and intentional; and Coordinating efforts and intelligence with federal, state, and local agencies.

Related Site:
U. S. Coast Guard

Ham Radio & Emergencies

By

Geoff Haines, N1GY

            In my last column, I tried to give you, the reader, a very brief overview of what ham radio is about. This time, I would like to expand a bit on some of those points. Since hurricane season is almost upon us, it probably is a good idea to explain just what amateur radio does during hurricane season...

            Within the larger scope of amateur radio there is an organization called Amateur Radio Emergency Services or ARES for short. ARES groups exist in most counties in Florida and indeed across the country. These are volunteer ham operators who train to provide communications when the normal means of contact like phones and the internet are down. This even applies to governmental communications such as public safety, although that function sometimes falls under another similar organization called RACES. Many hams belong to both and indeed in Manatee County the functions are combined within one group...

            These trained operators provide backup communications for the county EOC (Emergency Operations Center), the Red Cross, shelters where citizens would be protected and fed during the disaster. After the storm is over, these same amateur operators would assist the recovery effort with communications for search teams, damage assessment teams, county workers, even police and fire apparatus until the normal county radio systems are repaired and working...

            ARES also provides a way for residents to notify their loved ones elsewhere as to their situation, health and welfare until the normal phone services are restored...

            They do all this by providing their own two-way radios, their own emergency antennas and their own emergency power. Using the radio frequencies that under normal conditions they use to chat with one another during the daily commute, they create local, regional, and national networks of amateur radio operators to pass radio traffic for whatever is necessary to solve the problem. Whether it be letting the EOC know that blankets and cots are needed at a certain shelter, or calling for EMT's to come to the aid of a victim, they do what is needed. If more help is needed in a certain area and normal methods don't work, the ham operators will get the message through...

            Amateur Radio Operators do all this without pay because they know that when they need help, other hams will come to their aid as well. They do it because that is one of the core purposes of the Amateur Radio Service. To provide a trained core of communicators to assist the country in time of need...

            When Hurricane Charley hit Florida a few years ago, we had amateur operators coming from as far away as California to assist. Many local hams lost their antennas because of the hurricane, but as soon as they were able to rig up temporary antennas they were back on the air passing vital messages for the emergency responders. In one well remembered situation, two ham operators were able to get a public safety emergency radio system up and running when the state technician was unable to get into the area. Such are the benefits of having a strong amateur radio presence in any community...

            Next time, I'll tell you how amateur radio assists the National Weather Service with a program called SKYWARN. Even non-hams can help in that program. Until then...

73,

Geoff Haines

N1GY

President Bush: America Will Not Back Down in War on Terror...

WASHINGTON, DC – America faces a dangerous enemy in the radical terrorists who are fighting democracy in the Middle East, and the only strategy to win is to remain on the offensive and to accept nothing less than total victory, President Bush said today at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Speaking to a crowd of servicemembers and families from military installations in Alaska, Bush said that the terrorists had the wrong idea that the U. S. would run after being attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. "The terrorists are mistaken," he said. "America will never run; we will stand, we will fight and we will win the war on terror. " The terrorists are driven by a violent political vision to establish a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedoms, Bush said. For a time in Afghanistan, the terrorists succeeded in establishing a launching pad for their attacks and their violent agenda, he said. After the U. S. routed them out, they set their sights on Iraq. "The terrorists regard Iraq as the central front in their war against humanity, and we must recognize Iraq as the central front in the war on terror," he said. The war on terror is a vital mission for the armed forces, one that must be won to secure the freedom and safety of the Middle East and the rest of the world, Bush said. "We didn't ask for this global struggle, but we're answering history's call with confidence and with a comprehensive strategy to win this war," he said. America is committed to prevent terrorist attacks, to deny weapons of mass destruction to outlaw regimes, to deny radical groups that support and provide sanctuary to outlaw regimes, to prevent the terrorists from gaining control of any country to use as a staging area for attacks, and to deny the terrorists future recruits, Bush said. The coalition has stayed on the offensive against terror, killing or capturing terrorist operatives and leaders in countries around the world, Bush said. U. S. and coalition forces will keep pressure on terrorist networks until the networks are broken and the leaders are held accountable for their murders, he said. The best way to prevent terrorists from gaining new recruits is to replace hatred and resentment with democracy and freedom, Bush said, because the value of free societies has been proven by history. "If the peoples of that region are permitted to choose their own destiny and advance by their own energy and participation as free men and free women, then the extremists will be marginalized and the flow of radical extremism to the rest of the world will slow and eventually end," he said. The work ahead in the war on terror involves great risk, Bush said, adding that some of America's best men and women have already been lost. However, the best way to honor their sacrifices is to complete the mission and protect the freedom of Americans now and in the future, he said. "By advancing the hope of freedom and democracy for others, we make our own freedom more secure," he said.

Related Site:
Full transcript of President Bush's remarks

Minuteman Alert - Minuteman Watch Border 24x7...

"This country has lost control of its borders. And no country can sustain that kind of position." - President Ronald Reagan 

Record numbers of Minutemen from all over the country have reported on the southern U.S. border with Mexico and the northern U.S. border with Canada to once again gather to Secure Our Border and do the job our Government won't do and Watch the Border 24x7 for 31 days!  

CLICK HERE we need your financial help NOW! 

WILL YOU HELP? With larger numbers of volunteers Our Lines Have Expanded and We need to have night vision scopes to observe and report the increased nightly crossings that include illegal aliens and drug shipments. Each night scope costs $11,000 and our expanded lines have created a sudden need for additional equipment. If you can make a scope available we need your help or you can donate to cover the costs. We need at least 4 scopes to cover the southern border at night.  

CLICK HERE we need your financial help NOW!

Minuteman volunteers have already mobilized and RIGHT NOW they are standing in the breach along our borders -- a breach that has now opened wider, due to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Our nation needs our help now more than ever, and we are prepared to serve honorably during a time of crisis.

On watch since Hurricane Katrina hit in September we have been running operations all along the Southern Border and in Washington State and The Secure Our Borders operation overhead has now doubled. Without your financial help our borders will open wider. It has already been reported that illegal alien border crossing activity has increased. 

CLICK HERE we need your financial help NOW!

Minuteman volunteers and supporters have been sending aid and donating to worthy relief agencies to help the hurricane victims, and now they are leaving their homes during October to Secure Our Borders.

We have done all we can to plan for such a time as this -- but nevertheless, we MUST take action now. We can't leave our borders unprotected. We are on duty 24x7 and we need your help with the costs to run a national operation, and provide base camps, operations support and yes even porta-poties to keep the environment clean.

CLICK HERE we need your financial help NOW!

We need your support for the entire month of October. Minuteman Civil Defense Corps has built a national organization with volunteers from 48 states and chapters in 26 states. Minutemen around the country have scheduled rallies to show their support for the volunteers.

Chris Simcox, President of The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps (MCDC), spoke at the Capital Hill Club in Washington, D.C. at the Kick-Off Rally for the "Secure Our Borders" operation beginning October 1, 2005. He was proud to announce the commencement of the expanded border watch operation. A large group of key Immigration Reform supporters in Washington, DC including 12 Congressmen from the House Immigration Reform Caucus participated in the Rally at the Capital Hill Club. This is good news and we are starting to be heard but we need action now.

Minutemen are headed for the Border. Can you help us in our efforts to "Secure Our Borders"? We need you NOW. Thank you...

It is not too late to volunteer! If you can get to the border, Click here to Volunteer.

Sincerely,

Chris Simcox, President
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps

www.MinutemanHQ.com 

CLICK HERE we need your financial help NOW!

 If you prefer to donate by check, please mail to:
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
Dept. Code NM49
PO Box 130707
Houston, TX  77219-0707

Briefing: Trucking Security On The Home Front...

This industry advisory is being issued by the Trucking Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Truck ISAC), operated by American Trucking Associations.

On the domestic front, while there is no specific current threat information involving trucking interests and the national alert level remains at condition Yellow (Elevated), recent frequent and aggressive suicide bombing activities and widely publicized concerns over potential attacks against the homeland should serve as a emphasis for trucking interests to maintain a state of active vigilance.

The frequency of attacks bearing Al-Qaeda operational characteristics have been widely covered in media, and so do not bear repeating in this briefing.

The current period through the end of November has been international terrorism's most active, historically. Therefore, trucking interests are urged to keep alert. This week's reports from Highway Watch® program drivers indicate continuing suspicious activity of a nature that could either be criminal or terrorist in intent.

Pay particular attention to the following characteristic types of suspicious activities:

• Persons apparently following trucks on the highway for extended periods of time, especially those transporting volatile or highly hazardous cargo;
  
  
• Persons photographing trucks and facilities from cars or public access areas;
  
  
• Persons asking questions about routes, origins, destinations, cargo, vehicle capacities and the like.
  
  
• Trucking operations involving the movement of air cargo and hazardous materials are asked to pay particular attention to suspicious activities in and around airports, production, processing and distribution facilities.
  
  
• Reports should be made immediately to federal authorities.
  

Other Relevant Events and Information

• Because of a recent threat directed against the U.S. Department of Transportation claiming to be from someone in the trucking industry, the Trucking Information Sharing and Analysis Center requests the industry be alert for either a potential disgruntled trucking company, trucking company employee or person purporting to be from the trucking industry who may be or has in the recent past made threatening statements or displaying suspicious or aggressive actions regarding the U.S. Department of Transportation, specifically the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
  
  
• In light of recent major cyber attacks involving worms and viruses, trucking interests are well advised to keep all operating systems up to date with the latest patches and service packs. See the Cyber Alert section for details.
  
  
• See today's Daily Report from the National Infrastructure Protection Center.
  

Highway Watch: Highway Watch® (OHW) program drivers continue to report usual and suspicious activities via the Call Center and ISAC. The trucking industry is encouraged to continue advising the Truck ISAC of observations to help assure the information is routed to the proper agencies. All reports are relayed to the Department of Homeland Securities Directorate of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection.

The Highway Watch program has drivers making safety and security related reports many times each day in the 27 participating states. Security related reports are patched through local law enforcement agencies by the Call Center, with intelligence reports given to the various anti-terrorism watch centers by the Truck ISAC.

ATA continues to fund the program while we work with the Transportation Security Administration for the release of funds appropriated by Congress for the nationwide broad-scale expansion of Highway Watch. Continuing funding for Highway Watch is provided in the fiscal year 2004 Homeland Security appropriation.

Threat Condition: The current national threat condition is now Yellow (Elevated). Under condition Yellow, trucking companies should continue to refine their security plans, train their employees, report security anomalies and closely monitor information sources for changes in the threat environment that may have an impact upon their specific operations.

The Truck ISAC is engaged in continuing dialogue with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies on a variety of issues regarding the effects the war effort may have on domestic truck transportation. Companies are encouraged to report significant problems that may be encountered in the field so this information can be organized and communicated to DHS.

Submit reports to the Truck ISAC Watch Officer.  *Operation Highway Watch* is directly connected to the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration. This program is currently being administered by the American Trucking Association throughout America and all of their State agencies...

Learn what to look for on America's Highways. Keeping your eyes and ears open can help keep America safe! For more information in Florida, contact: