Recently, over on information dissemination the Armchair Admiral asked the Command Group of Expeditionary Strike Group 5 about the participation of the Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell in their upcoming deployment. We will certainly do our best to accommodate the Admiral's thirst for information and outstanding commentary on naval operations in the future. In the meantime, I will provide an overview of the purpose and value of our Out of Hemisphere (OOH) deployment program.
For those less familiar with our histroy, "The Coast Guard, as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times." (Title 14, Part I, Chapter 1 of the U.S. Code) The Coast Guard (including its predecessor service, The Revenue Marine) is one of the oldest forces of the U.S. government and, until the Navy Department was established in 1798, it served as the nation's only armed force afloat. The Coast Guard flag displays more than 30 battle streamers shared by our military partners. Coast Guard (and its predecessors) personnel served at home and abroad alongside our sister services in: The Quasi War with France, The War of 1812, The Mexican War, The Seminole Indian Wars, The U.S. Civil War, The Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, The Korean War, The War in Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, NATO Operations in Kosovo, UN operations in Haiti, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. A thorough description of these military actions can be found here.
Currently, as just one of the ways we support U.S. strategic objectives overseas, we attempt to provide 370 cutter days per year to DoD Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) in support of naval operations, exercises, and Theater Security Cooperation (TSC). This allotment does not include deployments in the western hemisphere.
Our support to COCOMs is part of our contribution to the cooperative maritime strategy which integrates seapower with the combined elements of national power: diplomacy, information, economy and military. The cutters work for the respective COCOM to whom they are chopped. In many cases, they are attached to a naval group, such as ESG 5, but they also have the ability to operate independently. One of the strengths the Coast Guard presence brings is the ability to engage on a broad basis with the regional nations. Fact of the matter is, once you get below about the 20 largest nations, most countries of the world don't need a Navy, they need a Coast Guard. Their coast guard-like services often don't fall under their Defense department or ministry, but instead are under transportation, justice, fisheries, etc. Additionally, like our U.S. Coast Guard, they are simultaneously expected to provide both law enforcement and defense roles. These commonalities make U.S. Coast Guard contributions to TSC and the employment of soft-power to enhance regional and global security particularly effective.
International engagement is just one skill deployed cutters bring. They are also highly capable and competent operational units able to apply direct benefit to specific DOD missions. For example, in 2003, the Coast Guard Cutter's Boutwell and Walnut were very active in Maritime Interdiction Operations in the lead-up to Operation Iraqi Freedom, then were vital to the security of Iraq's offshore oil terminals and the quick restoration of operations and delivery of humanitarian aid to the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq, when combat began. In 2005, the Cutter Munro had a highly productive OOH deployment, contributing to Tsunami relief operations in SE Asia and apprehending pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The Cutter Morgenthau deployed as part of ESG 5 to Southeast Asia and supported the regional Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise alongside the Navy and six other nations. Most recently, the Cutter Dallas completed an historic deployment that included conducting first-of-a-kind bi-lateral law enforcement operations with Cape Verde, then by delivering critical humanitarian aid to Georgia.
Our cutters routinely do an exceptional job on these deployments, far exceeding the high expectations of the COCOMs they support. They bring with them their Coast Guard culture of "Semper Paratus" and demonstrate a knack for adaptability and initiative. If you don't want to take my word for it, read this outstanding letter from Admiral Fitzgerald, NAVEUR./NAVEURDallas.pdf
