Minimizing Risk to Mission: Posturing U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety & Security Teams to Respond

摘要

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 resulted in numerous enhancements in security throughout the United States including the maritime environment. The United States Coast Guard was designated as the lead federal agency for maritime homeland security. Congress required numerous maritime security enhancements by the U.S. Coast Guard in the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, including the establishment of Maritime Safety and Security Teams. The Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST) provide rapidly deployable, specialized waterborne and shore side antiterrorism forces for critical maritime infrastructure and strategic maritime shipping throughout the ports of the United States and ports of interest abroad. The current utilization of MSSTs represents an unbalanced equation of risk versus mission accomplishment. MSSTs should be reserved to function as a contingency response asset for significant national or regional maritime incidents and not utilized to fulfill day-to-day mission requirements in routine Coast Guard operations. This paper reviews the specific training and operational requirements as well as the primary intent of the MSSTs then analyzes the utilization of the Teams in two separate Sectors. Additionally, parallels to the findings drawn through a Special Missions Review Group report detailing specific requirements for specially trained forces are established. Finally, this paper draws conclusions about the utilization of routine employment of Maritime Safety and Security Teams to minimize operational level risk to mission of the Coast Guard's Ports Waterways and Coastal Security missions.