The ships and personnel of the US coast
guard which is part of the department of
homeland security are spending more time
in the region conducting missions for
which other branches aren't well suited, balancing that increasing demand with a
lengthy list of other responsibilities.
"What we do, it's not big in numbers but
it's i think pretty significant in
contribution. We get access, we can go places," Adm Carl Schultz commandant of the coast guard
set at a navy league event in december.
Schultz singled out the cutter monroe
which in october returned from a 102-day
indo-pacific deployment. Monroe trained with allies and partners
in the east and south china seas and
exercised a memorandum of understanding
with taiwan, schultz said.
Monroe also sailed through the taiwan
strait which like past transits was
condemned by china. "The chinese are pretty excited when the
coast guards over their training with
the taiwanese," Schultz said last month.
These are places that move the needle a
little bit. The coast guard has a long-standing
presence in the pacific, activities the
far east one of only two overseas coast
guard commands was set up in Japan 70
years ago. Its ships have patrolled
around u.s territories and other pacific
countries for much longer.
"The US coast guard has more than 150
years of service in the pacific region. We're very proud of that," Vice Adm Michael Mcallister, commander of the
coast guard's pacific area said a press
conference in september.
"The navy has led recent u.s military
efforts to counter china and the region
and its japan-based seventh fleet had
tactical control of Monroe during its
deployment. Navy officials worked with the coast
guard and others to plan the cutter's
schedule and incorporate deliberate
operational goals, priorities and
objectives," Lieutenant Mark Langford 7th
fleet spokesperson told Insider in
september.
The coast guard brings unique
capabilities and skill sets to the 7th
fleet operating area, which complement US Navy capabilities, langford said.
Among those unique capabilities are law
enforcement authorities and expertise in
search and rescue, marine environmental
response and humanitarian assistance.
"Frankly, those are different missions
than the u.s navy or the military
services here in the united states deal
with," Mcallister said in september
calling the coast guard complementary to
u.s navy's defense capability.
That expertise has renewed relevance
amid tensions with china. illegal fishing
is a major concern, especially the
activity of China's overseas fishing
fleet and the coast guard is increasing
its efforts to help countries police
their waters.
In december 2020 it helped Palau
apprehend a chinese vessel fishing
illegally in palau's exclusive economic
zone.
"The coast guard also based three new
cutters in guam this summer and renamed
its outpost there. The new name, coast guard forces
micronesia sector Guam is meant to
showcase that there are forward-deployed, forward-present operating node," Vice Adm Linda Fagan the services vice commandant
said in september.
The outreach isn't limited to small
island countries. Monroe trained with the Philippines and Indonesia and conducted
a first of its kind at sea replenishment
with japan's military.
"The service has also given retired
cutters to vietnam and that kind of
engagement has been tremendously
important for improving US-Vietnam
relations," Ted Osius US Ambassador to Vietnam from 2014 to 2017, said this
summer.
Current and former officials tout the
coast guard in its responsibilities and
its conduct as a model for the region
and is a sought-after partner because of
it.
"When we show up we're greeted with open
arms because the mission set is so
critical to these countries that we want
to be good partners to," Randall Shriver, assistant secretary of defense for
indo-pacific security affairs during the
trump administration said in september.
At the end of the day we try to model a
type of behavior that keeps commerce
open, peacefully resolves disputes, protects valuable resources and counters
illicit activities Mcallister said
noting that forces in the region often
give their ships a stripe that is very
similar to the coast guard stripe.
