The agreement formalizes the use of Coast Guard competencies and resources in support of the National Military Strategy and other national-level defense and security strategies. It lists the following Coast Guard national defense capabilities:
Maritime interception and interdiction;
Military environmental response;
Port operations, security, and defense;
Theater security cooperation;
Coastal sea control;
Rotary wing air intercept;
Combating terrorism; and
Maritime Operational Threat Response support
These support the unified combatant commanders and require the Coast Guard to execute essential military operations in peacetime, crisis, and war.
Our domestic civil law enforcement and port security expertise are uniquely valuable today as combatant commanders work to build foreign nation capacity for security and governance. In recent years, combatant commanders have requested Coast Guard forces to conduct at-sea interception and antipiracy operations, foreign liaison, and other supporting warfare tasks in all key theaters.
The Coast Guard has been responsible for the security of the ports and waterways of the United States during times of war since the enactment of the Espionage Act of 1917. After World War II, the Magnuson Act of 1950 assigned the Coast Guard an ongoing mission to safeguard U.S. ports, harbors, vessels, and waterfront facilities from accidents, sabotage, or other subversive acts.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, these authorities took on grave new importance. This includes denying terrorists the use of the U.S. maritime domain and the U.S. MTS to mount attacks on our territory, population, or critical infrastructure.
Our authorities were further strengthened with the passage of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. This designated Coast Guard Captains of the Port as the Federal Maritime Security Coordinators. The Coast Guard thus became the lead agency for coordinating all maritime security planning and operations in our ports and waterways. These activities encompass all efforts to prevent or respond to attacks.
Maritime security is a continuing theme running throughout our proud history of service to America. It requires a breadth of experience and skills—seamanship, diplomacy, legal expertise, and combat readiness. We have honed these skills for more than two centuries. No other federal agency offers this combination of law enforcement and military capabilities, together with the legal authorities to carry them out.
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