[Damn True]

The author of the article did not mention the three US Coast Guard High Endurance Cutters and HH-65A helicopters also currently operating in the Persian Gulf.


The Gulf Daily News (Bahrain)
Sunday, March 23, 2003

Three Iraqi sailors are captured

By EUNICE del ROSARIO
Gulf Daily News (Bahrain)

THREE Iraqi sailors have been captured in the Northern Gulf, the first
Prisoners of War (PoWs) taken by the US Coast Guard.

The 24-member crew of the 110-foot patrol boat USCGC (Coast Guard Cutter)
Adak plucked the Iraqi sailors from the sea.

They jumped overboard as their patrol boat was destroyed by coalition forces
operating in the Gulf, US Coast Guard Forces South West Asia public affairs
officer Lieutenant Commander Jeff Carter told the GDN last night.

"This happened early Friday morning. The three Iraqi sailors were the only
known survivors of the attack. We believe there were more people on the
Iraqi patrol boat.

"To my understanding the Iraqi patrol boat did fire. That is why they came
under attack."

The PoWs were taken aboard the Adak and later transferred to an undisclosed
location.

The crew aboard the Adak are part of the 650-strong US Coastguard personnel
who were deployed to the region to support Operating Enduring Freedom.

The US Coast Guard has brought four patrol boats to the region. The others
are Coast Guard cutters Wrangell, Baranof and Aquidnick.

All four patrol boats were loaded onboard the M/V Industrial Challenger and
brought to Bahrain for their mission.

All four boats and personnel spent some time in Bahrain prior to moving on
to the northern Gulf waters.

Copyright 2002, Gulf Daily News

 

[LoboDelFuego]

2 questions:

Aren't the coast guard supposed to be guarding the coast? what are they doing over in Iraq? Doesn't the Navy handle those things?

Also, why do those boats have such weird names? Usually ships are named after states, battlefields and cool animals.

 

[Tenchiro]

Originally posted by LoboDelFuego
2 questions:

Aren't the coast guard supposed to be guarding the coast? what are they doing over in Iraq? Doesn't the Navy handle those things?

They are providing port security for allied forces.

 

[Damn True]

Originally posted by LoboDelFuego
2 questions:

Aren't the coast guard supposed to be guarding the coast? what are they doing over in Iraq? Doesn't the Navy handle those things?

Also, why do those boats have such weird names? Usually ships are named after states, battlefields and cool animals.

The US Coast Guard has been involved in every major military operation and theatre of combat since the Civil War and under times of war falls under the command of the Chief of Naval Operations.
The first US fired shot in WWII was fired from the Cutter Taney.
The first Axis vessel sunk during WWII was sunk by a Coast Guard Cutter as well (don't recall the name.)

The Navy lacks in a lot of skills and equipment for operating in some area's. Particularly in the shallow water and delta regions of the Northern Persian Gulf. This is the area by which Hussein was reciving illegal shipments of arms from France and Russia over the last 12 years. Yeah, the ones he claimed to not have. I spent over 8 months of my life flying in that region in Iraqi and Iranian airspace chasing smugglers and providing cover for boardings and vessel siezures. We didn't get all of them, but we got a lot of them.
Additionally the Coast Guard is providing port security. The CG has very highly trained combat security forces that specialize in this mission called MSST's. Marine Safety & Security Teams.

Cutter and patrol boat names varry by type of ship.

378' High Endurance Cutters are named after former secretaries of the DOT.
270' Medium Endurance Cutters are named after retired cutters with significant combat records.
210' Medium Endurance Cutters are given names associated with valor. (ie Reliance, Dilligance, Valiant etc)
180' and 225' Seagoing Bouy-tenders (also used as mine sweepers) are named after trees.
110' Patrol Boats such as the ones named in the article are named after US Islands.

 

[LoboDelFuego]

Hey True, I saw this thing on TV where some army guys were tending to dolphins that had been flown to the warzone from california, and they said that the dolphins were trained to find mines just like dogs are trained to sniff bombs. Is this true? I thought that more "modern" equipment would be easier to use. (doesnt die or chase after fish)

 

[slein]

biotech always beats high tech. that's why dolphins are kewl. they don't make as many errors (i'm guessing) as machines might make.

that's neatoh about the USCG and military ops. let the navy take out the big ships and launch aircraft, where the CG does ops closer to land. kinda like the go between between the navy and marines?

anyway, i'm pissed at my country for not giving our friends to the south more support for the war. good luck in Iraq... let's support the troops, even if you don't agree with the politics.

 

[Damn True]

Originally posted by LoboDelFuego
Hey True, I saw this thing on TV where some army guys were tending to dolphins that had been flown to the warzone from california, and they said that the dolphins were trained to find mines just like dogs are trained to sniff bombs. Is this true? I thought that more "modern" equipment would be easier to use. (doesnt die or chase after fish)

That is a Navy Project that has been in existance for years. It is run out of Coranado Is. in San Diego, and I believe Key West. PETA as you might imagine, hates it. But the dolphins are the best mine detection utility known to man, and they are awfully cute too.

 

[Damn True]

Originally posted by slein

that's neatoh about the USCG and military ops. let the navy take out the big ships and launch aircraft, where the CG does ops closer to land. kinda like the go between between the navy and marines?

anyway, i'm pissed at my country for not giving our friends to the south more support for the war. good luck in Iraq... let's support the troops, even if you don't agree with the politics.

Something like that. Each service has unique abilities that each brings to the table. No major operation can be achieved without all taking part.

I am very proud (as you may have noticed) of the US Coast Guard and the time I spent in service. I am even more proud of my girlfriend who is currently on active duty in the Coast Guard.

Thanks for the support. Should the opportunity arise, you have a beer coming.

 

[Damn True]

GW is attending a briefing today with the Commandant of the USCG and Tom Ridge in Philedelphia. The subject, to get an update on the CG's efforts in Operation Iraqi Freedom and it's co-operative efforts with the Dept. of Homeland Security in regard to National Security issues.

 

[dangitboy]

I know the Coast Guard is all over the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico...I just moved from down there and those boys aint playing!

Dave

 

[Damn True]

Just saw on Fox news.

The USCGC Dallas (with a 65 on the back) returned to task force 60 (Carrier battle groups in the Med.) after completing escort/convoy protection duties in support of moving the 4th ID from Turkey to Kuait. The Dallas was charged with protecting the troop/equipment ships carrying the 4th Infantry Division and their equipment (tanks, BFV, artillery, and other vehicles) to ports in Kuait.