SEATTLE, Wash. (July 2) --- Smiles abound after the commissioning ceremony of the Coast Guard's first Marine Safety and Security Team in Seattle. MSST commanding officer Lt. Cmdr. Ramon Ortiz chats with Washington Senator Patty Murray (left) while Coast Guard Commandant Thomas Collins and Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander Terry Cross looks on (right). MSSTs are domestic mobile units that possess specialized training capabilities to perform a wide spectrum of port safety and security operations. They are modeled after the Coast Guard's Port Security Units (PSUs) and Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs). MSSTs are being establised to protect military load-outs; enforce security zones; defend critical waterside facilities in strategic ports; stop illegal activities, such as narcotics trafficking or illegal migrants; and provide a modest level of shore side protection. USCG photo by PA2 Sarah Foster-Snell
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