Coast Guard boarding team members prepare for Alaska’s busy summer boating season

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Shawn Eggert | Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Victoria Swinghamer handcuffs Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Greene during law enforcement training at the Anchorage Police Department training center in Anchorage, Alaska, May 7, 2014. Coast Guard boarding team members practice a variety of self-defense, weapons retention and handcuffing procedures in order to stay safe during boarding operations. (U.S Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert)  

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, UNITED STATES

05.13.2014

Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn Eggert 

U.S. Coast Guard District 17

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Warm weather and only slightly less freezing waters are sure signs that summer has once again returned to Alaska, and for the Coast Guard, that usually means business is about to pick up.

The return of the midnight sun means the return of recreational boaters and the potential for trouble, which is why Coast Guard members from throughout the 17th District met at the Anchorage Police Department training center May 5-9 to bone up on the skills they’ll need to safely conduct boarding operations throughout the busy season.

Coast Guard boarding teams are often considered to be the premiere force when it comes to maritime law enforcement, but the tactics and techniques they use focus as much on protecting the public as they do on protecting the lives of the Coast Guardsmen themselves.

Throughout the week, members practiced skills integral to their mission, such as communications, vessel search procedures, self-defense and firearms training. While boarding team members need to be prepared for any circumstance, their goal is to handle every boarding peacefully and professionally, using only so much force as the situation warrants.

The ability to communicate calmly and authoritatively is one of the most important skills any law enforcement official can hope to master. This “verbal judo” is a skill that can be used at all times no matter the level of engagement, and for that reason, it is often the most effective tool at a boarding team member’s disposal.

“Good communication skills can keep a situation calm or deescalate a tense situation before things get worse,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean Purcell, a reserve maritime enforcement specialist at Sector Anchorage and an Anchorage police detective who provided instruction for part of the week’s training. “None of us want to have to raise that level of engagement. We don’t want to hurt anyone or get hurt ourselves, so we train to talk things through in order to reach a peaceful resolution whenever possible.”

It’s important to note that the majority of boaters encountered by the Coast Guard are good people just trying to have a fun time on the water, but for those times when communications break down or when boarding team members have to engage with uncooperative or outright hostile boaters, they practice a variety of weapons retention, takedown and handcuffing procedures in addition to search techniques useful for defending themselves and keeping their shipmates safe from harm.

Coast Guard members attending the weeklong course honed their skills through the use of scenarios on both the padded mats provided by the Anchorage Police Department and aboard the 840-foot motor vessel Midnight Sun. Training aboard the vessel gave the members a glimpse at the complexity of boarding and securing a ship in the event of a search for pirates, smugglers or other persons of interest.

“This training is essential for our officers to be prepared for all law enforcement operations, from simple recreational boating safety checks to commercial vessel boardings,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Seth Rosenthal, a reserve maritime enforcement specialist at Sector Anchorage who coordinated the training. “The scenarios we use provide an opportunity for us to use the lessons we’ve reviewed throughout the week and implement them with the appropriate level of force based on each scenario.”

With their training complete, Coast Guard boarding teams are set to return to the navigable lakes and coastal waters of Alaska where they will patrol from May to September.

“The Coast Guard keeps busy enough during the winter months in Alaska, but the warm summer weather brings a fresh set of challenges and it’s important to keep up with our proficiencies,” said Rosenthal. “Our ultimate goal is to protect the public and provide for the safety of mariners.”

• Date Taken: 05.13.2014
• Date Posted: 05.14.2014 18:49
• Story ID: 129794
• Location: ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, US