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Activities Far East (FEACT)

The Coast Guard has had a continuous presence in the Far East since Captain Meales was sent to Tokyo in 1947 to help the Japanese form their Maritime Safety Agency. At nearly the same time, the Coast Guard began building a system of radio navigation stations on small islands around the Pacific.

The Far East Section was established shortly after World War II for the purpose of providing administrative and logistic support to LORAN (LOng RAnge Navigation) Transmitting Stations in the Western Pacific. The Section also provided close liaison with the Japanese Maritime Safety Agency, as well as similar organizations in other far east nations, for joint efforts in search and rescue, law enforcement, and environmental protection of the Pacific Basin.

The LORAN-C stations were located at Tokachibuto, Hokkaido; Gesashi, Okinawa; Iwo Jima and Marcus Island, in Japan, and on the island of Guam. The stations at Pohang and Hampyong in Korea had been operated by the Government of Korea, since 1 October 1989. In addition to these manned stations, there were unmanned monitors sites at Osan Air Base and Changsan, Korea, Guam and at Yokota Air Base. These sites continuously sent data on the quality of the transmitted signals back to the LORAN Monitor in the Section office. The Monitor watch continuously evaluated system performance and sent control commands to the transmitting stations as necessary. Together these stations provided a highly accurate positioning for ships and aircraft over 1,000,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.

In December 1994, the LORAN-C system was phased out as a result of the far more accurate, satellite-based Global Positioning System. The Far East Section and all four LORAN stations were decommissioned. A far smaller unit dedicated to ship safety, Activities Far East, was commissioned.

FEACT's main office is located on Yokota Air Base and is situated in a suburban area of Tokyo, Japan. It is the principal U.S. Air Force installation in Japan and is home of U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force. Although FEACT is located on an Air Force base, the U. S. Coast Guard is in Japan under the sponsorship of the U.S. Navy.

A Detachment is located at the Naval Regional Contracting Center in Singapore. With eleven active duty military members (four in Singapore and seven in Japan), three drilling reservists, two civilian employees, and CG Auxiliary members, FEACT's primary missions include commercial vessel inspections, marine casualty investigations, international engagement, and liaison to Commander, U.S. Forces Japan.

FEACT personnel perform the unit's missions throughout Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Diego Garcia, Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand.

As Commander, Coast Guard Activities Far East, the unit's commander directly interacts and partners, with high-level U.S. Embassy and host government officials, and U.S. military commanders in Singapore, Japan and Diego Garcia. He helps ensure USCG support of national defense and military readiness activities in the Far East. As the Officer in Charge, Marine Inspection Asia, the Commanding Officer represents the United States in International Forums such as the Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control, and Asia Marine Accident Investigators Meeting.

A primary mission carried out by the Coast Guard in the Far East since the 1970s is the Commercial Vessel Safety (CVS) mission. Until December 13, 1994, this mission was carried out on a temporary duty basis by Coast Guard inspectors, traveling from domestic Coast Guard units. In response to the continuing demand for U.S. commercial and military vessel safety inspections in overseas locations, Marine Safety Office Asia was established. At the same time, the Marine Inspection Detachment in Singapore was assigned as a subunit to create our current organization. Under its new organization, it continues its liaison and advisory role, while taking on the demanding mission as the sole Coast Guard Inspection Office in the Far East.