Atlantic Area

From its home in Portsmouth, Va., the LantArea Command Center coordinates law enforcement and rescue missions that occur on the high seas across and outside district boundaries. LantArea also manages international exercises such as UNITAS and Tradewinds, and programs such as the International Maritime Law Enforcement Team (IMLET) and Multi-National Maritime Interception Operations in the North Red Sea and North Arabian Gulf.

"Team Coast Guard" is the philosophy that drives Atlantic Area as active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliary members continually join forces in response to domestic and geopolitical situations. The missions of "Team LantArea's" five districts include: stopping illegal migration, drug interdiction, fisheries enforcement, search and rescue, icebreaking, environmental protection, flood relief and provide boater education. Approximately 50,000 LantArea members carry out these missions - missions that span 40 states; border 29 foreign countries; and contain more than 5 million square miles of ocean, inland waterways and tributaries.

Operations Frontier Shield and Gulf Shield were two missions that dramatically illustrated the Team LantArea concept during 1997.

The LantArea commander, a vice admiral, is supported by a staff of 160 members who are responsible for a broad range of resources including 28 medium- and high-endurance cutters, four communications stations, 21 long-range and air-interdiction aircraft, the International Ice Patrol, an air-interdiction facility and six loran stations. The LantArea commander also commands the Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic.

Two LantArea-controlled high-endurance cutters, the CGCs Dallas and Gallatin are homeported in Charleston, S.C.

Ensuring operational readiness of the Atlantic Area is the responsibility of the Maintenance and Logistics Command Atlantic, located in Norfolk, Va. This is accomplished by a network of more than 2,200 military and civilian members with an annual budget of nearly $200 million. The MLC consists of logistical and engineering personnel, health, financial, legal and civil rights staff elements.

Field units consist of technical experts working near units requiring their services. Twenty-three field staffs are located along the eastern seaboard. These include support centers in Boston, Portsmouth, Elizabeth City, N.C., and New Orleans; the Facilities Design and Construction Center Atlantic in Norfolk; naval engineering support units in Boston, New York, Portsmouth, Miami, New Orleans, Cleveland and Granite City, Ill. Civil engineering units are located in New York, Miami, Cleveland and Providence, R.I.