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Navy, Coast Guard, FBI Team Up with Frontier Sentinel

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060622-01
Release Date: 6/22/2006 9:42:00 AM

By Photographer’s Mate Airman Mandy McLaurin, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The U.S. Coast Guard teamed up with Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for a training exercise called Frontier Sentinel that gauged the effectiveness of inter-service cooperation at tactical and operational levels, June 13-14.

U.S. 2nd Fleet contributed the guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72) and her crew to engage in the exercise led by Coast Guard Capt. Bradley Jacobs.

“It’s really a pleasure and honor to work with the Navy in this historic event,” said Jacobs. “For the first time, a U.S. Navy surface combatant is operating under the tactical control of the U.S. Coast Guard for a maritime homeland security purpose.”

The exercise took place off the Atlantic coast and involved two other ships along with Mahan, the Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Seneca (WMEC 906) and Military Sealift Command's USNS Sisler (T-AKR 311), a large, medium-speed roll-on/roll-off ship.

Sisler played the role of the vessel of interest, a ship that may contain a chemical, biological or radiological threat.

The FBI was incorporated into the exercise to validate the handover process with law enforcement in a radiation alert event.

Mahan and Seneca pursued Sisler after it failed to respond to Seneca’s communication efforts.

In a real-world scenario, the Coast Guard could call on the Navy for support.

“We [Mahan] were the command and control platform," said Lt. Cmdr. Samuel deCastro, sitting tactical officer of the exercise. “We have a significant capability with respect to communications on board a destroyer.”

Seneca and Mahan sent boarding teams to Sisler in order to seize control of the ship and investigate its contents.

“In this case, their (Coast Guard) special forces team is more highly trained than our boarding team,” said deCastro. “We (Navy) can perform certain missions. The Coast Guard can perform other missions.”

Aboard Mahan, the Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) team boarded Sisler and secured the forecastle so the Coast Guard’s team could secure and investigate the rest of the ship.

“This was the first time that we were teamed up with the Coast Guard,” said Damage Controlman 2nd Class Eddie Turner, a member of the VBSS team. “It was a different learning experience.”

The boarding teams radioed in their findings to Jacobs as they searched Sisler.

“All that we heard here (aboard Mahan) communications-wise suggested a very smooth integration, which is a real tribute to the guys, considering there wasn’t really a lot of lead-in training time,” said Lt. j.g. Kevin Bruyette, primary liaison between the boarding team on Sisler and the command and control element on Mahan.

“The exercise is going to lay the groundwork for future exercises in support of the DoD and the Coast Guard for Maritime Homeland Security,” said Jacobs. “This exercise is just a natural stepping stone in the relationship the Coast Guard and Navy have had for more than 200 years.”

For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil.