Feature Story

ASTORIA, Ore. — Chief Petty Officer Nathan Davis, lead Vessel Boarding Safety Team (VBST) petty officer, briefs Oregon National Guard and Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, Ore., members before boarding the motor vessel Pan Pac Spirit Friday, Apr. 8, 2011.

The Coast Guard joined forces with Oregon National Guard to conduct a boarding of the vessel that had passed within the vicinity of Fukushima, Japan.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Sergeant 1st Class Rowena Simshaw

ASTORIA, Ore. – Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, Ore., and Oregon National Guard 102nd Civil Support Team (CST) conduct an offshore boarding of the Pan Pac Spirit Apr. 8, 2011.

The collaborative efforts of Station Cape Disappointment, Wash., Air Station Astoria, Ore., Marine Safety Unit Portland, Ore., and Oregon National Guard 102nd CST provided a skilled and thorough risk assessment to help ensure the health and safety of the populace within the Sector Columbia River Captain of the Port Zone.

The freight vessel Pan Pac Spirit had transited through potentially contaminated waters in the vicinity of Fukushima, Japan. The vessel passed radiation screening and was cleared to enter port.

U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn

Joint agency boarding first of its kind

Planning, preparation and practice are three key ingredients to any successful maritime mission.

When agencies work together to execute missions, extensive communication and collaborative efforts must be made to plan, prepare and practice for real world situations.

That’s exactly what Coast Guard Sector Columbia River, Ore., and Oregon National Guard 102^nd  Civil Support Team (CST) have worked together to do over the past two years.

On Friday, April 8, 2011, a real world situation presented itself, and both agencies executed as a team.

On that day, Sector Columbia River and CST combined forces to conduct a joint boarding of the motor vessel Pan Pac Spirit. Two years worth of planning, preparation and practice were the driving force behind their collaborative efforts and successful mission execution.

The goal was simple: determine if the Pan Pac Spirit posed any radiological risks to the health and safety of the people living in the Sector Columbia River Captain of the Port Zone as the vessel had transited within the vicinity of Fukushima, Japan.

The Sector Columbia River Vessel Boarding Security Team (VBST) has the equipment and capability of locating a point source of radiation, but not to determine if a vessel has become contaminated by radiation from a source emanating elsewhere. The CST, however, does. The VBST, while equipped with and trained to use radiation pagers, radiation backpacks and a radiation identifier, specialize in the boarding of vessels. The CST, on the other hand, specialize in detecting radiation contamination regardless of whether the source is aboard the vessel.

“We were on board with the Civil Support Team due to our experience on these large commercial vessels,” explained Chief Petty Officer Nathan Davis, lead VBST petty officer. “These vessels are as dangerous as any industrial site, a risk that is compounded by their unforgiving steel construction and constant motion in the maritime realm. With our presence on board, the CST was able to focus on their equipment while we looked out for their safety. Since we had trained together so much, the coordination on board was effortless and I believe we both felt at ease”.

Both teams, working in conjunction, provided a necessary and unprecedented service to the Sector Columbia River Captain of the Port Zone.

“As far as I know, this is the first time the USCG and CST have ever executed a joint operational mission together. I could not be happier with the successful outcome of the mission and the synergy demonstrated between the VBST and the CST,” remarked Cmdr. Ryan Griffin, incident commander for the operation. “It was evident both teams had a mutual respect for one another and fed off of each others' strengths. I attribute the success of this mission to the extended effort both teams have put into joint training and the cohesiveness gained over the past two years of working together. The VBST and the CST both bring a unique operational skill set to the mission and this was essential in the flawless execution of this specialized response. I look forward to working with them again, as both organizations proved themselves as true professionals and established a solid foundation for future operational success.”

The planning, preparation and practice of the two organizations led to familiarity with each other, individual roles and mission success.

“It was a pleasure to work with the extremely knowledgeable members of the Civil Support Team. We had trained with them on multiple occasions and knew them to be committed professionals. I was impressed with their professionalism and easy competence when we worked on our first real-world mission together,” Davis offered.

The vessel inspection found no threatening levels of radiation, and Pan Pac Spirit was cleared to enter port.

Coast Guard Sector Columbia River will continue to collaborate and train with the Oregon National Guard to provide for the safety of the people living in the Sector Columbia River Captain of the Port Zone.