Office of Public Affairs
13th Coast Guard District

Date: August 24, 2009
Contact: Petty Officer 3rd Class Pamela Manns
(510) 735-6758

Coast Guard hosts International exercise

PORT ANGELES, Wash. - The Coast Guard is hosting North Pacific Coast Guard Forum member nations at a multi-lateral, multi-mission exercise, Sunday through Thursday, here and in Seattle.

This year's exercise is called Pacific Unity and participants will conduct a series of drills designed to test communications and enhance the interoperability of the crews.

The North Pacifc Coast Guard Forum was initiated by the Japan Coast Guard in 2000, and is a voluntary, non-treaty based organization of Coast Guard or Coast Guard-like agencies from: Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.

"Pacific Unity is robust," said Capt. Greg Sundgaard, head of the combined operations working group. "We will be conducting drills in areas of common interest for Forum partners, such as, search and rescue, aids to navigation, and port state control."

Crews will be adapting to dynamic scenarios that change based on information provided by the staff managing the underway portion of Pacific Unity.

This is the first time the Coast Guard has ever hosted a full-scale North Pacific Coast Guard Forum exercise in U.S. waters.  It is also the first visit of a Russian Border Guard vessel to the lower 48 states and the first time Canadian and U.S. Coast Guard buoy tenders will set each other's coastal buoys on the West Coast.

"Our countries each recognize that the Pacific Ocean is a big backyard that none of us can keep watch on alone. We need each other to help combat the types of common threats we face on the high seas," said Sundgaard.

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*EDITOR'S NOTE- Click on the links below for photos of Sunday's events.

Photo 1

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett makes her way here as part of Exercise Pacific Unity 2009 on August 23rd, 2009. Pacific Unity 2009 is a coordinated North Pacific Coast Guard Forum scenario that is focused on demonstrating the partner nation's ability to provide maritime assets during an exercise occurring in the Pacific Northwest. Japan, Russia, Canada and the united States are sending vessels to take part in the evolutions while two members of the Forum, China and South Korea will participating as observers. Specifically, the partner nations will be coordinating simulated search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations during the three day event. In addition, there will be opportunities for the crews participating to join together in social and cultural events aimed at building camaraderie and team work. Official Coast Guard photo by PA2 Zac Crawford.

Photo 2

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- The Russian Border Guard Vessel Vorovskiy makes its way here as part of Exercise Pacific Unity 2009 on August 23rd, 2009. Pacific Unity 2009 is a coordinated North Pacific Coast Guard Forum scenario that is focused on demonstrating the partner nation's ability to provide maritime assets during an exercise occurring in the Pacific Northwest. Japan, Russia, Canada and the united States are sending vessels to take part in the evolutions while two members of the Forum, China and South Korea will participating as observers. Specifically, the partner nations will be coordinating simulated search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations during the three day event. In addition, there will be opportunities for the crews participating to join together in social and cultural events aimed at building camaraderie and team work. Official Coast Guard photo by PA2 Zac Crawford.

Photo 3

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- The Japan Coast Guard Cutter Yashima makes its way here as part of Exercise Pacific Unity 2009 on August 23rd, 2009. Pacific Unity 2009 is a coordinated North Pacific Coast Guard Forum scenario that is focused on demonstrating the partner nation's ability to provide maritime assets during an exercise occurring in the Pacific Northwest. Japan, Russia, Canada and the united States are sending vessels to take part in the evolutions while two members of the Forum, China and South Korea will participating as observers. Specifically, the partner nations will be coordinating simulated search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations during the three day event. In addition, there will be opportunities for the crews participating to join together in social and cultural events aimed at building camaraderie and team work. Official Coast Guard photo by PA2 Zac Crawford.

Photo 4

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- The Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft Siyay, homeported in Sea Island, Richmond, British Columbia, makes her way here as part of Exercise Pacific Unity 2009 on August 23rd, 2009. Pacific Unity 2009 is a coordinated North Pacific Coast Guard Forum scenario that is focused on demonstrating the parter nation's ability to provide maritime assets during an excercise occuring in the Pacific Northwest. Japan, Russia, Canada and the united States are sending vessels to take part in the evolutions while two members of the Forum, China and South Korea will participating as observers. Specifically, the partner nations will be coordinating simulated search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations during the three day event. In addition, there will be opportunities for the crews participating to join together in social and cultural events aimed at building camaraderie and team work. Official Coast Guard photo by PA2 Zac Crawford.

Photo 5

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- The Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft Siyay, homeported in Sea Island, Richmond, British Columbia, makes her landing here as part of Exercise Pacific Unity 2009 on August 23rd, 2009. Pacific Unity 2009 is a coordinated North Pacific Coast Guard Forum scenario that is focused on demonstrating the partner nation's ability to provide maritime assets during an exercise occurring in the Pacific Northwest. Japan, Russia, Canada and the united States are sending vessels to take part in the evolutions while two members of the Forum, China and South Korea will participating as observers. Specifically, the partner nations will be coordinating simulated search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations during the three day event. In addition, there will be opportunities for the crews participating to join together in social and cultural events aimed at building camaraderie and team work. Official Coast Guard photo by PA2 Zac Crawford.

Photo 6

PORT ANGELES, Wash.- A multi-national group helps to clear a beach head here to make way for the Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft Siyay, homeported in Sea Island, Richmond, British Columbia, here as part of Exercise Pacific Unity 2009 on August 23rd, 2009. Pacific Unity 2009 is a coordinated North Pacific Coast Guard Forum scenario that is focused on demonstrating the partner nation's ability to provide maritime assets during an exercise occurring in the Pacific Northwest. Japan, Russia, Canada and the united States are sending vessels to take part in the evolutions while two members of the Forum, China and South Korea will participating as observers. Specifically, the partner nations will be coordinating simulated search and rescue, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations during the three day event. In addition, there will be opportunities for the crews participating to join together in social and cultural events aimed at building camaraderie and team work. Official Coast Guard photo by PA2 Zac Crawford.

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