Office of Public Affairs
13th Coast Guard District

Date: Nov. 20, 2009
Contact: Coast Guard Public Affairs
(206) 220-7237 

MSST Seattle returns from Guantanamo Bay

SEATTLE - Members of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) Seattle (91101), returned from a six month deployment performing port security duties in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. MSSTs were created under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) 2002 and are a part of the Department of Homeland Security's layered strategy directed at protecting our seaports and waterways. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer Eric J. Chandler)

SEATTLE — Members of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) Seattle (91101) returned from a six month deployment performing port security duties in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Friday.

MSST Seattle (91101) is assigned to the Coast Guard's Deployable Operations Group and is a rapid response force capable of nationwide deployment via air, ground or sea transportation to meet emerging threats. Unit personnel are trained in Anti-terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) and Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE) policies and practices, enabling them to augment Coast Guard forces during National Special Security Events, major marine events, contingencies, and other Coast Guard law enforcement operations primarily in ports, harbors, internal waterways, and coastal regions.

MSSTs were created under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) 2002 and are a part of the Department of Homeland Security's layered strategy directed at protecting our seaports and waterways. MSSTs were created in direct response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Accordingly, every MSST designation number begins with "911". Commissioned on July 3, 2002, MSST Seattle was the first MSST created; hence having the honor of being known as 91101.

Video of MSST Seattle Departure below.

In this video released by the Coast Guard, members of Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) Seattle (91101), deploy to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to begin port security duties on Sunday, May 17, 2009. MSSTs were created under the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) 2002 and are a part of the Department of Homeland Security's layered strategy directed at protecting our seaports and waterways. (U.S. Coast Guard video/Petty Officer Eric J. Chandler)

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