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Coast Guard Commander Discusses Homeland Security
Aired July 25, 2002 - 14:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Joining me now from Washington to talk more about securing U.S. ports and future initiatives in the pipeline is Coast Guard Commander Jim Mcpherson.
Hi, Jim.
CMDR. JIM MCPHERSON, COAST GUARD: Good afternoon, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about the attacks that these men and women train for. You were you telling 25 different scenarios. What type of attacks?
MCPHERSON: That's right, 25 different scenarios were used today. And what we looked at is anti-terrorist threats, protecting U.S. naval vessels, protecting commercial vessels, stopping small both from attacking U.S. vessels. That type of activity.
PHILLIPS: Let's talk about how ambitious this training was. These men and women they are ready to go now, right?
MCPHERSON: That's correct. They finished their training today. They are ready to go. The other team is in Seattle; it's ready to go right now. We already have missions assigned to them coming up in the next couple of months. They are highly trained and ready to go.
PHILLIPS: All right, now, you have been a Coastie for awhile now -- these men and women also. So when you heard that all of these young men and women were going to be trained at SWAT officers, what's the first thing that went through your mind? What's the first thing that went through their minds?
MCPHERSON: Well, the American people deserve the best protection they can get. And what this is going to do is make the American ports safer. So this SWAT training, I think, is very important. The Coast Guard has been guarding coast for 200 years. But the special training is an extra layer of protection that we feel that the country deserves right now.
PHILLIPS: And it was the Marines that trained them with the live fire, right?
MCPHERSON: We worked at the Marine base down in Camp Lejeune. But we had Coast Guard trainers down there using Coast Guard use of force policies and Coast Guard training. And it was joint effort, but we are very pleased the way and training went. We are going to have four teams up and running by 1 September.
PHILLIPS: How did you pick the men and women to go through this training. It takes a certain mind set, a certain skill and ability to train like this.
MCPHERSON: Most of the people assigned to these particular SWAT teams have training either in maritime law enforcement or maritime defense operations or port security units. They also have special skills and weapons or special skills in handling small boats at high speeds.
PHILLIPS: All right. So we've talked about protecting the ports. Let's talk about the types of vessels that will be protected. Anything from a commercial cruise line to what?
MCPHERSON: Well, commercial vessels, about 10,000 large vessels, come into the United States each year, making 68,000 port calls. We do have 361 ports. So we want to make sure that we have these regional teams ready to go out to escort any vessel that needs to be escorted in. Or if need to go out and go on board a vessel and provide special security arrangements, to take a vessel to an anchorage so we can search containers or search the vessel for people.
PHILLIPS: The training doesn't stop here. Let's talk about the bomb sniffing dogs, let's talk about the and diving training that's ahead, and also the rappelling. I can't wait to see these guys fast rope onto a ship.
MCPHERSON: Well, that's right. The events of 9/11 have changed America, and certainly these MSSTs are the first example of what's changing for the Coast Guard. And the new initiatives are bomb sniffing dogs we are looking at, so can smell explosives hidden in containers. We are also looking at using helicopters to fly out, to help push our borders out so we can board a vessel far at sea and then we can take it to a special anchorage.
PHILLIPS: The Coast Guard has not protected the coastline like this since World War II. What do you think about this new mission?
MCPHERSON: Well, it is important mission. This is largest port security operations since World War II, as you mentioned. But guarding the coast has been something the Coast Guard has always done. We are a multimission service. We still do many other things. We should be looked as the maritime police department, fire department, and first aid out on the water. But we are also a major part of providing homeland security through these SWAT teams.
PHILLIPS: Coast Guard Commander Jim McPherson, thanks so much, Commander.
MCPHERSON: Thank you.
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