Posted on 09/14/2006 5:26:27 PM PDT by SandRat
On a recent visit to Iraq, British Defence Secretary Des Browne toured Iraqi oil platforms in the northern Gulf, paying tribute to the British Royal Navy for its role in providing off-shore protection to the sites.
The secretary flew from Basra to the HMS Kent, a Type-23 frigate which patrols the vital oil supply lines that form much of the hope for boosting Iraq’s economy.
“Oil is Iraq’s future. The incredible work the Royal Navy is doing here, along with our allies, is helping to secure that future,” Browne said from aboard the ship.
Iraq produces over 2 million barrels of crude oil each day, of which between 1.7 million and 1.8 million barrels are exported. The Government of Iraq appointed Husayn al-Shahristani as the new Minister for Oil in May 2006, and the country’s main political groups recently reached an agreement on the sharing of oil revenues.
“The operation here is enormous but it must succeed if Iraq is to get full benefit from its rich natural resource,” Browne said.
The secretary explained the Coalition is committed to handing over control of maritime security to the Iraqis, but only when it is confident the burgeoning Iraqi Navy will be in a position to fully shoulder the challenging task.
Until that time, U.S. forces also act a major part in protecting the oil infrastructure.
The Coast Guard cutter Adak has been on Gulf waters since 2003, and ever since the beginning of the war in Iraq, Coast Guardsmen have played a significant role in both the security and financial stability of Iraq, said Lt. Michael Cintron, Adak commander.
The 20-person crew of the cutter is part of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. In addition to guarding the oil platforms, the crew also stops weapons smuggling and other types of trafficking into Iraq through its rivers and tributaries.
The Coast Guard patrolmen are based in Bahrain, but there is also a small detachment of Coast Guardmen at Kuwait Naval Base.
Altogether, ten patrol boats are involved in the mission.
“The job we do [in the Gulf] is similar to what we do in the U.S.,” said Cintron, “but here it’s much more dynamic and challenging, because we’re spending twice as much time at sea and there’s that inherent risk every time you leave the dock.”
That risk can perhaps be explained best by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Edward R. Lawrence, operations officer for the Adak, who previously deployed to the Gulf in 2004. That April, Lawrence was aboard the cutter Wrangell, patrolling the perimeter of the platforms, when the only other cutter on patrol, the Firebolt, was struck by insurgents, killing three sailors and one Coast Guardsman.
After the incident, the number of boats on patrol was doubled, and the Coast Guard looked at the mission in an entirely different light.
“Before (the incident), we thought we weren’t in any real danger,” said Lawrence. “We thought, ‘we’re not in Baghdad, so we’re safe.’ Afterward, we realized we are not safe, not untouchable. It changed everything. It became real.”
Lawrence explained the incident could have been even worse. It was later found that six boats, each with terrorists aboard, were involved in the plot. But after the first explosion, the other five turned and left the scene.
“If they had performed it the way they planned it, there could have been a ton of damage,” said Lawrence. “We got lucky.”
The U.S. patrol vessels work in sectors, patrolling the perimeter of the platforms. Everything that comes near the platforms, from the smallest fishing boat to the largest ship, is searched inside and out by small pre-designated groups called boarding teams.
Each Coast Guard cutter is equipped with an 18 foot “small boat.” Boarding teams use the small boat to ride out to the boats to be searched, while guards stand watch from the cutter, surveying the proceedings from a distance.
Operations don’t stop at night. A guard stands watch on the tower of the 110-foot Adak 24-hours a day, looking for anything besides the moon’s reflection on five-foot waves.
“It’s constant,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Mobiglia. “It’s what I signed up for.”
Patrol Forces Southwest Asia was established in 2003. So many Coast Guardsmen volunteer for the job that some are turned down, said Cintron.
The crew of the Adak have different reasons for why they volunteered.
Seaman Edward Sychra, a deck crewman, volunteered for the assignment after spending the previous two years with the Honor Guard in Alexandria, Va. He said it has been a 180 degree turnaround, from ceremonies to boardings.
“I went from basically representing the job of the U.S. military to being the U.S. military,” said Sychra.
Others find satisfaction knowing they are directly contributing to the war effort.
“I believe in what the Coast Guard is doing out here,” says Lt. Sarah Hayes, executive officer. “I feel like this is our generation’s turn to do something. Our parents had theirs, our grandparents had theirs, and this is ours.”
(Compiled from official DoD and MoD sources)
USCG Story Tonk.
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