11 Fall 2024 Proceedings It’s a FEACT U.S. Coast Guard Activities Far East leads maritime safety in the service’s largest area of responsibility by lT Tim Powell Journeyman Marine Inspector/Assistant Chief of Inspections (Japan) Activities Far East U.S. Coast Guard lT Todd CooPer Journeyman Marine Inspector Activities Far East U.S. Coast Guard W hile a majority of the members in the Coast Guard serve in the continental United States, there are numerous opportunities to serve abroad. Serving with Coast Guard Activities Far East, or FEACT—the primary unit responsible for marine safety operations and international engagements within the Indo-Pacific—is one unique opportunity. The unit covers over 40 countries and supports the Coast Guard’s largest area of responsibility (AOR), spanning 48 million square miles. Routine travel for the marine inspectors includes Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Philippine, Thailand, Australia, and the British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Strategic locations within Japan and Singapore, home base for Marine Inspection Unit Singapore (MIU SG), enable members to use major international airports and travel hubs to expeditiously cover the AOR. Maritime Safety Overview Inspections and Investigations The unit’s primary focus is maritime safety, which encompasses inspection of U.S.- and foreign-flag com- mercial vessels to verify compliance with international and domestic regulations. Projects include oversight of new vessel and floating production unit (FPU) con- struction, liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel conversions, marine casualty investigations, and U.S. merchant mari- ner assistance for licensing inquiries. Military Sealift Command Far East (MSCFE) oper- ates U.S. naval supply ships worldwide in support of Department of Defense (DoD) missions. In accordance with memorandums of agreement between the Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command (MSC), these ships are voluntarily inspected for compliance with international safety regulations and dangerous cargo carriage requirements. On average, FEACT conducts more than 400 MSCFE inspections per year, includ- ing damage surveys, repair examinations, underwa- ter surveys in lieu of drydocking, hull examinations, and annual/renewal inspections. Inspectors routinely conduct inspections of oil tankers, military vehicle car- riers, explosive munitions carriers, cable-laying ships, and subocean surveillance vessels in direct support of national defense strategic objectives. The MSCFE fleet includes approximately 54 ships, with an average vessel age of more than 20 years old. So Who’s Responsible? FEACT. As the U.S. flag state authorities in the Indo-Pacific, FEACT inspectors are directly responsible for maritime governance and oversight of all U.S.-flagged vessels operating in the region. The Coast Guard team in the Japan inspections shop consists of two lieutenants and two chief warrant offi- cers, while the Singapore shop consists of one lieutenant, four chief warrant officers, and one civilian third-party oversight officer. The chief of inspections is a lieutenant commander who is stationed in Singapore and serves as the U.S. Embassy team lead there. Our inspections team comprises of some of the most senior inspectors in the Coast Guard, with multiple members on their third or fourth inspector assignments. Most of our inspectors are double-ended, which means they can inspect both the deck/navigation and machinery equipment during inspections. Our inspectors travel on average about 35% of the year and inspect everything from U.S. military replenishment vessels, to LNG carriers, to newly con- structed cruise ships across Asia.
