37 Fall 2024 Proceedings CAPT Billy Mees, commanding officer of Coast Guard cutter Bertholf, receives a ceremonial plaque from Indian Coast Guard CDR Neeraj Tiwari during a meeting in Port Blair, India, on March 7, 2024. Alongside Mees are CDR Leah Cole, executive officer of the Bertholf, right, and LCDR Tim Cameron, assistant naval attaché to India, left. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Steve Strohmaier Philippines and anticipate a trilateral at-sea exercise in 2024. Further into the Indo-Pacific, Coast Guard cutter Bertholf recently transited the Malacca Straits to Malaysia after an extensive multiagency engagement in Singapore. It then transited to India for bilateral activities with India’s coast guard. Beyond Cutters By virtue of Coast Guard personnel permanently sta- tioned throughout the Indo-Pacific, the service’s reach in the region extends far beyond our cutters. U.S. Coast Guard Activities Far East (FEACT) in Tokyo and Marine Inspections Unit Singapore, a subcommand of FEACT, focus on vessel compliance and casualty investiga- tions of the U.S.-flagged fleet. FEACT also executes the International Port Security Program across the Indo- Pacific, working with foreign partners in 47 countries to enhance global maritime security by evaluating and aligning foreign ports’ security measures with U.S. stan- dards to reduce risks to maritime commerce. Another unit separate from FEACT, the Mobile Training Branch (MTB) based in Yorktown, Virginia, frequently conducts training in Southeast Asia. The MTB recently expanded to support training in the islands of Kiribati, Fiji, and other Pacific islands in response to a growing demand for capacity-building in the region. FEACT and the MTB bring enhanced connectiv- ity, capacity-building, and training to a region that is notoriously hard to reach due to its remoteness, lack of infrastructure, and limited local resources. Their work establishing and maintaining relationships in each coun- try makes them an excellent resource ahead of visiting any maritime Indo-Pacific country. Assigned to U.S. Embassies across the region, a vari- ety of detached duty Coast Guard members serve as attachés, maritime regional advisors, and liaison offi- cers in places such as Guam, Fiji, Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan. Each position has unique responsibilities and reports to various offices and agencies, but each is a resource to be leveraged ahead of engaging with the respective country. Some Coast Guard members in these locations are key contacts for multiple countries. For example, Australia’s attaché is certified to support Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and the Cook Islands. Other positions may focus on a single country, such as Malaysia, but each person works out of a U.S.
