42 Proceedings Fall 2024 Coast Guard LCDR Grant W. Johnson, left, an international port security coordinator and liaison officer, has lunch with counterparts in Malaysia. What may seem like a casual lunch with colleagues is often an investment of time that helps estab lish trusted, longlasting partnerships. Courtesy photo by LCDR Grant W. Johnson modern amenities and rustic traditionalism. I was sched- uled to rendezvous with my counterpart from the United Kingdom to discuss our respective nations’ shared objec- tives. A few months earlier, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand had signed an SOI declaring each country’s commitment to working together in the Indo-Pacific port security arena. While we met in the hotel lobby with formal hand- shakes, we quickly hopped in a Grab—think Uber—and headed for the street food district. There, we conversed through an initial exchange of travel experiences and capacity-building in various countries within our region. All the while, I was able to sample fried tofu, prawns, crab, scallops, and every other type of seafood I can name, and many I still cannot. Over this local street food, we discussed how to execute our leaders’ newly signed SOI. Pending programmatic approval, we informally agreed on future joint missions in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, the Maldives, and more. Conclusion The Indo-Pacific is layered with legal documents with varying degrees of binding strength. Formal documents such as compacts, SOIs, and MOUs are necessary, but it is the people and the cultural connections that create the bonds needed to withstand time, distance, and secu- rity challenges. An IPSLO spends over 100 days a year traveling across the world, visiting maritime ports and transit- ing airports to develop new or strengthen existing rela- tionships. Their official mission is to protect maritime shipping lanes and U.S. harbors, but their impact goes far beyond that. IPSLOs are also representatives of the United States and the world’s best Coast Guard. Over 20 years of the International Port Security Program’s existence, IPSLOs have established contacts in 150 countries, 40 of which are in the Indo-Pacific. These connections grant unique access to people and places. We build relationships. We share experiences. We make cultural connections. What may seem like a breakfast with a vice president, a lunch with a colleague, or dinner with an ambassador is an investment of time into these relationships to estab- lish a trusted, long-lasting partnership. With strategic competitors knocking at the door, it is imperative that the Coast Guard and the broader U.S. government lever- age the strong relationships IPSLOs have built over the years to solidify the United States’ status as a trusted partner of choice. About the author: With 16 years as a response officer, LCDR Grant W. Johnson has exten- sive experience in search and rescue and international relations. He serves as IPSLO coordinator at FEACT in Tokyo, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. LCDR Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in gov- ernment-public policy and master’s degree in organizational psychology.
