50 Proceedings Fall 2024 Sentinels of the Middle East U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia by CAPT John mCTAmney Service Advisor/Military Professor U.S. Naval War College U.S. Coast Guard W hy is the U.S. Coast Guard in the Middle East? Friends and family repeatedly asked me this question last summer before I reported to Bahrain for my assignment as commodore of Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the largest Coast Guard unit outside the United States. At that time, answering that question was a bit more difficult than it is now, given recent events and activity in this region. Although the Israel-Hamas conflict has brought renewed attention to the Coast Guard’s presence here, our patrol forces have provided invaluable, steady-state service to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) in countering malign Iranian behavior for nearly 21 years. Despite the constant turnover inherent in one-year tours, PATFORSWA has evolved and matured through the years and seen many changes, including the decom- missioning and replacement of legacy patrol boats with the current fast response cutters (FRC). The FRCs are crewed by dedicated Coasties, and have significantly greater operational capabilities than its predecessor, the Island-class patrol boat. PATFORSWA also has a robust support element that works around the clock to ensure the cutters are maintained and mission-ready. Although Coast Guard patrol boats are not in the midst of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden engagements, our forces play a critical part in ensuring regional maritime stability by interdicting illegal narcotics and advanced conven- tional weapons, protecting commercial shipping, and bolstering regional partner capacity to collectively deny malign activity. After a year in command and observing the truly out- standing work by the devoted members of PATFORSWA, I wanted to share some facts about a Middle East tour so my fellow Coasties will have a clear understanding of what it may entail. Fun fact: Every person at PATFORSWA for a one-year unaccompanied tour is here voluntarily. They either put this tour on their “dream sheet,” or at least said yes when offered the job. No one is “selected and directed.” To truly understand the value of a PATFORSWA tour, we must discuss the process for getting here, the cultural experiences, the camaraderie, the challenges and means of maintaining resilience, the mission, and the signifi- cant monetary and reassignment benefits. The first thing that makes this experience unique is simply deploying to a foreign country for a yearlong tour. This may not be a significant factor for the other branches, but for Coasties, it does bear consideration. Because it is a one-year tour, PATFORSWA is a nonstop revolving door. Developing proficiency and maintaining readiness requires a lot of effort at all levels, from our program management office at Atlantic Area—LANT- 39, Overseas Contingency Operations Branch—down to shop supervisors in Warehouse 9 or onboard the FRCs. As with most endeavors, it all begins with training. Selectees report to the Coast Guard Special Missions Training Center in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for the pre-deployment training (PDT) course, designed with input and engagement from the current PATFORSWA staff. The training prepares Coasties to deploy to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. PDT includes weapons familiarization and qualification across the range of weapons expected in theater, familiarization with chemical, radiological, biological, and nuclear defensive gear, including time in the gas chamber aka “confidence chamber,” ample time in the pool for the Water Survival Training Program, physical fitness test- ing, Navy tactics training, rules of engagement train- ing, anti-terrorism and force protection training, and so much more. It is a packed training with a lot of learning and growth. Besides the training, PDT’s biggest benefit is get- ting to know the shipmates you’ll be spending the next year of your life with—a truly invaluable bonding expe- rience that sets the tone for your time at PATFORSWA. After graduating from PDT, the next stop is Bahrain. This usually means a roughly 30-hour journey across the pond with numerous stops before arriving in a unique country packed with cultural experiences. For most Coasties who have not experienced the Middle East, arriving in Bahrain is eye-opening. For those arriving in the late spring or summer, the weather can be challeng- ing, as temperatures reach 120 degrees. Because Bahrain is an island in the Arabian Gulf, humidity is very much
