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America's New War: U.S. Coast Guard Trains

Aired September 26, 2001 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: In the event of a terrorist attack by water all of the armed services are involved in this, and that includes the U.S. Coast Guard. Brian Nelson is at Camp Lejeune, where the U.S. Coast Guard is going through a set of training exercises -- Brian.

BRIAN NELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Aaron. Yes, this is a Coast Guard training base inside Camp Lejeune, and they are still undergoing training although things behind me are a little quiet at the moment. There is a bit of a lull in the action as the commanders try to instill a sense of peace before the surprise -- Port Security Unit 308 with something coming up.

This is all anti-terrorist activity to prevent any attacks on U.S. Naval installations, ports abroad. You just hear them going through some practicing right now. You remember, last October the USS Cole was victimized by terrorists, they were in a small dinghy, these terrorists. And came up unannounced and unchallenged to the Cole, and with an explosive device blew a large hole in the side of the destroyer and the result was that 17 U.S. sailors died.

What is going on here is an attempt to prevent that from happening again by the members of the Port Security Unit 308, they are one of six in the country. Now, I want to tell you, there is a couple of scenarios they ran through for us. One of them is Water Borne.

This would presumably be along the lines of the Cole scenario, where you see an intruder come into harbor, and two of the Port Security boats rush off to challenge that intruder in the harbor. The intruder gets by the two boats and then comes in toward the harbor a little closer where the patrol boats stationed there do not leave their post, and continue to fire their 50 caliber machine guns, and M- 60's at the intruder.

They are trained not to leave. So that they don't leave that port vulnerable any greater than it is. There's also land-attack narrows, and we saw one where snipers, presumably terrorists, were firing from the woods behind us. They came in unannounced of course, and began firing on the base, 50 calibers kicked in, there was a lot of noise, and eventually there was some tear gas that the alleged terrorists, in this fictional scenario, used to allow themselves to get out and get away.

Those are just two of the scenarios here. And again, this is the U.S. Coast Guard, even though those men and women you saw just a moment ago were dressed in green camouflage, this is the U.S. Coast Guard. Now there are six of these port security units here in the United States, actually three of them are currently stationed and employed on base in Boston, New York, and in Seattle.

That is the first time that has ever taken place. Port Security Units involved in homeland defense, normally they are sent overseas, and the 308 behind me, as well as two others and maybe the three that are involved in protecting the three U.S. harbors will be sent overseas because there are a lot of U.S. assets, maybe assets that are moving abroad and they are going to needing some protection as they get in greater concentration in ports and harbors abroad. Aaron, back to you.

BROWN: Brian, thank you. It is instructive for people who think Coast Guard men and women are only out there making sure that pleasure boaters are safe in the harbor. They are armed and they are forces, and whether they are under the Pentagon or not, they clearly have some work to do.

NELSON: They mean business.

BROWN: They do indeed. Thank you very much.

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