By LCDR Leah Cole, USCG

Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies’ personnel participated in the Asia-Pacific Coast Guard Liaison Officers Conference and inaugural Indo-Pacific Strategy Workshop, which was hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Pacific Area (PACAREA) Headquarters in Alameda, Calif., Sept. 11-13.

DKI APCSS’ USCG Military Fellow Lt. Cmdr. Leah Cole joined Center Recruiter Terry Slattery, and USCG alumni at the workshop, which also brought together USCG attaches, liaison officers, security cooperation officers, and military fellows posted throughout the Indo-Pacific with PACAREA leaders & staff as well as the Deputy Commandant for Operations- International (DCO-I) Office from USCG Headquarters to connect on vital interests, strategy, partnerships and efforts across the region.

The purpose of the workshop was to finalize the USCG’s first Indo-Pacific strategy and critical planning inputs, including a priority country matrix and partnership efforts to ensure a successful deployment for the USCG’s first “WestPac” patrol, which will be the USCG’s first extended deployment of a National Security Cutter (NSC) in the Western Pacific, scheduled for next year.

Mr. Slattery gave a comprehensive recruitment briefing tailored for USCG officers, which included details on each of the Center’s course offerings and focuses, and linkages to maritime partners in the region. He also teamed with Lt. Cmdr. Cole, who detailed all of the DKI APCSS FY19 Coast Guard-related events including the following:

  • The creation of DKI APCSS’ new Maritime Security Course.
  • The Centers’ participation and co-hosting of the Pacific Search and Rescue Event, in partnership with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and USCG District 14 in July 2019.
  • The Gulf of Thailand Initiative in Dec. 2018, Maritime Shared Awareness Workshop in May 2019 and Indo-Pacific Workshop on Oct. 2018.

In addition to actively participating and briefing in the workshop, DKI APCSS representatives were hosted at the Deputy Pacific Area Commanders Quarters on Yerba Buena Island, beside the Golden Gate Bridge and Lighthouse.

They also received confirmation that PACAREA would be sending a Fellow to the Advanced Security Cooperation Course 18-2, for the second year in a row. All DKI APCSS alumni present at the workshop gathered the following day for a professional information exchange and a photo opportunity.