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Restrictions waived

Due to national emergency interests, many restrictive provisions of 49 CFR concerning the application of hazardous materials regulations to loading operations were waived. Specifically, Department of Transportation exemption 3498, which applies only to military movements during a national emergency, allowed COTPs to waive certain impractical loading requirements.

Even though many loading restrictions were removed, COTP personnel continued to conduct pre-stow inspections and reviews prior to loading operations. They also checked cargoes en route from staging areas to vessels, and monitored, or supervised loading operations ensuring proper stowage and segregation of cargoes.

Early accomplishments

It took just 72 hours to break out and start moving the first military unit, the 24th Infantry Division from Savannah, Georgia, after the orders to deploy military prepositioned ships were given on August 7, 1990. Remarkably, the 24th infantry's weapons and tanks were transported some 8,700 miles from Georgia to the Persian Gulf in only eight days. During the first wave of Desert Shield, 110 Military Sealift Command ships moved cargo.

Waterside efforts

Coast Guard crews and vessels from various groups and stations were assigned to provide waterside security and safety. Law enforcement boardings increased and many boaters were arrested for violating emergency safety zones and escort requirements.

The control of anchorage areas, and safety and security zones* was a major waterside function of the boat patrols. The loading and bunkering of ammunition ships at berth or anchorage, and providing escorts to sea, required the continnuous support of stationary and roving waterside patrols.

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In March 1991, the commander in chief of the United States Transportation Command finalized plans for ammunition retrograde activities, dubbed "Operation Desert Sortie." After military actions ceased in the Persian Gulf, the arduous task lay ahead of returning munitions and equipment to the United States. Furthermore, since the national emergency was over, the provisions of exemption 3498 no longer applied and all waived requirements were back in place. In June and again in September 1991, Coast Guard assessment teams of individuals with expertise in explosive loading and hazardous materials were deployed to Saudi Arabia to evaluate the safety of the retrograde operations and oversee vessel loading operations at overseas embarkation ports.

The Coast Guard continues to work closely with DoD commands to promote the safe return of munitions and hazardous materials from Saudi Arabia. The ongoing retrograde operation involves about 250,000 short tons of munitions and will require up to 40 more sealifts.

Coast Guard involvement in the Persian Gulf is projected to continue well into 1992, as long as ships with munitions and equipment from Saudi Arabia offload in United States ports.

All photos accompanying this article (except on this page) are by PA1 Chuck Kalnbach.

The following members of the Port Safety and Security Division of the Office of Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection contributed to this article:

LCDR Gregory F. Adams, assistant chief, Port Operations Branch. Telephone: (202) 267-0498.

LCDR Janice L. Gray, USCGR, executive officer, Reserve Unit. Telephone: (202) 267-0495.

LCDR Randy C. Helland, assistant chief, Port Security Branch.

Telephone: (202) 267-0486.

LT Steven M. Hanewich, Port Operations Branch.

Telephone: (202) 267-6700.

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Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm was the largest, most concentrated military lift operation since World War II. More was lifted in the first three weeks of the Persian Gulf operation than in the first three months of Korea, which was also a military emergency.

The vulnerability of airlifted troops in Saudi Arabia necessitated the rapid massive delivery of equipment and supplies. In total, almost four million short tons of dry cargo was delivered and more than six million tons of petroleum.

Establishing a "beachhead" through an immediate, relatively small, but critical mass of troops and equipment via air makes a strong political statement. In terms of lift capacity, however, nothing can match sealift. The first fast sea

lift ship to arrive in the Middle East delivered more than 15,000 tons of cargo. A single C-5 transport plane would have had to make well over 200 trips to match that level of carriage capacity.

Ninety-five percent of the total cargo which supported the allied forces in the Middle East went by sea. That proportion of overall sealift is consistent with historical patterns, and can be expected to hold true in any contingency in the foreseeable future. Very significantly, more than 80 percent of the sealift cargo required for Desert Storm was carried on United States flag ships.

The coalition victory reconfirmed the importance of the American merchant marine in maintaining an adequate reliable sealift lifeline to support deployed forces.

Continued on page 8

Continued from page 7 MARAD focus

The Maritime Administration's (MARAD's) principal focus in the Middle East operations was the activation of 78 of the 96 ready reserve force ships. However, we also played a major role in providing war risk insurance to nearly 400 vessels and in interacting with commercial operators.

The Military Sealift Command is responsible for obtaining sealift resources and directing the operation of ships in moving equipment and supplies for the armed forces. From the beginning of Desert Shield, MARAD maintained close contact with the Military Sealift Command, as well as with several other components of DoD, the Coast Guard and numerous civilian sectors. The operations reinforced the strong ties between the civilian commercial transportation industry and America's military establishment. Sealift

To obtain sealift, there are several ways the United States government can gain access to the commercial fleet: through commercial operations in the market, activation of the Sealift Readiness Program or requisitioning. As it turned out, the response of the commercial operators was sufficient, and it was not necessary to

resort to the call-up of ships under the Sealift Readiness Program or the more draconian action of requisitioning.

If one were to take a snapshot of all the dry cargo lifted to the Persian Gulf by March 10, the profile would look as follows. The first ships to arrive in Saudi Arabia, the 13 maritime prepositioned ships, ended up delivering 4.7 percent of all the dry cargo.

These 13 vessels were deployed in three independent squadrons, each carrying the necessary equipment and 30 days of supplies for a Marine expeditionary brigade. Hence, airlifted troops marry-up with their sealifted combat equipment. The first sealift squadron arrived in Saudi Arabia on August 15, from relatively nearby Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean island.

Another group of 12 vessels, afloat prepositioned ships, provided ordnance, supplies and fuel for the Army and Air Force. They also carried a field hospital. In total, these ships lifted 3.4 percent of all the dry cargo.

Both groups of prepositioned ships are privately owned, United States-flag vessels under long-term charter to the Military Sealift Command. Successful performance of these ships vindicated the concept of maritime prepositioning.

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Military equipment transported by MARAD's ready reserve force to the Port of Damman, Saudi Arabia.

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