Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist

Last updated

The Maritime Enforcement Specialist (ME) rating is the uniformed law enforcement specialist of the United States Coast Guard. Responsible for law enforcement and force protection, these personnel are trained in traditional maritime law enforcement, anti-terrorism, force protection, port security and safety, and unit-level training. [1]

Contents

Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist
USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist rating badge.png
Rating insignia
Issued by United States Coast Guard
TypeEnlisted rating
AbbreviationME
SpecialtyLaw enforcement Counter-Terrorism

Mission

MEs are the Coast Guard's tactical specialists. When situations demand the high risk tactics, such as helicopter insertion or Visit, board, search, and seizure, MEs get the call. Most MEs are typically assigned to special units Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF), a Maritime Force Protection Unit (MFPU), or United States Coast Guard Police shore units.

MSRT MEs depart USNS Sisler via Coast Guard helicopter U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team USNS Sisler 2006.jpg
MSRT MEs depart USNS Sisler via Coast Guard helicopter

Professionals serving in areas such as: inter-agency operations, security and response, security and anti-terrorism force protection, training, and administration. [2]

History

A recent addition to the personnel of the U.S. Coast Guard inventory, Coast Guardsmen in the ME rating are trained and qualified to provide security and law enforcement support for U.S. Coast Guard assets. The first class of Coast Guardsmen graduated from ME "A" School on 14 April 2010.

Port Security Specialist

Port Security Enlisted Qualification Badge USCG - Port Security Enlisted.png
Port Security Enlisted Qualification Badge

Port Security Specialist (PS) was disestablished and merged into the Maritime Enforcement (ME) rating in 2010. Port Security Specialists supported of Department of Defense national-defense operations overseas as a member of a Naval Coastal Warfare Unit, or a Coast Guard Port Security Unit. Worked at a Sector to ensure the physical security of a major U.S. port, or were members of a Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST). MSSTs are capable of being deployed throughout the United States to provide heightened waterside and shoreside security in support of maritime homeland security operations.

Training and qualifications

MEs tactical CQB training Killer Ex, Coast Guard tactical training 140207-G-TM873-025.jpg
MEs tactical CQB training

Maritime Enforcement "A" school

Personnel selected to attend the 10-week long ME "A" School, located in Charleston, South Carolina at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers [1] must first meet certain eligibility requirements.

Individual Specialty Training

These courses lead to required qualifications and designations that collectively allow MEs to advance as operators. Many of the schools are from Special Missions Training Center (SMTC) and Maritime Law Enforcement Academy.

Minimum Qualifications

The following are the eligibility criteria to be selected as an ME: [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Coast Guard</span> Maritime law enforcement and rescue service branch of the U.S. military

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the United States military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. It is the largest coast guard in the world, rivaling the capabilities and size of most navies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast guard</span> Maritime security organization

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military police</span> Police organization part of the military of a state

Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear reconnaissance, logistic traffic management, counterinsurgency, and detainee handling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Coast Guard Reserve</span> Reserve component of the United States Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard Reserve is the reserve component of the United States Coast Guard. It is organized, trained, administered, and supplied under the direction of the Commandant of the Coast Guard through the Assistant Commandant for Reserve (CG-R).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maritime Safety and Security Team</span> Counter-terrorism team of US Coast Guard

A Maritime Safety and Security Team, or MSST, is a counter-terrorism team of the United States Coast Guard established to protect local maritime assets. It is also a harbor and inshore patrol and security team that includes detecting and, if necessary, stopping or arresting submerged divers, using the Underwater Port Security System. It is the only special force that can arrest submerged divers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Security Unit</span>

U.S. Coast Guard Port Security Units are Deployable Specialized Forces organized for sustained expeditionary security and anti-terrorism. They provide Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) missions, which include harbor and port defense, protection of High Value Assets (HVAs), expeditionary security, Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs), special missions. and coastal surveillance. PSUs are expeditionary units that conduct OCONUS missions in support of a requesting regional combatant commander. PSUs usually operate under the direction of the Coast Guard's Pacific Area (PACAREA) command but are unique in that they are the only Coast Guard units that can be quickly requested by the Department of Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Coast Guard Legal Division</span>

The Coast Guard Judge Advocate General oversees the delivery of legal services to the United States Coast Guard, through the Office of the Judge Advocate General in Washington, the Legal Service Command, offices in the Atlantic and Pacific Areas, nine Coast Guard Districts, the Coast Guard Academy, three training centers, and a number of other activities and commands. Legal services are delivered by Coast Guard judge advocates and civilian counsel in ten legal practice areas: criminal law/military justice, operations, international activities, civil advocacy, environmental law, procurement law, internal organizational law, regulations and administrative law, legislative support and legal assistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law Enforcement Detachments</span> Team of United States Coast Guard

Law Enforcement Detachments or LEDETs are specialized, deployable maritime law enforcement teams of the United States Coast Guard. First established in 1982, their primary mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct counter-drug operations and support maritime law enforcement, interdiction, or security operations. LEDETs are the operational elements of the Coast Guard’s two Tactical Law Enforcement Teams (TACLETs) which are part of the Coast Guard’s Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF). As of April 2010 there are seventeen LEDETs.

The United States Coast Guard is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the country's eight uniformed services. It carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are:

The Special Security Team is a police tactical unit of the Japan Coast Guard, based at the Osaka Special Security Station (大阪特殊警備基地). The acronym of its Kanji name has already been used by other units, the abbreviation "SST" is used for this team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Visit, board, search, and seizure</span> United States military term

Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety and other inspections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special Missions Training Center</span> US military training facility on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina

The Special Missions Training Center (SMTC), also known as Joint Maritime Training Center (JMTC), is a joint United States Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps training facility located on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Sector Commander is the position title of the commanding officer of a United States Coast Guard Sector, usually of the rank of Captain (O-6). The Sector Commander's second-in-command is the Deputy Sector Commander. Also reporting directly to the Sector Commander are the Command Master Chief (CMC), the Senior Reserve Officer, and the Sector's Auxiliary Coordinator.

A Sector is a shore-based operational unit of the United States Coast Guard. Each Sector is responsible for the execution of all Coast Guard missions within its Area of Responsibility (AOR), with operational support from Coast Guard Cutters and Air Stations. Subordinate commands within a Sector typically include Stations and Aids-to-Navigation (ATON) Teams. Some Sector commands also have subordinate units such as Sector Field Offices and Marine Safety Units that are responsible for mission execution in parts of the Sector's AOR. There are 37 sectors within the Coast Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UNGERIN</span> Maritime special operations squad in the Royal Malaysia Police

The Marine Assault Team (MAST), formally known as the UNGERIN is a maritime counter terrorism and tactical unit of the Royal Malaysia Police's Marine Operations Force. Having become fully operational in 2007, the UNGERIN conducts anti-piracy and counter-terrorism operations in the coastal waters surrounding Malaysia and assists the marine police to respond swiftly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deployable Specialized Forces</span> Military unit

The Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) —formerly Deployable Operations Group— are part of the United States Coast Guard that provide highly equipped, trained and organized deployable specialized forces, to the Coast Guard, United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Department of Defense (DoD) and inter-agency operational and tactical commanders. The command was formerly headquartered in Arlington, Virginia where it was established on 20 July 2007, and was commanded by a captain. It was decommissioned by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Robert Papp on 1 October 2013, with units previously assigned to the DOG being split between Coast Guard Pacific and Atlantic Area commands. The units were subsequently reorganized under Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF).

The Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) is a United States Coast Guard school located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Charleston, South Carolina. It was created from the relocation and merger of the former Law Enforcement School at Yorktown, Virginia, and the former Boarding Team Member School at Petaluma, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Coast Guard Police</span> Law enforcement unit within the United States Coast Guard


The United States Coast Guard Police (CGPD) are law enforcement units stationed at certain shore facilities of the United States Coast Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Master-at-arms (United States Navy)</span> Military unit

The Master-at-Arms (MA) rating is responsible for law enforcement and force protection in the United States Navy—equivalent to the United States Army Military Police, the United States Marine Corps Military Police, the United States Air Force Security Forces, and the United States Coast Guard's Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist. It is one of the oldest ratings in the United States Navy, having been recognized since the inception of the U.S. Navy.

References

  1. 1 2 "Active-Duty Maritime Enforcement Specialist". www.gocoastguard.com.
  2. "MARITIME ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST" (PDF).
  3. "Maritime Enforcement Specialist "A" School". Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2017-02-21.