United States Coast Guard sector

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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.

Contents

History

Sectors replaced Coast Guard Groups, Marine Safety Offices (MSO), Activities, and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS). Previously, a Group and its units provided Search and Rescue (SAR), maritime law enforcement, recreational boating safety, and maintained aids to navigation. MSOs enforced federal laws and regulations related to the safety and security of vessels, port facilities, and the marine environment, and assisted other law enforcement agencies. The new Sector organizations are based on the Activities prototype commands established in 1996 in New York and Baltimore, and (later) San Diego. The Activities units were praised for their efficiency and unity of effort in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

Before 2004, field operations in a single port fell under multiple, mission-based commands (Group, MSO, and VTS) that were physically dispersed, had unique chains of command and different program managers at Coast Guard Headquarters, lacked a consistent voice to the public, and had some mission overlap. The attacks of September 11 called for a new Coast Guard unity of effort that was cumbersome to achieve using the previous multiple command port-level structure. The Coast Guard’s move from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security and implementation of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) provided further impetus to restructure.

In 2003, the Coast Guard began to consolidate field activities for its Commercial Vessel Safety, Port and Environmental Safety, Marine Environmental Response, Port Security, Waterways Management, Bridge Administration, Search and Rescue (SAR), Recreational Boating Safety missions under one local Sector Command. The organizational change to Sectors eliminated the historical segregation of prevention and response activities at the local level and created a comprehensive unit that brings together field activities, authorities, and resources to provide the most effective organization and the best value to the public.

The Sector Command combines responsibilities and authorities previously shared by two or more commands into a single operational unit with a command and senior staff of highly competent experts. [1]

The Coast Guard Sector provides for rapid, coordinated response to emergencies, whether natural (such as Hurricane Katrina) or man-made, along with integrated daily operations to enforce regulations governing marine safety, security, and environmental protection. In addition, it provides an immediate safety and security assessment at the onset of any maritime event, disaster, or casualty affords critical synergy to operations essential to marine safety, security, and environmental protection. [2]

Coast Guard Sectors serve as one-stop-shops for marine safety, security, and environmental protection for major seaports and regions. They bring multi-mission capabilities to life on the front lines of the maritime environment, where Sector Commanders are afforded broad authority. [3]

Organization

Diagram of the generic Sector organization Sector OrgChart.JPG
Diagram of the generic Sector organization

The Sector organizational construct represents a transformation from a Coast Guard traditionally organized around its operational programs to one organized around core operational service delivery processes. It focuses the coordinated efforts of all assigned operational capabilities to accomplish Coast Guard mission objectives.

Sector Commander

The commanding officer of a Sector is called the Sector Commander and is usually the rank of Captain. The Sector Commander holds the positions of Captain of the Port (COTP) and Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC). Unless otherwise assigned, the Sector Commander is also the Officer in Charge Marine Inspections (OCMI), Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC), and Federal On-Scene Coordinator (FOSC). The Sector Commander reports to the appropriate District Commander.

Command Staff

The Sector Commander's second-in-command is the Deputy Sector Commander. Also reporting directly to the Sector Commander are the:

Command Center

The Sector Command Center (SCC) is the center of Sector Operations. It provides 24-hour command, control, coordination, communications, intelligence, sensor analysis, and data mining (C4ISM). The SCC coordinates with other federal, state, and local operations centers, and issues Notices to Mariners, Situation Reports, and maritime security alerts. The SCC displays the current Common Operating Picture (COP) and Common Intelligence Picture (CIP), including a presentation of all vessels, aircraft, communications equipment, and personnel belonging to the Coast Guard and supporting agencies.

Contingency Planning and Force Preparedness

The Contingency Planning and Force Readiness Staff develops and maintains plans covering readiness, logistics, and emergency preparedness. It coordinates with the three departments in plan development and execution, and plans and executes readiness exercises to test contingency plans. The Contingency branch also monitors the training and readiness of Sector Reserve Forces and manages their mobilization and demobilization. The Contingency Planning and Force Readiness staff also manages the federally mandated Area and Area Maritime Security Committees around the nation.

Intel

The Intelligence Staff is envisioned to collect, evaluate, report, and disseminate operational intelligence within the Sector. This staff will serve as the primary intelligence support element for all operations within the Sector. This staff forwards its analysis of raw intelligence reports to the District and the Atlantic or Pacific Maritime Intelligence Fusion Center, and will be the critical link between the Sector Commander and the entire Coast Guard intelligence enterprise, which is in turn a part of the United States Intelligence Community.

Response

The Response Department contains two Divisions:

Prevention

The Prevention Department consists of three divisions.

Logistics

The Logistics Department performs unit level maintenance and organic engineering, personnel, medical support, and finance/supply functions for the entire Sector.

List of Coast Guard Sectors

Map of Sectors across the United States. Sector North Bend was disestablished in 2023. USCG Sector Map 2017.jpg
Map of Sectors across the United States. Sector North Bend was disestablished in 2023.

Atlantic Area

DistrictDistrict LogoSectorLocation of Sector command
District One
USCG First District.png
Sector Northern New England South Portland, Maine
Sector Boston Boston, Massachusetts
Sector Southeast New England Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Sector Long Island Sound New Haven, Connecticut
Sector New York Staten Island, New York
District Five
USCG Fifth District.png
Sector Delaware Bay Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sector Maryland-National Capital Region Baltimore, Maryland
Sector Virginia Portsmouth, Virginia
Sector North Carolina Atlantic Beach, North Carolina
District Seven
USCG Seventh District.png
Sector Charleston Charleston, South Carolina
Sector Jacksonville Jacksonville, Florida
Sector Miami Miami, Florida
Sector Key West Key West, Florida
Sector St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, Florida
Sector San Juan San Juan, Puerto Rico
District Eight
USCG Eighth District.gif
Sector Ohio Valley Louisville, Kentucky
Sector Upper Mississippi St. Louis, Missouri
Sector Lower Mississippi Memphis, Tennessee
Sector Mobile Mobile, Alabama
Sector New Orleans New Orleans, Louisiana
Sector Houston-Galveston Houston, Texas
Sector Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, Texas
District Nine
USCG D9.jpg
Sector Buffalo Buffalo, New York
Sector Detroit Detroit, Michigan
Sector Lake Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sector Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Pacific Area

DistrictDistrict LogoSectorLocation of Sector command
District Eleven
Uscg 11 district.png
Sector San Francisco San Francisco, California
Sector Humboldt Bay McKinleyville, California
Sector Los Angeles - Long Beach San Pedro, California
Sector San Diego San Diego, California
District Thirteen
USCG D13.jpg
Sector Puget Sound Seattle, Washington
Sector Columbia River Portland, Oregon
District Fourteen
USCG D14.jpg
Sector Honolulu Honolulu, Hawaii
Sector Guam Santa Rita, Guam
District Seventeen
USCG Seventeenth District.png
Sector Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska
Sector Juneau Juneau, Alaska

See also

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References

  1. ↑ United States Coast Guard Press Release. Statement of Admiral Thad W. Allen on the Challenges Facing the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Program, delivered before the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Committee on Transportation And Infrastructure. August 2, 2007, https://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/786/166737/, accessed 2007-08-03. This is a work of the United States Government and is in the public domain.
  2. ↑ Adm. Allen, August 2, 2007, op.cit.
  3. ↑ Adm. Allen, August 2, 2007, op.cit.

Sector Commands Article.pdf - Sector Commands Article available at http://homeport.uscg.mil

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