Coast Guard Strike Team Members Return to U.S.

Eleven members of the Coast Guard National Strike Force are scheduled to return to the United States this week, after deploying to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The 11 members are assigned to the Pacific Strike Team in Novato, Calif.; the Atlantic Strike Team in Ft. Dix, N.J.; the Gulf Strike Team in Mobile, Ala.; and the National Strike Force Coordination Center in Elizabeth City, N.C. Strike Team Members are trained to respond to oil spills and hazardous chemical releases. At the height of Operation Enduring Freedom, twelve members were deployed. During deployment to the Persian Gulf, they utilized their skills and expertise by serving as advisors and response technicians and planning for a response in the event of a deliberate release of oil into the waters of the Persian Gulf during combat operations. Strike Team personnel deployed with a variety of Department of Defense (DOD) oil spill response equipment including the Spilled Oil Recovery System (SORS) aboard the 225-foot Honolulu-based Coast Guard Cutter Walnut, a buoy tender sent to the Persian Gulf in support of operations. Strike Team members have deployed in support of DOD combat operations in the past. During the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Strike Team personnel served as technical advisors to the Kuwaiti government in support of oil spill clean up and pollution response following a deliberate discharge of oil into the waters of the Persian Gulf.