A U.S. Coast Guard member of USCG Station Washington remains vigilant while on the Potomac River. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Coast Guard protects the waters and coast of the National Capital Region from USCG Station Washington located at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
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Guardians of the National Capital Region
From tragedy came opportunity. The U.S. Coast Guard didn't have a significant presence in the nation's capital until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Today, it's quite common to see a Coast Guard boat enforcing a security zone, patrolling the Potomac River and guarding the National Capital Region.
What began as a boat forces unit in the Washington, D.C. area has become an operation with 24-hour response capability. Officially commissioned in December 2003 - the same year the Coast Guard was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security - Coast Guard Station Washington has grown leaps and bounds since its humble beginnings inside a 900 square-foot building on what was then Bolling Air Force Base.
The station now exists in two buildings comprising 8,000 square-feet on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. The station has four 25-foot response boats, a communications center, maintenance facility and is home to a crew of 33 active-duty members, 22 reservists and more than 100 auxiliary volunteers.
Lt. Jason Hagen, the station's commanding officer since 2009, said it's one of five Coast Guard stations assigned to sector Baltimore. It's responsible for 46 nautical miles of the Potomac River starting from Key Bridge on down to Fairview Beach, Va. Whether a training mission, or a large maritime operation like limiting access areas during the State of the Union address, Hagen said Coast Guard members are trained for any kind of mission.
"We pride ourselves on search and rescue, in addition to security, law enforcement, marine environmental protection, defense operations and boating safety for those in the NCR," Hagen said. "We'll get calls for vessels that have run out of gas, someone falling out of a boat and engine failure. There are approximately 25,000 registered boaters in this region. That's a lot of boaters to watch out for."
With Maryland, Virginia and D.C. law enforcement nearby, Hagen said having tri-state jurisdiction enables his group to tag-team various operations with their fellow port partners. He said the Coast Guard station has worked extensively with Washington, D.C. police and fire rescue, as well as the agency's own maritime unit of nearly a dozen boats. Hagen said the station also has the ability to listen in on D.C.'s own radio communications and emergency calls.
"That's a tremendous advantage. It allows us time to devise a plan on how to react to a situation, or decide how many members are needed for that response, before getting the call ourselves," Hagen said. "This is a very unique area to work in. The pace and tempo is very different than anywhere else. The partnership with all these different agencies is beneficial beyond words."
Besides local law enforcement, Hagen said Coast Guard members also work closely with a number of federal agencies, including members of the Secret Service. Hagen said it's not uncommon for Coast Guard personnel to do counter-surveillance prior to the President flying, or surveying vehicle motorcades over different bridges. Members of the station also participate in an annual aircraft exercise at Ronal Reagan Washington National Airport.
Seaman Alexander Smith, a native of Newport News, Va., is on his first duty assignment and has only been at Coast Guard Station Washington for two months. Though, in that short amount of time, the knowledge he's gained has been invaluable for his career.
"I help paint and do maintenance checks of the boats. I have also participated in a lot of hands-on training that can only further me in my development," Smith said. "I couldn't have asked for a better station to be a part of. We have great camaraderie here and great leaders to learn from."
Unlike Smith, petty officer Joe Westwood has been at the station three years and is one of several coxswains, which is Coast Guard lingo for a boat driver. He is a member of the station's Search and Rescue unit.
"This is a great learning station, especially for those looking to become a crew member of a boat. Because of our location, it's also a chance to interact with many important agencies and understand how we work with one another," Westwood said. "For new guys coming in I think it's important to get as many qualifications as you can. Figure out what you want and just pursue it vigorously."
Hagen, who joined the Coast Guard shortly after high school, will soon be taking command of a station in Honolulu, Hawaii. His change of command takes place July 12. Though, before leaving his station and JBAB community for the rich waters of the Pacific, he has one very special thank you he wants to share.
"I can't say enough about the relationship we have here with our DoD, Air Force and Navy folks. This joint base has been a true support network to us," Hagen said. "They opened up their services to us like we were their own. I'm truly grateful for everything they've done for us."