As the Iraqi Navy assumes the lead role for maritime security in Iraqi territorial waters, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to work with Iraqi Sailors and Marines to assist and advise them on maritime law enforcement tactics and procedures, as part of the Coalition Naval and Advisory Training Team (CNATT) at Umm Qasr, Iraq
For roughly five years, the CNATT has been working with the Iraqi Visit, Board, Search and Seizure program at Umm Qasr, and in that time has produced nearly 850 Iraqi Sailors and Marines capable of enforcing maritime law within Iraq.
"It has been a struggle at times to build the foundations of the Iraqi VBSS program from scratch, but through persistence and steadfast determination, the Iraqis appear to have finally achieved the minimal essential competencies necessary to perform the various maritime duties demanded of them," said USCG Lt. Michael Gulla, a VSSB training officer.
Today, the USCG mission has shifted into an advising role. The early successes enjoyed by the USCG are recognized by the Iraqi Navy's full assumption of responsibilities for the Khawr Abd Allah River patrols, boarding of deep draft oil tankers and the Southern Oil Company tug boats at the oil platforms, and the patrols of its sovereign territorial waters.
The continually growing Iraqi maritime security presence has not gone unnoticed.
"I am witnessing an increase in maritime commercial traffic over the last two years, which is a good sign," Gulla said. "This rise in commerce comes thanks to an increase in security, which is a derivative of all of our efforts here."
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