Coast Guard RAID Team

Many are surprised to learn that the United States Navy provided a lot of service members to the Afghan War. One of the biggest contributors from the U.S. Navy was the Navy SEALs that worked in conjunction with other U.S. special operations forces. The Navy also had a number of individuals working at ISAF headquarters in Kabul and throughout the regional commands. The Navy even provided advisors to some of the Afghan National Civil Order Police (ANCOP) kandaks throughout the country - how they were chosen for the task of advising police SWAT units is beyond comprehension.

 Even more surprising, however, is the fact that the U.S. Coast Guard deployed small RAID Teams to the Afghan conflict for many years. One can only imagine, with the name of "Coast Guard RAID Team", of small Coast Guard crews armed to the teeth wearing body armor plying the Kabul River in their 25-foot Defender Class Boats in support of Special Operations units of the SOJTF-A conducting night raids. This class boat has a reinforced bow, full shock mitigating seating, large cabin and LED navigation lights. It will speed along at a fast rate of speed with its 450 HP engine . (1).

But wait . . . what exactly does "RAID" stand for? The acronym is the short form for "Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment". Oh . . .

Since 2003 over two hundred Coast Guard personnel have deployed to Afghanistan as members of these RAID Teams where they inspected cargo shipping containers to make sure the containers are serviceable and seaworthy and to ensure that all requirements and regulations are followed. These inspections helped to eliminate delays in shipping of material and equipment back to the states - an important part of the retrograde operation. The last RAID Team redeployed from Afghanistan in the spring of 2015.

Coast Guardsman Petty Officer 2nd Class Albertico Vargas of the United States Coast Guard Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment Team 13 climbs on top of a container in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Vargas, a native of Philadelphia, checks the container for seaworthiness and structural integrtiy before sending the container back to the United States.   Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Monique LaRouche.

Training. RAID Team members received specialized training prior to deployment to Afghanistan to include  . . . training on DOD shipping procedures, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear explosive equipment training, combat first aid, army customs certification, advanced weapons training, and more. (2).

Videos about Coast Guard RAID Teams

December 10, 2013. "Coast Guard RAID". YouTube.com - AFN Afghanistan, 2 mins. PO2 Michael Callinan is interviewed about his job in Afghanistan.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu8e8UDvPs0

News Reports about Coast Guard RAID Teams

May 11, 2015. "Coast Guard ending ground inspections in Afghanistan". PilotOnline.com.

January 2015. "Should the USCG bring back the RAID Team?" RallyPoint.

June 30, 2012. "Coasties honored for work in war zone". Navy Times.

January 24, 2012. "Coast Guard RAIDS Afghanistan". Regional Command Southwest Press Room.

January 12, 2012. "The Coast Guard raids Afghanistan", DVIDS. The job of three U.S. Coast Guardsmen at Camp Leatherneck is described in this news release.

September 20, 2011. "RAID team helps Army get gear home safely". DVIDS. A RAID Team in Iraq is assisting in the movement of shipping containers back to the states.

September 9, 2011. "The RAID helps get containers home quickly, safely". DIVDS. The Coast Guard assists redeploying units at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.

Endnotes

1. See the Coast Guard data sheet for the 25-foot Defender.
 www.uscg.mil/datasheet/25rbs.asp)

2. For info on training of Coast Guard RAID Teams see a Coast Guard request for voluteers message dated 2008.
www.uscg.mil/history/ops/Wars/OEF/docs/OEF_RAID_VolMsg.pdf