Homeland Security students from Monmouth University and Saint John’s University had the opportunity to tour the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York base located at Fort Wadsworth, in Staten Island, N.Y. Sector New York is tasked with protecting all maritime assets and vessels transiting the Port of New York-New Jersey.
John Comiskey, Ph.D., associate professor of criminal justice at Monmouth and a Coast Guard veteran, and Keith Cozine, Ph.D., professor of homeland security from Saint John’s University, were both present and helped organize the visit.
Upon arrival, students had the opportunity to sit through a Command Briefing where they learned about the many responsibilities the Coast Guard has in Sector New York.
On top of ship inspections, port security, and environmental protection, the Coast Guard also plays a key role in intelligence and counter terrorism operations. Following the Command Briefing, students had the opportunity to take part in an unclassified Intelligence
Briefing that provided insights into the threats and hazards that the maritime as well as the broader homeland security community faces.
In addition, students visited the Watch Center and the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) Center. Once foreign ships enter Sector New York’s Area of Responsibility, they contact the VTS who then directs the carrier ships safely to a port or anchorage.
Interestingly enough, the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ was monitored in the VTS center at Sector New York back in 2009. Coast Guard personnel from the VTS had to ensure no ships were on a collision course with U.S. Airways Flight 1549, which was stuck in the middle of the Hudson River. Following the command and intelligence briefings, the Homeland Security students from both universities were invited to dine with the Coast Guard at the galley. The movie Sully starring Tom Hanks was based on this ordeal. Not surprisingly, at least four students expressed interest in enlisting in the Coast Guard.
Comiskey said, “The Coast Guard is an integral component of homeland security. It has all the pieces: law enforcement, emergency management, counter terrorism, intelligence, environmental protection and much more.
The tour was a great opportunity for students to see firsthand the multiple opportunities that the Coast Guard has to offer.”
PHOTO TAKEN by Ryan Walsh
