One of the most varied jobs in the United States Coast Guard is the rating of Port Security Officer. It is one that has assumed a larger role since the events of September 11th, 2001.
If you qualify and are selected for this program, you will receive special training in defensive combat, law enforcement, and general security issues. You will be instructed in classroom and in the field training to learn how to provide effective professional port and operational security. You will learn the need for intelligence data, port and operations security, communications, and other vital interests dealing with waterside and shore side security.
Some of your duty will include risk and threat assessment, various types of cargo and ship inspections, port security planning and evaluation, and participating in finding where the vulnerabilities lay in the operation of a port. Some of the possible duty facilities may be at any of the Coast Guard facilities located stateside and around the world, or in support of other armed forces operations around the world. You could be detached and serve as a support inspection team at a DoD National Port operation here or overseas, or perhaps part of a Marine Safety Unit. You may also be assigned to be part of a Maritime Security and Safety Team, or MSST.
A MSST performs shore side, dockside and waterside inspection duties to support and defend the United States in Homeland Security training.
Training begins at the Basic School located in Cape May NJ. After Boot camp, you may attend class A school in Yorktown, VA, and then be assigned a duty station. To qualify for Port Security in the Coast guard you have to pass certain criteria:
-Normal Vision and hearing.
-Good agility and physical Strength.
-Average to above average intelligence.
-Good to average interpersonal skills.
This is a job that if you have any previous training in police, law enforcement or security it will help you considerably. You will be responsible to visiting incoming ships, up to and including the huge tank vessels. There are a large number of different laws and regulations that you will be responsible for administering, and it will be your task to inspect, evaluate, and sometimes sanction vessels and cargos incoming to a port. You will be likely assigned to a small boat inspection team, and travel by water to the side of many vessels, to board and inspect them upon their arrival.
