ALASKA COAST GUARDSMAN RETURNS HOME FROM DUTY IN IRAQ FOR HOLIDAYS

	Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Seventeenth District

Press Release	Date: Nov. 20, 2007 Contact: Petty Officer Sara Francis Phone: (907) 271.2660 Petty Officer Kip Wadlow Phone: (757) 398-6272
ALASKA COAST GUARDSMAN RETURNS HOME FROM DUTY IN IRAQ FOR HOLIDAYS
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Many of Alaska's military men and women continue to serve their country overseas. Sunday, Coast Guard Marine Science Technician Second Class Craig Sears returned to Anchorage after completing a six month tour of duty as part of the Coast Guard's supporting role in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Sears was a member of the Coast Guard Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment (RAID) VI team tasked with assisting the U.S. Army in ensuring the safe and expedient redeployment of containerized cargo and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) returning from OIF and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Sears team was assigned to Army Re-deployable Support Teams (RST) where their work included training Army Unit Movement Officers (UMO) and Hazardous Material Officers. Their role often involved working at Forward Operating Bases (FOB) situated in combat zones. RAID efforts have proven indispensable to the smooth transition of DOD containers, equipment, vehicles and personnel gear returning from Iraq. RAID VI played an integral role inspecting cargo slated for redeployment and ensured a wide variety of safety/HAZMAT discrepancies were corrected prior to shipping. Cargo can be very vulnerable to tampering; either to disrupt commerce and operations or covertly transfer un-manifested goods. Sears served as one of the RAID Team Inspectors forward deployed to multiple temporary missions at various Forward Operating Bases. Sears demonstrated outstanding knowledge of container inspection and assisted Army personnel in creating flawless HAZMAT paperwork to reduce frustrations at the port. Sears lived within a wide variety of conditions, including a royal palace, rat infested containers and a mausoleum. At all Forward Operating Bases, he experienced constant mortar and rocket attacks while conducting missions. Some locations had great living quarters and showers. In other locations, it was not uncommon to stand in a half-foot of muddy water and mud while showering. Regardless of sustained sub-civilized conditions, RAID members never complained. During Sears tour the Raid VI team accomplished a variety of goals and operations including: First Coast Guard team to augment the 332nd Terminal Transportation Battalion (TTB) at the Seaport of Debarkation (SPOD), where HAZMAT containers meet regulation guidelines before being uploaded onto vessels for shipment. RAID VI reviewed and corrected over 1700 shipping documents, conducted over 1044 Hazardous Material Container inspections and examined documentation specifics on 1294 rolling stock and 2263 containers. RAID VI assisted US Army's 10th Mountain Unit with redeployment from Afghanistan, clearing over 700 containers. In conjunction with the Army 403rd Inland Cargo Transfer Company (ICTC) and Navy Customs, created a joint team to cover containers coming through Balad, Iraq. Coordinated a Memorandum of Agreement between all DOD players at the Balad Central Receiving and Shipping Point (CRISP) yard, resulting in a reduction to frustrated cargo coming through Kuwait. Provided courtesy Custom Seaworthy Container (CSC) inspections to six different US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCT). Assisted the 1190th Deployable Support Brigade (DSB), providing CSC certification to over 1600 containers. RAID deployed additional members to Manas, Kyrgystan in support of OEF were they found over 600 containers that were not inspected for CSC and could not be loaded until done. The RAID team literally travelled for 24 hours, landed and began work immediately so that the DOD loaders could stay on schedule. These inspections were indispensable, ensuring the reduction of frustrated containers in the redeployment process. RAID assisted over 1500 DOD members and trained over 1000 members on HAZMAT, CSC and Customs. RAID efforts resulted in over 6000 DOD containers and rolling stock being inspected for CSC, Customs or HAZMAT. Sears was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, GWOT Expeditionary Medal, and the Iraq Campaign Medal. Sears is a resident of Plattsburgh, New York. For a photos of the ceremony click the links below: http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=194545 http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=193862 http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=193856
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