The September 11th attack
Coast Guard calls up reservists

By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer

The Coast Guard yesterday said 31 reservists from the 14th District were called to active duty for service around the Islands within a week of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

More than one-third of the Coast Guard's 2,800 reservists nationwide have been activated to bolster security.

"We're such a small organization, in order to meet the requirements for homeland security, we had to recall one-third (of reservists) to do it," said Coast Guard spokeswoman Lt. Desarae Atnip.

News of the call-up comes as earlier activations of other reserve and National Guard units are being revealed. The Pentagon on Tuesday said 172 Hawai'i Air National Guardsmen were called up to active duty at Wheeler Army Airfield on Oct. 1.

The Coast Guard said the reservists are augmenting active-duty crews with operational and support roles in performing water security, vessel inspection, search and rescue, investigations and as members of the joint armed services staff.

Three cutters, including 378-foot, 110-foot and 225-foot ships, have been patrolling the waters in and around the state along with a number of patrol boats that are 65 feet or less. The Coast Guard is working with the FBI, Customs and a number of other agencies.

"We're so familiar with the boats that come in and out of Hawai'i, when we don't recognize one, we'll board it," Atnip said. "Anything out of the ordinary is what we're looking for."

Unlike Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force reservists, who are organized into large units that deploy as a group, most Coast Guard reservists train and drill with Coast Guard field units, and blend in with active-duty forces.

The Coast Guard is the smallest of the five armed services, with an active-duty force of less than 36,000. About 1,000 active-duty members serve in Hawai'i.