The nation’s capitol had its first major snowfall of the season Jan. 19, the day before the Inauguration, where security reportedly was tighter than ever before.
As early work dismissals due to weather and pre-inaugural festivities sent thousands of Washington workers pouring out of their offices and into their cars, they found themselves stuck for hours on slick roads.
But below the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Bridge, three SAFE boats from Station Washington carefully maneuvered through icy and choppy waters on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. With the coastline a white blur, the radio crackled with intensity as crews used advanced equipment to scan the shoreline and bridge supports.
BMC Alex Malaguti maneuvered the 25-foot boat outfitted with twin engines. Because of slick conditions on the deck, the cabin became a welcome refuge on this vitally important patrol.
“We’re practicing,” said Lt. j.g. Chris White. He was understandably cryptic about details given the level of security attached to the mission.
The GPS and radar screens glowed with color intensified by the virtual whiteout. They hovered alongside Haines Point in West Potomac Park. In the storm, “The Awakening”, a somewhat unusual statue of a 100-foot giant half-buried underground, was barely but eerily visible. Its 17-foot arm elicited some shared laughter inside the cabin. Outside, large snowflakes fell almost faster than the windshield wipers could remove them. The crew was snug in survival suits, the black and orange colors clearly visible even in the frosty weather. Even the gear required some learned dexterity. Just getting into the layered dry suit proved be a two-person evolution. White pointed out its benefits and tips on getting into the gear. The suit also provides welcome protection from just about every element, including an unexpected dip into the icy water, he said.
The radio crackled. “Station Washington, this is Activities Baltimore.”
The chief held his hand up, signaling for silence in the cabin. Malaguti relayed reports of protesters in Lady Bird Johnson Park. The Coast Guard was requested for a show of force. Deftly, he maneuvered the vessel toward the Virginia side of the river.
Twin 225-horsepower, four-stroke outboard engines allow the boats to reach speeds approaching 50 knots, and “they can turn on a dime,” changing direction at high speed. White said.
The speed allows the boats to race quickly across the area of responsibility, which reaches from Interstate 95 and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Alexandria, Va., past Reagan National Airport and the shoreline of the Pentagon, to the western edge of Georgetown. It also includes the Anacostia River, past the Washington Navy Yard and vitally important assets.
“This is not a boring job,” said White.
The temperature gauge registers 18 degrees. White and Malaguti are technically Florida residents, a fact that brings on some shared laughter. “Nice day for a river patrol,” said Malaguti, laughing heartily.
A crew of five was aboard practicing for the inauguration events. Three were reservists from Activities Baltimore. The crew was joined by two other vessels from MSST 91108. No stranger to events drawing special attention to the security of the capitol coastline, the Station Washington crews have sometimes borrowed boats and crew members from other units, occasionally using Title X reservists.
“Established in the wake of 9/11, we are a multi-mission station with a homeland security emphasis,” said White. “We have been fortunate in that our chain of command recognizes we sometimes need extra people for significant events involving national security.”
Even in the blustery weather, a lone boat puttered along in the Boundary Channel. Further down near the mouth of the Anacostia River, a cruise ship with twinkling white lights drifted to the starboard side of the boat. Crews always are alert for anything unusual, said White. Without going into many details, he said the inaugural mission used many capabilities, for which crew members have trained extensively.
The SAFE boat’s shallow draft–only 34 inches–allowed the crew to get in close to the shoreline, which snakes around the monuments, memorials and precious icons of American history.
“If need be, we have the authority to go ashore,” White said. “Most of our members are deputized.”
If the Potomac is iced over, crews can also conduct vehicle patrols, he said. Armed with 9 mm pistols, M-16 rifles and 12 gauge shotguns, they are highly trained in a variety of skills. Even the SAFE boats have fore and aft mounts for M-60 machine guns. But to keep things from becoming routine, crews avoid regularly-scheduled patrols.
“You don’t want to tip your hand,” said White.
And while Washington sees relatively few oceangoing vessels, it has plenty of local activity on its rivers including tug boats pulling construction barges, river cruise ships, rowing teams, and bass fishermen. Although the station is crewed by about 26 active duty members, it has been supplemented with reservists during the past year from such far-flung spots as Florida and North Carolina. About 75 crewmembers stand radio watch and conduct patrols. Division 1 and 14 auxiliarists also have been trained to stand radio watch and flotillas help extend the eyes and ears of the Coast Guard patrolling the river.
