International humanitarian exercise underway in local waters

Our own Coast Guard District 13 this week is hosting Exercise Pacific Unity off Port Angeles and in Seattle this week, joined by various Coast Guards from nations around the North Pacific.

The exercise includes vessel from Japan, Russia and Canada, whils two members of the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum, China and South Korea, have sent observers.

Vessels, like the Russian Border Guard Vessel Vorovskiy, in the above Coast Guard photo taken while it was en route to the three-day exercise, will be coordinating search and rescue exercises, aids to navigation, law enforcement and security operations. Crews will have a chance to get together in some social and cultural activities as well, Coast Guard officials said.

Check out more info and photos at District 13s Web site.

Local Coast Guard hosts a convention of humanitarians in Port Angeles/Seattle

The Coast Guard will host an international, humanitarian service training exercise from in the Port Angeles and Seattle areas from Aug. 24 to 27.

The exercise is being conducted in support of the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum (NPCGF), an international partnership of Coast Guard-like agencies from Japan, Russian, China, South Korea, Canada and the U.S., a press release from Seattle-based Coast Guard District 13 said.

Ships from Japan, Canada, China and Russia as well as security personnel from South Korea are scheduled to participate in the various events. They are slated to visit and operate out of Port Angeles next Monday, Aug. 24, and to travel to Seattle Wed., Aug. 26.

The training, named Pacific Unity, brings humanitarian professionals from the forum nations to train on aids-to-navigation, search and rescue, and maritime security operations, the Coast Guard said.