comdtinst m16114.32c - U.S. Coast Guard

Part 2 – Operations and Missions
Chapter 5 – Mission Types
Authorities
G.2. Authorities
Authorities governing PWCS missions are outlined in References (d),
(qq), (rr), and (ss).
Definitions
G.3. Patrol
The purpose of a patrol is to maintain varied and unpredictable presence
and increased awareness in order to detect, deter, and/or disrupt the
surveillance, planning, and/or execution of activities by terrorists in the
maritime domain. Increased presence also enhances the USCG’s
readiness to respond to events or suspicious activity and to mitigate the
consequences of a maritime Transportation Security Incident (TSI). The
goal of patrol activity is to:
(01) Deter unlawful activity.
(02) Detect unlawful activity.
(03) Preempt or interdict unlawful activity.
(04) Maintain organizational situational awareness.
Patrol and presence activities should be conducted by a mix of air,
surface, and shore assets when possible in order to make USCG presence
less predictable and to expand our awareness and visibility of both the
water and shoreside approaches to Maritime Critical Infrastructure and
Key Resources (MCI/KR).
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