An Underutilized Counterinsurgency Asset
The U.S. Coast Guard
Daniel E. Ward
Low-intensity conflict and insurgency are not only the most prevalent emerging threats globally but they are also those most likely to shape the world construct over the next decade and beyond. As one considers how to deal with such conflicts, it should be highlighted that many of the world’s unstable areas most likely to be affected by insurgency are located in coastal nations. Consequently, the extensive experience of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) in conducting littoral missions, coupled with that service’s duality as both a military and a law-enforcement force, should make the USCG a logical choice as a key component of counterinsurgency (COIN) operations. However, its capabilities in that capacity have been seriously underappreciated and underutilized.
http://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/May-June-2017/An-Underutilized-Counterinsurgency-Asset-The-US-Coast-Guard/
