Media Availability: U.S. Coast Guard, Navy to discuss joint operation to expand port-wide recovery capabilities after major storms

Media Availability

U.S. Coast Guard 5th District Mid-Atlantic Contact: 5th District Public Affairs Office: (757) 398-6272 After Hours: (757) 295-8435 5th District online newsroom

U.S. Coast Guard, Navy to discuss joint operation to expand port-wide recovery capabilities after major storms

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Who: Coast Guard Capt. Samson Stevens, Sector Commander and Captain of the Port for Virginia, and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Joe Navarre, Operations Officer for HSC-2

What: To discuss the interagency work between the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to ensure port resiliency after a hurricane

Where: USCG Base Portsmouth: 4000 Coast Guard Blvd, Portsmouth, VA

When: Monday, September 14, 2020, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Media interested in attending can RSVP with Coast Guard Fifth District Public Affairs at d5de@uscg.mil.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy will be available for interview September 14, 2020, at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth to discuss the interagency work between the DHS and DOD to ensure port resiliency after a hurricane.

The Coast Guard and Navy conducted a joint overflight operation to assess and expand port-wide hurricane recovery capabilities Wednesday at the Port of Virginia.

On this overflight, Coast Guard Capt. Samson Stevens, the Captain of the Port of Virginia, and Navy pilots from Helicopter Seacombat Squadron Two surveyed the port and strengthened recovery capabilities critical to the Maritime Transportation System and national security.

Following a hurricane, robust port-wide recovery efforts are vital to the reopening and resuming commerce in the region. In the Hampton Roads region alone, the port of Virginia generates approximately $250 million in revenue per day, bolstering the national economy. Nationwide, the Maritime Transportation System generates $5.4 trillion in annual economic activity and supports 23 million jobs.

As home to the world’s largest naval base, reopening the waterways is also critical for national defense and security. The partnership with the Navy brings additional strengths to the regional team, ensuring the free movement of both commercial vessels and the military.

Operations in a port environment are only possible through strong partnerships at all levels of government and business. The Port of Virginia’s Maritime Transportation System is adaptive and resilient through all types of disasters and disruptions, largely due to the strong partnerships amongst federal and local stakeholders. 

“The Navy and Coast Guard work extraordinarily well in this complicated port region, and this test of joint port recovery capability is a continuation of many years of outstanding collaboration and coordination among our two great Services,” said Stevens.

The Coast Guard and Navy frequently partner to support training, missions, and contingency planning exercises to strengthen the region’s capabilities. This overflight highlights the strengths of inter-agency coordination and showcases the importance of partnerships that support the East Coast’s second largest port.

-USCG-