Coast Guard

by Lori S. Stewart, USAICoE Command Historian

HUMINT IN OPERATION GTMO

On November 25, 1991, the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion arrived at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The battalion’s mission was to establish and manage camps for rescued Haitian migrants fleeing potential persecution in their native country. Part of the battalion’s deployed force for this humanitarian mission was Cpt. James A. Vick, Jr., and his nine-man S-2 Section.

On September 30, 1991, Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s government was overthrown during a military coup. In the ensuing months, more than 30,000 Haitian citizens attempted to reach Florida in small boats. The U.S. Coast Guard began rescuing boatloads of migrants in the Windward Passage between Haiti and Cuba, and by mid-November, it housed five hundred Haitians onboard two cutters anchored in Guantanamo Bay until decision makers in Washington, D.C. determined their fate. Meanwhile, Haitians continued to flee their island nation. On November 25, a U.S. Marine Corps-led joint task force (JTF) for Operation SAFE HARBOR was established at Guantanamo. Two days later, it became known as Operation GTMO.

The JTF soon had three compounds of Camp McCalla constructed and surrounded by barbed wire fences. The migrants disembarked from the cutters and moved into the camp, which had a total capacity of 12,500 temporary residents. Migrants were screened by Immigration and Naturalization Service agents. Those approved to enter the United States were moved to a separate camp to complete the immigration process. Meanwhile, the population of Camp McCalla continued to grow, as did fear, boredom, and discontent.

Vick, a 1987 graduate of William and Mary College who received his commission through the ROTC program, had previously deployed with the battalion to Panama for Operation JUST CAUSE and Saudi Arabia for Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM. In Cuba, he found conditions and attitudes in the camp almost as dangerous as in combat. He wrote, “Widespread discontent proved to be the biggest threat to the stability, security, and safety of both migrants and JTF personnel.” The key to diffusing potential hostile situations lay in human intelligence, but “[t]he cultural gap,” Vick wrote, “was the single largest obstacle to our intelligence effort.”

Vick had his staff circulate through the camps to learn a bit of the language and culture of the Haitians, but the S-2 Section relied heavily on the U.S. military’s Creole-speaking interpreters. During daily debriefings, a mutual sharing of information took place between the interpreters, Vick, the JTF J-2, the Naval Base’s intelligence staff, and the Coast Guard Intelligence Center. To disseminate information to the migrants, Vick’s section worked with the JTF’s 4th Psychological Operations Group, which published a daily newspaper and operated a radio station playing music and news in Creole.

As temperatures and tempers heated up, Vick implemented a swing shift to always have personnel on duty during the cooler evening hours of increased activity. Still, the section missed indications of simmering agitation that developed into a riot on 15 December, requiring the deployment of reinforcements. After the situation had calmed, Vick’s analysts worked with the J-2 to outline the commander’s Priority Intelligence Requirements (PIR) regarding discontent. He then disseminated an indicators card to all camp personnel, encouraging them to report relevant information to intelligence personnel immediately. Meanwhile, Army and Marine Corps counterintelligence agents developed informant networks and videotaped camp activities to identify malcontents, who were then isolated. These actions mitigated most of the trouble in the camp, but intelligence personnel and military police continued to monitor the situation.

By January 1992, Camp McCalla housed more than 11,000 migrants. Later that month, after the Supreme Court approved repatriation, the detained migrants and any new migrants picked up at sea began to be returned to Haiti. For the next six months, the number of detainees at the camp ebbed and grew depending on conditions in Haiti. By mid-June, however, Camp McCalla began to be dismantled, and it closed completely on July 10.

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MANAMA, Bahrain – Task Group (TG) 59.1 conducted the third iteration of exercise Digital Talon in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Nov. 5.

Known as Digital Talon 3.0, the exercise tested the electronic and mechanical effectiveness of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS), the capabilities of over-the-horizon communications between unmanned systems, and testing aerial autonomous launch and recovery of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) off a unmanned surface vessel (USV).

Lt. Luis Echeverria, commanding officer of TG 59.1, said Digital Talon 3.0 expanded the over-the-horizon capabilities of these unmanned systems.

“Under Digital Talon 3.0 we were able to test the remote launch of a loitering munition, and vertical take-off and landing of UAVs from a USV,” said Echeverria. “These evolutions resulted in the successful remote launch of a loitering munition at sea.”

Commander, Special Operations Forces Central Command, the Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Devastator (MCM 6) and the U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) also participated in Digital Talon 3.0.

The first Digital Talon exercise, held in October 2023, and the second iteration a month later, advanced lethality and kinetic applications for unmanned systems. Digital Talon 3.0 examined more advanced tactics, according to TG 59.1’s executive officer, Royal Navy Lt. Samuel Hendy.

“As with all pioneering ventures and first-of-its-kind feats, there are plenty of challenges to overcome, lessons to be analyzed, but we are a learning organization and it all combines to further benefit 5th Fleets’ understanding and employment of this state-of-the-art warfare,” Hendy said. “If there is one thing we can take away, Digital Talon 3.0 affirms that the U.S. Navy, as well as her partner nations, remains at the forefront of cutting-edge unmanned system integration and deployment.”

Established in January 2024, Task Group 59.1, dubbed “The Pioneers,” tests industry solutions and focuses on the operational deployment of unmanned systems teamed with manned operators to bolster maritime security across the Middle East region. TG 59.1 reports directly to Task Force 59, the Navy’s first Unmanned and Artificial Intelligence Task Force. TF 59 integrates unmanned systems and artificial intelligence with maritime operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East region. It has tested, upgraded, evolved and operated with more than 23 different unmanned systems.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean. This expanse, comprising 21 nations, includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb.

Drill teams have represented the U.S. military for hundreds of years, displaying strict discipline and excellence as they expertly spin, maneuver and pass rifles, typically equipped with a bayonet. As the teams prepare to support the presidential inauguration, they came together Nov. 19, 2024, to demonstrate their skills during an Honor Guard/Drill Team Showcase at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia.

Honor Guard and drill teams representing the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines and Space Force all participated in the 2-hour event, each presenting a routine for Joint Task Force-National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) leadership and local media organizations.

“It’s truly impressive, the Honor Guard and the drill teams, they are truly disciplined,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Don Bevis, the deputy commanding general of JTF-NCR. “They have outstanding military bearing, they look super sharp and we’re also privileged to have all the services here today.”

“It’s been a tradition for the U.S. military to support (the inauguration), so it’s a real honor and our privilege to be part of the (inauguration) and demonstrate the professionalism of our troops. It’s our opportunity to show the nation their professional forces as we recognize our commander in chief as the civilian leader, and pay honor and tribute to that individual.”

U.S. Space Force Guardians opened the event presenting the Colors. Because the service is still very young, a drill team has not been established, but the Honor Guard will still represent the service during the inaugural parade and this showcase was a chance for them to continue to practice their skills in front of an audience.

Following the opening presentation, the U.S. Army Drill Team, the U.S. Coast Guard Silent Drill Team, U.S. Air Force Honor Guard’s Drill Team, U.S. Navy Ceremonial Drill Team and the U.S. Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon, respectively, performed a routine. Each performance varied in personnel and intensity to represent each branch’s unique talents.

“I think (seeing the other drill teams) makes us better because challenges and competition help breed excellence and continue performance and improvement,” stated U.S. Navy Lt. Stephen Acevedo, the operations officer with the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Drill Team. “If we see how another drill team is performing and we’re like, ‘Wow, we need to step up our game,’ and we take that energy back to where we practice, and we improve our performance.”

Only the best members from each service are selected to perform on drill teams as an additional part of their time on Honor Guard. They primarily support ceremonial events, including military funerals.

“At the end of the day, we do the drill performance for the crowds to raise awareness and to try to get them excited about the U.S. military, but our primary duty is in Arlington National Cemetery and performing ceremonies,” explained U.S. Navy Seaman Aiden Apel with the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Drill Team. “Being a part of the inauguration is a huge honor for me because it is not something a lot of people that are in my shoes even get to do. The inauguration is every four years and we serve for two years, so for it to fall on that time period is a great honor and I’m excited I get to be a part of it.”

While the showcase allowed these teams to be visible for a small audience, they will display the highest standards expected of service members when the public gathers in Washington to recognize the 47th commander in chief during the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.