Week 9

With the safety of the Panama Canal in jeopardy, a multinational force descends on the area with the objective of keeping the waterway secure.

The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk and her crew joined nine other nations and the U.S. Navy during this years Panamax exercise. Sailors from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama, and Peru all participated.

The crew of the Mohawk trained early this week with a member of the Coast Guard's International Training Division to refresh their skills. They practiced handcuffing techniques, went over their use of force policy, and drilled on the proper way to enter spaces.

By the time they did their first boarding of Panamax they were a fine precision machine that completed their sweeps of the high interest vessels and left the ships secure and of no threat to the Canal.

On their second Panamax boarding the crew had the added disadvantage of a language barrier. The boarding team after only one previous boarding together handled this like a team that had worked together for many years. The team stuck to their plans and kept everything moving at a steady and safe pace until the mission was completed and they could return to the Mohawk.

With exercises like Panamax and numerous nations learning and working together, they form a relationship that helps when a real threat actually surfaces. Panamax may have ended but the mission and the need to keep the Panama Canal safe and secure will continue for a long time to come.

Photos

Coast Guard Fireman Lance L. Seibert investigates a fire in the laundry room during a drill on the CGC Mohawk in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 28, 2006.

The Mohawk's boarding team departs a vessel participating in Panamax in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Matthew A. Jones (left) and Petty Officer Third Class Jorge Caraballo (right) work on the davit for the over the horizon small boat on the CGC Mohawk in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 27, 2006.

Coast Guard Seaman Joshua S. Klunder (left) practices handcuff techniques on Petty Officer Third Class Timothy J. Wilson (right) during training on the CGC Mohawk in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 27, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Aaron C. Harris checks the crew's living spaces during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class John Smithers investigates the engine room of a suspicious vessel during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Daniel Gray relays the teams progress as he watches the CGC Mohawk during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class John Smithers checks the focsle of a suspicious vessel during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Members of the CGC Mohawk's boarding team investigate the deck of a vessel during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Stacey W. Tate (left) and Petty Officer First Class Anthony L. Garmany (right) prepare to tactically enter a space during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Stuart L. Ellington (left) relays orders to the boarding team as Ensign William W. Belcher listens during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Anthony L. Garmany climbs the Jacobs ladder during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

The CGC Mohawk's boarding team begins their initial sweep of a suspect vessel during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Aaron C. Harris climbs out of a hold as Petty Officer Third Class Bryan S. Lewis holds the hatch during a Panamax boarding in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 29, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Elmer V. Gloner screws the top back onto the sea strainer in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 20, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Justin E. McLaury fights a simulated fire in the laundry room during a drill on the CGC Mohawk in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 28, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Benjamin W. Childers works on the throttle of the CGC Mohawk's over the horizon small boat in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 27, 2006.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Justin E. McLaury (right) and Petty Officer Third Class Aaron C. Harris fight a simulated fire in the laundry room during a drill on the CGC Mohawk in the Caribbean Sea near the Panama Canal on August 28, 2006.

Small boat engineers from the CGC Mohawk work on the over the horizon small boat as a Panamanian vessel provides security in Colon, Panama on August 26, 2006.