South China Sea. (June 12, 2023): As tensions between America and China are at an all-time high, one of the most overlooked players in this overseas drama is the U.S. Coast Guard. In this photo by Chief Petty Officer Brett Cote, Coast Guard Cutter Stratton Sailors Petty Officer 2nd Class Jorden Santos (foreground) and Petty Officer 2nd Class Valerie Foreman retrieve a “man overboard” mannequin from the water during a search and rescue exercise with the Philippine and Japanese coast guards in the South China Sea. The Stratton deployed to the Western Pacific to participate in a multi-day trilateral engagement between their respective Coast Guards under the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet.

Many Americans do not realize the scope of America’s Coast Guard operations in foreign waters. The Coast Guard maintains a forceful presence in the Indo-Pacific conducting surveillance, drug interdictions, and participating in free navigation of the seas exercise with the U.S. Navy.

The Coast Guard has three permanent international units with Patrol Forces Southwest Asia being its largest outside of the United States. By regularly training with their Philippine and Japanese counterparts, America’s Coast Guard will be ready to confront whatever dangers may lie ahead in the South China Sea.