Helping Coast Guard enhance port security.

• Author: Brand, Lois
• Position: Women in Defense

The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a security review of the nation's critical commercial and military seaports. "With more than 25,000 miles of navigable waterways and over 350 ports, the nation's maritime system presents one of our greatest security challenges," said Rear Adm. Richard E. Bennis, associate undersecretary of transportation for maritime and land security.

The Coast Guard has awarded a five-year contract worth up to $31 million to TRW Systems, of Reston, Va., to help with the review.

Under the contract, TRW is developing model port security guidelines, conducting assessments of at least 55 U.S. ports, and developing a port security self-assessment methodology to help local port officials evaluate and safeguard security conditions.

The program kicked off with reviews of the following cities: Boston; Portland, Maine; Portland, Ore.; San Diego; Detroit and three ports in Texas, Corpus Christi, Port Arthur and Beaumont.

"In the assessments, we are looking at all of the basic angles to determine how the port can most economically and quickly strengthen and enhance its security," explained Marie E. Danco, a TRW manager and a Women In Defense (WID) member.

Working with the Coast Guard, she said, TRW has assembled a ream of contractors and experts on maritime operations, strategic operations and critical infrastructure to provide an overall assessment. Representatives from a broad range of marine and security fields are working with Coast Guard liaison members. Each assessment team is led by a former U.S. Coast Guard captain of the port. Preliminary work has included the production of a pott portfolio to facilitate collection and analysis of data to produce the final report.

WID Interaction

Danco is managing director of the Horizons Foundation, WID's non-profit scholarship fund. She has served...