To better prepare for evolving threats and complex national missions, the Coast Guard is standing up the Special Missions Command (CG SMC) to bring the service’s deployable specialized forces (DSF) under a single operational leader.
Demand for Coast Guard specialized forces in joint and interagency operations is at an all-time high and continues to grow. The CG SMC will streamline how we man, train, equip, and deploy these units, notes Commandant, Adm. Kevin Lunday, ensuring they are ready to respond quickly to national emergencies, maritime security threats, and complex operations at home and abroad.
“The creation of the Special Missions Command is a vital evolution for our service,” Lunday, said. “We are forging our most elite operators into a single, razor-sharp instrument of national power. This is not an administrative change; it is an investment ensuring these elite teams are ready to protect the Homeland and support the Joint Force.”
The new command will be based at the Coast Guard C5I Service Center facility in Kearneysville, West Virginia. It will report to the Commandant through the Deputy Commandant for Operations and will and attain initial operating capability by October 2026, with the following units:
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Maritime Security Response Teams (MSRT), which serve as the Coast Guard’s first responders to maritime terrorism and other high-risk threats. They are equipped to conduct the nation’s most critical maritime security and defense operations at home or abroad, either with partner law enforcement agencies or with joint services.
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Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST) rapidly deployable boat teams that provide port, waterway, and coastal security capability to safeguard the public, protect the marine transportation system, and respond to maritime crime, sabotage, and terrorist activity.
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Port Security Units (PSU), which provide shoreside and waterborne security including point defense of strategic shipping, designated critical infrastructure, and high value assets in joint and combined expeditionary warfare environments.
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Regional Dive Lockers (RDL), which provide dedicated undersea capabilities for a variety of missions. These missions include ensuring the security of ports and waterways, maintaining aids to navigation, and conducting ship maintenance and repair, often in extreme environments like the remote polar regions.
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National Strike Force (NSF), which provides highly trained technical experts and specialized equipment to help the Coast Guard and other federal agencies prepare for and respond to the most complex crises and natural disasters, including oil and hazardous substances, and chemical, biological, radiation, and nuclear incidents. The NSF is poised for immediate response with three strike teams as well as teams to assist federal on-scene coordinators and incident commanders with incident management and public information.
Additional units, capabilities and functions may be incorporated into the new CG SMC in the future.
A modern command for modern threats
DSF units are currently split between Atlantic and Pacific Area, with administrative and operational control shared by the two area commanders. Consolidating these forces under CG SMC will create a more unified and agile command as the Coast Guard adapts to emerging threats, new technologies, intensified border security, large-scale contingencies, and national special security events, like the upcoming America 250 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The DSF are key to maintaining our competitive edge as the nation’s finest maritime fighting force and crisis leaders, notes Capt. Robert Berry, SMC Pre-Commissioning Team leader.
“The Coast Guard has always turned to its specialized forces to respond to national threats and disasters,” he said. “Establishing this command is the natural next step to enabling our forces to lead the way at the tip of the spear.”
The CG SMC is an investment in our specialized forces, designed to increase professionalism and readiness to rapidly respond to emerging national threats. It will bring improved training programs, professionalize officer and enlisted career paths, and optimize the command and communications structure, enabling operators to support Coast Guard, DHS, and national security missions. With the Coast Guard’s projected growth, there will be new opportunities for DSF assignments, to include our Reserve Component, in support of law enforcement, defense operations, maritime security, marine environmental response, and emergency management.
Stay informed
The new command will be set up in phases over the next year, so stay tuned for more information and ways to get involved. You can find updates on the SMC PRECOMDET page on the Office of Specialized Capabilities (CG-721) SharePoint site.
More details are included in ALCOAST 051/26.
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