OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, US Coast Guard Photo

040407-C-7087B-003.jpgADEN, Yemen (April 7, 2004)-Members of the crew of a 44-foot Motor Life Boat (MILB) prepare to hoist their national flag during a boat commissioning ceremony for the Yemen Coast Guard Authority (YCGA). The YCGA received eight of these formerly decommissioned boats from the U.S. Coast Guard to serve as a foundation for the fleet. The U.S. Coast Guard refitted these boats and delivered them to Yemen. Additionally, U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Training Teams traveled to Yemen over the past 18 months to provide training for members of the nascent YCGA in such skills as small boat handling, engineering maintenance and engineering administration. Selected members of the YCGA were also sent to the USA where they were trained by Coast Guard instructors to become trainers back in Yemen. The mission of the YCGA will be to focus on maritime security and counter-terrorism. Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Central Command traveled to Aden to attend the event, and Coast Guard Rear Admiral Duncan C. Smith delivered remarks during the ceremony. The project to help train and develop began with the YCGA's foundation in February 2002 and should be completed by September 2004. USCG Photo by PA1 Matthew Belson