PACIFIC AREA
Alameda, California
Area Command Staff
Pacific Area Overview
Pacific Area (PACAREA) is the Coast Guard’s regional command element and
force provider for maritime safety, security, and stewardship in the
Pacific. PACAREA’s Area of Responsibility encompasses six of the seven
continents, 71 countries, and more than 74 million square miles of ocean --
from the U.S. Western States to Asia, and from the Arctic to Antarctica.
The Coast Guard first established its presence in the San Francisco Bay Area
in 1848. The Revenue Cutter Lawrence was dispatched to the area as the
federal government's representative to sustain maritime order during the
California Gold Rush. Today, PACAREA headquarters is located on Coast Guard
Island in Alameda, California, across the bay from the Revenue Cutter
Lawrence’s homeport of San Francisco.
“We protect those on the sea, we protect America from threats delivered by
sea, and we protect the sea itself.” –Admiral Robert J. Papp, Jr., 24th
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
The men and women of PACAREA conduct a vast array of daily operations in
support of the Coast Guard’s statutory missions. PACAREA units can be found
conducting search and rescue on the high seas, patrolling the Eastern
Pacific to combat illicit smuggling, enforcing fisheries regulations in the
U.S. Exclusive Economic Zones, and protecting our nation’s critical
infrastructure.
PACAREA is made up of the 11th, 13th, 14th, and 17th Coast Guard Districts
and employs more than 13,000 active duty and reserve members, Coast Guard
Auxiliarists, and civilian employees.
PACAREA operational assets include:
-3 National Security Cutters
-8 High Endurance Cutters
-4 Medium Endurance Cutters
-3 Polar Ice Breakers
-29 Patrol Boats
-12 Buoy Tenders
-11 Sectors
-10 Air Stations
-13 HC-130 Fixed-Wing Aircraft
-26 HH-65 Dolphin Helicopters
-13 HH-60 Jayhawk Helicopters
PACAREA also oversees the Coast Guard Deployable Operations Group (DOG). The
DOG is the force manager for the Coast Guard’s Deployable Specialized Forces
(DSFs), which include the National Strike Force, Tactical Law Enforcement
Teams, Port Security Units, and Maritime Safety and Security Teams.