Overview
- The Coast Guard, which announced the move Wednesday, will centralize its deployable specialized forces under a new Special Missions Command.
- The command is slated for commissioning around Oct. 1, 2026 at the Coast Guard’s C5I Service Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia.
- It will bring together Maritime Security Response Teams, Tactical Law Enforcement Teams, Maritime Safety and Security Teams, Port Security Units, Regional Dive Lockers, and the National Strike Force.
- The new structure replaces split oversight by Atlantic and Pacific Area commanders with a single functional commander to standardize training, improve readiness, and speed decisions for high‑risk missions.
- The service requested FY2027 resources, including 130 personnel and about $20.8 million, to establish the command as demand for counterterrorism, drug interdiction, port security, and crisis response grows.