The Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer specialty of Maritime Law Enforcement Specialist (MLES) is fairly new, tracing its origins to a June 2008 decision by USCG Commandant Thad Allen to establish a Maritime Enforcement rating (ME) that would tasked with a broad swath of law enforcement and security duties. In August, the Allen announced the CWO specialty, and said that the new rating and specialty would initially be filled with Coast Guard personnel from the Port Security Specialist rating.
The amount of training necessary for a Marine Enforcement Specialist to advance enough to be considered as a candidate to become a MLES is considerable. In addition to several courses on Maritime Enforcement basics and Leadership principles, candidates will know the intricacies of boarding vessels (both as a boarding team member and as a leader) and will be highly acquainted with the tactical skills necessary to operate a high-speed patrol boat. Thoroughgoing knowledge of the maritime industry, international maritime laws, and the complex legal framework surrounding maritime law enforcement must also be mastered.
But much of this training will come on the job as ME Guardsmen are deployed with a broad array of Coast Guard units, including Tactical Law Enforcement Teams (TACLETs), Maritime Security Response Teams (MSRTs), and Port Security Units, to name a few.
The collar device worn by Chief Maritime Law Enforcement Specialists is a diamond with an iconic law enforcement badge placed in its center; on the badge is the Coast Guard shield.
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