Container Inspection Training

Container Inspection Training and Assistance Team is one of the most important units working for the United States Coast Guard. The unit consists of highly trained professionals. They are responsible for inspecting the containers containing dangerous and hazardous substances, but also for transporting them at sea or some other isolated places for destruction. It is one of the riskiest missions the United States Coast Guard deals with. These experts are hosted in Oklahoma, at the aeronautical center Mike Monroney.

Mission

Container Inspection Training has multiple objectives in the particular armed force it is part of. First of all, the unit has a training mission. It is responsible for training all the young aspirants who opt for this course. There are multiple courses and fields the students can opt for at Coast Guard Academy or Coast Guard Institute. According to their preferences, they might end up in front of these experts for severe and dangerous training missions.

On another hand, the unit doesn’t just turn regular people into professionals, but it is also a great leader that will enlighten all the students on how things are done. The unit consists of professors, but also of actual experts that will go out there and deal with the hazardous and harmful substances. Their mission is to inspect all the containers presenting suspicious signs. If things turn out to be dangerous, the containers must be carefully handled and taken away in isolated areas for destruction or deposit. In most of the cases, they are taken at sea.

The facilities on site are just as important for the members of Container Inspection Training, especially for those who are married and choose to relocate with their families. The purpose of this unit is not as military compared to other units, so the risks are a bit lower from this point of view. They are free to bring in their families, which can accommodate extremely easy. The same rule applies for the civilian personnel working on site.

History

Container Inspection Training doesn’t have a very long history. It is one of the youngest units in the United States Coast Guard. Its beginnings date back to 1994. It all started with a program that targeted all the containers reaching the United States of America, whether they were marked as containing hazardous substances or not. In order to set up things tighter and make them easier to be observed, the authorities also decided to create a unit to be responsible for this program.

Container Inspection Training began with slight inspection operations, but over the years, its mission included multiple aspects, such as explosive handling. It also developed a comprehensive training course for the young aspirants. It works in a tight collaboration with many other agencies or units, such as the MASFO or the DOD. When dealing with particular cases, the institution gets in touch with other similar units. There are specific substances or cases that require more than just a team of professionals. First, there is the bureaucratic work, then there is the need for extra equipments.