The effort for this Inauguration was spread across many sites and commands. Embedded within the Joint Task Force National Capital Region, blue suits stood out from a sea of green and brown as Coast Guardsmen became part of so many ceremonial aspects, from escorting dignitaries to planning logistics for special events. The Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard participated live in the day’s ceremonies, and the Coast Guard band delivered a virtual performance as part of the historic inauguration parade, having recorded the music a week earlier. A Coast Guard lieutenant commander escorted Jennifer Lopez at the Capitol. Closer to home, multiple cutters, safety and security units, the National Strike Force, and other Coast Guard commands participated in the multi-agency operation keeping the eight-day event safe. The service’s footprint was felt throughout the week’s events. Coast Guardsmen wore many uniforms, served on different platforms, in different locations and had different responsibilities, but the one thing common to all participants: a plain black mask. Petty Officer 2nd Class Frank Polinik, a reserve maritime enforcement specialist at Coast Guard Station Washington, patrols the shoreline of the Potomac River in Washington with an officer from the U.S. Secret Service ahead of the 2021 Presidential Inauguration, Jan. 19. Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Emily Velez Active and Reserve crews team up to secure the 59th Presidential Inauguration By Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Hsieh, Lt. Colin Schuster, Lt.j.g. Sara Traylor, & Lt.j.g. Eric Zupan, Sector Maryland-National Capital Region The crew of Sector Maryland-National Capital Region is often called upon to support National Special Security Events. These events, designated by the Department of Homeland Security, require increased security and coordination across federal, state, and local law enforcement and emergency management agencies. Two of the most consistent NSSEs in the area are presidential inaugurations and annual State of the Union. When these events occur, personnel from Sector staff an incident management team, establish safety and security zones in local waterways, and staff interagency coordination centers. All NSSEs bring specific challenges; however, this year’s 59th Presidential Inauguration was incredibly unique due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, national discord, the events at the Capitol Jan. 6, 2021, and the presence of significant domestic threats. Even when wholly engaged under normal circumstances, the Sector’s active component cannot efficiently execute a trifecta of planning processes without help. Those processes include: 34 RESERVIST � Issue 1 • 2021 planning with the Military District of Washington for coordinating consequence management, working with our interagency partners in leading maritime security response operations, and managing the Incident Command System planning process to construct an incident action plan. As such, Reserve component support is always integral to the successful execution of the service’s mission. In all, 34 reservists from the Sector (and its subordinate units) and three reservists from Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia responded to the call. Together, these reservists comprised more than half of the IMT’s positions. In the months leading up to the event, reservists worked and trained in preparation to fill positions in every section of the IMT. To fully staff the incident and prevent exposure to the coronavirus, the ICP was split across two locations. The command post was set up at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, and the forward operating base was set up at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington D.C. The Sector also leveraged
