Like the Navy, the US Coast Guard has mission commitments that span the globe. Its newest cutter classes deliver greatly improved capability, which should translate to a commensurate leap in the Coast Guard’s ability to fulfill overseas missions.__41__ , unlike the Navy, the Coast Guard lacks the robust network of overseas bases and fleet of auxiliary ships to support forward-deployed forces. Cutters also tend to operate independently rather than in groups, and so often they must rely solely on __42__ is on board when something goes wrong. For the Coast Guard to fulfill the increasing demand for presence around the world and fully realize the potential of its modernized fleet, the current expeditionary logistics model needs to evolve. Cutters must be better equipped to sustain themselves __43__ , and they need more efficient means of in-theater logistics support to contend with the myriad challenges that otherwise will inhibit their operational readiness.

       From its modest start as “a few armed vessels judiciously stationed at the entrances of our ports,” the Coast Guard __44__a multilayered “trident of forces” with a global range of maritime security, law enforcement, and humanitarian assistance missions. From 2020 to the present, most of the major cutter fleet has deployed from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to patrol the main narcotrafficking corridors off South and Central America. National security cutters (NSCs) also plied the Bering, Mediterranean, and Black Seas, __45__ Oceania and the western Pacific (including two highly publicized transits through the Taiwan Strait).

       The arrival and check-in process for your cruise can seem overwhelming and chaotic, but it's generally organized.Your cruise line will send you information about when to arrive at the port, giving a several-hour “window,” typicallyfrom late morning to mid-afternoon. You can show up at any time during that window. Generally speaking, the busiesttime for boarding is between noon (when most cruise lines' regular check-in begins) and 2 p.m., so we recommendarriving just before or after that window. Bear in mind: If you arrive too early, you might have to wait around, especiallyif the passengers from the previous cruise are still disembarking. You also shouldn't cut it too close, understanding thatif you arrive after check-in has ended, even by just a few minutes, you likely will not be allowed to board.

       When you arrive at the cruise terminal, the first thing to do is locate your boarding documents (either mailed to youor printed out at home) and your identification (passport or driver's license and birth certificate), and keep them handy.

       Upon entering the terminal, you'll need to show your cruise documents and go through a security line. You willneed to pass through an x-ray machine and have your carry-ons scanned, but the process is not as rigorous as at theairport. (You likely won't need to remove your shoes, for example.) Then you'll enter a large open space with roped-offlines and check-in stations. Cruise line staff will be on hand to direct you to the correct line; suite passengers and high-status past-passengers will typically go into a shorter line or separate waiting area, while regular passengers join a mainline.