Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachments)

REDEPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
&
INSPECTION DETACHMENT
(RAID)———————————————————————

The Coast Guard Redeployment Assistance & Inspection Detachment (RAID) was a specialized team deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait between 2003–2015. Their mission was to inspect military shipping containers, ensuring they were seaworthy, safely packed and free of hazardous materials for return to the United States. These teams acted as the "Tip of the Spear" in landlocked combat zones, streamlining the retrograde process and ensuring equipment was properly documented for customs.

Beginning is 2010, the RAID fell under the administrative control of Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). Its command element resided at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, and co-located with the headquarters of the Army’s 595th Transportation Brigade, Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC). The RAID supported SDDC and was operationally controlled under its purview.

During their time, RAID teams were the most forward-deployed Coast Guard units, often working in areas far from the sea. Their work helped to protect valuable equipment and ensured a smoother transition for units returning from combat. More than 200 Coast Guard personnel deployed with these RAID teams, which significantly improved the safety and efficiency of moving equipment out of the combat theater. The RAID was demobilized in May 2015.