CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 4, 2003)--A Coast Guard 47-foot motor life boat and its crew escort and enforce the Naval Vessel Protection Zones around the USNS Gordon while transiting out of Charleston Harbor January 4. One of the Coast Guard's responsibilities as the lead agency for maritime homeland security and a branch of the Armed Forces is to ensure the safety and security of military outloads in U.S. ports. USCG photo by PA2 Dana Warr