SAN DIEGO — More than 50 Coast Guard personnel participated in a two-day, full-scale exercise designed to test Sector San Diego’s readiness for complex threats to life and property in San Diego Bay, April 22-23, 2025.
The exercise, code-named “Wavefront,” marked the culmination of months of planning by the Emergency Management Force Readiness Office, led by Lt. j.g. Sheryl Brock, emergency management specialist.
Twelve separate teams, distinguished by color-coded vests, gathered in the Sector San Diego helicopter hangar awaiting initial instructions. Once the initial “inject” was received, teams moved swiftly to their designated tables to coordinate with other departments on response actions. Coaches circulated to provide guidance, while a team of evaluators observed and scored activities based on compliance with established expectations.
The scenario began with the inbound motor vessel Green Lake requiring a fixed security zone at the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal. What started as a routine operation quickly escalated into a series of simulated threats and distractions.
First, an unauthorized individual breached the terminal and was apprehended. Shortly after, a land-based peace protest began, coinciding with the arrival of a large cruise ship requesting an escort into the bay. Next, two personal watercraft were observed transiting at high speed from Tijuana. Finally, a group of 15 kayakers formed a blockade that delayed the safe passage of the motor vessel, Liberty, which had just completed a military outload.
The rapid succession of events kept response teams focused on risk assessment and adaptive decision-making throughout the exercise.
Even mock press briefings were held, led by Cmdr. Ellen Motoi, who served as incident commander for the drill.
“We have adversaries who would like to take unfriendly action against us, threatening the safety of people and property,” said Motoi. “We must be prepared for every contingency and ensure our personnel have the equipment, resources and safety measures they need.”
“This is truly a collaborative effort,” she added. “No single department or agency can do it all.”
By 10 a.m. on the second day, the exercise concluded. Capt. Patrick Dill addressed the participants, coaches and evaluators to express appreciation for their collective efforts. He gave special recognition to Brock for her leadership.
“We are required by policy to exercise 11 different contingency plans of various scopes each year, but the full-scale exercise is the most demanding,” said Brock. “We met for months with each department to develop scenarios that would challenge our people—especially those working toward ICS qualifications. Today, everything fell into place, we achieved our key objectives, and I’m very pleased with the results.”
| Date Taken: |
06.03.2025 |
| Date Posted: |
06.03.2025 16:52 |
| Story ID: |
499568 |
| Location: |
SAN DIEGO , CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: |
84 |
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