The United States Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (USCGC Midgett), a Hawaii-based National Security Cutter (NSC), has reached Chennai for a port visit.
A press release said that USCG Midgett intends to hold bilateral in-port and at-sea professional exchanges,
sharing expertise and best practices in exercises in Coast Guard missions.
USCGC Midgett is commanded by U.S. Coast Guard Captain Willie Carmichael since August 2021.
Prior to this assignment, Captain Carmichael served as the Commodore of the USCG’s Patrol Forces Southwest Asia operating in the Middle East.
“The U.S. Coast Guard has a longstanding commitment to our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” said Captain Carmichael.
“As we spend the next four days with our
Indian Coast Guard partners, we will work to advance our capabilities and interoperability through meaningful human interactions with our likeminded partners who share similar values and a commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he added
Framing the visit of the USCGC Midgett, Naval Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi Captain David Wilcox said, “This port visit demonstrates our Coast Guards’ shared commitment to promote safety  and security at sea within the international rules-based order.”
Welcoming the USCGC Midgett to Chennai, U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin said, “It gives me immense pleasure to welcome the USCGC Midgett and its crew to Chennai. The United States is a proud Indo-Pacific nation, and our vital interests are inextricably tied to the region. India is an important partner of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region. I am confident the U.S.-India partnership during the visit of the USCGC Midgett will further strengthen our bond towards a shared vision of a free and secure Indo-Pacific.”