[The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

On April 9, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy collaborated with regional partners in Guam and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to rescue three U.S. mariners who were stranded on the island of Pikelot Atoll in Yap State, FSM. 

The rescue effort began on April 6, prompted by a concerned relative who reported that the mariners had failed to return from a fishing expedition that began on March 31.

Following the distress call, Guam’s Joint Rescue Sub-Center notified the U.S. government. 

The U.S. Navy responded to the urgent situation by deploying a P-8 aircraft crew from Kadena Air Force Base in Japan.

The U.S. military joined the FSM’s initial search and the two nations searched over 78,000 square nautical miles.

The breakthrough came on April 7 when the U.S. Navy Poseidon aircraft spotted a distress signal made from palm leaves spelling out “HELP” on Pikelot Atoll, which led to the discovery of the stranded mariners.

Miraculously, the men had managed to survive for seven days by consuming coconut meat.

Despite their ordeal, none of the soldiers sustained any severe injuries and only suffered minimal dehydration.

The Poseidon crew swiftly deployed survival packs to replenish the men and a Hercules aircraft gave them a radio to establish a communication line between the mariners and the search party. 

Using the radio, the stranded explained that they had gotten stuck on the island during their fishing trip when their skiff battery died and they were forced to dock.

On April 9, the United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Oliver Henry and several Guam mariners brought the men safely back to land.

Captain Nicholas Simmons, a commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam, noted that this incident  “reinforces the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between the United States and the FSM and with our DoD partners”. 

The aforementioned tie between the two nations traces back to 1947, following World War II, when the United States assumed trusteeship over the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, which included FSM. 

The Compact of Free Association (COFA), established in 1985, further solidified this partnership, affirming the U.S.’s commitment to provide defense and financial aid to FSM, along with Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).

However, recent challenges have surfaced, notably delays in Congress’s approval of the COFA defense budget.

This past May, Hilda Heine, the president of RMI, said in a televised speech that the U.S. was “gradually destroying” its connection with her country due to “party politics in the US Congress”.

Similarly, a group of 48 bipartisan legislators from member nations of COFA cautioned that the failure to pass crucial legislation could inadvertently strengthen China’s influence in the region, as evidenced by significant Chinese investments in the Pacific Islands.

Yet, despite these hurdles, the enduring bonds between the U.S. and COFA member nations remain resilient.

President Heine affirmed in her speech that the COFA nations remain the U.S.’s most reliable ally and highlighted the enduring strength of the alliance.

Furthermore, the pandemic and recent recessions have decreased Chinese international investments thus limiting the influence of the Chinese government in the Pacific, reaffirming the pivotal role of COFA nations as America’s steadfast allies.