The Zodiac and its seven-member team silently oared across the water, parallel to a small beach. 

Gliding to a slow drift about 70 yards away, Sgt. David Aitchison, Arkansas Army National Guard, and I eased over the side of the boat and into American Lake.  We headed toward shore.

As "scout swimmers," we were to silently approach the shore in preparation of bringing our boat and the rest of the team ashore.

With the coast clear, we signaled, and the remainder of the group brought the Zodiac into a beach-landing site, disembarked and took up defensive positions.

"Nicely done," Sgt. Josh, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Washington Army National Guard (WANG), said.  "I did not hear you guys come in."

Due to real world mission sensitivity, "Josh" is a pseudonym.

Moving like smoke on the water is a sound strategy in waging the war on drugs in Washington State.  At the front end of this fight is the Washington National Guard's Counter Drug Task Force (CDTF).

Headquartered at Camp Murray, the unit was established by Congressional order in 1988.  The CDTF provides support to law enforcement and community based counter drug operations at the local, state and federal levels.

The CDTF's specific mission is to conduct a full-spectrum campaign against illicit drugs and transnational threats to the state.

"We're here to assist," Staff Sgt. Karl Karlsson, WANG and instructor attached to the task force, said.  "We're the only schoolhouse in the country that teaches this kind of reconnaissance."

On a recent day on American Lake, Guard Soldiers from Vermont, Utah, Alabama and Washington DC partnered with the WANG to hone their water insertion and extraction skills.

"It's a very intense, very good class," Staff Sgt. Michael Lizarrago, WANG, said. We're the center for this type of training."

The training the Guard offers ranges from ground reconnaissance and criminal analysis to aerial surveillance and educational/prevention programs.

Soldiers and Airmen receive instruction in two phases.

First up is a 40-hour block of education centering on safety, operation orders and risk management.

The second part is 18 days in length, and it focuses on land navigation, basic infantry skills, urban/rural surveillance and boat operations.

The ability to move across the water silently and efficiently gives the CDTF in Washington State a greater ability to confront drug growers.

"Sometimes the terrain makes it easier to insert a boat and move to an objective rather than hike over tough ground," Karlsson explained.

Under Sgt. Josh's sharp eye, the seven Guard Soldiers practiced righting a capsized boat, conducted rescue operations, cleared a beach landing site and engaged in boat casting.

A casting operation consists of a Soldier holding a thickly padded loop off the side of the boat in order to hook the arm of another Soldier in the water.

Once the Servicemember in the water is hooked, his fellow team members haul him into the speeding boat and prepare for the next pick up.

"Nicely done," Sgt. Josh yelled as his Zodiac flew past me. "You guys are doing a great job."