NEW LONDON, Conn. — Boston-based Sea Machines Robotics has partnered with shipbuilder Metal Shark Boats, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, to supply the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)’s Research and Development Center (RDC) with a new Sharktech 29 Defiant vessel for the purposes of testing and evaluating the capabilities of available autonomous vessel technology, Sea Machines announced in a Sept. 29 release. The 29-foot, welded-aluminum monohull pilothouse vessel comes equipped with the Sea Machines SM300 autonomous-command and remote-helm control technology, offering the USCG capabilities including transit autonomy, collaborative autonomy, collision avoidance and remote vessel monitoring.

The RDC helps transition innovative technologies and provides premier analysis and decision support to enhance operational performance across all Coast Guard missions. During demonstrations scheduled for October off the coast of Hawaii, the RDC team will test and evaluate the Sharktech vessel’s autonomous capabilities for their potential in supporting USCG surveillance, interdiction, patrol and other missions. Following the Hawaii demonstrations, the autonomous vessel will be returned to the RDC’s New London facility, where it will be used in additional testing to investigate application to various Coast Guard missions.

“As the premier USCG facility performing research, development, test and evaluation in support of the service’s major missions, the RDC team is eager to observe Sea Machines’ system in action,” said USCG’s Derek Meier, assistant demonstration director. “The exercises will ultimately help us determine how, when and if this innovative technology can be used to support personnel who are executing a variety of Coast Guard activities.”

“Sea Machines is proud to actively support government agencies across a variety of projects and to expand that support to the Department of Homeland Security with this important demonstration being conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Sea Machines’ Phil Bourque, director of sales. “Our systems are being rapidly adopted by government and commercial operators alike, offering increases in on-water productivity and predictability, while reducing operational risk.”

“Since the launch of our Sharktech Autonomous Vessels division in 2018 we have been working to position Metal Shark for the autonomy revolution,” said Chris Allard, Metal Shark’s chief executive officer. “We are committed to the advancement of autonomous technology, through our relationships with leading autonomy suppliers as well as through our own R&D, and we are engaged with multiple customers, from the USCG, the Department of Defense and commercial operators. With this latest delivery, Metal Shark is proud to play a role in the Coast Guard’s autonomous technology R&D efforts.”

In 2019, Sea Machines partnered with Metal Shark to make available the Sharktech 29 Defiant vessel to commercial markets, under Metal Shark’s stock boat program. Most recently, in July, Sea Machines partnered with Huntington Ingalls Industries to accelerate the deployment of self-piloting technologies in the rising market of unmanned naval boats and ships.

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. — The U.S. Navy commissioned Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) Sept. 26, the commander, Naval Surface Forces said in a release.

Due to public health and safety concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the commissioning was a private event.

Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite was represented by James F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, with Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Russell Smith placing the ship into commission. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday was represented by Adm. William K. Lescher, vice chief of naval operations. The event was livestreamed to allow public viewing of the ceremony for the ship named for the first MCPON.

MCPON Russell Smith, currently serving as the 15th senior enlisted leader of the Navy, was the principle speaker. MCPON Smith fills the role begun by Black as advisor to the chief of naval operations and to the chief of naval personnel in matters dealing with enlisted personnel and their families.

“This is the first ship to honor a senior enlisted leader in such a way for their contributions in this realm and represents a significant milestone achievement that recognizes both the responsibility of the position to the Navy, as well the tremendous accountability to those enlisted Sailors we primarily provide advocacy for,” said MCPON Smith. “The vision and effort it took to move the idea of a Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy into an effective reality cannot be overstated, and all of us have been the benefactors of his legend of service by advancing the work that he began.

Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, welcomed the ship that brings a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface environments to the premier Surface Force in the world.

“The USS Delbert D. Black joins the Fleet during a time when its cutting-edge capabilities are most needed,” Cooper said. “I’m extremely proud of this crew and know the pennant of courage, teamwork, inclusiveness and sacrifice will be taken up and flown even higher with the Sailors who serve aboard the ship.”

Ima Black, MCPON Delbert D. Black’s widow and a former Sailor, served as the ship’s sponsor offering congratulations to everyone who played a role in delivering USS Delbert D. Black to service. Black served during World War II in the Navy WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.

Delbert D. Black’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Matthew McKenna, reported the ship ready to Adm. Lescher.

The crew will kick off Tulsa Navy Week as part of their commissioning. “Being that Delbert Black was a native of Oklahoma, I’m ecstatic that Tulsa Navy Week will highlight the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, namesake of our ship, virtually Oct. 5 through 11,” said McKenna. “This is much more than a ceremony; the commissioning of a ship is a culmination of unwavering dedication. The ship is ready to be introduced to the fleet.”

Delbert D. Black is the 68th Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer to be delivered to the Navy and the first to bear its name. DDG 119 honors the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy. Black is known for initiating the master chief program, ensuring enlisted leadership was properly represented Navy-wide.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations announced on Sept. 28 the following assignments: 

Rear Adm. Alan D. Beal will be assigned as reserve director, Expeditionary Force Generation with additional duties as reserve vice commander, United States Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia.  Beal is currently serving as reserve director, Expeditionary Force Generation, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. Shawn E. Duane will be assigned as reserve deputy, Operations, Plans and Strategy, N3/N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, District of Columbia.  Duane is currently serving as deputy commander, United States 4th Fleet, Jacksonville, Florida.   

Rear Adm. Gene F. Price will be assigned as reserve deputy commander, Naval Information Forces, Suffolk, Virginia.  Price is currently serving as commander, Naval Information Force Reserve, Fort Worth, Texas. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) James M. Butler will be assigned as commander, Naval Information Force Reserve, Fort Worth, Texas.  Butler is currently serving as reserve deputy commander, 10th Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Robert T. Clark will be assigned as deputy commander, United States 7th Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan.  Clark is currently serving as deputy commander, Military Sealift Command/deputy commander, Military Sealift command representative to deputy J3, United States Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Scott K. Fuller will be assigned as director, Reserve Warfare, N0959, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, District of Columbia.  Fuller is currently serving as reserve deputy director, Warfare Systems Directorate, N9R, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. William L. Angermann, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as reserve deputy commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia.  Angermann is currently serving as reserve component commander, Naval Aviation Training Reserve Component, Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Navy Capt. Stephen D. Donald, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as reserve deputy commander, 10th Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland.  Donald previously served as officer in charge, Over-the-Horizon Qatar, United States Forces-Afghanistan, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. 

Navy Capt. Terry W. Eddinger, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy chief of chaplains for Total Force/deputy director of Religious Ministries, N097C, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, District of Columbia.  Eddinger is currently serving as chaplain, Navy Reserve Navy Installations Command Headquarters, Washington, D.C. 

Navy Capt. Gregory K. Emery, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy director, Warfare Integration Directorate, N2/N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, District of Columbia.  Emery is currently serving as region commander, Naval Information Force Reserve, Fort Worth, Texas. 

Navy Capt. Patrick S. Hayden, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy director, Logistics, Fleet Supply, and Ordnance (N4), United States Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  Hayden is currently serving as reserve deputy director, Navy Reserve Commander, Pacific Fleet Logistics Readiness Center 120 Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Navy Capt. Marc S. Lederer, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy commander, Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia.  Lederer is currently serving as commander, Navy Reserve Liaison Office Individual Mobilization Augment Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

Navy Capt. Eric L. Peterson, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy commander, Naval Medical Forces Atlantic, Portsmouth, Virginia.  Peterson is currently serving as deputy chief of staff, Navy Reserve Expeditionary Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland. 

Navy Capt. Donald M. Plummer, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, Coronado, California.  Plummer previously served as chief of staff, Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, Djibouti, Africa. 

Navy Capt. Donald Y. Sze, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy commander, Navy Support Command Reserve Component/Marine Corps medical officer, Bethesda, Maryland.  Sze is currently serving as fleet surgeon, Navy Reserve Commander 3rd Fleet Headquarters, San Diego. 

Navy Capt. Jeffrey S. Spivey, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, Maritime Partnership Program United States Naval Forces Europe/Africa/6th Fleet, Naples, Italy.  Spivey is currently serving as interagency coordinator/staff liaison, United States Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy will commission the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, in Port Canaveral, Florida, the Defense Department said in a Sept. 25 release. 

Due to public health and safety concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the commissioning is a private event, rather than the traditional public commissioning ceremony. 

The ceremony’s principal speaker is Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russel L. Smith. 

“Commissioning a ship after the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy is an honor without equal. The Navy has always been and will always be indelibly influenced by the leadership of our senior enlisted sailors epitomized by Delbert Black,” said Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite. “They are the ones who teach both our junior enlisted as well as our junior officers what it means to lead. They lay the keel by which the Navy operates and as such this ship named for one of the most influential master chiefs ever to wear three stars will be a visible reminder of their importance to our Navy. As MCPON, Master Chief Black fought for increased sea-pay, family support programs, expanded uniform guidance and a host of other issues that improved the quality of life of not only junior enlisted, but all sailors and officers. By making life better for sailors, he made our Navy stronger for us all. This ship will undoubtedly continue on his great legacy of service above self.” 

USS Delbert D. Black is named for the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, the highest possible enlisted rank and the enlisted representative to the Chief of Naval Operations. Established by the Navy in 1967, Black oversaw the establishment of the senior enlisted advisor position, which eventually became known as Command Master Chief. Black was the first Navy enlisted man to receive the Distinguished Service Medal. Upon retirement from active duty, Black continued his involvement with the Navy through retired and active duty organizations. He still serves as an enduring example for the Chief’s Mess, with his service, character and performance demonstrating the highest ideals of a Navy chief petty officer in the world’s finest Navy. 

Mrs. Ima Black, MCPON Delbert D. Black’s widow and a former Sailor, will serve as the ship’s sponsor. Mrs. Black served during World War II in the Navy WAVES – Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service. During the time-honored ceremony, Mrs. Black will give the first order to “man our ship and bring her to life.” 

Built by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Delbert D. Black is the 68th Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer to be delivered to the Navy and the first to bear his name. Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet. These highly capable, multi-mission ships conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security. 

Following commissioning, USS Delbert D. Black will be homeported in Mayport, Florida, with sister ships USS The Sullivans (DDG 68), USS Lassen (DDG 82), USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) and USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117). 

The event will be livestreamed to offer maximum viewing by the general public at https://allhands.navy.mil/Live-Stream. 

LONDON — HMS Queen Elizabeth has embarked the largest number of warplanes ever onto her deck as she prepares to take her place at the heart of a U.K.-led NATO Carrier Strike Group, the U.K. Ministry of Defence said in a Sept. 23 release. 

Two squadrons of F-35B stealth jets, the RAF’s 617 Squadron (The Dambusters) and the U.S. Marines Corps Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-21, the Wake Island Avengers), have joined the 65,000-ton carrier as she sails for exercises with allies in the North Sea. 

With a total of 14 jets and eight Merlin helicopters, it’s the largest concentration of fighter jets to operate at sea from a Royal Navy carrier since HMS Hermes in 1983, and the largest air group of fifth generation fighters at sea anywhere in the world.  

In this month’s group exercise, HMS Queen Elizabeth will be joined by seven Royal Navy destroyers, frigates and auxiliaries, plus other supporting units, to form a fully sovereign Carrier Strike Group, ready to fight on the surface and in the air.  

The Carrier Strike Group will be put through its paces off the north east coast of Scotland as part of Joint Warrior, NATO’s largest annual exercise. 

“The United Kingdom’s maritime renaissance has been unfolding over many years, as we introduced a new generation of ships, submarines and aircraft into service,” said Commodore Steve Moorhouse, commander, U.K. Carrier Strike Group. “But this marks the first time we have brought them together in a cohesive, potent, fighting force. HMS Queen Elizabeth will be operating with the largest air group of fifth generation fighters assembled anywhere in the world. Led by the Royal Navy, and backed by our closest allies, this new Carrier Strike Group puts real muscle back into NATO and sends a clear signal that the United Kingdom takes its global role seriously.” 

Royal Navy Commander Mark Sparrow, 617 Squadron’s commanding officer, added: “This is an incredibly exciting time for 617 Squadron as we begin a new era of partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps building towards next year’s operational deployment with HMS Queen Elizabeth. You need to go back more than three decades to find the U.K. operating anything on this scale or complexity and this is a first for fifth-generation carrier capability. The era of big-deck, fast jet carrier operations is back”. 

Usually based in Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, VMFA-211 arrived in the United Kingdom, just under two weeks ago. Landing at the home of the Lightning Force, RAF Marham, after the trans-Atlantic flight, they worked up with 617 Squadron conducting the RAF led Exercise Point Blank before embarking in the carrier.  

“The Wake Island Avengers are ready in all respects to work with the British sailors and aircrew on board HMS Queen Elizabeth,” said Marine Lt. Col. Joseph Freshour, commanding officer of VMFA-211. “We are looking forward to deploying alongside our British counterparts over the next few months, and we will work tirelessly as a part of this transatlantic naval force. We are proud to play such an important role in the generation of an allies’ carrier strike capability.” 

Capt. James Blackmore, the U.K.’s Carrier Air Wing Commander, added: “We are going to learn a huge amount from operating F-35Bs at sea with the USMC, they have had them longer and we can share ideas and practices. But this is much more than that; this is the trans-Atlantic alliance in action, demonstrating that two close allies can not only fly from each other’s carriers, but can fight alongside each other should we need to. This level of integration offers a decisive flexibility in times of crisis, conflict or war.” 

HMS Queen Elizabeth, along with her 1,680 sailors, aviators and marines, is due to return to her home port of Portsmouth next month. 

STOCKHOLM — Saab has received a $36.7 million USD order for the U.S. Marine Corps’ AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR), the company said in a Sept. 23 release. Saab received the order from Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., the prime contractor for G/ATOR.  

The order includes components and subsystems in support of the Full-Rate Production phase. Saab’s deliveries relating to this contract will take place between 2020 and 2021 from its facility in Syracuse, New York.  

The initial full-rate production contract, awarded to Saab in 2019, also includes options for additional sets of assemblies and associated spares over a five-year period until 2024. Saab has been a major partner with Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. since the initial G/ATOR system design and development contract award in 2007. 

“Through Saab’s strong partnership with Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. we continue to advance the G/ATOR program in support of the U.S. Marine Corps. Each delivery of the G/ATOR system improves the capability and effectiveness of our Armed Forces and represents Saab’s enduring commitment to advancing the safety and security of our U.S. stakeholders,” said Erik Smith, president and chief executive officer for Saab in the United States.  

The AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) provides the U.S. Marine Corps with capabilities for air surveillance, air defense, and ground weapon locating missions in one single ground-based radar solution. 

MIAMI — The Coast Guard, along with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Marine Operation (CBP-AMO), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) interdicted four Bahamian suspected drug smugglers, Sept. 21, approximately 10 miles south of the Exuma Island chain in the Bahamas, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a Sept. 23 release. 

Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders initially received a report of a go-fast vessel crew suspected of drug smuggling transiting northbound approximately 10 miles south of Exuma Islands, Bahamas. Operations Bahamas and Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) launched two Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews with DEA agents aboard that assisted a CBP-AMO Maritime Patrol Aircraft crew in tracking the go-fast vessel for more than four hours. Additionally, one of the MH-60 helicopter crews vectored the Bahamas police boat crew for intercept and a high-speed pursuit that led to the successful interdiction of the drug-laden go fast. 

During the pursuit, one of the suspected smugglers was injured, and an MH-60 helicopter crew medevaced the suspect to Exuma International Airport for further transfer to medical facilities in Nassau. The RBPF apprehended the other three suspects and seized 2,274 pounds of marijuana.  

“This collaborative success is a testament to the longstanding relationship we share with all our OPBAT partners and has allowed us to keep over 2,000 pounds of illegal narcotics off the streets,” said Cmdr. Mike Benson, the OPBAT director stationed in Nassau. “The fight against drug cartels in the Caribbean Basin requires a unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring, interdiction, and criminal prosecutions. We are very fortunate to have such a healthy working relationship with our partner nations.” 

MIAMI — Coast Guard watchstanders and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) crew interdicted two Dominican Republic-flagged ships Sept. 24 illegally fishing off Diamond Point, Great Bahama Bank, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. 

Watchstanders from the Coast Guard’s Operation Bahamas and Turks and Caicos operation center coordinated with RBDF crews to board two commercial fishing vessels, El Ship and Angel Gabriel, which had 83 fishermen aboard.  

The RBDF boarding team seized more than 12,000 pounds of illegally caught fish and lobster. 

The partnership between the Coast Guard and RBDF to catch these illegal fishermen came just days after the Coast Guard released a new strategy to enhance global safety, security, and stewardship of the maritime domain by combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

IUU fishing is a collection of dishonest fishing practices, both on the high seas and in areas within national jurisdiction, that threatens global geo-political security and prosperity and weakens rules-based order; especially as the worldwide demand for fish as a protein source continues to grow. The strategy announces the Coast Guard’s commitment to leading an international effort to combat illegal exploitation of the ocean’s fish stocks and protect our national interests. 

“The Seventh Coast Guard District includes a 1.8 million square mile area of responsibility shared with 32 foreign countries and overseas territories,” said Rear Adm. Eric C. Jones, commander, Seventh District. “The Coast Guard’s recently released Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Strategic Outlook is a commitment to our international partners throughout this region, and I look forward to continuing to build and maintain strong relationships with our like-minded foreign allies as we work together to combat the threat IUU fishing poses to our region.” 

The vessels and crew were apprehended and escorted to New Providence, Bahamas for further enforcement action.   

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard Cutter Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139) arrived at its new homeport in Santa Rita, Guam, Sept. 24, the Coast Guard 14th District said in a release. 
 
The crew of the Myrtle Hazard traveled from Key West, Florida to Guam, covering a distance of over 10,000 nautical miles during the two-month journey.  
 
The new Fast Response Cutter (FRC) is the first of three scheduled to be stationed on Guam and replaces the 30-year old 110-foot Island-class patrol boats. FRCs are equipped with advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems and boast greater range and endurance. 
 
“FRCs in Guam strengthen and affirm the U.S. Coast Guard’s operational presence in Oceania,” said Lt. Tony Seleznick, commanding officer of the Myrtle Hazard. “We increase the fleet’s range, endurance, and capabilities to deter illegal behavior, support search and rescue, promote maritime stability, and strengthen partnerships.” 
 
The FRCs represent the Coast Guard’s commitment to modernizing service assets to address the increasingly complex global Maritime Transportation System. Like the Island-class patrol boats before them, the Myrtle Hazard will support the people of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and our international partners throughout Oceania. 
 
FRC’s are designed for various missions including drug interdiction, defense operations, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, marine safety, and environmental protection. FRC’s can reach speeds of up to 28 knots and endure five days at sea while covering over 2,500 nautical miles.  
 
“Myrtle Hazard will significantly increase the capabilities of the Coast Guard throughout the region,” said Capt. Chris Chase, commander, Coast Guard Sector Guam. “I am excited to welcome the crew of the Myrtle Hazard home and look forward to them conducting operations with our partners in the near future.”  
 
Myrtle Hazard, the cutter’s namesake, was the first female to enlist in the Coast Guard. Enlisting in January 1918, she became a radio operator during World War I. She ended her service in 1919 as an Electrician’s Mate 1st Class.  
 
Each FRC has a standard 24-person crew. This will bring over 70 new Coast Guard members to Guam, along with a projected 100 family members. In addition to the crews of the three ships additional Coast Guard support members and their families will also be in Guam. 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) returned to its homeport in Portsmouth, after a 56-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard5th District said in a Sept. 23 release. 

Harriet Lane’s patrol began with a week-long intensive training period to evaluate the readiness of the cutter and the crew. After conducting storm avoidance for hurricane Isaias, Harriet Lane conducted operational testing of a prototype small unmanned aerial system (SUAS). The SUAS system is designed to extend the surveillance capability of the cutter and the purpose of the test was to verify the compatibility of the system with a medium endurance cutter platform. 

Notably, in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the crew of Harriet Lane interdicted three go-fast vessels, carrying a combined total of approximately 3,882 pounds of suspected cocaine and 2,527 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $72 million of illegal narcotics. One such interdiction involved airborne use of force executed by a trained Coast Guard crew member aboard a U.S. Navy helicopter, launched from USS Nitze. Harriet Lane’s boarding team took control of the vessel after it was disabled. 

“I am extremely proud of the hard work by the Harriet Lane crew during this very busy patrol,” said Cmdr. Dorothy Hernaez, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane. “These operations are dangerous, often carried out at night or in less than ideal conditions. COVID-19 has certainly added an additional layer of complexity that we must account for in order to keep our crew safe while conducting operations at sea. Our Coast Guard women and men are some of the bravest people I have met. I’m very thankful for their personal sacrifices that help keep our country safe.” 

The Harriet Lane is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth.