JUNEAU, Alaska — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Kimball crew on a routine patrol in the Bering Sea encountered a People’s Republic of China Guided Missile Cruiser, Renhai CG 101, sailing approximately 75 nautical miles north of Kiska Island, Alaska, September 19, 2022, the Coast Guard 17th District said in a Sept. 26 release. 

The Kimball crew later identified two more Chinese naval vessels and four Russian naval vessels, including a Russian Federation Navy destroyer, all in a single formation with the Renhai as a combined surface action group operating in the U.S. exclusive economic zone.  

As a result, the Kimball crew is now operating under Operation Frontier Sentinel, a 17th Coast Guard District operation designed to meet presence with presence when strategic competitors operate in and around U.S. waters. The U.S Coast Guard’s presence strengthens the international rules-based order and promotes the conduct of operations in a manner that follows international norms. While the surface action group was temporary in nature, and Kimball observed it disperse, the Kimball will continue to monitor activities in the U.S. EEZ to ensure the safety of U.S. vessels and international commerce in the area. A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak C-130 Hercules air crew provided support to the Kimball’s Operation Frontier Sentinel activities.     

In September 2021, Coast Guard cutters deployed to the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean also encountered Chinese naval vessels, including a surface action group transiting approximately 50 miles off the Aleutian Island chain.  

“While the formation has operated in accordance with international rules and norms,” said Rear Adm. Nathan Moore, 17th Coast Guard District commander, “we will meet presence-with-presence to ensure there are no disruptions to U.S. interests in the maritime environment around Alaska.” 

Kimball is a 418-foot Legend-class national security cutter homeported in Honolulu. 

Newport, R.I. — The crew of the USCGC Tahoma (WMEC 908) returned to their new homeport Sept. 19 after a 66-day patrol in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in a release.   

During the patrol, Tahoma conducted living marine resource enforcement, search and rescue, and migrant interdiction operations. 

Tahoma departed its previous homeport at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, for the final time in July, conducting a fisheries enforcement patrol to support the sustainability of economically important fisheries and ensure the safety of the U.S. commercial fishing fleet. Over a 32-day period, Tahoma’s crew conducted 55 commercial fishing vessel boardings, identifying 34 safety violations and four violations of fisheries law.  

In August, Tahoma shifted patrol efforts to the Caribbean Sea, in response to a rise in maritime migration from Cuba, to detect, deter and intercept unsafe and illegal ventures to the United States. Tahoma intercepted and cared for 350 migrants across 27 separate cases. 

“I am very proud of Tahoma’s crew for their efforts over the past two months. The crew’s ability to transition between two very different missions is a testament to their dedication, perseverance, and devotion to duty. I am proud of the significant impact this crew made on the safety and sustainability of the North Atlantic commercial fishing industry as well as their efforts in responding to the current increase in maritime migration from Cuba,” said Cmdr. Piero Pecora, commanding officer of Tahoma. 

Tahoma is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Newport with 100 crewmembers. The cutter’s primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws and search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

CHENNAI, India — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) departed Chennai, India, on Sept. 19 following the crew’s third international port call during their months-long Western Pacific deployment to the region, Coast Guard Pacific Area announced Sept. 21.

Midgett’s crew conducted bilateral in-port exchanges sharing expertise and best practices in Coast Guard missions with the Indian Coast Guard while in Chennai, building upon the strong partnership between the two nations.

The Midgett visited with the U.S. Consul General of Chennai, Judith Ravin, the Indian coast guard East Region Chief of Staff, Satish Kumar, the Indian coast guard District 5 commodore and other local dignitaries while the Midgett was in Chennai.

Midgett’s crew conducted bi-lateral underway joint exercises with the Indian Coast Guard just off the coast of Chennai, and these drills consisted of a search and rescue exercise, boarding of a target vessel, firefighting capabilities, and formation maneuvering.

“The U.S. Coast Guard has a longstanding commitment to our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Willie Carmichael, commanding officer of the Midgett. “We spent the past four days with our Indian Coast Guard partners working 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.”

Midgett is operating in support of United States Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees military operations in the region.

Operating under the tactical control of Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, the cutter’s crew plans to engage in professional and subject matter expert exchanges with regional partners and allies and will patrol and operate as directed during their Western Pacific deployment.

The Coast Guard provides expertise within the mission sets of search and rescue; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; maritime environmental response; maritime security; maritime domain awareness; aviation operations; interoperability; and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The U.S. Coast Guard has a 150-year enduring role in the Indo-Pacific. The service’s ongoing deployment of resources to the region directly supports U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives in the Indo-Pacific Strategy and the National Security Strategy.

Since 2019, the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750), Stratton (WMSL 751), Waesche (WMSL 751) and Munro (WMSL 755) have deployed to the Western Pacific.

Commissioned in 2019, Midgett is one of two Coast Guard legend-class national security cutters homeported in Honolulu.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of USCGC Legare (WMEC 912) returned to their homeport Sept. 21, after an 11-week counter narcotics deployment that included key partner nation engagements and search and rescue operations throughout the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Legare patrolled more than 15,000 nautical miles in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South and the 7th and 11th Coast Guard Districts, working in conjunction with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and federal agents from throughout the U.S., the Royal Netherlands Navy, and partner nation coast guards in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.

During the patrol, Legare successfully interdicted four smuggling vessels, including one specially designed low-profile craft, and seized more than 7,000 pounds of illicit narcotics, valued at approximately $67 million. The crew also offloaded approximately 24,700 pounds of cocaine and 3,892 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $475 million, at Base Miami Beach on Sept. 15.

The offloaded drugs were interdicted in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean by crews from His Netherlands Majesty’s Ship HNLMS Groningen (P843) of the Royal Netherlands Navy and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 101; U.S. Navy ship USS Billings (LCS 15) and embarked USCG LEDET 401; and Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) and Legare (WMEC 912).

Legare also conducted an engagement with the Belize Coast Guard, strengthening an important partnership in joint efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations at-sea and enhance maritime security within the Americas.

“Legare’s crew has worked tirelessly for nearly three months, and as a result significantly fewer drugs will make it to American streets. I am inspired by the way the crew respects and takes care of each other while executing these incredibly dangerous operations. I am honored to have the opportunity to sail alongside them,” said Cmdr. Jeremy Greenwood, commanding officer of Legare.

Legare is a 270-foot Famous-class medium endurance cutter stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia.

SANTA RITA, Guam — The Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) arrived at homeport in Guam on Sept. 19, following a patrol across Oceania, U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia said in a release. 

“The crew of Oliver Henry just completed a 43-day historic patrol across Oceania, where we patrolled and visited ports in the Federated States of Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia. We also patrolled the exclusive economic zones of those countries and Solomon Islands during our time,” said Lt. Freddy Hofschneider, commanding officer of Oliver Henry. “Our trip was significant in that we validated the capability of the fast response cutters homeported here in Apra Harbor, Guam, showing what we can do to promote regional stability in terms of fisheries and continue to build a better relationship with our regional partners. 

The crew conducted training, fisheries observations, community and key leader engagements and a multilateral sail. They covered more than 16,000 nautical miles from Guam to Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and returned with several stops in Papua New Guinea and one in the Federated States of Micronesia. 

“The fact that we can take these 154-foot ships with a crew of 25 and a lieutenant commanding officer and push them so far over the horizon, even as far as Australia — which is what Oliver Henry just did — is an incredible capability for the region,” said Capt. Nick Simmons, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam.

In Papua New Guinea, the crew spent time on Manus Island and Port Moresby. They visited HMPNGS Tarangau School, spent time in the community, and engaged with Papua New Guinea Defence Force and local officials. 

In Cairns, they conducted engagements with Australian Defence and Home Affairs partners, the mayor of Cairns, and Cairns Regional Council representatives. They also took time to engage with the International Marine College. Upon departure, they participated in a multilateral formation sail with crews from Australia and Fiji as the other ships departed for Exercise Kakadu off Darwin. 

During their stop in Pohnpei, Oliver Henry’s crew hosted the U.S. Embassy team and an FSM National Oceanic Resource Management Authority – Fisheries Compliance Division representative to cover patrol highlights and future opportunities. The Oliver Henry commanding officer visited the FSM National Police Maritime Wing headquarters to discuss multilateral efforts. Finally, members of the cutter’s engineering team conducted a subject matter expert exchange with the crew of FSS Palikir, the last active Pacific-class patrol boat, on shipboard repairs and preventative maintenance. 

The Oliver Henry is the 40th Sentinel-class fast response cutter. The ship was commissioned along with its sister ships, Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139) and Frederick Hatch (1143), in Guam in July 2021.

MIAMI — The crew of the USCGC Legare (WMEC 912) offloaded approximately 24,700 pounds of cocaine and 3,892 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $475 million, Sept. 15, at Base Miami Beach, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in a release. 

The drugs were interdicted in the international waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean by crews from: 

• His Netherlands Majesty’s Ship HNLMS Groningen (P843) of the Royal Netherlands Navy and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 101  
• U.S. Navy ship USS Billings (LCS 15) and embarked USCG LEDET 401 
• Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) 
• Coast Guard Cutter Legare (WMEC 912) 

“I am proud of the crew’s continued devotion to duty that made this offload possible,” said Cmdr. Jeremy M. Greenwood, commanding officer of Legare. “Through the coordinated efforts of the Legare, the LEDETs, HNLMS Groningen, CGC James, and the USS Billings crews, we significantly contributed to the counter-drug mission and the dismantling of transnational criminal organizations. The drugs seized through this coordinated effort will result in significantly fewer drug-related overdoses.” 

The fight against drug cartels in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, and the transnational criminal organizations they are associated with, requires a unity of effort in all phases; from detection and monitoring to interdiction and apprehension, and on to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts across the nation. 

The Legare is a 270-foot Famous-class medium-endurance cutter stationed in Portsmouth, Virginia. Legare’s missions include Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Protection of Living Marine Resources, Homeland Security and Defense Operations, international training, and humanitarian operations. Legare patrols the offshore waters from Maine to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Eastern Pacific, and the Caribbean. 

KEY WEST, Fla. — The crew of the USCGC Mohawk (WMEC 913) returned to their homeport Monday, following a 92-day deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe – Africa area of operations, employed by U.S. 6th Fleet, to defend U.S., allied and partner interests, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in a release. 

Mohawk began its deployment as surface action group commander, leading the transatlantic escort of two newly commissioned 154-foot, Sentinel-class cutters, USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147) and USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) from Key West, Florida, to the 6th Fleet area of operations. 

While on deployment, Mohawk made significant advances in combating illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing conducting multinational law enforcement operations at sea in the Atlantic basin. Their efforts served to strengthen existing relationships with African nations, and prioritized opportunities for new partnerships with allies who share common interests in the region.  

Mohawk’s crew also worked closely with eight partner nation navies, sailing nearly 19,000 nautical miles in support of American interests abroad. Leading training exercises at-sea and in port, Mohawk hosted diplomatic engagements and participated in community relations events during port visits to Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Portugal, Senegal, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. Mohawk was the first United States warship to moor in The Gambia since 1994. 

“I am extremely proud of this crew and all they have accomplished over the last three months,” said Cmdr. Andrew Pate, commanding officer of Mohawk. “We are operating in a global Coast Guard and Mohawk’s ability to deploy across the Atlantic Ocean and work alongside our European and Atlantic African partners to combat piracy and illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing drives home the United States’ commitment to security, stability, and prosperity in the region.” 

Mohawk’s deployment also demonstrated the United States’ longstanding commitment of supporting African partners by addressing their security challenges in the maritime domain. The U.S. maritime services routinely work with allied and partner nations to foster a united, global effort to safeguard free and open access to international waterways. 

Commissioned in March 1991, Mohawk is the 13th and last of the Famous-class Coast Guard cutters. It is named for the Algonquin tribe of Iroquoian Indians who lived in the Mohawk Valley of New York, and is the third cutter to bear the name.

PORTSMOUTH, Va.  — The crew of the USCGC Tampa (WMEC 902) returned to their homeport in Portsmouth, Virginia, on Aug. 24 after a 56-day Caribbean Sea patrol, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said Sept. 9.  

During the patrol, Tampa’s crew collaborated with 12 other Coast Guard cutters, numerous Coast Guard aircraft and other Department of Homeland Security boats and aircraft to detect, deter, and intercept unsafe and illegal ventures to the United States.  

Tampa’s crew primarily patrolled the South Florida Straits, south of the Florida Keys and the Windward Pass, off the northwest coast of Haiti, contributing to the interdiction, care, and repatriation of 612 migrants from Haiti, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. 

“Showcasing professionalism, teamwork, and empathy, our crew once again selflessly performed our assigned missions,” said Cmdr. Sky Holm, Tampa’s commanding officer. “I am continually impressed by their dedication and devotion to duty and I am humbled to be serving alongside them. We acknowledge the tremendous collaboration from team Coast Guard and our international and interagency partners, who seamlessly integrate to meet collective objectives. Of course, our crew sincerely appreciates the extraordinary assistance from our mission support units shore side, who keep our cutter operational, as well as the compassionate support from our loved ones ashore, who provide us strength while we are away.” 

Tampa is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth with 100 crewmembers. The cutter’s primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws, as well as search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The crew of the USCGC Decisive (WMEC 629) returned to Pensacola, Florida, Aug. 20 after assisting in the repatriation of 203 Cuban migrants following 14 interdictions off Florida’s coast, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said Sept. 6. 

In support of the 7th Coast Guard District, the 58-day maritime law enforcement and search and rescue patrol took place in the Windward Passage between Haiti, Cuba and the Straits of Florida, south of Key West, disrupting illegal migrant ventures while supporting national security operations. 

“Individuals illegally migrating to the United States face a potentially fatal journey, often traveling on unstable and dangerously overcrowded sailing vessels constructed of repurposed materials,” said Cmdr. David Smith, Decisive’s executive officer. “Decisive’s crew extends its appreciation to Coast Guard cutters William Flores, Palbo Valent and Robert Yered for their support to ensure operations were safe, effective and successful.”   

As the primary holding platform for migrants awaiting repatriation, Decisive had 432 migrants cross its decks over eight days and disrupted three ventures during the 58-day patrol.  

Once aboard a cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and essential medical attention. 

Decisive is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Pensacola. The cutter’s primary mission areas include homeland security, law enforcement, counterdrug, search and rescue, migrant interdiction, and fisheries enforcement in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

ATLANTIC OCEAN — The Famous-class medium endurance USCGC Mohawk (WMEC 913) completed a regularly scheduled deployment to the Gulf of Guinea on Sept. 2, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa public affairs said Sept. 6. 

From July to September, Mohawk conducted maritime security and law enforcement operations as well as continued building valued relationships with allies and partners from Cabo Verde, Gabon, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and Spain. 

“I am extremely proud of this crew and all they have accomplished over the last three months,” said Cmdr. Andrew Pate, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk. “We are operating in a global Coast Guard and Mohawk’s ability to deploy across the Atlantic Ocean, and work alongside our European and African partners to combat piracy and illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing drives home the United States’ commitment to security, stability, and prosperity in the region.” 

Mohawk’s deployment also demonstrated the United States’ longstanding commitment of supporting African partners with addressing their security challenges in the maritime domain. The U.S. maritime services routinely work with allied and partner nations to foster a united, global effort to safeguard free and open access to international waterways. 

“The successful deployment of USCGC Mohawk to the Gulf of Guinea highlights our continued commitment to our West African partners,” said Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area. “The U.S. Coast Guard is a valued member of the Joint Force, providing unique authorities and capabilities to aid partner nations as they address security and prosperity challenges. Our collaboration and sharing of best practices with our West African counterparts allows us to assist in combating narcotics smuggling, promoting freedom of commerce, and deterring illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in their waters.” 

Mohawk was forward-deployed to the U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) area of operations, and employed by U.S. 6th Fleet. This is the latest of several U.S. Coast Guard cutter deployments to the region.