CLEARWATER, Fla. — Members from Coast Guard Port Security Unit (PSU) 307 returned home to Clearwater Oct. 3 following a nine-month deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.  

During the deployment, unit operations focused on seaward security, providing more than 30,000 hours of around-the-clock waterside and shore side anti-terrorism and force protection defense security to Department of Defense assets and personnel at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.  

“I could not be more proud of the crew of Port Security Unit 307 for their highly successful deployment, where they flawlessly executed their mission with skill and precision,” said Cmdr. Gregory S. Rogers, PSU 307’s commanding officer. “Our members excelled in every task that was assigned and proved their ability to execute complex operations and training in a joint operating environment.”  

PSU 307 also escorted marine traffic in and out of port and enforced the naval defense sea area security zone around the base. Unit personnel worked closely with service members from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Security Forces, Marine Corps Security Forces Company, and Air Force and Army personnel conducting interagency operations and training at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.  

“Our personnel lived up to the Coast Guard’s core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty and truly set the example. It is my privilege to have served with this outstanding crew,” said Rogers. “I want to thank our families, because without their support this deployment have been impossible. We have now completed our mission and it is now time spend valuable time with our families.”  

Commissioned in 1999, PSU 307 is one of eight U.S. Coast Guard port security units located across the United States. PSUs are Coast Guard Reserve-staffed units and deployable specialized forces assigned to the commander of Coast Guard Pacific Area in Alameda, California. PSUs support our nation with well-equipped, trained, and organized expeditionary forces who can rapidly deploy worldwide for anti-terrorism and force protection operations or point defense of high value assets.  

PSU 307 has an extensive operational history. They have deployed to the Middle East four times since 2001 in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, PSU 307 secured Boston Harbor and protected U.S. naval vessels in Providence, Rhode Island. The unit also conducts humanitarian service missions, including deployments to New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Haiti following the earthquake in 2010, Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria in 2017, and New Orleans following Hurricane Ida in 2021.  

As both a federal law enforcement agency and an armed force, the Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to conduct defense operations in support of combatant commanders on all seven continents. The service routinely provides forces in joint military operations worldwide, including cutters, boats, aircraft, and deployable specialized forces.  

HONOLULU — Leaders from 14 countries representing the Pacific Islands met in Honolulu, Hawaii to convene Pu’uhonua: The Pacific Way Forward, the 12th Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders, Sept. 12, the Coast Guard 14th District said in a release. 

The Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders is a multi-day leadership conference that strengthens and promotes interagency and multi-national cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region. This conference is a key opportunity for Pacific Island leaders to partner together and address pressing challenges, including economic and environmental resilience, water and food security, health security, maritime domain awareness, and strengthening democratic institutions and good governance. 

Leaders representing the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Tonga, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, French Polynesia, Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands, Fiji and the United States, gathered together to corroborate ongoing engagements in the Pacific Islands and build vital connections within and beyond the Indo-Pacific region. 

U.S. Coast Guard District 14 Rear Adm. Michael Day provided key insight on the vital relationships the Coast Guard holds with partner nations and the crucial role the Coast Guard provides its Indo-Pacific allies. This cooperation promotes the 11 bilateral ship-rider agreements with Pacific Island Countries in addition to the Coast Guard’s more traditional missions such as maritime law enforcement, safeguarding navigation, life, and property, and humanitarian aid. These ship-rider agreements ensure resource security and maritime sovereignty within the Indo-Pacific. 

“Listening to the leaders at this conference reminded me of the important role the Coast Guard can play in supporting a rules based order in the Pacific,” said Day. “When done the pacific way, governance in this region will continue to dissuade malign actors and encourage a care for our shared resources.” 

U.S. Coast Guard District 14 Operation Blue Pacific is one example of the U.S. commitment to advancing a peaceful and sovereign Indo-Pacific. Through Operation Blue Pacific, the Coast Guard has strengthened its relationships with Pacific Island Countries by supporting governments that may be threatened or weakened by powers that challenge rules-based international order through inter-state aggression, economic coercion, maritime hybrid warfare, gray zone activities, and overreaching territorial claims. 

The Coast Guard collaborates with its Indo-Pacific partners with patrols that enforce their laws to protect fisheries and other natural resources within their EEZs, combat illegal fishing and other maritime threats to the Pacific, and perform search and rescue and humanitarian assistance. 

MANAMA, Bahrain — A U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter seized an estimated $85 million worth of heroin from a fishing vessel while patrolling the Gulf of Oman, Sept. 27, representing the largest illegal drug interdiction in the Middle East by international naval forces this year, Naval Forces U.S. Central Command Public Affairs said in a release. 

While operating in support of Combined Task Force 150, USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) seized 2,410 kilograms of heroin as the fishing vessel transited international waters. CTF 150 is one of four task forces under the Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest multinational naval partnership. 

The Royal Saudi Navy assumed command of CTF 150 in July during a ceremony in Manama, Bahrain, where the task force is headquartered.     

“This sizable seizure demonstrates a profound commitment among our international partners to disrupting and deterring destabilizing activity in the region,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and CMF. “I am proud of the flawless efforts by CMF, the Saudi-led CTF 150 team and the Charles Moulthrope crew.” 

Charles Moulthrope began operating in the Middle East in May 2021. Its crew of nearly 30 Coast Guardsmen includes the ship’s 24 plank owners who were the original crewmembers when the ship commissioned in January 2021. 

CMF consists of 34 member-nations whose forces operate in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean. 

MANAMA, Bahrain — The USCGC Baranof (WPB 1318) was decommissioned during a ceremony aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Sept. 26., the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in a release, 

Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, presided over the ceremony. 

“USCGC Baranof’s exemplary service to our nation is a testament to both the Island-class platform and the crews that have manned Baranof over the past 34 years,” said Lunday. “Whether it was conducting law enforcement and search and rescue in the Caribbean, or deploying to the present-day homeport of Bahrain to support U.S. Central Command, those that have manned Baranof have continually met the needs of America.” 

Baranof was commissioned into service on May 20, 1988 at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach in Miami. The 18th of 49 Island-class patrol boats, Baranof received orders to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2002. Shortly after their arrival in Bahrain, Baranof’s crew was underway conducting maritime interdiction operations in the North Arabian Gulf. 

Baranof was replaced by the USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147), which arrived at NSA Bahrain on Aug. 23, 2022. As part of the Coast Guard’s fast response cutter program, the service is acquiring 65 Sentinel-class fast response cutters, with six of those assigned to U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA).  

PATFORSWA, the Coast Guard’s largest unit outside of the United States, oversees the cutters in Bahrain. The ships are forward deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure maritime security and stability across the Middle East. The 154-foot-long vessels feature advanced communications systems, and improved surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. 

PATFORSWA, which is operationally attached to 5th Fleet’s Commander Task Force 55, is composed of six FRCs, shoreside mission support personnel and a maritime engagement team. The unit plays a crucial role in maritime security, maritime infrastructure protection, and regional theater security cooperation. The unit also supports other U.S. Coast Guard deployable specialized forces operating throughout the Middle Eastern region.  

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.