PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of USCGC Legare (WMEC 912) returned home Thursday after an eight-week counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South and the Coast Guard 11th District, the Coast Guard 5th District said Oct. 22. 

The crew patrolled over 12,650 nautical miles through the heart of the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of Campaign Martillo, working in conjunction with Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other partnering nations. 

With the assistance of an embarked Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron aviation detachment from Jacksonville, Florida, and a two-person Law Enforcement Detachment Team from San Diego, Legare’s team was successful in the interdiction of over 1,300 pounds of illegal narcotics worth an estimated street value of more than $24.6 million. 

En route to the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Legare also stood by to support the Coast Guard’s 1st District in the Northeast following hurricane Henri and assisted in transferring two migrants in support of the 7th District in the Southeast. 

Cmdr. Malcolm Belt, commanding officer, said, “I’m extremely proud of the Legare crew, and our HITRON aviation detachment for the perseverance demonstrated during this patrol. Despite significant equipment failures and logistics hurdles experienced this patrol for both our helicopter and the cutter, the crew always rose to the occasion to ensure we stayed mission effective.” 

The Legare is a 270-foot Famous-class medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia, under the command of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area. Based in Portsmouth. U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area oversees all Coast Guard operations east of the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. Also, they allocate ships to deploy to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to combat transnational organized crime and illicit maritime activity. 

LOCKPORT, La. — Bollinger Shipyards LLC  has delivered the newest Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (FRC), the USCGC John Scheuerman, to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida, nearly a week ahead of schedule despite a three-week shutdown due to the significant damage sustained to Bollinger’s facilities during Hurricane Ida, the company said Oct. 21.

The storm made landfall in late August near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, as a powerful Category 4 storm. Bollinger’s facilities in Port Fourchon, Lockport, Houma and Larose suffered significant damage as a result of Hurricane Ida, which tied with last year’s Hurricane Laura and the Last Island Hurricane of 1856 as the strongest on record in Louisiana. 

“While every delivery is meaningful, being able to deliver this vessel nearly a week early despite everything our crew has faced over the past month is nothing short of remarkable,” said Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon. “We had folks who lost everything in that storm. Our yard where we build the FRCs took a beating and was shuttered for three weeks while we rebuilt. This vessel and this delivery is a win our folks really needed and it reflects the resilience, commitment and tenacity of the 650 skilled men and women that built it.” 

On Sept. 24, following an extensive multi‐week recovery and rebuilding effort, Bollinger welcomed employees back to all 11 of its facilities across Louisiana. USCGC John Scheuerman departed Lockport Oct. 11 for Bollinger’s Fourchon facility, where it performed a shakedown exercise before dry docking for final inspection in preparation of its delivery. The cutter departed Fourchon for Key West Oct. 17.

The USCGC John Scheuerman is the 169th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 46th FRC delivered under the current program. The USCGC John Scheuerman is the fifth of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110-foot Island-class patrol boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest overseas presence outside the United States. 

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz has previously lauded the “enhanced seakeeping capabilities” of the PATFORSWA-bound FRCs, saying the ships are going to be “game changing” in their new theater of operations. Last week, at the commissioning ceremony for the USCGC Emlen Tunnell — another Bahrain-based FRC — Schultz said these ships will “conduct maritime security operations, theater cooperation efforts, and strengthen partner nations’ maritime capabilities to promote security and stability in the region, as well as thwart the increasingly aggressive and dangerous maritime activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) and crew returned to their Alameda homeport Oct. 20 following a 102-day, 22,000-nautical-mile deployment to the Western Pacific, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a release. 

Munro departed Alameda in July to the Western Pacific to operate under the tactical control of U.S. Navy 7th Fleet to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.  

“Munro’s deployment demonstrated the Coast Guard’s unique authorities in support of the Indo-Pacific command,” said Vice Adm. Michael F. McAllister, commander Coast Guard Pacific Area. “Joint operations help strengthen our partnerships through search and rescue, law enforcement, marine environmental response and other areas of mutual interest which preserve a stable and secure global maritime environment.” 

Munro’s crew executed numerous cooperative engagements, professional exchanges and capacity building efforts with naval allies and partners, including the Japan Coast Guard, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Royal Australian Navy and Indonesia Maritime Security Agency.  

“Our relationships in the Western Pacific are stronger today, and our partners are unified in their commitment to security,” said Capt. Blake Novak, commanding officer of Munro. “It was an incredible opportunity for our crew to participate alongside allies, sharing search and rescue and law enforcement concepts to promote peace, prosperity, and the sovereign rights of all nations.” 

As both a federal law enforcement agency and an armed force, the U.S. 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 the deployment of cutters, boats, aircraft, and deployable specialized forces. 

Munro is one of four 418-foot national security cutters homeported in Alameda. National security cutters like Munro feature advanced command and control capabilities, aviation support facilities, stern cutter boat launch, and increased endurance for long-range patrols, enabling the crews to disrupt threats to national security further offshore. 

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned the USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145), Patrol Forces Southwest Asia’s fourth 154-foot Sentinel-class cutter, into service at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia Oct. 15, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in release. 

Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, presided over the ceremony. Yvonne Gilmore Jordan, the eldest first cousin to Tunnell, is the ship’s sponsor. 

“We are so thankful to the Coast Guard for this incredible honor. I can’t internalize the perils Emlen, and his shipmates endured. Emlen didn’t want anyone calling him a hero, but the Coast Guard said yes, he is. As a relative, it is a privilege to be a participant in this commissioning as the Coast Guard Cutter Emlen Tunnell is placed into service,” said Jordan. 

The cutter’s namesake is Steward’s Mate 1st Class Emlen Tunnell, a native of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1943 to 1946. During this time, he rescued two shipmates. The first was aboard the USS Etamin at anchor in Papua New Guinea in 1944. When a crewman became engulfed in flame following a Japanese torpedo attack, he beat out the fire, sustaining burns, and carried him to safety. 

The second rescue came aboard the USCGC Tampa in 1946 when a shipmate fell overboard off Newfoundland. Tunnell risked the 32-degree Fahrenheit water suffering shock and exposure to save him. The U.S. Coast Guard awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal to Tunnell posthumously for his heroism. 

“What really defined Emlen was his character, that selflessness. It was who he was as a human being,” said Schultz. “When this cutter sailed unexpectedly to avoid tropical storm Elsa, Coast Guardsmen who are going to shape the future chapters of the Emlen Tunnell story stepped to the plate, as Emlen did years ago. Maybe not with as many heroics, but they did what Coasties do. They jumped into the breach.” 

Tunnell was also a lauded athlete beginning in high school and then college before he joined the service. While in the Coast Guard, he played football and basketball, and upon his departure, he resumed college. Tunnell went on to play professional football for the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers. He also served as an assistant coach for the Giants. Notably, Tunnell was the first African American to play for the Giants, African American talent scout, and African American full-time assistant coach. He is also the first African American inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.  

The Emlen Tunnell was officially delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard on July 1 in Key West, Florida. It is the 45th Sentinel-class fast response cutter. Each of these cutters carries the name of a U.S. Coast Guard enlisted hero. While the ship commissioned in Philadelphia, it will homeport in Manama, Bahrain, part of U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. The crew will transit to homeport alongside their sister ship, the USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144), later this year.  
 
Schultz added the Sentinel-class cutter is a game-changer in a time when the demand for U.S. Coast Guard services has never been higher. The Tunnell and Glen Harris will join two Sentinel-class ships already in service in the Arabian Gulf. Two additional 154-foot cutters will join these in 2022 for a total of six in service at PATFORSWA. 

Established in 2002 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA played a crucial role in maritime security and maritime infrastructure protection operations. PATFORSWA is a maritime humanitarian presence on the seas, providing U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet with combat-ready assets. Utilizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s unique access to foreign territorial seas and ports, our crews formulate strong and independent relationships throughout the Arabian Gulf and leverage the full spectrum of flexible vessel boarding capabilities at sea and maritime country engagements onshore. 

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home to St. Petersburg, Florida, Oct. 16, following a successful 56-day Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) and Coast Guard District Seven (D7) Patrol in the Caribbean Sea, the Coast Guard 7^th District said in a release. 

During the patrol, Resolute interdicted multiple suspected smugglers on a go-fast vessel obtaining 279.5 kilograms of cocaine and rescued 260 Haitian migrants.  

Resolute, with the assistance from a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) maritime patrol aircraft, tracked and pursued a drug smuggling vessel for eight hours, culminating in a successful intercept and seizure. The suspected smugglers were detained and later transferred for case disposition in the United States. 

Due to increased political instability in Haiti, Resolute’s tasking shifted to Alien Migration Interdiction Operations in the Windward Pass, specifically to overtly patrol and discourage unsafe maritime migration voyages. On Sept. 24, Resolute conducted one of the largest single-unit repatriations into Cap Haitien, Haiti in recent history. Small-boat crews conducted 78 consecutive transfers safely returning all 260 migrants and their personal belongings back to Haitian authorities.     

On Sept. 22, Resolute interdicted an overcrowded sail freighter with 183 Haitian migrants including 17 children and infants aboard. Bound for the United States, the 55-foot vessel was dangerously overloaded and lacked sufficient navigation and safety equipment to make the journey. All 183 migrants were transferred safely to the cutter where they were provided food, water, shelter, and medical attention. In less than 24 hours, Resolute received an additional 77 migrants from another Coast Guard asset, raising the total count to 260. 

“The migrant interdiction mission is always unique; while the migrants are attempting to escape the poor living conditions in Haiti, their unsafe voyages risk the lives of innocent people, including children,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Wooley, a maritime enforcement specialist. “It is unfortunate to see, but it makes us feel good knowing that we potentially saved 183 people from capsizing and drowning at sea.” 

After a long and successful patrol, the crew is eager to return home and spend the holiday season with friends, family and loved ones. 

“The crew’s actions during this patrol were heroic and inspiring. I am especially impressed with their professional dexterity and ability to shift from counter-drug operations to humanitarian missions in a moment’s notice, embracing our service motto: Semper Paratus-Always Ready,” said Cmdr. Justin Vanden Heuvel, commanding officer of Resolute. 

Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance-class medium-endurance cutter and has a crew of 72. Resolute was commissioned on December 8, 1966, and is homeported St. Petersburg, Florida. 

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. and PETALUMA, Calif. — Ameresco Inc. has entered into a $43 million Energy Savings Performance Contract with the U.S. Coast Guard at the service’s largest west coast training facility, Training Center Petaluma.

The project will be the USCG’s first battery energy storage system project and the Department of Homeland Security’s largest solar renewable energy project integrated within the USCG’s first fully functional, renewable energy-powered microgrid, the company said in a release. 

Training Center Petaluma faces a range of energy security and resiliency challenges endemic to the climate and regional power infrastructure in northern California. In light of the regularity and severity of weather events and utility interruptions affecting the site, USCG competitively selected Ameresco in February 2021 to fast-track development of a comprehensive Energy Savings Performance Contract to enhance the site’s electric infrastructure and resiliency posture. The microgrid will integrate existing distributed backup generators with a new 5 megawatt (MW) solar array and an 11.6MWh battery energy storage system to power the entire site in the event of a loss of utility. Planned improvements also feature the deployment of new power distribution transformers, Smart controls in 10 buildings across campus, LED lighting improvements for over 8,000 fixtures, installation of new electric vehicle charging infrastructure and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment upgrades.  

“This contract award enables continuity of operations in an environment of unpredictable climate hazards and will increase Training Center Petaluma’s relevance throughout the region, while sustaining our Coast Guard mission ready total workforce,” said Capt. Steven Ramassini, commanding officer for the training campus. 

Once completed, Training Center Petaluma will realize a cost savings of more than $1.2 million in the first year alone. The project will also reduce the site’s annual electricity and propane consumption by 8.7M kWh and 50.8 kgal, respectively. 

“We are so honored to lead the design and development of this historic project for the United States Coast Guard,” said Nicole Bulgarino, executive vice president, Ameresco. “The upgrades outlined integrate energy efficiency and clean onsite energy with advanced microgrid controls and significantly enhance the training facility’s energy resiliency. The finished project will set a strong precedent for future Federal renewable generation and battery storage projects.”  

Construction on the project is set to begin in October 2021 and be complete by fall 2023. 

HONOLULU — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Juniper (WLB 201) returned to Honolulu after completing a 45-day patrol in Oceania in support of Operation Aiga Oct. 8, the Coast Guard 14^th District said in a release. 

During the 10,000 nautical-mile patrol, the cutter’s crew conducted operations to counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and strengthened relations with foreign allies while promoting the collective maritime sovereignty and resource security of partner nations in the Indo-Pacific.  

Operation Aiga, the Samoan word for family, is designed to integrate Coast Guard capabilities and operations with the United States’ Pacific Island Country partners in order to effectively and efficiently protect shared national interests, combat IUU fishing and strengthen maritime governance on the high seas. 

“During our deployment in Oceania, Juniper conducted fisheries enforcement in an effort to counter and deter illegal fishing activities in the Central Pacific,” said Cmdr. Chris Jasnoch, the Juniper’s commanding officer. “We were able to establish a presence on the high seas and in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone [EEZ] in American Samoa while also patrolling our partner nation’s EEZs.”  

The Juniper’s crew worked under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), which strives to protect the region’s fish stocks on the high seas. The WCPFC has 26 member nations and seven participating territories, 18 of which have enforcing authority. The United States is both a WCPFC member and an enforcing nation.  

“We get to take part in a unique, rewarding mission in the Pacific,” said Lt. j.g. Ryan Burk, the operations officer on the Juniper. “We have the privilege of building and strengthening relationships with our Pacific Island partners, while protecting and preserving global resources.”  

During the patrol the Juniper embarked a Mandarin linguist from the U.S. Marine Corps to query 11 foreign fishing vessels and board four fishing vessels, generating vital information reports for IUU fishing in the region.  

The crew also conducted joint operations with a French navy Falcon 200 aircraft to identify and intercept vessels on the high seas. They also conducted a fueling evolution with the Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry’s crew, another participant in Operation Aiga.  

“We strengthened our joint capabilities with the French Navy in the fight against IUU fishing activities on the high seas in support of the WCPFC,” said Jasnoch.  

To promote American Samoa’s maritime transportation system, the Juniper crew serviced vital aids to navigation in Pago Pago Harbor and in neighboring islands, demonstrating the cutter’s multi-mission capabilities.  

In addition to normal buoy maintenance, Juniper accomplished the first Waterways Analysis and Management System Report for Pago Pago since 2003. This report integrates the opinions of Pago Pago Harbor’s regular users to review the relevance of existing aids and reevaluate where new aids would be useful, ensuring the sustainability and safety of the waterway.  

Juniper’s crew also put together a donation box for the children in Pago Pago, including sporting equipment, books and toys for the Boys and Girls Club of American Samoa.  

“Despite COVID restrictions preventing an in-person event, it felt good to know that we made a difference,” said Ensign Elaine Weaver, the Juniper’s community relations officer.  

The Juniper is a 225-foot seagoing buoy tender home ported in Honolulu and is responsible for maintaining aids to navigation, performing maritime law enforcement, port and coastal security, search and rescue and environmental protection. 

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Diligence returned to homeport in Pensacola, Florida, Oct. 6 after a 54-day Caribbean Sea patrol, the Coast Guard 8th District said Oct. 8.  

During this patrol, Diligence’s crew performed extensive migrant interdiction operations in support of Operation Southeast Watch. The crew of Diligence played a role in the interagency effort to detect and deter vessels engaged in illegal maritime migration.  

Partnering with seven other Coast Guard cutters and five Coast Guard aircraft, Diligence interdicted, cared for, and repatriated nearly 600 migrants who departed from Haiti. Additionally, Diligence’s crew safely escorted two other overloaded vessels engaged in an illegal migrant venture, ensuring the safety of more than 300 people. The 54-day patrol provided critical training opportunities to build proficiency through shipboard training and drills enhancing operational readiness and effectiveness. 

“Throughout the deployment, Diligence’s crew exemplified the Coast Guard’s core values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty,” said Cmdr. Jared Trusz, cutter Diligence commanding officer.  “In response to a challenging mission, they supported national security objectives by deterring illegal maritime migration, while ensuring the safety of life-at-sea. The crew provided humanitarian care for those interdicted and treated all migrants with dignity and respect as we safely returned them to Haiti. I cannot thank Diligence’s crew enough for the hard work and sacrifices made during this patrol.” 

Diligence is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Pensacola with 78 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. 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The U.S. Coast Guard will commission the USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145), Patrol Forces Southwest Asia’s fourth Sentinel-class cutter, into service at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia at 10 a.m. ET, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in an Oct. 7 release. 

Due to COVID mitigation, in-person attendance is limited, and the event is not open to the public. 

Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, will preside over the ceremony. Yvonne Gilmore Jordan, the eldest first cousin to Tunnell, is the ship’s sponsor.  

The cutter’s namesake is Steward’s Mate 1st Class Emlen Tunnell, a native of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1943 to 1946. During this time, he rescued two shipmates. The first was aboard the USS Etamin at anchor in Papua New Guinea in 1944. When a crewman became engulfed in flame following a Japanese torpedo attack, he beat out the fire, sustaining burns, and carried him to safety. The second rescue came aboard the USCGC Tampa in 1946 when a shipmate fell overboard off Newfoundland. Tunnell risked the 32-degree Fahrenheit water suffering shock and exposure to save him. The U.S. Coast Guard awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal to Tunnell posthumously for his heroism. 

Tunnell was also a lauded athlete beginning in high school and then college before he joined the service. While in the Coast Guard, he played football and basketball, and upon his departure, he resumed college. Tunnell went on to play professional football for the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers. He also served as an assistant coach for the Giants. Notably, Tunnell is the first African American to play for the NY Giants, African American talent scout, and African American full-time assistant coach. He is also the first African American inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.  

The Emlen Tunnell was officially delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard on July 1 in Key West, Florida. It is the 45th Sentinel-class fast response cutter. Each of these cutters carries the name of a U.S. Coast Guard enlisted hero. While the ship is commissioning in Philadelphia, it will homeport in Manama, Bahrain, part of U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). 

Established in 2002 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA played a crucial role in maritime security and maritime infrastructure protection operations. PATFORSWA is a maritime humanitarian presence on the seas, providing U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet with combat-ready assets. Utilizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s unique access to foreign territorial seas and ports, our crews formulate strong and independent relationships throughout the Arabian Gulf and leverage the full spectrum of flexible vessel boarding capabilities at sea and maritime country engagements onshore. 

JUNEAU, Alaska — U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) crews conducted a joint exercise off the coast of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on Sept. 23, the Coast Guard 17th District said in an Oct. 5 release. 
 
The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball crew and an RCN crew, aboard the military vessel Harry DeWolf, operated alongside one another to exchange radio communications after both crews lined their respective ship’s port railings to properly salute in formation, rendering honors. 
 
The joint exercise was a significant opportunity that allowed the crews to demonstrate international operability and reaffirms the longstanding relationship between the U.S. and Canada. The mutually beneficial alliance between the two Arctic nations continues to contribute to maritime security in this increasingly critical region. 
 
“Our exercise with the Harry DeWolf is just the latest in a long history of maintaining a strong bond with our close friend, Canada, as well as our commitment to work with all the Arctic nations,” said Capt. Thomas D’Arcy, the Kimball’s commanding officer. “The maritime partnership between the United States and Canada enhances each nation’s regional stability, while providing mutually beneficial economic opportunities. With the increased importance of the Arctic and activity in the region, our trust and partnership in the maritime domain will promote each nation’s interests and provide opportunities to protect the environment.” 
 
The Coast Guard provides a continuous physical presence in the Bering Sea and throughout Alaska to carry out search and rescue and law enforcement missions and to conduct interagency and international cooperation, building on current regional partnerships. 
 
The Bering Sea, considered the gateway to the Arctic, encompasses 900,000 square miles of the U.S. exclusive zone off the Alaskan coast. The joint operations conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy bolster the ability to operate in this critical region at a time when the Arctic is becoming increasingly accessible. 
 
The Kimball, homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii, is one of the Coast Guard’s newer 420-foot Legend-class National Security Cutters and boasts a wide array of modern capabilities helping the crew to complete their varied missions.