U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast returns home after final patrol of Coast Guard service

Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Magee | The crew of USCGC Steadfast, returns to its homeport in Astoria, Oregon, following a patrol Dec. 18, 2023. Steadfast is a 210-foot reliance class cutter. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Magee)  

ASTORIA, OR, UNITED STATES

12.18.2023

Courtesy Story

U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area

ASTORIA, Ore. – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast (WMEC 623) and crew returned to homeport, Monday, following its final operational patrol after 56 years of service.

The 210-foot medium endurance cutter and crew transited 11,742 nautical miles on a 64-day multi-mission patrol, from Oregon to several hundred miles off Central Mexico coast conducting training, law enforcement, recruiting and public affairs missions, along with helicopter operations.

Steadfast deployed with additional crew members from Tactical Law Enforcement Team Pacific, Air Station San Francisco, U.S. Guard Cutter Tern (WPB 87343), and the recently launched Cutter Argus (WMSM 915).

“I’m incredibly impressed with the crew’s flexibility and ingenuity during our dynamic multi-mission District Eleven patrol,” said Cmdr. Brock Eckel, commanding officer of the Steadfast. “Whether it was working in and around marine protected areas to conduct critical ship-helo training or working seamlessly with multiple Coast Guard sectors to ensure the protection of natural resources and the safety of commercial fishermen, in every instance they rose to the occasion with innovative operational solutions.”

While Steadfast’s recent successes have largely been in the counternarcotics arena, this patrol presented the crew with a challenging new mission set. Steadfast and crew conducted 13 living marine resources (LMR) boardings off the California coast for the first time in 14 years and issued six safety violations. The LMR mission empowers the Coast Guard to ensure the safety of people working in the fishing industry, as well as to protect marine life and the ecosystem.

In November, Steadfast and crew moored at Broadway Pier in San Diego along with U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Forrest Rednour to represent the Coast Guard at Fleet Week. Over the course of five days, Steadfast welcomed more than 6,520 people from the community aboard, giving tours and demonstrations, educating about Coast Guard missions. Steadfast crewmembers engaged with STEM students for two days in support of recruitment efforts, inspiring the next generation of engineers, technicians, and leaders.

During the final patrol leg, Steadfast bolstered multi-agency efforts in support of Operation Green Flash and partnered with the Mexican Navy (SEMAR) in support of Operation Albatross, working overtly to deter unsafe illegal migration on the United States-Mexico Maritime Boundary Line (MBL). Steadfast patrolled the MBL as a deterring presence, while also standing by as a search and rescue asset.

While patrolling, Steadfast and crew also maintained a rigorous training program, resulting in 111 new qualifications for operations, engineering, deck, and aviation personnel. Steadfast conducted 98 damage control, medical, navigation, and engineering drills, providing critical hands-on training, and building skills that crewmembers will take with them to their future units after Steadfast decommissions in the spring.

Steadfast is scheduled to decommission in late March after 56 years of service. Originally homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida, then Astoria, Oregon, since 1994, the cutter’s impact spans more than half a century, across the country and beyond its borders. A decommissioning ceremony is scheduled in early February to commemorate its storied history, honor its legacy, and congratulate its many crewmembers on a job well done.

For further information please contact Steadfast’s Public Affairs Officer, Lt. j.g. Victoria Folz ([e-mail])

-USCG-

• Date Taken: 12.18.2023
• Date Posted: 12.19.2023 12:57
• Story ID: 460343
• Location: ASTORIA, OR, US