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Coast Guard cutters strengthen maritime security, partner readiness across Western Pacific during late January patrols

Photo By Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir | USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) serves as the training platform for the U.S. Marine...... read more read more

SANTA RITA, GUAM

02.12.2026

Story by Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir

U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia / Sector Guam

Coast Guard cutters strengthen maritime security, partner readiness across Western Pacific during late January patrols

SANTA RITA, Guam — Two U.S. Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter crews homeported in Guam completed simultaneous operational periods across the Western Pacific in late January, comprising more than 300 hours at sea to enforce federal law, train alongside and support military partners, and protect U.S. waters stretching from Guam to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

“These multimission patrols show what our crews deliver every time they get underway — they enforce the law, train alongside our partners, and keep U.S. waters secure. The professionalism of the Oliver Henry and Frederick Hatch teams is what makes this level of operations possible across such a vast area of responsibility,” said Cmdr. Grant Johnson, response department head overseeing the Fast Response Cutter patrols.

The crews of USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) and USCGC Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143) upheld the U.S. Coast Guard’s standing mission to safeguard the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in Oceania. Together, the patrols advanced maritime security, deterred illegal fishing and asymmetric migration through presence, and strengthened joint warfighting readiness with the Department of War forces.

USCGC Oliver Henry: Joint training and strategic support Oliver Henry’s crew operated from Jan. 21 to Feb. 2, maintaining a dedicated presence in U.S. territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone.

The cutter served as the training platform for the U.S. Marine Corps 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Maritime Raid Force Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure Course put on by III Marine Expeditionary Force Expeditionary Operations Training Group. Working alongside Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25 and USNS Lummus (T-AK-3011), Oliver Henry’s crew supported four iterations of the underway boat assault force, helping 80 Force Reconnaissance Platoon and Security Element students complete their final exam in maritime interdiction tactics.

The crew also enforced a Captain of the Port safety zone during a 90-hour joint test involving more than 30 agencies, securing critical warfighting capability for the Department of War. Oliver Henry’s team also conducted maritime domain awareness operations, monitoring vessel activity near Guam to maintain a clear picture of who is operating in and around U.S. waters.

USCGC Frederick Hatch: Patrol and high seas fisheries enforcement Frederick Hatch’s crew deployed from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3, sailing more than 2,100 nautical miles across the waters surrounding Guam, Saipan, and Tinian.

The crew conducted a boarding on a foreign-flagged fishing vessel on the high seas under the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission to verify compliance with international fishing regulations. The team found no violations. They also completed a successful MK-38 gunnery exercise and partnered with a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircrew from Air Station Barbers Point on maritime domain awareness operations.

The crew spent more than 70 hours patrolling the waters off Guam, Saipan, and Tinian, strengthening border security and deterring illegal migration in the Mariana Islands. The Frederick Hatch crew also honored its service at sea, awarding two permanent and eight temporary Cutterman insignias and celebrating one enlisted advancement.

"Behind every boarding, every safety zone, and every maritime domain awareness operation is a crew that trained hard to be ready for it. Watching our junior members qualify underway and train side by side with our Marine counterparts — that's how we build and maintain the capabilities we need out here to serve the people of the Marianas and the nation," said Johnson.

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About Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam comprises Fast Response Cutter, station small boat, and various shore-based crews who protect our borders and approaches, enables the flow of maritime commerce, and are ready to respond to crises in the Micronesia region of Oceania, including the U.S. territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Freely Associated States, while advancing national interests at home and abroad. The multi-mission service operates under the Department of Homeland Security and in concert with our many regional partners.