The crew of U.S. Coast Guard cutter John Witherspoon arrived at its new homeport in Kodiak, Alaska on Jan. 28.
The cutter, which is scheduled to be commissioned during a ceremony in April, is the first of three Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) to be homeported at Coast Guard Base Kodiak, and is now the fourth FRC currently based in Alaska.
Although the ships will be homeported in Kodiak, they’ll operate throughout the 17th Coast Guard District, including the U.S. Arctic, Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea.
According to the Coast Guard, crew on the Witherspoon will carry out “integral” missions such as maritime law enforcement and security and search and rescue.
“They will provide security for Alaskan coastal communities as they continue to utilize the ocean for their livelihoods while preserving Alaska’s living marine resources in conjunction with our partner agencies,” the Guard said in a statement.
The vessel is named after Capt. John G. Witherspoon, a trailblazer who would eventually command three Coast Guard cutters, Mallow, Valiant and Dependable, and rise to the rank of captain. He was only the second Black man to command a cutter and the first to command a Coast Guard base.
The cutter’s first sail stretched more than 7,000 nautical miles from Key West to Kodiak.
“Throughout the last five months, the crew displayed remarkable teamwork and resilience, a true testament to the core values Capt. Witherspoon epitomized throughout his illustrious career. I couldn’t be prouder of the team we have onboard,” Lt. Cmdr. Adam Young, commanding officer of the Witherspoon, said.
The new FRCs arriving in Alaska are designed to replace the service’s fleet of 110-foot cutters that are projected to be decommissioned this year. The Coast Guard is currently scheduled to have six FRCs operating throughout Alaska by the end of 2025 to reinforce U.S. maritime boundaries and speed up on-scene response times to support search-and-rescue efforts, according to the Guard.
FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, as well as over-the-horizon response boat deployment capability and improved habitability for the crew.
The ships can reach speeds of 28 knots and are equipped to coordinate operations with partner agencies and long-range assets such as the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutters.
FRCs are 154-foot multi-mission ships designed to conduct drug and migrant interdictions; port, waterway and coastal security operations; fisheries and environmental protection patrols; national defense missions, and search and rescue.
Each cutter is designed for a crew of 24, has a range of 2,500 miles and is equipped for patrols up to five days. The FRCs are part of the Coast Guard’s overall fleet modernization initiative.