U.S. Coast Guard Commissions First Pacific Northwest-based Fast Response Cutter

The United States Coast Guard commissioned its 56th Fast Response Cutter (FRC), the first to be stationed in the Pacific Northwest, during a ceremony in Astoria, Oregon, on June 27, 2024.

The ceremony marks the official entry of the Coast Guard Cutter David Duren (WPC-1156) into active service.

The David Duren, built by Bollinger Shipyards and delivered to the Coast Guard earlier this year, is the first of three FRCs scheduled to be homeported at Astoria.

Vice Adm Andrew Tiongson, Pacific Area Commander, presided over the commissioning ceremony, which was attended by members of the Duren family, including Dawn Duren, the cutter’s sponsor.

The cutter is named after Master Chief Petty Officer David Duren, who joined the Coast Guard in 1965 and retired in 1993.

David Duren (WPC-1156) — Image Credits: USCG

Duren, a distinguished heavy weather coxswain and National Motor Lifeboat School graduate, was Coast Guard surfman No. 100.

Throughout his service, Duren was awarded two Coast Guard Medals for extraordinary heroism and the Douglas Munro Inspirational Leadership Award.

He participated in 250 search and rescue operations in a single year, more than any other officer in charge, and his soldiers earned 24 medals and awards.

The crew of the David Duren cutter will primarily operate in the Columbia River, Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

The Sentinal class FRC is designed for various missions, including search and rescue, fishing patrols, port, canal, coastal security, drug and migrant interdiction and national defense.

The Coast Guard intends to replace its Island class 110-foot patrol boats from the 1980s with 65 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs).

These modern cutters are outfitted with advanced command, control, communications, computing, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance systems.

They also provide over-the-horizon cutter boat deployment capabilities, increased habitability and improved seakeeping.

The commissioning ceremony is a crucial milestone in a cutter’s life. It indicates its ability to conduct Coast Guard operations and marks its entry into active service.

Reference: USCG

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