This Day in Coast Guard History, November 24

Based on the Coast Guard Historian’s timeline, https://www.history.uscg.mil/research/chronology/
With inspiration from Mike Kelso

Faint lighting, suitable for pilots wearing night vision goggles, outlines the flight deck on board U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) in a ghostly green as the ship charts its course at twilight in the Yellow Sea June 2, 2019. The ship is engaged in a Western Pacific deployment in support of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer John Masson.

2015  CGC Bertholf returned to its homeport of Alameda after completing a 104-day multi-mission deployment in which the cutter seized over $455 million worth of illegal narcotics.  Bertholf was deployed to the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) Operation Martillo.  During this phase the cutter’s crew boarded and seized 11 smuggling vessels, detained 32 suspected narco-traffickers, and prevented more than 30,000 pounds of illegal narcotics from reaching U.S. shores.  The cutter’s success on the recent deployment showcases the stamina and flexibility of Bertholf’s hard-working crew, highlighted by the cutter’s interdiction of a self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS).  Bertholf’s boarding teams achieved complete surprise in taking control of the stealthy vessel, and spent over two full days onboard the SPSS ultimately recovering over 15,000 pounds of narcotics.  At another point during the deployment, the cutter’s crew pursued nine different go-fast vessels on the high seas in less than seven days.  The successful interdictions were enabled by the cutter’s interoperability with other Coast Guard units, as well as assets from the Department of Defense and other agencies supporting the JIATF-S mission.  For a portion of the deployment, the cutter traveled to Valparaiso, Chile in support of UNITAS 2015, a multinational naval exercise, partnering with naval forces from 11 countries, including the U.S. Navy.  Bertholf ‘s boarding teams conducted joint interdiction operations with Chilean and Mexican forces, boarding simulated rogue merchant vessels to seize smuggled weapons of mass destruction components as part of an international task force.

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