USCGC Mendota (WHEC-69) was an Owasco class high endurance cutter built for World War II service with the United States Coast Guard . The ship was commissioned three months before the end of the war and did not see combat action until the Vietnam War .
101-637: The United States Coast Guard Yard or just Coast Guard Yard is a United States Coast Guard operated shipyard located on Curtis Bay in northern Anne Arundel County, Maryland , just south of the Baltimore city limits. It is the Department of Homeland Security 's largest industrial facility. It is a division of the Coast Guard's Surface Forces Logistics Center command. It is the Coast Guard's sole shipbuilding and major repair facility, and part of
202-595: A federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. It is the largest coast guard in the world, rivaling the capabilities and size of most navies . The U.S. Coast Guard is a humanitarian and security service. It protects the United States ' borders and economic and security interests abroad; and defends its sovereignty by safeguarding sea lines of communication and commerce across U.S. territorial waters and its Exclusive Economic Zone . Due to ever-expanding risk imposed by transnational threats through
303-536: A "system of cutters," each ship operated under the direction of the customs officials in the port to which it was assigned. Several names, including "Revenue-Marine," were used as the service gradually becoming more organized. Eventually it was officially organized as the United States Revenue Cutter Service . In addition to its regular law enforcement and customs duties, revenue cutters and their crews were used to support and supplement
404-480: A Coast Guard Reserve Officer. Lawyers, engineers, intelligence officers, military aviators holding commissions in other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces requesting interservice transfers to the Coast Guard, graduates of maritime academies, and certain other individuals may also receive an officer's commission in the Coast Guard through the Direct Commission Officer (DCO) program. Depending on
505-757: A branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times. The Coast Guard shall be a service in the Department of Homeland Security, except when operating as a service in the Navy." Coast Guard organization and operation is as set forth in Title 33 of the Code of Federal Regulations . On 25 November 2002, the Homeland Security Act was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush, designating
606-572: A combat environment. The squadron operated divisions in three separate areas during the period of 1965 to 1970. Twenty-six Point-class cutters with their crews and a squadron support staff were assigned to the U.S. Navy with the mission of interdicting the movement of arms and supplies from the South China Sea into South Vietnam by Viet Cong and North Vietnam junk and trawler operators. The squadron also provided 81mm mortar naval gunfire support to nearby friendly units operating along
707-432: A commercial tug arrived. On 21 and 22 August 1950, she towed the disabled MV South Bend Victory until relieved by a commercial tug. On 2 January 1952, she medevaced a crewman from FV Silver Bay at 44°47’N, 56°22’W. On 2 March 1952, she provided medical aid to MV Rachel Jackson at 37°30’N, 66°08’W. On 9 March 1952, she recovered a buoy and transferred it to the tender Madrona . On 12 and 13 March 1952, Mendota medevaced
808-446: A crewman from MV Saxton Star and transferred him to MV Queen of Bermuda . On 18 September 1953, she medevaced a crewman from MV Government Camp . From 15 to 17 March 1954, Mendota towed the disabled FV Eagle to Newfoundland . On 31 August 1954, she towed the disabled tug Ocean Prince until relieved. On 11 and 12 January 1955, she escorted the disabled MV Flying Cloud III to Frying Pan Shoals . On 13 January 1955, she assisted
909-463: A departure from the Navy conventions, all petty officers E-6 and below wear red chevrons and all chief petty officers wear gold. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is a four-year service academy located in New London, Connecticut . Approximately 200 cadets graduate each year, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission as an ensign in the Coast Guard. Graduates are obligated to serve
1010-574: A ferryboat for Coast Guard use at Governor's Island, New York. The Kulshan, a 30-year-old vessel bought by the Coast Guard from the State of Washington's ferry system , was renamed the Governor following renovation at the yard. As the 1980s came to a close, the Coast Guard tasked the yard with construction of six river barges for Coast Guard use on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The project
1111-617: A gold Coast Guard Shield in lieu of a line star or staff corps officer insignia. Highly qualified enlisted personnel in pay grades E-6 through E-9 with a minimum of eight years' experience can compete each year for appointment as warrant officers (WO). Successful candidates are chosen by a board and then commissioned as chief warrant officer two (CWO2) in one of twenty-one specialties. Over time, chief warrant officers may be promoted to chief warrant officer three (CWO3) and chief warrant officer four (CWO4). The ranks of warrant officer (WO1) and chief warrant officer five (CWO5) are not currently used in
SECTION 10
#17327806881991212-467: A minimum of five years on active duty. Most graduates are assigned to duty aboard Coast Guard cutters immediately after graduation, either as Deck Watch Officers (DWOs) or as Engineer Officers in Training (EOITs). Smaller numbers are assigned directly to flight training at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida or to shore duty at Coast Guard Sector , District, or Area headquarters units. In addition to
1313-570: A proven record for the design of experimental maritime projects. The construction of the prototype Stable Semi-Submerged Platform, or SSP, was the highlight of the 1970s. The SSP Kailmalino used the SWATH concept – Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull. The craft operated successfully for many years in the Hawaiian Islands. In 1974, the yard laid the keel for a 160' single unit construction tender,
1414-678: A separate federal agency, also within the Treasury Department, with fulltime paid crews. In 1915 these two agencies, the Revenue Cutter Service and the Lifesaving Service, were merged to create the modern United States Coast Guard. The Lighthouse Service and the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation were absorbed by the Coast Guard 1939 and 1942 respectively. In 1967, the Coast Guard moved from
1515-578: A service of the Department of the Navy . This arrangement has a broad historical basis, as the Coast Guard has been involved in wars as diverse as the War of 1812 , the Mexican–American War , and the American Civil War , in which the cutter Harriet Lane fired the first naval shots attempting to relieve besieged Fort Sumter . The last time the Coast Guard operated as a whole within the Navy
1616-713: A shipyard. Lieutenant Moore set up four small buildings including a lumber mill. The following year saw the arrival of the Salmon P. Chase , a training ship for the USRCS. The crew set up permanent quarters, marking also the beginning of the United States Coast Guard Academy . Five years later, in 1905, the United States Congress authorized the purchase of the land on which the depot sat and with additional surrounding properties ending
1717-610: A single crew member sailing from Newport, Rhode Island , to Bermuda, in October 1966. The crewman refused assistance when found by Mendota , and Stella Maris later disappeared without a trace. Mendota participated in a medical emergency on board the SS Michelangelo in March, 1967 after Michelangelo was struck by a 110-foot (34 m) freak wave. On 24 April 1968, Mendota took on board 26 survivors from Irinis Luck . In
1818-509: A staff job, or an operations ashore billet. OCS is the primary channel through which the Coast Guard enlisted grades ascend to the commissioned officer corps. Unlike the other military services, the Coast Guard does not have a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program. However, the Coast Guard does have the Select Reserve Direct Commission, an officer program for prospective candidates interested serving as
1919-411: A summary table of the authorities of the Coast Guard's 192 special agents and 3,780 maritime law enforcement boarding officers. Coast Guardsmen have the legal authority to carry their service-issued firearms on and off base. This is rarely done in practice, however; at many Coast Guard stations, commanders prefer to have all service-issued weapons in armories when not in use. Still, one court has held in
2020-437: A total workforce of 87,569. The formal name for a uniformed member of the Coast Guard is "Coast Guardsman", irrespective of gender. "Coastie" is an informal term commonly used to refer to current or former Coast Guard personnel. In 2008, the term "Guardian" was introduced as an alternative but was later dropped. Admiral Robert J. Papp Jr. stated that it was his belief that no Commandant had the authority to change what members of
2121-1268: A troop transport, operational base, and rest stop for Cambodian and Chinese mercenaries and Hoi Chi troops on numerous occasions. The cutter steamed 29,288 miles (47,134 km) in the Western Pacific Ocean from March through October, 1969, and was underway 70-percent of that time. Combat operations summary Mendota also conducted naval gunfire support (NGS) missions during her tour. She participated in 31 NGS missions with her main battery, expending 2,527 rounds of ammunition. Additionally 731 rounds of 81 mm mortar were fired and 30,830 rounds of .50 caliber machine gun ammunition. Although many casualty results were not able to be confirmed, Army spotters and ground troops confirmed that Mendota 's guns were responsible for 4 Viet Cong killed or wounded, while another 11 casualties were estimated. Mendota ' s guns also destroyed 20 structures, 6 bunkers, 3 sampans, and 9 bivouac areas, and damaged 27 structures and 10 bunkers. Humanitarian missions The crew of Mendota also participated in humanitarian missions while serving in Vietnam. These missions were concentrated on
SECTION 20
#17327806881992222-465: Is building an anticipated 26 small aids-to-navigation workboats , the 49' BUSLs, through the year 2000. The first BUSL was launched in August, 1997. The yard completed the 210' Major Maintenance Availability Program in October, 1998, with the recommissioning of the cutter Decisive . Fourteen of the Coast Guard's 210' cutters underwent, respectively, an 18-month, $ 21 million renovation at the yard since
2323-412: Is leveraged as a force of both diplomatic soft power and humanitarian and security assistance over the more overtly confrontational nature of "gray hulled" warships. As a humanitarian service, it saves tens of thousands of lives a year at sea and in U.S. waters, and provides emergency response and disaster management for a wide range of human-made and natural catastrophic incidents in the U.S. and throughout
2424-527: Is managed and used by the Coast Guard for tracking pollution and safety incidents in the nation's ports. The National Maritime Center (NMC) is the merchant mariner credentialing authority for the USCG under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security . To ensure a safe, secure, and environmentally sound marine transportation system, the mission of the NMC is to issue credentials to fully qualified mariners in
2525-603: Is on the grounds of the former St. Elizabeths Hospital in the Anacostia section of Southeast Washington, across the Anacostia River from former Coast Guard headquarters. The fiscal year 2016 budget request for the U.S. Coast Guard was $ 9.96 billion. The Coast Guard's current district organization is divided into 9 districts. Their designations, district office and area of responsibility are as follows: Shore establishment commands exist to support and facilitate
2626-478: Is the maritime security , search and rescue , and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services . The service is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the United States military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and
2727-554: Is the oldest continuously operating naval service of the United States. As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton headed the Revenue-Marine, whose original purpose was collecting customs duties at U.S. seaports. By the 1860s, the service was known as the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and the term Revenue-Marine gradually fell into disuse. The modern U.S. Coast Guard was formed by a merger of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and
2828-661: The CGC Pamlico. Throughout the remainder of the decade, 3 more 160' construction tenders were built at the Yard: the CGC Hudson, CGC Kennebec, and CGC Saginaw. From the late 1970s into the early 1980s, the yard renovated sixteen 95' patrol boats. Built at the yard in the 1950s, the cutters were in need of modernization or repair. Entering the 1980s, the yard constructed a prototype oil skimmer used to clean up oil spills. The Zero Relative Velocity Skimmer (ZRV) represented
2929-610: The Department of the Treasury from its inception until 1967. A congressional authority transfer to the Navy has only happened once: in 1917, during World War I . By the time the U.S. entered World War II in December 1941, the U.S. Coast Guard had already been transferred to the Navy by President Franklin Roosevelt . Created by Congress as the Revenue-Marine on 4 August 1790 at the request of Alexander Hamilton , it
3030-415: The U.S. Department of the Treasury to the newly formed U.S. Department of Transportation , an arrangement that lasted until it was placed under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2003 as part of legislation designed to more efficiently protect American interests following the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 . In times of war, the Coast Guard or individual components of it can operate as
3131-515: The U.S. Life-Saving Service on 28 January 1915, under the Department of the Treasury. In 1939, the U.S. Lighthouse Service was also merged into the U.S. Coast Guard. As one of the country's six armed services, the U.S. Coast Guard and its predecessor have participated in every major U.S. war since 1790, from the Quasi-War with France to the Global War on Terrorism . As of December 2021,
United States Coast Guard Yard - Misplaced Pages Continue
3232-566: The Academy, prospective officers, who already hold a college degree, may enter the Coast Guard through Officer Candidate School (OCS), also located at the Coast Guard Academy. OCS is a 17-week course of instruction that prepares candidates to serve effectively as officers in the Coast Guard. In addition to indoctrinating students into a military lifestyle, OCS provides a wide range of highly technical information necessary to perform
3333-615: The Coast Guard Cutter Azalea, a 100' buoy tender, was launched at the yard. The first of 53 cutters built at the yard under the 82' patrol boat program was launched in February, 1960. During the Vietnam War , 26 of the yard-built 82-footers served with Coast Guard Squadron One as a part of the Navy's Operation Market Time . In April, 1962, the prototype of the 44' steel self-righting motor lifeboats (MLB)
3434-530: The Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006, upon the declaration of war and when Congress so directs in the declaration, or when the President directs, the Coast Guard operates under the Department of Defense as a service in the Department of the Navy . As members of the military, Coast Guardsmen on active and reserve service are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and receive
3535-473: The Coast Guard are called as the term Coast Guardsman is found in Title 14 USC which established the Coast Guard in 1915. "Team Coast Guard" refers to the four components of the Coast Guard as a whole: Regular, Reserve, Auxiliary, and Coast Guard civilian employees. Commissioned officers in the Coast Guard hold pay grades ranging from O-1 to O-10 and have the same rank structure as the Navy. Officers holding
3636-651: The Coast Guard as the federal agency responsible for maritime SAR operations, and the United States Air Force as the federal agency responsible for inland SAR. Both agencies maintain rescue coordination centers to coordinate this effort, and have responsibility for both military and civilian search and rescue. The two services jointly provide instructor staff for the National Search and Rescue School that trains SAR mission planners and coordinators. Previously located on Governors Island, New York,
3737-407: The Coast Guard fleet. From the mid-1980s through the early-1990s, the cutters Sorrrel , Gentian , Cowslip , Conifer , Madrona , Laurel , Papaw , Sweetgum and Buttonwood . received mid-life overhauls and given an anticipated 20 additional years of service life as a result of the yard's renovation. In 1984, the yard recommissioned the first 210' medium endurance cutter under
3838-452: The Coast Guard is frequently lauded for its quick responsiveness and adaptability in a broad range of emergencies. In a 2005 article in Time magazine following Hurricane Katrina , the author wrote, "the Coast Guard's most valuable contribution to [a military effort when catastrophe hits] may be as a model of flexibility, and most of all, spirit." Wil Milam, a rescue swimmer from Alaska told
3939-535: The Coast Guard joined with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps to adopt a new maritime strategy called A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower that raised the notion of prevention of war to the same philosophical level as the conduct of war. This new strategy charted a course for the Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps to work collectively with each other and international partners to prevent regional crises, man-made or natural, from occurring, or reacting quickly should one occur to avoid negative impacts to
4040-543: The Coast Guard operate under Department of the Navy operational control while other Coast Guard units remain under the Department of Homeland Security . The Deployable Operations Group (DOG) was a Coast Guard command established in July 2007. The DOG established a single command authority to rapidly provide the Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of Justice and other interagency operational commanders adaptive force packages drawn from
4141-423: The Coast Guard to be placed under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security . The transfer of administrative control from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was completed the following year, on 1 March 2003. The U.S. Coast Guard reports directly to the civilian Secretary of Homeland Security. However, under 14 U.S.C. § 3 as amended by section 211 of
United States Coast Guard Yard - Misplaced Pages Continue
4242-411: The Coast Guard's Major Maintenance Availability Program (MMA). The cutters Active , Confidence and Reliance received their upgrades during the 1980s. Eleven more vessels would undergo renovation throughout the 1990s before the program came to a close. The yard's overhaul gave each MMA cutter an anticipated additional 15 years of service life. In 1985, the yard completed a major renovation of
4343-545: The Coast Guard's core industrial base and fleet support operations. Engineering, logistics, and maintenance responsibilities and complete life-cycle support; installation, operations, maintenance and ultimately replacement. Its annual budget is $ 100 million. Since 1899, the United States Coast Guard Yard has built, repaired and renovated ships for the U.S. Coast Guard. It is the service's sole shipbuilding and major repair facility. The Coast Guard Yard
4444-603: The Coast Guard's deployable specialized force units. The DOG was disestablished on 22 April 2013 and reorganized into Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) units were placed under the control of the Atlantic and Pacific Area Commanders. The planning for the unit began after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, and culminated with its formation on 20 July 2007. Its missions included maritime law enforcement, anti-terrorism , port security , pollution response, and diving operations . There were over 25 specialized units within
4545-513: The Coast Guard's lighted buoys, a program which began at the yard during the Second World War. Constructed in an assembly-line mode, lighted reflector buoys – large, steel buoys used for around-the-clock aids-to-navigation and lighted ice buoys used for heavy ice conditions were manufactured at the yard. Begun in 1975, the yard became the sole source for overhaul of the Coast Guard's 5" 38 caliber gun mount. The 5" gun mounts were used on
4646-509: The Coast Guard. Chief warrant officers may also compete for the Chief Warrant Officer to Lieutenant Program. If selected, the warrant officer will be promoted to lieutenant (O-3E). The "E" designates over four years' active duty service as a warrant officer or enlisted member and entitles the member to a higher rate of pay than other lieutenants. Enlisted members of the Coast Guard have pay grades from E-1 to E-9 and also follow
4747-651: The Coast Guard. Topping the list is the repair of the MK 75 76 mm guns and includes a contract with the Naval Sea Systems Command for the overhaul of the Saudi Arabian MK 75 weapons systems. The yard expanded its market base in the mid-1990s to include the overhaul of the Paxman engine , the main propulsion engine in the 110' patrol boat . The work is considered a primary example of core work for
4848-828: The Deployable Operations Group including the Maritime Security Response Team , Maritime Safety and Security Teams , Law Enforcement Detachments, Port Security Units , the National Strike Force , and Regional Dive Lockers. The DOG also managed Coast Guard personnel assigned to the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command and was involved in the selection of Coast Guard candidates to attend Navy BUD/S and serve with Navy SEAL Teams . The new Department of Homeland Security headquarters complex
4949-526: The Navy in various armed conflicts including the American Civil War . A separate federal agency, the U.S. Life-Saving Service , developed alongside the Revenue-Marine. Prior to 1848, there were various charitable efforts at creating systems to provide assistance to shipwrecked mariners from shore-based stations, notably by the Massachusetts Humane Society . The federal government began funding lifesaving stations in 1848 but funding
5050-437: The Revenue Cutter Service and Lifesaving Service combined to form the U. S. Coast Guard, the depot was selected as the site to train surfmen in the care and operation of gasoline engines. The engine school was housed in a shed along the west depot boundary. During the 1920s, production of boats, canvas work and numerous other articles for the needs of the service were stepped up. Extensive overhauls and repairs were performed on
5151-881: The South Vietnamese coastline and assisted the U.S. Navy during Operation Sealords . Coast Guard Squadron Three , was a combat unit formed by the United States Coast Guard in 1967 for service during the Vietnam War . Placed under the operational control of the United States Navy and based in Pearl Harbor . It consisted of five USCG High Endurance Cutters operating on revolving six-month deployments. A total of 35 High Endurance Cutters took part in operations from May 1967 to December 1971, most notably using their 5-inch guns to provide naval gunfire support missions. Often units within
SECTION 50
#17327806881995252-635: The Treasury Alexander Hamilton lobbied Congress to fund the construction of ten cutters , which it did on 4 August 1790 (now celebrated as the Coast Guard's official birthday). Until the re-establishment of the Navy in 1798, these "revenue cutters" were the only naval force of the early United States. As such, the cutters and their crews frequently took on additional duties, including combating piracy, rescuing mariners in distress, ferrying government officials, and even carrying mail. Initially not an organized federal agency at all, merely
5353-405: The U.S. Coast Guard is the second smallest of the U.S. military service branches in terms of membership, the service by itself is the world's 12th largest naval force. The Coast Guard carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are: With a decentralized organization and much responsibility placed on even the most junior personnel,
5454-572: The U.S. Coast Guard's authorized force strength is 44,500 active duty personnel and 7,000 reservists. The service's force strength also includes 8,577 full-time civilian federal employees and 31,000 uniformed volunteers of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary . The service maintains an extensive fleet of roughly 250 coastal and ocean-going cutters , patrol ships, buoy tenders, tugs, and icebreakers; as well as nearly 2,000 small boats and specialized craft. It also maintains an aviation division consisting of more than 200 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. While
5555-421: The U.S. Navy , as well as officers from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are assigned to the Coast Guard to perform chaplain-related functions and medical-related functions, respectively. These officers wear Coast Guard uniforms but replace the Coast Guard insignia with that of their own service. The Navy and Coast Guard share identical officer rank insignia except that Coast Guard officers wear
5656-534: The United States maritime jurisdiction. The six uniformed services that make up the U.S. Armed Forces are defined in Title 10 of the U.S. Code : "The term "armed forces" means the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard." The Coast Guard is further defined by Title 14 of the United States Code : "The Coast Guard as established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and
5757-523: The United States. During the launch of the new U.S. maritime strategy at the International Seapower Symposium at the U.S. Naval War College in 2007, Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen said the new maritime strategy reinforced the time-honored missions the service has carried out in the United States since 1790. "It reinforces the Coast Guard maritime strategy of safety, security and stewardship, and it reflects not only
5858-445: The authority to: (1) carry a firearm; (2) execute and serve any order, warrant, subpoena, summons, or other process issued under the authority of the United States; (3) make an arrest without a warrant for any offense against the United States committed in the officer's presence or for a felony, cognizable under the laws of the United States committed outside the officer's presence if the officer has reasonable grounds to believe that
5959-570: The best available technology in the Coast Guard's field of fast current pollution control research. The first of the new 270' medium endurance cutters, the Bear, arrived at the yard in 1983 to begin post-construction and electronics work. The yard accomplished a retrofit on 12 additional 270' cutters throughout the 1980s. Beginning in 1984, the yard began the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for nine 180' buoy tenders in
6060-480: The case of People v. Booth that Coast Guard boarding officers are qualified law enforcement officers authorized to carry personal firearms off-duty for self-defense. The Coast Guard traced its roots to the small fleet of vessels maintained by the United States Department of the Treasury beginning in the 1790s to enforce tariffs (an important source of revenue for the new nation). Secretary of
6161-718: The communications and operations center for the National Response Team, the NRC maintains agreements with a variety of federal entities to make additional notifications regarding incidents meeting established trigger criteria. The NRC also takes Maritime Suspicious Activity and Security Breach Reports. Details on the NRC organization and specific responsibilities can be found in the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan. The Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) database system
SECTION 60
#17327806881996262-496: The construction of the largest cutters ever built at the yard – the 255' cutters Mendota and Pontchartrain . The yard employed 3100 civilian workers during World War II. Besides the assigned military complement, the Coast Guard's wartime training station or boot camp added to the number of personnel at the yard. As the yard reduced its work force to fit the service's post war needs, vessel overhaul, gun repair work, buoy construction and miscellaneous manufacturing made up much of
6363-423: The crews alternated being on board Mendota every other day. The medical staff also aided 51 men who had been wounded in action. Hong Kong station ship Mendota established an excellent record as Hong Kong station ship. For one month, from 6 May through 6 June 1969, CAPT C. S. Marple, USCG, the commanding officer of Mendota, was Senior Officer Present Afloat for Administration, or SOPA (ADMIN), Hong Kong, and
6464-482: The depot underwent extensive expansion. Improvements included a 3000-ton floating drydock, two shipways and a 320' x 60' concrete pier with tower crane. The depot, now comparable in size and functions to a medium-size navy shipyard, was officially designated the U.S. Coast Guard Yard. Work involved repair of vessels including submarines, buoy manufacturing, production of canvas work for the Coast Guard and building over 300 small wooden boats annually. Additional work included
6565-520: The disabled FV Stephen Margo 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Diamond Shoals . On 14 January 1955, she escorted an ammunition barge. On 15 and 16 August 1955, Mendota rescued 46 crew members and one dog from the Portuguese FV Ilhavense Segundo . On 11 and 12 March 1957, Mendota assisted the disabled FV Stella Maris 63 miles (101 km) southwest of Louisbourg , Nova Scotia . On 25 January 1958, Mendota towed
6666-472: The disabled USN tug Sagamore and the destroyer escort Stewart to Southport , ME. On 22 May 1958, while serving on Ocean Station ECHO, she rescued the pilots from two USAF jets that had collided. On 6 January 1959, she assisted MV Hillcrest at 34°43’N, 62°30’W. From 1 to 22 August 1960, she was employed on the reserve cruise visiting Veracruz , Mexico . She paid an official visit to Curaçao from 18–21 August 1961. On 15 November 1962, Mendota assisted
6767-467: The disabled schooner Curlew 90 miles (140 km) northwest of Bermuda . In March 1965, she served as on-scene commander following a mid-air collision of two USAF aircraft 200 miles (320 km) south of Cape Race , Newfoundland . The body of one of the pilots was recovered and returned to Argentia. Mendota coordinated a search for the SV Stella Maris , a 26-foot (7.9 m) yacht with
6868-410: The duties of a Coast Guard officer. Graduates of OCS are usually commissioned as ensigns, but some with advanced graduate degrees may enter as lieutenants (junior grade) or lieutenants . Graduating OCS officers entering active duty are required to serve a minimum of three years, while graduating reserve officers are required to serve four years. Graduates may be assigned to a cutter, flight training,
6969-785: The fall of 1968 Mendota coordinated the rescue of the Alberto Beneti during hurricane Helen. After assignment to Coast Guard Squadron Three Mendota departed Wilmington on 27 January 1969, bound ultimately for the waters off the coast of Vietnam . Once in Vietnamese waters, Mendota conducted eight Operation Market Time patrols during which time she detected 1,550 vessels, inspected 825, and boarded 8. Mendota also participated in Special Operation SEALORD missions twice, Navy SEAL support missions three times and Operation Silver Mace once. Mendota acted as
7070-477: The global reach of our maritime services but the need to integrate and synchronize and act with our coalition and international partners to not only win wars ... but to prevent wars," Allen said. Title 14 USC, section 2 authorizes the Coast Guard to enforce U.S. federal laws. This authority is further defined in 14 U.S.C. § 522 , which gives law enforcement powers to all Coast Guard commissioned officers, warrant officers, and petty officers. Unlike
7171-476: The magazine, "In the Navy, it was all about the mission. Practicing for war, training for war. In the Coast Guard, it was, take care of our people and the mission will take care of itself." The eleven statutory missions as defined by law are divided into homeland security missions and non-homeland security missions: The U.S. Coast Guard Search and Rescue (CG-SAR) is one of the Coast Guard's best-known operations. The National Search and Rescue Plan designates
7272-454: The maritime and cyber domains, the U.S. Coast Guard is at any given time deployed to and operating on all seven continents and in cyberspace to enforce its mission. Like its United States Navy sibling, the U.S. Coast Guard maintains a global presence with permanently-assigned personnel throughout the world and forces routinely deploying to both littoral and blue-water regions. The U.S. Coast Guard's adaptive, multi-mission "white hull" fleet
7373-453: The medical personnel. Logistics missions Mendota was not only home to the 160 men who were permanently assigned as her crew. She also served as a "mother ship" to U.S. Navy "Swift" boats and their crews, and to a lesser degree the Coast Guard 82-foot patrol boats , which operated in the inner barrier closer to shore. Mendota serviced the 82-footers forty times during her stay while the "Swift" boats received logistic support daily, and
7474-564: The mission of the sea and air assets and Coastal Defense . U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters is located in Southeast Washington, D.C. Examples of other shore establishment types are Coast Guard Sectors (which may include Coast Guard Bases), Surface Forces Logistics Center (SFLC), Coast Guard Stations , Coast Guard Air Stations , and the United States Coast Guard Yard . Training centers are included in
7575-868: The other branches of the United States Armed Forces , which are prevented from acting in a law enforcement capacity by 18 U.S.C. § 1385 , the Posse Comitatus Act , and Department of Defense policy, the Coast Guard is exempt from and not subject to the restrictions of the Posse Comitatus Act. Further law enforcement authority is given by 14 U.S.C. § 703 and 19 U.S.C. § 1401 , which empower U.S. Coast Guard active and reserve commissioned officers, warrant officers, and petty officers as federal customs officers . This places them under 19 U.S.C. § 1589a , which grants customs officers general federal law enforcement authority, including
7676-660: The person to be arrested has committed or is committing a felony; and (4) perform any other law enforcement duty that the Secretary of Homeland Security may designate. The U.S. Government Accountability Office Report to the House of Representatives , Committee on the Judiciary on its 2006 Survey of Federal Civilian Law Enforcement Functions and Authorities, identified the Coast Guard as one of 104 federal components that employed law enforcement officers . The report also included
7777-486: The previous leasing arrangements. Throughout its first decade, the depot repaired many lifesaving boats, constructed a variety of small boats, conducted overhauls and painted USRCS cutters. The depot's facilities were consistently improved during the 1910s. New construction included a boiler and pump house, a foundry, boat, sheetmetal, electrical, paint, upholstery and blacksmith shops, new mess halls, barracks, garages, recreation building and storage structures. In 1915, when
7878-468: The program began in 1984. With the dedication of the new $ 18 million shiplift in November, 1997, the yard increased its capability to accommodate repairs of Coast Guard vessels. The land-based shiphandling facility replaced the yard's nearly 60-year-old drydocks. It is environmentally-friendly and offers lower maintenance costs. The yard is the sole source for major repair of naval weapons systems used by
7979-564: The rank of ensign (O-1) through lieutenant commander (O-4) are considered junior officers, commanders (O-5) and captains (O-6) are considered senior officers, and rear admirals (O-7) through admirals (O-10) are considered flag officers. The Commandant of the Coast Guard and the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard are the only members of the Coast Guard authorized to hold the rank of admiral. The Coast Guard does not have medical officers or chaplains of its own. Instead, chaplains from
8080-433: The same duties assigned. From 14 May to 23 July 1947, Mendota shared an International Ice Patrol with the cutter Spencer . Another International Ice Patrol was shared with the cutter Mocoma from 26 April to 3 July 1948. While serving on ocean station Charlie in early January 1949, Mendota had to leave early due to an acute case of appendicitis. From 28 to 31 March 1950, she towed the disabled MV Edison Mariner until
8181-821: The same pay and allowances as members of the same pay grades in the other uniformed services. The service has participated in every major U.S. conflict from 1790 through today, including landing troops on D-Day and on the Pacific Islands in World War II , in extensive patrols and shore bombardment during the Vietnam War , and multiple roles in Operation Iraqi Freedom . Maritime interception operations, coastal security, transportation security, and law enforcement detachments have been its major roles in recent conflicts in Iraq . On 17 October 2007,
8282-545: The same rank structure as the Navy. Enlisted members in pay grades of E-4 and higher are considered petty officers and follow career development paths very similar to those of Navy petty officers. Petty officers in pay grade E-7 and higher are chief petty officers and must attend the Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Academy , or an equivalent Department of Defense school, in order to be advanced to pay grade E-8. The basic themes of
8383-440: The school are: Enlisted rank insignia is also nearly identical to Navy enlisted insignia. The Coast Guard shield replacing the petty officer's eagle on collar and cap devices for petty officers or enlisted rating insignia for seamen qualified as a "designated striker" . Group Rate marks (stripes) for junior enlisted members (E-3 and below) also follow Navy convention with white for seaman, red for fireman, and green for airman. In
8484-582: The school is now located at Coast Guard Training Center Yorktown at Yorktown, Virginia. Operated by the Coast Guard, the National Response Center (NRC) is the sole U.S. Government point of contact for reporting all oil , chemical , radiological , biological , and etiological spills and discharges into the environment, anywhere in the United States and its territories. In addition to gathering and distributing spill/incident information for Federal On Scene Coordinators and serving as
8585-426: The service's 378' cutters. In 1971, the yard completed construction of a prototype 41' utility boat (UTB) which had an aluminum hull and fiberglass superstructure. The yard-built boat was adopted and from 1973 through the early-1980s, the yard constructed 207 41' UTB's. The craft was well known to recreational and commercial boaters throughout the United States and was used primarily for search and rescue. The yard had
8686-455: The ship was commissioned as a patrol gunboat with ID number WPG-69 on 2 June 1945. Her ID was later changed to WHEC-69 (HEC for "High Endurance Cutter" - the "W" signifies a Coast Guard vessel). Mendota was stationed at Boston , Massachusetts , from April 1946 to January 1947. She was used for law enforcement, ocean station, and search and rescue operations. She was stationed at Wilmington , NC, from January 1947 to 29 February 1972 with
8787-589: The ship's personnel handled all administrative matters for U.S. naval vessels visiting Hong Kong. The crew also maintained a permanent Shore Party detachment to assist and supervise liberty visits ashore. Mendota returned home to her homeport of Wilmington, NC, on 27 November 1969. During her mission to Vietnam and back Mendota steamed over 60,000 miles (97,000 km). She transited the Panama Canal in both directions, and visited Hawaii , Guam , Bangkok , Thailand , Kaohsiung , Formosa , and Subic Bay in
8888-473: The shipyard. The yard became the first organization in the United States government to achieve ISO 9001 certification in 1995 and ISO 9001 recertification in 1998. ISO 9001 is a set of internationally recognized standards for quality management systems. [REDACTED] This article incorporates public domain material from US Coast Guard Yard . United States Government . United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard ( USCG )
8989-706: The shore establishment commands. The military college for the USCG is called the United States Coast Guard Academy which trains both new officers through a four year program and enlisted personnel joining the ranks of officers through a 17 week program called Officer Candidate School (OCS). Abbreviated TRACEN, the other Training Centers include Training Center Cape May for enlisted bootcamp, Training Center Petaluma and Training Center Yorktown for enlisted "A" schools and "C" schools, and Coast Guard Aviation Technical Training Center and Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile for aviation enlisted "A" school, "C" schools, and pilot officer training. The Coast Guard has
9090-551: The specific program and the background of the individual, the course is three, four or five weeks long. The first week of the five-week course is an indoctrination week. The DCO program is designed to commission officers with highly specialized professional training or certain kinds of previous military experience. USCGC Mendota (WHEC-69) Mendota was built by the Coast Guard yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland , one of only two Owasco class vessels not to be built by Western Pipe & Steel . Named after Lake Mendota , Wisconsin ,
9191-405: The then-modern vessels Yamacraw , Seneca , Seminole and many 100', 125' patrol boats and tugs. The 500 workers of the depot included civilian employees along with enlisted men. In 1928, there were 245 wage board and 2 classified employees on the civilian payrolls while the military complement was 250. The work load was flexible, increasing considerably in the summer months and decreasing in
9292-563: The village of Song Ông Đốc , on the Gulf of Thailand . The medical team conducted MEDCAPS (Medical Care of the Civilian Population), treating over 800 Vietnamese for every variety of medical malady during 14 visits to the village. The crew also helped rebuild a small dispensary. In addition, assistance was rendered to Vietnamese and Thai fishermen who were injured while fishing. U.S. and South Vietnamese forces were also treated by
9393-503: The winter months. By the 1930s, many of the original buildings and equipment at the depot had become outdated. New boat, gas engine and machine shops were built and a 40-ton marine railway was installed. With the transfer of the United States Lighthouse Service of the Department of Commerce to the Coast Guard in 1939, buoy construction became another major depot function. With the onset of World War II,
9494-421: The world. The U.S. Coast Guard operates under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security during peacetime. During times of war, it can be transferred in whole or in part to the U.S. Department of the Navy under the Department of Defense by order of the U.S. President or by act of Congress . Prior to its transfer to Homeland Security, it operated under the Department of Transportation from 1967 to 2003 and
9595-559: The yard's work load. The 1950s saw the construction of three hundred 40' steel lifesaving patrol boats, the Coast Guard lightships San Francisco and Ambrose and small craft like the 36'8" motor lifeboats. In February, 1953, the first of the 95' steel patrol boats was launched at the yard. In total, fifty-eight 95-footers were built for the Coast Guard and the Navy throughout the 1950s and early-1960s. The yard continued to overhaul aging Coast Guard and Navy ships. Such cutters were Chilula, Avoyel, Dexter, and Commanche. In March, 1958,
9696-468: The yard. During the 1960s and into the early-1970s, the yard constructed five 157' buoy tenders – Red Wood , Red Beech , Red Birch , Red Cedar and Red Oak . Construction began on the Red Cedar in July, 1969. Small boat construction during the 60's, included 206 25'8" fiberglass motor surfboats. The 1970s engaged the yard in a flurry of activity. The trades continued the manufacturing of
9797-442: Was established on the shores of Arundel Cove off of Curtis Creek and Curtis Bay in south Baltimore, Maryland and neighboring northern Anne Arundel County . In April, 1899, the former United States Revenue Cutter Service (RCS) leased 36 acres (150,000 m) of farmland surrounding Arundel Cove. Two months later, Lieutenant John C. Moore, USRCS, arrived aboard the side-wheeler steamboat USRC Colfax to begin establishing
9898-518: Was in World War II , in all some 250,000 served in the Coast Guard during World War II. Coast Guard Squadron One , was a combat unit formed by the United States Coast Guard in 1965 for service during the Vietnam War . Placed under the operational control of the United States Navy, it was assigned duties in Operation Market Time . Its formation marked the first time since World War II that Coast Guard personnel were used extensively in
9999-406: Was inconsistent and the system still relied on all-volunteer crews. In 1871, Sumner Increase Kimball was appointed chief of the Treasury Department's newly created Revenue Marine Division, and began the process of organizing the Revenue-Marine cutters into a centralized agency. Kimball also pushed for more funding lifesaving stations and eventually secured approval to create the Lifesaving Service as
10100-570: Was launched. One of these was later built for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the United Kingdom as the prototype for their Waveney-class . During the next 10 years, the yard built 110 44' MLBs. In May, 1965, the yard sent its first 210' USCG Medium Endurance Cutter down the shipways, Confidence . The 210' cutters Resolute , Durable , Decisive and Alert were also constructed at
10201-480: Was transferred to the yard when the awarded private contractor filed for bankruptcy prior to contract completion. In 1983, the U.S. Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay was listed on the National Register of Historic Places . After completing an extensive, four-year repair project on the barque USCGC Eagle in the 1980s, the cutter returned to the yard in 1995 and 1998 for repair availabilities. The yard
#198801