THE U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam, which also serves the Northern Marianas, has a new Sentinel-class fast response cutter, USCG Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143).
USCG Frederick Hatch
Ensign/public affairs officer Luis Hofschneider, a Tinian native, told Variety that the acceptance ceremony was held in Key West, Florida and that the new cutter was delivered by Bollinger Shipyards.
“We will be on Guam in the summer and we look forward to our many patrols to the Northern Marianas and working with you all,” Hofschneider added.
The new cutter is named after Frederick Hatch who received the Gold Lifesaving Medal twice — in 1885 and in 1891.
Hatch served with the Lighthouse Service, which was merged with the Revenue Cutter Service in 1915 to become the Coast Guard.
For his part, Lt. Craig Rooke, the Frederick Hatch’s commanding officer, commended his crewmembers for their “tremendous amount of hard work.”
“They continue to amaze me every day with their great attitude and [the] tremendous effort that they have been putting into the pre-commission process,” he added. “I know Frederick Hatch would be proud.”
“The fast response cutters in the Pacific are a game changer for the Coast Guard,” said Cmdr. Josh Empen, the deputy sector commander of Coast Guard Sector Guam.
“Frederick Hatch will be the third fast response cutter in Guam, joining the Coast Guard Cutters Myrtle Hazard (WPC-1139) and Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) who have already saved mariners in distress at sea, intercepted narcotics, and boarded several vessels to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Oceania. These cutters are conducting longer missions over greater distances than the older patrol boats they are replacing.”
According to the Coast Guard, fast response cutters have advanced command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems designed to assist the cutter’s crew with their primary mission to patrol coastal regions.
“These advanced capabilities greatly improve the Coast Guard’s ability to conduct missions ranging from search and rescue to national defense within Guam’s waters while also contributing to joint operations between the United States and its regional partners as they work towards common goals such as the preservation of Pacific fish stocks,” the Coast Guard added.
