REPORT FROM THE US COAST GUARD – The Coast Guard Cutter Waesche pulls into Honolulu Harbor before the start of an Asia-Pacific patrol March 30, 2012. While patrolling through the Coast Guard District 14 area of responsibility, the Waesche crew will be conducting fisheries and law enforcement patrols with shipriders from several island nations. Through the bilateral agreements with Pacific island nations, partner governments place local law enforcement personnel aboard Coast Guard vessels to cooperatively patrol their exclusive economic zones.
The 418-foot cutter has a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles and a crew of 110. It’s equipped with a 4,000 square-foot flight deck that has the capability to recover the MH-65 Dolphin and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters, and larger Naval aircraft.
Waesche is also equipped with a Cutter Boat Over the Horizon IV deployed by davit from the side. It also has two Short Range Prosecutor boats deployed and recovered from the stern launch system which increases the ability to launch and recover boats quickly and in heavy seas.
Adm. Russell R. Waesche was the Coast Guard’s longest serving Commandant who presided over the greatest expansion of the service in history. Waesche ensured the integration of the U.S. Lighthouse Service into the Coast Guard and is also credited with the organization of the Coast Guard Reserve. He graduated from the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction and was commissioned as an Ensign in 1906. Waesche retired from active duty Coast Guard service and passed away shortly thereafter in 1946. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
For more information on the Cutter Waesche visit the following link:
https://www.uscg.mil/pacarea/CGCWaesche/