PORT ANGELES — The crew aboard the Coast Guard cutter Active have returned to their homeport in Port Angeles following a seven-week counter-drug and fisheries law enforcement patrol.
The crew returned Feb. 13.
The Active crew members supported Joint Interagency Task Force South, a component of U.S. Southern Command, operating in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The crew also supported Coast Guard Districts 11 and 13 operating off the west coast of the United States during the patrol.
During the patrol, Active crew members conducted an at-sea fueling evolution providing the Coast Guard Cutter Edisto additional fuel, allowing the Edisto to remain in theater for continuous mission support during their counter-drug patrol.
Active crew members conducted a second at-sea fueling evolution to train crew members aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak, as the Gerczak made its maiden voyage to its new homeport in Honolulu.
Active crew members conducted 164 helicopter evolutions during a three-day period, working with Air Stations Port Angeles, North Bend, San Francisco and Kodiak to increase the operational proficiency for pilots and Active’s crew.
Several Active crew members volunteered at a youth home which cares for displaced children during a port call in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The crew assisted in repairing equipment, power-washing the courtyard, stuccoing a wall, clearing out a yard and painting the facility.
Active’s Commanding Officer Cmdr. Chris German was proud of his crew and their successful operations during the deployment, he said.
“Another exceptional patrol by the dedicated group of professionals who are the crew of Active,” said German.
“We successfully completed a counter-narcotic deployment and an intensive training period and are glad to be back home as we prepare for our next mission.”
The Active is a 210-foot Medium Endurance Cutter commissioned in 1966 and is staffed by an 80-member crew. The Active’s primary missions include law enforcement, search and rescue, environmental protection and fisheries enforcement.