Aviation tie-down members tend the fueling hose as part of deck landing qualifications to certify both pilots and Cutter aviation crewmembers.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt. Genzo Matua Gonzales.
ALAMEDA, California. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) and an Air Station Kodiak MH-60T Jayhawk aircrew returned to home after rescue 7 people in two SAR missions during a 113-day patrol in the Bering Sea. The USCGC traveled 18,685 nautical miles conducting a broad range of operations including maritime law enforcement, search and rescue (SAR) and the integration of new capabilities, all while projecting U.S. presence in the high north environment. Friday, May 22,2026.
The Cutter Waesche crew rescued five fishermen from the fishing vessel Ocean Bay after it ran aground and began taking on water near Umnak Island, Alaska. The Cutter provided on scene support while an Air Station Kodiak MH-60T Jayhawk Medium-Range Recovery Helicopter aircrew hoisted the fishermen to safety. Additionally, the Waesche provided communications and oversight during the aerial rescue of two hikers stranded in the Dutch Harbor mountains.
The primary mission of the patrol was protecting the U.S. commercial fishing fleet, securing, controlling, and defending U.S. borders and maritime approaches. Waesche’s crew conducted 15 boardings, discovering 11 violations.
The deployment also highlighted the Coast Guard’s commitment to joint operations and technological advancements in the Arctic. The crew conducted deck landing qualifications for more than 64 flight hours with MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter pilots from Air Station Kodiak and HH-60W Jolly Green II from Alaska Air National Guard’s (AKANG) 210th Rescue Squadron. This patrol also saw the initial integration of the V-BAT unmanned aircraft system (UAS), a remote surveillance drone capable of vertical takeoff and landing, which provides persistent airborne surveillance to support a wide range of Coast Guard missions from a smaller footprint.
Training is essential to maintaining unit readiness and proficiency for USCGC Waesche and the air stations.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christian Swenk.
In a demonstration of the service’s capability to sustain forces in the high north, Cutter Waesche conducted the first-ever fueling at sea exercise with the Coast Guard Cutter Storis (WAGB 21) in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The exercise proved Storis’s unique ability to extend asset time on station and deliver fuel direct to another Cutter, maximizing the nation’s operational footprint. The two USCGCs also engaged in a passing exercise, maneuvering in close formation to hone visual communication and ship handling skills.
“The Bering Sea is one of the most challenging areas that the Coast Guard operates in, especially during the winter,” says Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of Waesche. “I am extremely proud of the grit and devotion to duty that the crew displayed by rising to the challenges of sub-freezing temperatures, equipment casualties and a government shutdown to successfully execute a myriad of missions and provide sovereign presence in this challenging environment.”
Coast Guard Cutter Waesche
Waesche is a 418-foot National Security Cutter with a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, and a permanent crew of 120. She is equipped with a 4,000 square-foot flight deck and hangars capable of housing two multi-mission helicopters.
–USCG–
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