U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Denman (WPC 1149) returned to her homeport at Coast Guard Base Ketchikan August 8 following a 41-day patrol operating in the California coastal region.
The crew of the Douglas Denman deployed in support of Operation Border Trident, Coast Guard Southwest District’s standing operation to counter illicit maritime activity along the Southwest maritime boundary line.
Operation Border Trident is a Coast Guard-led interagency approach to detection, monitoring, interdiction, and apprehension operations to combat transnational criminal organizations and illegal alien activity in the California coastal region. The Douglas Denman increased operational presence in the area, maintaining border control and territorial integrity of the United States.
In support of Operation Border Trident, the Douglas Denman conducted 42 investigative boardings and queries in the vicinity of San Diego.
Teaming with U.S. Coast Guard cutters Kukui (WLB 203), Haddock (WPB 87347), Barracuda (WPB 87301), Forrest Rednour (WPC 1129), and Air Station San Diego for a multi-unit photo exercise, Douglas Denman enabled a naval formation steaming training while showcasing the diverse Coast Guard assets supporting Operation Border Trident.
The Douglas Denman is named for the Coxswain Douglas Denman, who was recognized with the Silver Star for heroism demonstrated while serving aboard the USS Calhoun (APD-2) during an undetected Japanese air attack near Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on Aug. 30, 1942. After sustaining severe injuries from two bombs, Coxswain Denman carried two men to the bow of their boat and floated them clear of the blasts. In addition to this heroism, he threw 30 life jackets overboard to survivors who were ejected from the vessel.
Homeported in Ketchikan, the Douglas Denman was commissioned on Sept. 28, 2022, as the Coast Guard’s 49th Fast Response Cutter (FRC). FRCs are 154-feet long, 26.6-feet wide, and have a 353-long-ton displacement. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 2,500 nautical miles and can hold a crew of up to 20. Douglas Denman regularly patrols the waters of Southeast Alaska, conducting operations in the region’s extreme weather conditions to protect Arctic District’s fisheries and respond to search and rescue cases. The ship’s motto is “Grit of the North.”