Coast Guard
Coast Guard Cutter Waesche returns after 113-day patrol of Bering Sea
Stars and Stripes
May 23, 2026
U.S. Coast Guard Ensign Garth Bowman, a landing signal officer assigned to U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche, directs an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Kodiak during flight operations in the Bering Sea, Feb. 21, 2026. (Christian Swenk/U.S. Coast Guard)
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche returned Friday to its Alameda, Calif., homeport to conclude a 113-day patrol of the Bering Sea, the service said in a news release.
USCGC Waesche covered 18,685 nautical miles on a deployment that included maritime law enforcement, search-and-rescue operations and the projection of a U.S. presence in the High North.
The primary mission was to protect the U.S. commercial fishing fleet and secure U.S. borders. Waesche’s crew conducted 15 boardings, discovering 11 violations.
Along the way, the crew rescued five mariners from the fishing vessel Ocean Bay after it ran aground and began taking on water near Umnak Island, Alaska.
“The Bering Sea is one of the most challenging areas that the Coast Guard operates in, especially during the winter,” said commanding officer Capt. Tyson Scofield. “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.”
Other operations included:
Deck landing qualifications for more than 64 flight hours with pilots from Air Station Kodiak and the Alaska Air National Guard’s 210th Rescue Squadron.
Initial integration of the V-BAT unmanned aircraft system, a remote surveillance drone capable of vertical takeoff and landing, which provides persistent airborne surveillance to support a wide range of Coast Guard missions.
The first fueling-at-sea exercise with the USCGC Storis, the Coast Guard’s newest icebreaker, in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The two cutters also engaged in a passing exercise, maneuvering in close formation to hone visual communication and ship handling skills.
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, according to the Coast Guard. She is equipped with a 4,000-square-foot flight deck and hangars capable of housing two multimission helicopters.
USCGC Storis and USCGC Waesche conduct a proof‑of‑concept fueling‑at‑sea evolution while moored in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, May 1, 2026. (Genzo Matua Gonzales/U.S. Coast Guard)