Coast Guard commissions fifth fast-response cutter bound for Guam

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned another Guam-bound fast-response cutter over the weekend that’s slated to become the fifth vessel of its class assigned to the westernmost U.S. territory.

The USCGC Jeffrey Palazzo, the Coast Guard’s 63rd Sentinel-class fast-response cutter, entered service Saturday at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City, according to a Coast Guard and Bollinger Shipyards news release Sunday.

The cutter is the second bound for Guam to be commissioned this year, following the USCGC Vincent Danz, which arrived in late July. The Myrtle Hazard, Oliver Henry and Frederick Hatch are also homeported there.

The 154-foot cutters conduct missions including search and rescue, port and border security and countering illegal activities at sea. They are replacing the Coast Guard’s aging 110-foot patrol boats.

Jeffrey Palazzo poses while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard in this undated photo. (U.S. Coast Guard)

The Jeffrey Palazzo is named for a Coast Guard reservist and New York City firefighter who died responding to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Saturday’s commissioning came one day after the United States marked the attacks’ 25th anniversary.

Palazzo served eight years on active duty in the Coast Guard before joining the fire department in 1996 and continuing to serve as a Coast Guard reservist. He responded to the World Trade Center with Staten Island’s Rescue Company 5 and died along with 10 other members of the company.

“He answered the call for his city, his country, and his fellow Americans,” Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said during the ceremony. “As this cutter enters service, its crew will carry his legacy forward by standing the watch, saving lives, countering threats, and protecting American interests across the region.”

The Vincent Danz is also named for a 9/11 victim, a Marine Corps veteran and New York police officer who died responding to the attacks. Danz was also a Coast Guard reservist.

The Coast Guard plans a fleet of 77 fast-response cutters and was considering assigning a sixth to Guam, then-Sector Guam spokesman Lt. Sara Muir told Stars and Stripes in May.

Chief Petty Officer Lisa Ferdinando, the sector’s current spokeswoman, referred questions to Coast Guard headquarters, which did not immediately respond to an after-hours email Monday.