After 36 days and nearly 7,000 miles traveling from Key West, Florida, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Douglas Denman arrived in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Friday, Aug. 19, according to the USCG.
The arrival of Guard’s 49th Fast Response Cutter to the most southeastern city in Alaska culminates a year of administration and training to prepare the crew to take ownership of the cutter, which completed production in 2020.
“It’s been a long but extremely rewarding journey to get to this point,” said Chief Petty Officer Hayes Printy, the cutter’s engineering chief. “Seeing the crew’s growth throughout the process and being able to make this unit what we want is an experience I will cherish and not forget.”
The Douglas Denman is expected to be commissioned at the end of September and be homeported in Sitka, Alaska, following necessary shore infrastructure upgrades, according to the USCG. The cutter is expected to support various Coast Guard missions in the region, including law enforcement, fisheries enforcement, search and rescue and national security, the agency said.